Healthology - Stress-FX (Stress Formula)

Product Notes:

Humans are complicated organisms with multiple nervous systems (central and peripheral) which respond to stimuli and communicate with and control our organs in an unconscious fashion, such as by seesawing back and forth between a stress response when danger is present and settling into a recuperative phase, when it is not. Stress-FX works to restore that balance.

Stress is generally conceived in terms of the psychological or physical tension we experience when encountering or thinking of threatening or adverse situations, which can impede one's ability to perform optimally in the short term and have a cascade of negative health effects if it goes on unabated. If we're unable to extricate ourselves from or alter our views on those situations, sometimes the best recourse is to understand what is going on physiologically in the stress response, and take measures to counteract or attenuate those processes, to get closer to normal functioning.

Healthology, the formulators of STRESS-FX, have done just that.

They recognize the stress reaction as one of the two main phases of the autonomic system - the so-called "fight-or-flight" response, which diverts more of the body's resources (especially blood flow) to the large muscles and builds up fat reserves for energy but suppresses immune function, digestion, and sleep - which prevents the normally predominant "rest-and-digest" phase from enabling us to digest, rid ourselves of toxins, fight disease, and think and emotionally properly.

And they understand which hormones or neurotransmitters in the body are principally responsible for activating that stress phase (cortisol) or tilting back to the rest phase (GABA, or Gamma Aminobutyric Acid), and which natural herbs can influence those in the right direction, to lower cortisol levels and promote a state of calmness and relaxation.

Notes on the Individual Ingredients

Stress-FX is formulated with ingredients used in herbal medicine to help relieve symptoms of stress, restlessness, and nervousness. It may help temporarily promote relaxation and support cognitive function.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that can help the body maintain or return to a balanced state, and is the most widely used herb in Ayurvedic medicine. This formulation uses the KSM-66 type of Ashwagandha, a potent, full-spectrum, water-based extraction from just the roots of the plant, which has been shown to be effective in treating anxiety, depression, and sexual-functioning in human clinical studies.

GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) operates as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, to shift us away from the hyper-vigilante fight-or-flight stance and into a more calm and relaxing rest-and-digest state.

L-Theanine is an amino acid derived from green tea which has a calming effect on us, and starts to work almost immediately after we take it, since it crosses the blood-brain barrier easily. L-Theanine functions by increasing the effectiveness of GABA, the brain's main inhibitory neurotransmitter.

Passion Flower is a natural muscle relaxant, sleep aid and anti-anxiety herb, which can help quiet a racing mind and loosen tight muscles. It also increases the effectiveness of GABA, as L-Theanine does, but in a slightly different and complementary way, so they work well together synergistically to help you reach pleasant and anxiety-free states of mind.

Rhodiola is an adaptogen, which can lower cortisol levels to enhance our ability to cope with stress, and help with memory, focus, mood (lowering anxiety and elevating low mood) and energy level.

Schisandra is another adaptogen, that is, something that can promote relaxation and support our ability to cope with stress. This type operates through the serotonin pathway (the neurotransmitter targeted by many antidepressants).

Skullcap is another herb which can help reduces stress and anxiety and promote relaxation by stimulating the GABA receptors in the brain.