Nature's Power Duo for Stress and Immune Support: Ashwagandha & Super Mushrooms
A look at our potent ingredients
"The role of adaptogens should enable us to adapt to the world of stress…where stress is no longer stressful for us." - Ric Scalzo, Kokora founder.
Do you find yourself feeling stressed more often than not? Then read on…
In a chronically overwhelmed world, we have to work harder to create balance in our body, mind, and spirit. When selecting herbal ingredients to address collective and individual stressors, we need to regularly consider these three pillars: how do we rest, restore, and revitalize ourselves?
One important category of herbs that supports our body’s natural stress response is “adaptogens.” They assist in our ability to adapt and help to build resilience to the mental, emotional, and physical stressors we all experience daily. At our farm in Costa Rica, we grow one of nature’s top adaptogens, Ashwagandha, regeneratively. Our cultivation of Ashwagandha plays a part in keeping the soil healthy, alive, and full of biodiversity. This regeneration is mirrored in our body too, as Ashwagandha helps support a healthy nervous system.
Beneficial mushrooms are also used in our Kokora blends to nourish and support the immune system. When we select fruiting body mushrooms in combination with the power of Ashwagandha, a beautiful synergy happens: we experience healthy maintenance of cortisol levels*, feel more balanced in our nervous system and stress response*, and, as a result, experience a healthy immune system* as well.
In today’s world of stress, what can we do?
Today, it's common, but not ideal, to feel compromised in energy and sleep due to environmental pollutants, toxins, and the daily stressors of modern life. Many people have to work much harder to feel restored and renewed than ever before. Like many others, you too may struggle to rest deeply at night and have enough energy throughout the day. This is why adaptogens play a vital role in restoring our natural energy levels and supporting our stress responses—helping us find that delicate balance between rest, recovery, and activity.
What does Ashwagandha do, exactly?
Let's start by discussing Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as "Indian ginseng." This important herb is used as a potent adaptogen in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, a natural medicine system from India that's more than 5,000 years old. It also has a long history in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for promoting vitality, fertility, and thriving with abundant energy rather than just surviving. With Ashwagandha, we can bolster a healthy immune system and find it easier to relax, rejuvenate, and discover joy in everyday life. Ashwagandha helps safeguard and conserve our vital energy, allowing our bodies to rest, digest, and naturally feel more at ease*.
Because many people seek more of this balance in their life, we use only the highest quality Ashwagandha, in a serving size that will help make an impact in your body. Each serving size of our powder blends includes 4g of adaptogenic herbs, equivalent to eight 500-milligram capsules, a recognizable difference in potency from most herbal brands. In many of our products (like 7 Mushroom Mocha and Adapt & Thrive), we also use a synergistic blend of beneficial mushrooms to help you feel your best.
The Power of Mushrooms
"All mushrooms are designed by nature to strengthen and broaden the diversity of the gut microbiome." - Ric Scalzo, Kokora founder.
Photo courtesy of Nammex
Mushrooms are popular and widely consumed for good reason. Not only do many mushrooms act as potent adaptogens, but studies also confirm that they contribute to a healthy, diverse gut microbiome and a robust, healthy immune system. It is important to prioritize diversifying the gut microbiome, which can be supported by consuming beneficial mushrooms regularly. This enhances our capacity to build immunity, and support digestion*. Mushrooms like Reishi, Lion's Mane, and Chaga are beautiful allies for a healthier gut and are well-known as powerful adaptogens that target the stress response. We use mushroom extracts in our formulas to ensure superior potency, delivering the benefits more powerfully to the gut in a much shorter amount of time, contributing to a healtier life span.
Research-Driven
We conduct studies on our products at the Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research. These studies are conducted on human cell lines to measure gene expression and RNA synthesis. By examining these actions, we’re able to identify beneficial activity. Reishi and Chaga, for example, have demonstrated that they may support healthy immune function that helps our bodies thrive.
"We crafted unique formulas that are most compatible with our product name and claims. These varieties of mushrooms are intended to support the selection of herbs included with Ashwagandha in the formulas," says Ric.
The herbs work more synergistically together than apart, contributing to a more robust, resilient, and balanced immune and nervous system*.
The Potency of Ashwagandha and Super Mushroom Blends in Your Daily Routine
Most herbal products come as supplements or tinctures. But for our first line, we decided to offer something that's both potent and practical. Our five Ashwagandha and Super Mushroom blends, Golden Milk Bliss, Adapt & Thrive, Immune Power, Roasted Kokora Lift, and 7 Mushroom Mocha, carry a superior concentration per dose compared to other brands, meaning your body will get what it needs to feel its best. With many ingredients grown at our Regenerative Organic Certified® herb farm, these blends are delicious and practical – so you can enjoy them on their own or add them to your morning tea or coffee, whether you’re sipping it slowly or on the go.
"The important thing is that we all want a regenerative lifestyle,” says Ric. "You can raise the bar in your health by doing something natural that fits into what you already do daily.”
For more information and to buy our regenerative drink powders, all of which include Ashwagandha and Super Mushroom blends, visit our online store. Follow along on social media or subscribe to our newsletters for product updates, recipes, and healthy daily routines to help your body (and mind) thrive.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
