****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I was looking for herbs for various reasons and circumstances. I stumbled upon adaptogens via Wikipedia and became very interested in the claimed benefits. After a little more research, I came to the best place on Earth, Amazon, and looked for some of the ingredients that I researched; It eventually led me to this product. Gaia Herbs has a feel of superior quality when compared to a lot of other herbal companies. Plus, they have a tracking ID # that allows you to see the process of your specific batch of herbs from growth, to manufacturing, which is actually kind of neat. Though, I must admit that I have not used this feature.Onto the effects of the product. I bought this specifically for a backpacking trip that I just took in Wyoming. I live in Portland, Oregon and the elevation difference is insane. I live at about 200 feet and the vast majority of the trip would be at above 10,000 feet. As soon as I got these, I took two just to get it into my system so it could have some time to build up. The first sign I noticed that it was working was on a day where I hadnt't eaten much and decided to do a small workout. Usually when I workout, I must eat tons of carbs beforehand in order to sustain maximal effort throughout the workout (Muscle Glycogen). While I wasn't working at max, I could tell that I had much more stamina and strength than I usually would have thanks to this herbal blend. Though, I did notice it took a bit of time for it to start working; more on this in a bit.When I reached Wyoming and started my excursion, I honestly didn't notice a difference right away. I took my usual 2 pill dose, along with some ZipFizz and continued my pack in. About 2/3 of the way in, I started hurting and slowing WAAAY down, as did the other people I was with, which naturally led to them stopping and starting repeatedly. This is very difficult for me to do, so I opted to forge ahead into the wilderness that contained grizzly and black bears, cougars, moose, elk, wolves, and many other creatures. This is where I started to notice something quite incredible. During the last slog of our pack in, we gained about 2,500 feet in about 3 miles, with at least 50 pounds on our back. The last section was straight uphill, and I practically RAN up this portion. I stopped only a handfull of times to take photos and check on the rest of my crew, which was out of sight after about 10 minutes. I even ran out of water and still had TONS of energy. The amount of endurance was nothing short of astounding, especially in such high altitude.I reached a spot where I thought I had better wait in case they decided to go elsewhere or stop for the night. I ended up waiting for about 30 minutes for them to catch up. Now thirty minutes equates to about a mile distance between me and them. We started at the same time, and I ended up at least a mile in front, despite me leading a rather sedentary life. This was only day one. On day two, three, and four, results were the same. HOWEVER, I do NOT believe this was entirely due to the herb. I sincerely believe that adding the ZipFizz energy drink to the herbs drastically improved its effects. DRASTICALLY. I felt like Superman while everyone else was a minimum of a half mile behind me.Conclusion. BUY THIS. If you are needing some *intense* energy, I suggest coupling it with some ZipFizz, and you will have sufficient energy and stamina for hours. I did notice some caveats, however. In order to really get the benefits of this herb/combo, you MUST be active and properly hydrated. It also takes some time to work even after taking it. So, if you take it at 10am and then decide to hike at 1p, the herb will still take about 20-40 minutes to begin working AFTER you start your hike. Also, if not taken AFTER food, it can cause an upset stomach, so be ware. I also suggest proper nutrition and hydration to maximize the benefits.Would I recommend this to people? There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I would do so in a flash. I will continue to buy this, and possibly some Rhodiola to supplement this herb blend.I am NOT a Dr. and do not suggest that anyone take ANY supplement without first researching it. I also highly suggest that one finds out out whether they are allergic to any ingredients, where they are healthy enough to take herbs, and whether said herbs potentially interfere with any other medications/herbs they may already be taking. Do not think that all herbs are safe to take together, because this is far from true. Please be smart and research any possible contraindications and allergy information. Love, Light, and happiness.Update 5/16/2015I still take this product to keep my adrenals from being totally taxed, due to the amount of caffeine that I take on a daily basis, to keep me sharp and full of energy to get through my demanding days.With that said, I ran out last week, and figured I would see if it makes a difference. It does. It makes HUGE difference when supplementing daily with caffeine. Not taking the Adrenal Health, I have ridiculous crashes, to the point of needing to sleep right away. Forget trying to get things done. Brain fog is very evident, and my energy levels, both stamina and muscle, get to be ultra low as well.However, when taking the Adrenal Health, I have NO crash, and still have plenty of energy at the end of my work day to come home and smash it in the gym. I'm still completely sold on this product.
