Index of Herbs

Concern guide

Herbs for Energy and Fatigue

Herbs that may help when you feel run down, from ginseng to rhodiola, with what the research shows and when to get checked.

6 herbs reviewed

Updated October 7, 2026

Almost everyone runs low on energy sometimes, after short nights, a busy stretch at work, an illness, or a season of worry, and that tiredness usually lifts with rest, regular meals, and movement. Fatigue that lingers for weeks, or that sleep does not fix, deserves a check-up, because it often has a treatable cause such as anemia, thyroid problems, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression, an infection, a medicine side effect, or heart disease.

Herbs can be a gentle companion while you rebuild your energy, especially when tiredness travels with stress. Several herbs below are called adaptogens, a term from Soviet-era research for plants said to help the body cope with physical and mental stress in a general way. It is a handy description of how people use them, but it is a traditional concept still being studied rather than a medical category, so each herb is judged on its own research. Herbs work best alongside enough sleep, regular activity, and balanced meals; MedlinePlus notes that stimulants, caffeine included, do not treat fatigue and can make it worse when they wear off.

The herbs below are ordered by strength of evidence for fatigue, then by how commonly they are used. Ratings run from good clinical evidence to long traditional use, and for fatigue the best-supported herb currently sits at promising. Research is still emerging: many trials are small and short, test different extracts, and study particular groups, such as people with cancer-related or stress-related fatigue, so results may not carry over to every product on the shelf. The full monographs cover doses, side effects, and interactions.

02 The shortlist

The herbs, from best studied to time-honored

How to read the ratings

  • Good clinical evidence
  • Promising clinical evidence
  • Early or mixed evidence
  • Long traditional use

Ratings show how much research backs each herb for this particular concern. Every herb links to its full monograph, with preparations, safety notes, and sources.

  1. 01 Ginseng

    Promising clinical evidence

    Panax ginseng

    Ginseng is the classic energy tonic, and EMA accepts Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) as a traditional remedy for fatigue and weakness. Its most encouraging trial used a related species: in 364 cancer survivors, 2,000 mg a day of American ginseng eased fatigue more than placebo by eight weeks, and a 2023 review cited by NCCIH found a small benefit for general fatigue with Asian ginseng. Results vary between species and products. Insomnia is the most common side effect, and ginseng interacts with warfarin and diabetes medicines.

    Read the ginseng monograph →

  2. 02 Rhodiola

    Early or mixed evidence

    Rhodiola rosea

    Rhodiola, or golden root, is the herb most closely tied to stress-related tiredness, and EMA accepts it as a traditional remedy for stress symptoms such as fatigue and exhaustion in adults. In a trial of 60 adults with stress-related fatigue, it modestly improved burnout and attention scores over four weeks; other trials are small and results vary, so larger studies would help. EMA advises seeing a doctor if symptoms last beyond two weeks. It may interact with warfarin and antidepressants.

    Read the rhodiola monograph →

  3. 03 Ashwagandha

    Early or mixed evidence

    Withania somnifera

    Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic root that many people take when stress and poor sleep leave them running on empty. NCCIH says some preparations may help stress and insomnia, which can support daytime energy, though trials measuring fatigue itself are still few and products vary, so a standardized root extract is the closest match to the research. The key cautions are rare but serious liver injury and effects on the thyroid, and it should be avoided in pregnancy.

    Read the ashwagandha monograph →

  4. 04 Holy Basil

    Early or mixed evidence

    Ocimum tenuiflorum

    Holy basil, or tulsi, is a revered Ayurvedic herb enjoyed as a daily tea and sold as extracts for stress. In a six-week trial of 150 stressed adults, an extract eased symptoms including exhaustion and forgetfulness more than placebo. Trials are small and several were funded by manufacturers, so independent studies would help. It may lower blood sugar and thyroid hormone and slow clotting, and it is best avoided in pregnancy or when trying to conceive.

    Read the holy basil monograph →

  5. 05 Maca

    Long traditional use

    Lepidium meyenii

    Maca is an Andean root vegetable, eaten for centuries as dried, cooked flour in the high Peruvian Andes and sold today as a powder for energy and vitality. Its human trials have focused mainly on sexual desire, where small studies show some promise, while research on energy and stamina is still at an early stage. As a food-like powder it appears gentle. People with hormone-sensitive cancers should talk to their oncology team first, and concentrated supplements are best avoided in pregnancy.

    Read the maca monograph →

  6. 06 Astragalus

    Long traditional use

    Astragalus mongholicus

    Astragalus root, or huang qi, is one of the great tonic herbs of traditional Chinese medicine, used for some 2,000 years to restore vitality and often paired with ginseng. In the West it is sold for tiredness, but trials for fatigue are still lacking, and NCCIH says more reliable evidence is needed. It appears well tolerated. Avoid it with autoimmune disease or transplant drugs such as tacrolimus, and check first if you take lithium, diabetes, or blood pressure medicines.

    Read the astragalus monograph →

03 Caution

Using these herbs safely

Most of these herbs are well tolerated in short courses, and the most important step for tiredness is making sure nothing else is going on. Fatigue that lasts more than a few weeks, does not improve with rest, or disrupts daily life deserves a check-up, where blood tests can look for anemia, thyroid problems, diabetes, and infection, and a doctor can consider sleep apnea, depression, medicines, and heart disease. See a doctor promptly if tiredness comes with unexplained weight loss, fever, or night sweats. Chest pain or pressure, or shortness of breath that comes on suddenly or at rest, needs emergency care: call 911. Feeling hopeless or losing interest in things you enjoy can signal depression, which is treatable. Anyone having thoughts of suicide or self-harm should contact emergency services or a crisis line right away; in the US, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and in a life-threatening situation call 911.

If you take regular medicines, a quick check with a pharmacist is worthwhile. Ginseng can add to the blood-sugar-lowering effect of insulin and other diabetes drugs, and it can change how warfarin works, in either direction depending on the species, so INR checks matter. Asian ginseng has been linked with manic-like symptoms alongside MAOI antidepressants such as phenelzine. Stimulating herbs can cause insomnia, jitteriness, and a racing heart, and stacking ginseng or rhodiola with coffee, energy drinks, or stimulant medicines adds to this, so take them earlier in the day. Ginseng may affect heart rate and blood pressure and astragalus can lower blood pressure, so check first if you have high blood pressure or a heart rhythm problem. Rhodiola slows an enzyme that clears warfarin, phenytoin, and losartan. Ashwagandha may interact with sedatives and thyroid, diabetes, and blood pressure medicines, holy basil with blood thinners and diabetes drugs, and astragalus with lithium and transplant drugs.

A few specific cautions are worth knowing. Ashwagandha is rated a likely cause of rare liver injury, usually two to twelve weeks after starting; yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, or unusual itching mean stopping it and getting tested, and people with liver disease should avoid it. It has also caused an overactive thyroid in case reports, and holy basil may lower thyroid hormone, so anyone with a thyroid condition should check with their doctor. High doses of Asian ginseng have been linked with mania, so people with bipolar disorder or a history of mania should avoid it, and ginseng, ashwagandha, and astragalus may affect autoimmune conditions. Maca can interfere with some testosterone blood tests. Stop ginseng at least a week before surgery, and tell your surgical team about any of these herbs. Never forage wild astragalus, because some relatives are toxic locoweeds.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: ashwagandha should be avoided because of miscarriage concerns, EMA does not recommend rhodiola, holy basil is best avoided in pregnancy and when trying to conceive, astragalus is advised against, many experts recommend against ginseng, and concentrated maca has not been studied. Children: EMA does not recommend rhodiola under 18, experts advise against ginseng for children, and ongoing tiredness in a child or teenager deserves a pediatric assessment. Product quality varies widely. Ginseng covers several species, Siberian ginseng is a different plant, and some products contain little of the active ginsenosides, so look for the Latin name and a stated ginsenoside content. About a fifth of rhodiola products in one study lacked its marker compound, while registered traditional medicines were more consistent. Energy and stress blends can hide caffeine and make it hard to know what helped.

04 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The best-studied option is ginseng: EMA accepts Asian ginseng as a traditional remedy for fatigue and weakness, and American ginseng eased cancer-related fatigue in a 364-person trial. For tiredness that comes with stress, rhodiola is accepted in Europe for stress symptoms such as fatigue, and ashwagandha may help stress and sleep. No herb replaces finding the cause of persistent fatigue, so a check-up comes first if tiredness has lasted more than a few weeks.

Adaptogen is a term from Soviet-era research for herbs said to help the body resist physical and mental stress in a general way. Rhodiola, ashwagandha, ginseng, and holy basil most often carry the label. It is a traditional concept still being studied rather than a proven medical category, so the useful question is what each herb’s own trials show. Several have encouraging small studies for stress and stress-related tiredness, and each has its own safety profile.

Check with a pharmacist first if you take any regular medicine. Ginseng can lower blood sugar with diabetes drugs, can change the effect of warfarin, and has been linked with manic-like symptoms alongside MAOI antidepressants and liver injury alongside imatinib. Insomnia is its most common side effect, and caffeine, energy drinks, and stimulant medicines add to that and to a racing heart, so go easy on coffee and take ginseng in the morning. Stop it at least a week before surgery.

Most trials for stress and tiredness run for several weeks rather than days. The main rhodiola fatigue trial lasted four weeks, and EMA advises seeing a doctor if symptoms last beyond two weeks of use. Ashwagandha stress trials usually ran six to eight weeks, and NCCIH considers use of up to about three months possibly safe. If you feel no better after a few weeks, it is a good time to see a doctor rather than add more products.

Short nights, stress, and illness are the usual culprits, but tiredness that lasts more than a few weeks, does not improve with rest, or affects daily life deserves a check-up. Common treatable causes include anemia, thyroid problems, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression, infections, medicine side effects, and heart disease. See a doctor promptly if tiredness comes with weight loss, fever, or night sweats, and call 911 for chest pain or sudden shortness of breath. Herbs such as ginseng can sit alongside that care, not replace it.

05 References

Sources

These references support the claims in this guide. Each herb’s monograph carries its own full source list.

  1. Fatigue

    MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine (NIH), 2025

    Lists common causes of fatigue, including anemia, thyroid disease, sleep apnea, depression, diabetes, heart failure, infections, and medicines; flags fatigue with fever, weight loss, or sweats; notes stimulants do not treat fatigue.

  2. Fatigue in Adults: Evaluation and Management

    American Family Physician, American Academy of Family Physicians, 2023

    Clinical review of how doctors evaluate fatigue, covering heart and lung, blood, hormonal, sleep, infectious, and psychiatric causes and screening for sleep apnea.

  3. Asian ginseng: usefulness and safety

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2025

    Describes the adaptogen idea, a 2023 review suggesting a small benefit for general fatigue, insomnia as the most common side effect, blood sugar effects, and pregnancy and child cautions.

  4. Wisconsin ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) to improve cancer-related fatigue: a randomized, double-blind trial, N07C2

    Journal of the National Cancer Institute (PMC3888141), 2013

    The 364-person trial in which 2,000 mg a day of American ginseng improved cancer-related fatigue more than placebo at eight weeks, the basis for ginseng’s rating.

  5. Ginseng (Asian)

    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs, 2026

    Supports the cautions on warfarin, MAOI antidepressants (manic-like symptoms), imatinib, and diabetes drugs, plus insomnia, fast heart rate, and mania case reports.

  6. European Union herbal monograph on Rhodiola rosea L., rhizoma et radix (Revision 1)

    European Medicines Agency (EMA/HMPC/24177/2023), 2024

    Traditional use for symptoms of stress such as fatigue and exhaustion at 144–400 mg a day, the two-week rule, and the advice against use under 18 or in pregnancy.

  7. Ashwagandha: usefulness and safety

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2023

    Supports possible benefit for stress and insomnia, short-term safety of about three months, rare liver injury, and cautions in pregnancy, thyroid disease, and with diabetes, blood pressure, and thyroid medicines.

  8. Efficacy of an extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum (OciBest) in the management of general stress: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study

    Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (PubMed 21977056), 2012

    The 150-person trial in which holy basil extract eased stress symptoms, including exhaustion and forgetfulness, more than placebo over six weeks.

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