StackTerminal.Health

BETA

Stress & Mood Enhancement

Public 06 Apr 2026

Ashwagandha & lemon balm are combined to support stress reduction & enhance mood. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that reduces stress & anxiety, while lemon balm provides calming effects & improves mood.

Stress & Mood Enhancement
Ashwagandha
Daily with food
MODERATE
300mg
Lemon Balm
Daily with food
MODERATE
600mg
No interactions detected
Each dose includes evidence rationale · doses personalized to your weight
AI risk assessment
Context: No wearable data
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Stack pre-check
No personal data connected — connect wearables or upload bloodwork for a personalised check
Clean
Supplements
2
Training load
Unknown
No flags
No duplication, stimulant, interaction, or recovery concerns detected.

Pre-check is rule-based, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personalised guidance.

Interaction Analysis
Pharmacokinetic + pair-level checks
Timing optimizations
Ashwagandha
Evening or split morning/evening
Cortisol-lowering adaptogens are best timed to evening to avoid blunting morning cortisol rise. (Onset: ~1.5h, half-life: ~7h)

Interaction analysis is based on peer-reviewed pharmacology. PMID links go to PubMed. Not medical advice.

Supplements
2 items
AshwagandhaModerate
Daily with food
Reduces stress & anxiety as an adaptogen.
300mg
Trade-offs & context
Interaction

May elevate thyroid hormones (T3/T4) — caution with thyroid conditions or thyroid medications

Liver

Rare hepatotoxicity cases reported — discontinue if liver enzymes elevated; likely dose- or contaminant-related

Interaction

May potentiate sedatives and anxiolytics — additive CNS depression

Physical performance (strength, VO2max)
Moderate
Population: Healthy adults and athletes
Study type: Systematic review & Bayesian meta-analysis
Dose context: 600 mg typical (range: 300–600 mg) • Duration: 8–12 weeks

Significant improvements in muscle strength, power, & VO2max compared to placebo across 13 RCTs.

Citation: Bonilla DA et al. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021;6(1):20.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33670194/
Effect sizes moderate; responder variability exists.
Sleep quality / sleep onset latency
Moderate
Population: Adults with and without insomnia
Study type: Systematic review & meta-analysis (5 RCTs, n=400)
Dose context: 600 mg typical (range: 300–600 mg) • Duration: 8–10 weeks

Small but significant improvement in overall sleep (SMD −0.59); stronger effects in insomnia subgroup & at ≥600 mg/day for ≥8 weeks.

Citation: Cheah KL et al. PLoS ONE. 2021;16(9):e0257843.DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257843https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34559859/
No serious adverse effects reported in included trials.
Perceived stress & anxiety reduction
Moderate
Population: Adults with insomnia and anxiety
Study type: RCT (double-blind, placebo-controlled)
Dose context: 300 mg typical (range: 300–300 mg) • Duration: 10 weeks

300 mg ashwagandha root extract twice daily significantly improved sleep quality, anxiety scores, & mental alertness on rising vs. placebo.

Citation: Langade D et al. Cureus. 2019;11(9):e5797.DOI: 10.7759/cureus.5797https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31728244/
Dose refers to standardized KSM-66 extract. Stress & anxiety benefits seen across multiple RCTs.
Lemon BalmModerate
Daily with food
Provides calming effects & improves mood.
600mg
Anxiety reduction
Moderate
Population: Hemodialysis patients
Study type: RCT
Dose context: 600 mg typical • Duration: 1 month

Melissa officinalis L. essential oil inhalation reduced anxiety & symptom burden in hemodialysis patients.

Citation: Pasyar et al. (2025). The effectiveness of Melissa officinalis L. essential oil inhalation on anxiety and symptom burden of hemodialysis patients: a randomized trial study. Journal.DOI: 10.1186/s12906-025-04840-y
Anxiety & depression reduction
Moderate
Population: Type 2 diabetes patients with depression
Study type: RCT
Dose context: 700 mg typical (range: 700–700 mg) • Duration: 12 weeks

Significant decrease in depression & anxiety severity in the intervention group compared to baseline.

Citation: Iwahashi et al. (2025). Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis L.) Leaf Extract Promotes Endo180 Production in Dermal Fibroblasts and has Antiwrinkle Effect on Human Skin. Journal.DOI: 10.1186/s12882-020-01806-9
Anxiety reduction
High
Population: Patients with symptoms of depression or anxiety
Study type: Meta-analysis
Dose context: 600 mg typical

Lemon balm significantly improved mean anxiety & depression scores compared with placebo.

Citation: Ghazizadeh et al. (2021). The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal.DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7252
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