Reduce Stress While Staying Sharp

The number of U.S. adults reporting difficulties with concentration, memory, and decision-making increased from 5.3% to 7.4% from 2013 to 2023, according to a study published in 2025.¹

Surprisingly, the number of younger adults reporting these cognitive issues nearly doubled over the 10-year period.¹

Several factors, including stress, contribute to foggy thinking and cognitive challenges.^1-3

However, these concerns can be addressed. Some scientists have been researching two botanical extracts to address stress and mental focus:

• Ashwagandha: In one clinical trial, a standardized ashwagandha extract reduced feelings of stress by 71% and lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol by 24%.⁴
• Spearmint: In clinical trials, spearmint increased attention by 11%,⁵ and working memory by 15%.⁶

Together, these plant extracts may help lower stress while maintaining mental focus.

Stress and Brain Dysfunction

Stress can make it challenging to concentrate and think.⁷

Chronic stress weakens the immune system and can increase susceptibility to illness. It raises cortisol levels through activation of the HPA axis, which suppresses immune function.⁸ Stress and elevated cortisol can interfere with sleep.^9,10 Good sleep is crucial for memory consolidation and attention.¹¹

Stress is also linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment,¹² as well as cardiometabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes,¹³ cardiovascular disease,¹⁴ high blood pressure,¹⁵ and even stroke.¹⁵

Over the long term, mental stress can even increase the risk of dementia.¹²

The plant world offers promising solutions for calming the brain and enhancing its function.

Ashwagandha: An Ancient Stress Solution

Ashwagandha, an herb used in traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine, is classified as an adaptogen because it helps the body adapt to stress.¹⁶ Ashwagandha helps the body manage stress by reducing cortisol and supporting the overall balance of stress-related hormones.^17-19

In one trial, chronically stressed adults ages 18 to 60 took varying doses of standardized ashwagandha extract or a placebo daily for 60 days.⁴

Stress levels were measured with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), a questionnaire assessing mental and physical symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating, and tension headaches.²⁰

Those taking 250 mg of standardized ashwagandha extract daily, in two divided doses for 60 days, experienced the following changes from baseline:⁴

• 71% decrease in overall feelings of stress and anxiety,
• 24% decrease in the stress hormone cortisol,
• 3.4% decrease in systolic (top number) blood pressure, and
• 8.2% decrease in pulse rate.

The placebo group had no significant change in perceived stress or physical measures of stress.⁴

Participants who were taking ashwagandha also reported improvements in their ability to concentrate and remember things.

Anti-Stress Action

In a 2024 study, 131 mild to moderate chronically stressed adults ages 18 to 60 took a standardized extract of ashwagandha at varying doses or a placebo daily for eight weeks.²¹

Compared with placebo, those who took 150 mg of standardized ashwagandha extract daily showed a dose-dependent response from baseline:

• 34% reduction in mental stress (measured by a standard questionnaire),
• 18% decrease in plasma cortisol levels, and
• Significant reduction in inflammatory cytokines associated with stress.

In addition, the ashwagandha extract improved feelings of vitality and mood along with self-reported quality of sleep.

Spearmint and Focus

Spearmint is rich in health-promoting polyphenolic compounds, including rosmarinic acid.²²

In preclinical studies rosmarinic acid and other spearmint polyphenols support the brain by:

• Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation,^23,24
• Protecting the health of neurons in the brain,^25,26 and
• Increasing acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter critical for learning and memory.²⁷

Scientists used traditional breeding techniques to develop a spearmint extract high in rosmarinic acid and other polyphenols.²⁸

A pilot trial of healthy adults confirmed that a 900 mg dose of this spearmint extract was well absorbed. Supplementation improved reasoning and attention after 30 days and enhanced attention within 2–4 hours after a single dose.²⁹

In a three-month trial involving 90 adults, ages 50 to 70, with age-associated memory issues, taking 900 mg of spearmint extract improved working memory (the ability to temporarily retain and use information) by 15% and improved spatial working memory by 9%, compared to placebo.⁶

Diverse Brain Benefits

In another clinical study, 142 healthy, active younger adults, ages 18 to 50, took either 900 mg of spearmint extract or a placebo daily for 90 days to test its effect on sustained attention.³⁰

Sustained attention helps people complete longer tasks, such as reading this article or focusing during lengthy car drives.³¹ Ongoing stress or worry can affect daily life and may cause poor sleep, irritability, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating.³²

On computerized cognitive tests, the spearmint group had an 11% increase in sustained attention from baseline, while the placebo group showed little change.³⁰

In another 90-day, placebo-controlled trial of younger adults, the spearmint extract not only improved mental focus but also reaction time, and hand-eye, foot-eye coordination.⁵

A combination of spearmint and ashwagandha may both relieve stress and improve focus.

Summary

Managing stress and supporting brain health are key to maintaining cognitive function.

Scientists have developed an ashwagandha extract that has been clinically shown to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety while lowering the stress hormone cortisol.

To complement these benefits, a specialized spearmint extract with high levels of polyphenols has been clinically shown to improve attention and working memory.

Together, ashwagandha and spearmint extracts may help adults manage stress while supporting mental focus and cognitive performance.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

References

1. Wong KH, Anderson CD, Peterson C, et al. Rising Cognitive Disability as a Public Health Concern Among US Adults: Trends From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2013-2023. Neurology. 2025 Oct 21;105(8):e214226.
2. Girotti M, Bulin SE, Carreno FR. Effects of chronic stress on cognitive function - From neurobiology to intervention. Neurobiol Stress. 2024 Nov;33:100670.
3. Berridge CW, Devilbiss DM, Martin AJ, et al. Stress degrades working memory-related frontostriatal circuit function. Cereb Cortex. 2023 Jun 8;33(12):7857-69.
4. Auddy B, Hazra J, Mitra A, et al. A Standardized Withania Somnifera Extract Significantly Reduces Stress-Related Parameters in Chronically Stressed Humans: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of American Nutraceutical Association. 2008.
5. Falcone PH, Tribby AC, Vogel RM, et al. Efficacy of a nootropic spearmint extract on reactive agility: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Dec 12;15(1):58.
6. Herrlinger KA, Nieman KM, Sanoshy KD, et al. Spearmint Extract Improves Working Memory in Men and Women with Age-Associated Memory Impairment. J Altern Complement Med. 2018 Jan;24(1):37-47.
7. Scott SB, Graham-Engeland JE, Engeland CG, et al. The Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology and Emotion (ESCAPE) Project. BMC Psychiatry. 2015 Jul 3;15:146.
8. Available at: https://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/how-stress-affects-the-brain/. Accessed March 13, 2026.
9. Goldberg ZL, Thomas KGF, Lipinska G. Bedtime Stress Increases Sleep Latency and Impairs Next-Day Prospective Memory Performance. Front Neurosci. 2020;14:756.
10. Zhang XX, Sun SY, Ma ZJ, et al. Changed nocturnal levels of stress-related hormones couple with sleep-wake states in the patients with chronic insomnia disorder: A clinical pilot study. Sleep Med. 2024 May;117:177-83.
11. Lucey BP. Sleep Alterations and Cognitive Decline. Semin Neurol. 2025 May;45(3):333-47.
12. Kulshreshtha A, Alonso A, McClure LA, et al. Association of Stress With Cognitive Function Among Older Black and White US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Mar 1;6(3):e231860.
13. Hackett RA, Steptoe A. Type 2 diabetes mellitus and psychological stress - a modifiable risk factor. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017 Sep;13(9):547-60.
14. Levine GN, Cohen BE, Commodore-Mensah Y, et al. Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021 Mar 9;143(10):e763-e83.
15. Reddin C, Murphy R, Hankey GJ, et al. Association of Psychosocial Stress With Risk of Acute Stroke. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Dec 1;5(12):e2244836.
16. Sprengel M, Laskowski R, Jost Z. Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) supplementation: a review of its mechanisms, health benefits, and role in sports performance. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2025 Feb 5;22(1):9.
17. Fornalik M, Malkiewicz A, Adamczak D, et al. Hormonal Modulation with Withania somnifera: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-controlled Trials. Planta Med. 2026 Feb 25.
18. Vollmer G, Brendler T. Evaluation of Potential Hormonal Activities of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Phytother Res. 2025 Dec 26.
19. Majeed M, Nagabhushanam K, Mundkur L. A standardized Ashwagandha root extract alleviates stress, anxiety, and improves quality of life in healthy adults by modulating stress hormones: Results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Oct 13;102(41):e35521.
20. Thompson E. Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). Occup Med (Lond). 2015 Oct;65(7):601.
21. Pandit S, Srivastav AK, Sur TK, et al. Effects of Withania somnifera Extract in Chronically Stressed Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2024 Apr 26;16(9).
22. Cavar Zeljkovic S, Siskova J, Komzakova K, et al. Phenolic Compounds and Biological Activity of Selected Mentha Species. Plants (Basel). 2021 Mar 15;10(3).
23. Hassanzadeh-Taheri M, Ahmadi-Zohan A, Mohammadifard M, et al. Rosmarinic acid attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in rats. J Chem Neuroanat. 2021 Nov;117:102008.
24. Thingore C, Kshirsagar V, Juvekar A. Amelioration of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in lipopolysaccharide-induced memory impairment using Rosmarinic acid in mice. Metab Brain Dis. 2021 Feb;36(2):299-313.
25. Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar M, Hosseinzadeh H. Effects of rosmarinic acid on nervous system disorders: an updated review. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2020 Oct;393(10):1779-95.
26. Hu X, Morihara R, Fukui Y, et al. Spearmint extract Neumentix downregulates amyloid-beta accumulation by promoting phagocytosis in APP23 mice. Brain Res. 2025 Sep 15;1863:149752.
27. Szwajgier D, Baranowska-Wojcik E, Borowiec K. Phenolic Acids Exert Anticholinesterase and Cognition-Improving Effects. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2018;15(6):531-43.
28. Narasimhamoorthy B, Zhao LQ, Liu X, et al. Differences in the chemotype of two native spearmint clonal lines selected for rosmarinic acid accumulation in comparison to commercially grown native spearmint. Industrial Crops and Products. 2015 2015/01/01/;63:87-91.
29. Nieman KM, Sanoshy KD, Bresciani L, et al. Tolerance, bioavailability, and potential cognitive health implications of a distinct aqueous spearmint extract. Functional Foods in Health and Disease. 2015;5(5):165 of 87.
30. Falcone PH, Nieman KM, Tribby AC, et al. The attention-enhancing effects of spearmint extract supplementation in healthy men and women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel trial. Nutr Res. 2019 Apr;64:24-38.
31. Huang H, Li R, Zhang J. A review of visual sustained attention: neural mechanisms and computational models. PeerJ. 2023;11:e15351.
32. Hao X, Ma M, Meng F, et al. Diminished attention network activity and heightened salience-default mode transitions in generalized anxiety disorder: Evidence from resting-state EEG microstate analysis. J Affect Disord. 2025 Mar 15;373:227-36.