Ashwagandha

Overview

Ashwagandha is a small evergreen shrub. It grows in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. The root and berry are used to make medicine.

Ashwagandha is commonly used for stress. It is also used as an "adaptogen" for many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these other uses.

Don't confuse ashwagandha with Physalis alkekengi. Both are known as winter cherry. Also, don't confuse ashwagandha with blue cohosh, canaigre, codonopsis, ginseng American, ginseng panax, or eleuthero.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): There is no good evidence to support using ashwagandha for COVID-19. Follow healthy lifestyle choices and proven prevention methods instead.

Classification

Is a Form of:

Shrub

Primary Functions:

Stress

Also Known As:

Ajagandha, Amangura, Amukkirag, Asan

How Does It Work?

Ashwagandha contains chemicals that might help calm the brain, reduce swelling (inflammation), lower blood pressure, and alter the immune system.

Uses

  • Some research shows that taking a specific ashwagandha root extract (KSM66, Ixoreal Biomed) 300 mg twice daily after food or another specific extract (Shoden, Arjuna Natural Ltd.) 240 mg daily for 60 days appears to improve symptoms of stress.

Recommended Dosing

BY MOUTH:

  • For stress: Ashwagandha root extract 300 mg twice daily after food (KSM66, Ixoreal Biomed) or 240 mg daily (Shoden, Arjuna Natural Ltd.) for 60 days.

Ashwagandha Supplements Frequently Asked Questions

What are the side effects of ashwagandha?

Possible ashwagandha side effects

  • May increase thyroid function.
  • Can decrease blood pressure levels.
  • May irritate GI tract.
  • Can induce early pregnancies or miscarriages.
  • May decrease blood sugar.
  • May increase immune activity.

Who should not take ashwagandha?

For most healthy people, ashwagandha is considered safe. However, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid it, in addition to people with hyperthyroidism. Furthermore, this herb may interact with sedatives, as well as medications for the following conditions: diabetes.

Does Ashwagandha really work?

Organic ashwagandha supplements support energy levels without stimulating your heart the way caffeine does. Ashwagandha also provides stress relief by supporting your adrenal glands to release normal levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Another showed that Ashwagandha may be effective in reducing stress and anxiety.

How much ashwagandha should I take?

Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb that may offer several health benefits, such as improved blood sugar, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety, as well as a boost in muscle strength and fertility. Dosages vary depending on your needs, but 250–500 mg per day for at least one month seem effective.

Can Ashwagandha cause hair loss?

It is also known as telogen effluvium, wherein the hair follicles are pushed into a resting period. This results in hair shedding. Hair loss also occurs when our body is subjected to inadequate sleep. Ashwagandha is a powerful and popular Ayurvedic adaptogen that helps relieves stress and increase sleep.

Why is ashwagandha bad for you?

Ashwagandha may lower blood sugar levels. If patients are taking a medication to lower blood glucose it could make their levels go dangerously low. And if their levels go too low and blood sugars bottom out, they can pass out. The consequences of low blood glucose can be just as dangerous as high blood sugar.

Is Ashwagandha bad for kidneys?

Its damage can be occurred due to prolonged use and higher doses of drugs, exposure to some chemicals, toxins, or infectious agents. Herbal plants as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) may have free radical scavenging activity thereby can be used for the prevention and treatment of kidney damage.

Can Ashwagandha cause weight gain?

A statistically significant reduction in body weight and body mass index were observed in patients treated with Ashwagandha root extract compared to placebo. However, further studies are required to bolster the potential of Ashwagandha to prevent weight gain caused by long-term chronic stress.

Should I take ashwagandha in the morning or night?

For a 30-day period, doses of an ashwagandha aqueous extract were increased in 10-day intervals, starting at 250 mg in the morning and 500 mg in the evening on days 1 to 10 (750 mg/day). From days 11 to 20, 500 mg was taken in the morning and 500 mg was taken in the evening (1,000 mg/day).

Does Ashwagandha really work for anxiety?

Ashwagandha is best known for its stress-lowering effects. Moreover, 500–600 mg of ashwagandha per day for 6–12 weeks may reduce anxiety and lower the likelihood of insomnia in people with stress and anxiety disorders. Summary Ashwagandha seems effective at lowering symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Is Ashwagandha safe for long term use?

Ashwagandha is a safe supplement for most people, although its long-term effects are unknown. However, certain individuals should not take it, including pregnant and breastfeeding women. People with autoimmune diseases should also avoid ashwagandha unless authorized by a healthcare provider.

How quickly does Ashwagandha work?

When used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, ashwagandha can begin to impact the body beneficially within two weeks. The quality of your ashwagandha supplement is what will make the biggest difference. A high-concentration, full-spectrum extract is required to make the biggest impact in your body.

Should you take ashwagandha everyday?

Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb that may offer several health benefits, such as improved blood sugar, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety, as well as a boost in muscle strength and fertility. Dosages vary depending on your needs, but 250–500 mg per day for at least one month seem effective.

Does Ashwagandha increase estrogen?

Although ashwagandha was associated with increases in DHEA-S and testosterone, no statistically significant effects on morning salivary cortisol levels (a nonsignificant 7.8% lower level compared to placebo) or estradiol concentrations (a nonsignificant 11.6% lower level compared to placebo) were identified.

Does Ashwagandha reverse GREY hair?

CommentsHealthy Hair: Used in shampoos, Ashwagandha is believed to help improve scalp circulation and strengthen the hair, as well as help get rid of dandruff. It also appears to stimulate production of melanin, the pigment responsible for the colour of your hair. So, it may actually reverse greying of hair.

Can Ashwagandha be harmful?

Ashwagandha may lower blood sugar levels. If patients are taking a medication to lower blood glucose it could make their levels go dangerously low. And if their levels go too low and blood sugars bottom out, they can pass out. The consequences of low blood glucose can be just as dangerous as high blood sugar.

Does Ashwagandha stop hair loss?

Temporary hair loss occurs when our body is stressed out. This results in hair shedding. Hair loss also occurs when our body is subjected to inadequate sleep. Ashwagandha is a powerful and popular Ayurvedic adaptogen that helps relieves stress and increase sleep.

Is Ashwagandha hard on the liver?

Hepatotoxicity. Despite widescale use, ashwagandha is considered generally safe and without major adverse effects. Recently, however, several cases of clinically apparent liver injury have been reported in patients taking commercial herbal products that are labelled as containing ashwagandha.

Does Ashwagandha interact with anything?

Taking ashwagandha along with medications that decrease the immune system might decrease the effectiveness of these medications. Some of these sedative medications include clonazepam (Klonopin), diazepam (Valium), lorazepam (Ativan), alprazolam (Xanax), flurazepam (Dalmane), midazolam (Versed), and others.

Clinical Studies

 

 

 

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