Medically CitedIn This Review
Overview
Ashwagandha is a popular herbal extract included in many natural supplements, and it is widely regarded as a potent stress reliever, brain boost, sexual enhancer, and more. While traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine, current research shows support for many of its potent potential health benefits and properties.
Integrative medicine specialist Yufang Lin, MD, notes, “People who are stressed or anxious, or people with chronic conditions might turn to ashwagandha.”
What else can ashwagandha do, and is supplementing with this plant right for you? In this article, we explore its properties and advantages in detail and offer tips and recommendations for how best to take it.
What is Ashwagandha?
The Withania Somnifera plant, better known by its Sanskrit name ashwagandha, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries for its potent potential health benefits. The name translates to “smell of a horse,” indicating its powerful scent and vitality-enhancing properties.
Native to India and Southeast Asia, it is considered an adaptogen that helps ease stress, improve mood, and promote relaxation. Ashwagandha contains antioxidants and bioactive agents like withanolides and alkaloids that may also support cognitive health, boost mood, balance hormone levels, enhance sexual drive and virility in men, and more.
Should you consider incorporating this potent herb into your regimen? Let’s look at each advantage in detail and explore the mechanism of action and research support for ashwagandha.
Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
Based on reports from Ayurvedic medicine and current scientific research, these are the potential health benefits of the Withania Somnifera plant:
Helps Boost Brain and Cognitive Health
Rich in potent antioxidants and bioactive agents, ashwagandha lowers oxidative stress to repair damage to brain cells, improve neural communication, and boost the synthesis of key neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, and dopamine.
This supports overall brain health and function, and the increase in these central brain chemicals helps improve cognitive functions like memory, motivation, and mental focus.
A study of healthy volunteers published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that supplementation with 400 mg of ashwagandha improved attention, executive function, and memory during a cognitive task.
Supports Mood, Stress Resilience, and Sleep
Ashwagandha reduces stress, anxiety, and promotes restful sleep for better well-being
By increasing the production of dopamine and serotonin, ashwagandha helps boost mood and well-being. It also increases levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, which blocks key central nervous system receptors to help lower levels of stress and anxiety.
Evidence also indicates that ashwagandha may lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as we said in our review of Momentous Ashwagandha, helping to decrease anxiety and potentially lower the risk of other health conditions like high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
The decrease in cortisol and boost in GABA may also improve sleep quality, sleep onset latency, and mental sharpness upon awakening. A study of college students reported in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that supplementation with ashwagandha enhanced sleep quality, stress management, energy, and cognitive function.
Supports Male Sexual Health and Fertility
One of the most known and touted benefits of ashwagandha is its sexual and reproductive health benefits for men. This potent herb has antioxidants that lower oxidative stress, helping to decrease inflammation and repair damage to the Leydig cells in the testes.
According to the evidence, this herb helps boost testosterone levels, supporting an increase in sexual libido, stamina, and performance. In addition, the repair of the cells in the testes helps improve sperm quality and motility to support reproductive health.
An 8-week study of adult men with low libido published in Health Science Reports concluded that ashwagandha supplementation increased testosterone levels and improved sexual well-being.
Helps Improve Energy and Athletic Performance
The increase in testosterone levels that ashwagandha provides may offer other benefits in addition to sexual enhancement, including helping to increase muscle mass and strength, boost energy, and improve athletic endurance. For this reason, it is often a favorite supplement among athletes and workout enthusiasts.
A research review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology found support for the benefits of ashwagandha in improving physical performance in healthy men and women.
Helps Balance Blood Sugar
While it is not the most widely known benefit of this ancient herb, some evidence shows that ashwagandha may have anti-diabetes properties. By lowering oxidaitve stress, the antioxidants in the plant support healthy metabolic function, helping to increase insulin sensitivity, boost insulin secretion, and balance blood sugar levels.
A systematic review of studies published in Phytotherapy Research found clinical support for the role of ashwagandha in helping to manage diabetes.
Safety and Side Effects
As long as you follow dosage instructions, ashwagandha is generally safe for most people to take for up to 3 months and has no serious potential side effects. Some users may experience mild symptoms like nausea, vomiting, digestive upset, or dizziness, as we said in our Purify Life Ashwagandha Gummies review. If this occurs, try cutting the dosage and consult with a healthcare practitioner for advice on usage and dosing.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid ashwagandha, as should any individual before surgery. Medical conditions that preclude the use of the supplement include hormone-sensitive prostate cancer as well as liver, autoimmune, and thyroid disorders.
In addition, ashwagandha is not suitable to take with a few common medications, including barbiturates, anti-convulsants, and benzodiazepines. Before you supplement with this herb, consult a medical practitioner for approval.
Forms and Dosage Recommendations
Ashwagandha comes in many forms, making it easy to add to your routine
Ashwagandha is available in various forms, including power, capsule, and gummy products. You may sometimes see it listed as KSM-66, which is a patented extract of the herb. In addition, it is included as an ingredient in popular supplements for brain health, sexual enhancement, mood, sports performance, and more.
The optimal dosage of ashwagandha varies, and the research is not conclusive on this point, however, experts like Yufang Lin, MD, state that the ideal is 500 mg twice daily. In addition, the concentration of withanolides is important, and 3-5% is ideal.
According to the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry, the optimal daily intake is 300-600 mg. It’s important to follow the instructions on the label and to consult with a healthcare practitioner for approval and dosing advice.
How Do You Choose an Ashwagandha Supplement?
The quality of the ashwagandha supplement is important when it comes to both safety and efficacy. What should you look for when choosing a product?
- Consider whether you want an ashwagandha product or a supplement that blends this herb with other bioactive natural ingredients.
- Look for a highly-regarded, known brand with a reputation for producing quality products.
- Select a supplement that is all-natural and free of common allergens, artificial additives, or chemicals.
- Choose a brand that is transparent about ingredients, dosages, and other product or manufacturing information.
- Ensure that the product is safely manufactured in an FDA-registered, GMP, or NSF-certified facility and is independent third-party tested for purity and potency.
Consider whether you want an ashwagandha product or a supplement that blends this herb with other bioactive natural ingredients. It’s also helpful to explore the best ashwagandha supplements to compare top-rated options and find one that suits your specific needs.
FAQs About Ashwagandha
Q: How quickly does ashwagandha work?
A: Ashwagandha takes time to build up in your system, but most people report enhanced benefits to mood, stress levels, sleep, libido, and energy within 2-4 weeks, with optimal benefits after about 12 weeks.
Q: Is it OK to take ashwagandha every day?
A: In general, it is safe to take ashwagandha daily for up to 3 months, but it’s important to follow the instructions on the label and consult with your healthcare practitioner regarding suitability, dosage, and timing.
Q: Can ashwagandha cause a false positive drug test?
A: No, ashwagandha is not a drug, and there is no evidence indicating that it leads to false positive results on a drug test.
Q: Does ashwagandha help with weight loss?
A: While ashwagandha is not marketed for its weight loss properties, and this is not one of its direct advantages, it helps increase energy and mood, which could boost activity levels and help curb hunger for potential weight management benefits.
Q: What are the ashwagandha benefits for men?
A: Research indicates that ashwagandha helps boost testosterone levels in the body, which could enhance sexual libido, stamina, and performance. In addition, it helps boost sperm count, quality, and motility for benefits to reproductive health and fertility in men.
Conclusion
Known since ancient times for its powerful bioactive properties, current research supports the many health benefits of ashwagandha. This herb helps lower stress, heighten mood, enhance sleep quality, sharpen cognitive function, improve athletic endurance, and boost energy. It also heightens testosterone to help increase sexual arousal and build muscles.
With the many advantages of this potent herb, you may consider trying a natural supplement.
It is widely available in powder, gummy, and capsule form, or you may want a product with tailored health benefits that includes ashwagandha as an ingredient. Remember to consult with a healthcare practitioner for approval and dosing advice.
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12 sources
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
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[7] Ashwagandha: Is it Helpful For Stress, Anxiety, or Sleep? https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Ashwagandha-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=A%20daily%20dose%20of%20300,Canadian%20Network%20for%20Mood%20and
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[9] The Benefits of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) Supplements on Brain Function and Sports Performance: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1439294/full
[10] Acute and Repeated Ashwagandha Supplementation Improves Markers of Cognitive Function and Mood: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/12/1813
[11] Can Ashwagandha Benefit the Endocrine System?—A Review: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/22/16513
[12] Role of Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) in the Management of Male Infertility: https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483%2817%2930625-9/pdf
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