What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb that is classified as an adaptogen, which means that helps balance the body’s stress response. Through this balancing action, ashwagandha provides many benefits for optimizing health and wellness.

The benefits of ashwagandha goes far beyond managing stress and anxiety and has many additional benefits on other systems in the body, including the following:

What are the Benefits?

Regulates Blood Sugar

Ashwagandha has been shown in multiple studies to reduce blood sugar in healthy people and those with diabetes (1, 2). This is likely due to it’s effect on the insulin receptor, as it improves insulin sensitivity in muscle (3).

May Reduce Cancer Risk

Through it’s activity on programmed death of cancer cells and other mechanisms, there has been some interest in ashwagandha’s ability to prevent cancer. Although most of the research have come from animal studies (4), scientists believe that the data on ashwagandha’s cancer preventing properties is encouraging.

Reduces Stress Hormone Levels

Through it’s body balancing, adaptogenic effect, ashwagandha exhibits a powerful effect on the adrenal glands. The adrenals are the neuroendocrine glands which are responsibly for many functions, including the stress hormone cortisol. Numerous studies have shown that ashwagandha supplementation decreases cortisol levels, ultimately balancing the stress response (5, 6, 7).

Can Boost Testosterone Levels:

Testosterone levels in men decrease with aging, leading to many health problems including loss of energy, decreased muscle mass, fatigue, decreased libido, and more. It is a common health problem which is why so many men today are taking exogenous testosterone. Ashwagandhda can be a natural alternative, especially in those with borderline testosterone numbers. Supplementation of ashwagandha has been shown in multiple studies to increase serum testosterone levels in men, in turn leading to an overall increase in health and vitality (8, 9, 10).

May Increase Strength and Performance:

Strength, body composition, and performance are all linked to testosterone levels and the stress response. So it comes as no surprised that studies have shown ashwagandha supplementation to improve muscle strength and body composition (11, 12, 13).

Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety:

One of the most popular reasons that people supplement with ashwagandha is to reduce stress and calm anxiety. There is an abundance of research to support this, as several studies have shown that ashwagandha effectively reduces symptoms of chronic stress and anxiety related disorders (14, 15). This is likely due to Ashwagandha’s ability to regulate cortisol and block stress pathways in the brain (16).

Can Regulate Cholesterol Levels:

High levels of LDL cholesterol is currently one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Ashwagandha supplementation has been shown to significantly decrease total and LDL (bad cholesterol) cholesterol (17).

Improves Cognitive Function & Memory:

Ashwagandha has also been traditionally used to boost memory, and recent research supports this. A recent study showed a significant improvement in reaction time and task performance for those taking 500 mg of ashwagandha daily (18)

What is the Dosage?

The dosage of ashwagandha depends on the form of supplement. Extracts seem to have more of an effect than ashwagandha root or powder. A standardized dosage of ashwagandha extract is 450-500 mg, 1-2 times daily.

What are the Risks?

Ashwagandha has been shown to be a safe supplement for most people (19). However, it is important to consult a trained healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement, especially if you currently have an underlying medical condition or are taking medication.