Ashwagandha is one of the most important and famous Ayurvedic herbs, known as alternative medicine based on natural healing principles. People have used Ashwagandha for thousands of years to reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy levels, and improve focus and cognitive functions.
Ashwagandha is a plant that grows as a small shrub with yellow flowers native to India and Southeast Asia. People can use it as an extract or powder made from the root or leaves to treat various health conditions.
In this article, we will look at the top 8 benefits you can get from taking Ashwagandha.
8 Important Benefits You Can Get from Ashwagandha
1. Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Ashwagandha is known for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. It can be classified as a natural adaptogen that helps the body cope with stress.
Studies indicate that Ashwagandha may help reduce Stress and anxiety. A study on people who took 250-600 mg of ashwagandha extract for 8 weeks showed they had a big drop in noticeable stress and the stress hormone called cortisol compared to those who didn’t take ashwagandha.
Also, those who took ashwagandha supplements had a clear improvement in sleep quality compared to those who didn’t. So, ashwagandha is really effective at reducing anxiety and stress symptoms.
2. Better Athletic Performance
Many studies have shown ashwagandha can positively affect athletic performance and might be a useful supplement for athletes. People taking 120-1250 mg daily showed better physical performance than those who didn’t.
Other studies found ashwagandha helped increase the max oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in adults and healthy athletes. VO2 max is a key measure of heart and lung health.
So increasing maximum oxygen intake VO2 max is linked to lower heart disease risk, and the opposite may raise death risk.
Also, ashwagandha might help increase muscle strengthA study found people taking 600 mg of ashwagandha daily and doing resistance training for 8 weeks got bigger gains in muscle strength and size compared to those who didn’t take it.
3. Reducing some mental health issues
Some evidence shows ashwagandha might help lessen symptoms of some mental health conditions, Depression.
In one study, researchers looked at the effects of Ashwagandha on people with schizophrenia who also had depression and anxiety. Those who took 1000 mg of Ashwagandha extract daily for 12 weeks showed a bigger drop in depression and anxiety symptoms compared to those who didn’t.
Also, some studies suggest Ashwagandha might help improve cognitive problems in people with bipolar disorder.
4. Lowering blood sugar levels
Lots of evidence points to Ashwagandha possibly having good effects for people withdiabetes or those with high blood sugar levels.
Some studies found that Ashwagandha therapy helped lower blood HbA1C, insulin, and blood fats, and also reduced signs of oxidative stress.
Research links this to Ashwagandha containing compounds like withaferin A or WA, which have strong anti-diabetic effects and might help cells absorb glucose from the blood.
5. Reducing inflammation in the body
WA compounds in Ashwagandha may also help lower inflammation, as studies showed they can reduce inflammatory proteins like IL-10.
Also, researchers gave COVID-19 patients a medicine with 0.5 grams of Ashwagandha plus some other herbs twice a day for 7 days. This lowered inflammation markers like CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to those who didn’t take it.
6. Boosting testosterone and male fertility
Many studies showed that Ashwagandha supplements help fertility Men have testosterone and Ashwagandha helps boost their testosterone levels.
One study on men aged 40-70 who were overweight and a bit tired took Ashwagandha extract pills daily for 8 weeks. They had a 14.7% increase in testosterone versus those who didn’t take it.
Another study showed Ashwagandha treatment greatly increased sperm count, semen volume, and sperm movement in men with low sperm, and even those with normal sperm levels.
7. Improves brain function and memory
Taking Ashwagandha might improve cognitive function. Some studies found it helps brain performance in people, including older adults with mild cognitive issues, and people with schizophrenia.
One study on some people taking 600 mg of Ashwagandha extract daily for 8 weeks showed big improvements in short-term memory, attention, and data processing speed versus those who didn’t take it.
Researchers also found compounds in Ashwagandha like WA act as antioxidants in the brain, protecting cells and helping cognitive health.
8. Helps improve sleep
Many people take ashwagandha to boost sleep quality, and some studies do show ashwagandha helps with sleep problems.
For example, a study on people aged 65-80 taking 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract daily for 12 weeks showed a big improvement in sleep and alertness when waking compared to those who didn't take it.
Recommended ashwagandha dose
The recommended doses vary. Research shows doses between 250 and 1250 mg daily work well in many cases.
Ashwagandha can be taken in different ways, either as a single dose or multiple doses per day. You can take it with food or on an empty stomach.
It's best to check with a healthcare specialist about the daily doses of ashwagandha that suit you.
Risks of taking ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is likely safe for most people when used up to 3 months. However, it might not be safe in some cases, including:-
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Pregnancy, because high doses might cause miscarriage.
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Breastfeeding.
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Prostate cancer.
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Taking some medications.
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About to have surgery.
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Autoimmune disorders.
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Thyroid problems.
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Liver problems.
In the end, despite the big benefits Ashwagandha offers for body and mind health, it also has some side effects. So it's important to talk to your doctor before you start taking it and about the right doses for you.
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