What are its benefits?
Ashwagandha has been used in traditional medicine to treat various conditions, including mental stress, anxiety, depression, and memory loss. The plant extract has many bioactive compounds and thereby exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities.
Some studies on ashwagandha have concluded that it has significant anti-stress activity, lowering amounts of stress indicators in the body, such as cortisol, the “stress hormone”, produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. More specifically, daily doses of 125 mg to 5 grams of ashwagandha for 1–3 months have shown to lower cortisol levels by 11–32%.
Other studies have shown that ashwagandha improved performance on cognitive tasks, executive function, attention, and reaction time. Ashwagandha also has been shown to have neuroprotective benefits, perhaps stemming from its antioxidant nature and its ability to inhibit free radicals from damaging cell membranes.
What is it?
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a subtropical undershrub commonly used in traditional medicines for more than 3000 years. Its main constituents are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. It contains other beneficial elements, including flavonoids, antioxidants, iron, calcium, carotene, vitamin C, and amino acids, among others.
How does it work?
According to a study conducted in 2018, the observations suggest that modulation of physiological functions of gut microbiota are involved in the mode of action of ashwagandha root extracts.
Sources
- Seven Health Benefits of Using Ashwagandha For Longevity
- Adaptogenic activity of Withania somnifera: an experimental study using a rat model of chronic stress
- A systematic review of the clinical use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction
- Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions
- What are the benefits of ashwagandha?
- Ashwagandha Dosage: How Much Should You Take per Day?
- Triethylene glycol-like effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) root extract devoid of withanolides in stressed mice
