Ashwagandha (also known as Withania or Indian Ginseng) has been traditionally a
fundamental part for the Ayurveda holistic philosophy. Its benefits have been widely
studied with proven results in the treatment of many conditions. But what exactly
Ashwagandha is? In this article we will respond some of the most common inquiries
about Ashwagandha and what can it do for you.
The plant
Ashwagandha is the Sanskrit term for “Horse Breath”. Its name resides on its given smell
and the strength the plant provides. This is a tonic and revitalizing product original from
India, and it is part of the family of the Solanaceae plants. A grown tree can reach up to
1.5 meters, it has small leaves and it produces a small fruit of the size and looks of a
common berry.
The Ashwagandha is present in India, Pakistan and Srilanka, some southern European
regions and northern African countries and it is known an adaptogen organism, meaning
that it belongs to a group of natural plants that offer unique and particular substances
that cannot be found in other species, being able to modulate and balance different
systems inside your body: energetic, nervous and immunologic. Adaptogen plants are
characterized by the absence of secondary effects and its compounds are never of
addictive nature. These plants are very resistant, and they are able to survive under
extreme environment conditions.
In order to synthesize the final extract of the Ashwagandha, it is used its roots and
berries.
Its properties
Ashwagandha has a proven record of effectivity at treating a series of different
conditions such as:
• Arthritis: Its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties relieve rheumatic pain
and supports people with chronic articular conditions.
• Anxiety and Depression: Due to its revitalizing effects, it has been widely to used
to treat low emotional states. On India, Ashwagandha is consumed in order to
favor mental relaxation for meditation purposes.
• Bipolar disorder
• Asthenia: The effects of chronic fatigue can be reduced by using the berry of
Ashwagandha.
• ADHD
• Hypothyroidism: Ashwagandha has been attributed of having stimulating effects
in the internal production of the thyroid hormone.
• Insomnia: Several studies have proven the effectivity of Ashwagandha on
balancing the REM Sleep Phase, the moment when your brain and body repairs
the most from the effects of your daily activities.
• Tuberculosis
• Asthma
• Leukoderma (vitiligo)
• Arterial Hypertension: Ashwagandha is used in order to decrease the levels of
blood pressure and your rates of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol. This
is what we know as “bad cholesterol”. LDL-C attaches to the internal walls of the
arteries, resulting in potential cardiovascular problems and even heart attacks.
• Bronchitis
• Back pain
• Fibromyalgia
• PMS
• Schizophrenia
• Hiccups (yeah, hiccups too)
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Chronic hepatic conditions
Amongst some other properties reside on its effect to minimize the secondary effects of
cancer treatments by reducing the consequence of myelosuppression, a potential
damage to the bone marrow that reduces the number of red cells, white cells and
platelets (not to be confused as a way to fight against cancer). Also, Ashwagandha
stimulates the production of leukocytes and white cells, empowering your body to
better deal with infections, common illnesses and pathogen agents you might get on
your daily routine. Some experiments have prove the effectivity of the ethanol extract
of Ashwagandha and Magnesium in the process of bone recovery due to fractures.
Ashwagandha for the treatment of Anxiety
For centuries, Ashwagandha has been known by its stimulant, sedative and energizing
effects. It works as an effective stress reliever and has been often compared as the
“Indian Ginseng” for this. Some people use Ashwagandha to improve cognitive health,
to have a clearer mind to perform their daily activities, it helps increase the rate of short-
term memory. Also, it is commonly used as a reliever of headaches, migraines and even
physical inflammations.
On recent days, Ashwagandha has become widely now because of the effects of its
adaptogen compounds that help deal with any kind of stress. For that reason, it has been
used by people feeling exhausted and that are looking to increase their energy and
vitality.
Adrenal fatigue is a health condition caused by high levels of stress. It is produced when
suprarenal glands perform below normal conditions as consequence of a prolonged and
intense stress condition. Insomnia, mind confusion, thyroid under-performance, food
cravings, low sexual drive and specially anxiety and depression are some of the most
common symptoms of the adrenal fatigue.
The hormone system responds to stress through the suprarenal glands and the thyroid.
If they under-perform, the most common thing is that you might start feeling tired.
Ashwagandha plays an important role here by balancing the systems of hormonal
responds, helping to regulate emotional states and enforcing immunological systems.
People suffering of adrenal fatigue experiment different levels of cortisol depending on
the time of day and other factors. A healthy intake of Ashwagandha can help you
prevent the decrease of your cortisol levels, increasing your vitality. The effectiveness
of Ashwagandha in the treatment of Anxiety resides that it doesn’t rely on working with
your suprarenal glands.
It is important to keep in mind that, even if the adaptogen compounds of Ashwagandha
can help you leverage your hormonal balance, the recovery of adrenal fatigue usually
might involve changing your current food habits for a healthier diet, having more and
better-quality sleeping hours, drinking more water. If you lower the consumption of
coffee, especially if you like to add sugar to it, it will have a huge impact in the treatment
of adrenal fatigue. A healthy exposition to solar light and regular exercise will also
improve the effectiveness of Ashwagandha, by increasing your levels of production of
Vitamin D.
Recommendations
If you want to have Ashwagandha as part of your daily routine, most experts advice to start with precaution and always with the guidelines of a professional. The most common way to consume is the ground root of the plant in the form of capsules of 600 to 1.000 mg on a daily basis. The dosage depends mainly on the age and health of its consumer.