Ashwagandha Blog Post | Rooted Being

Ashwagandha

BY THEASHEN MOODLEY

Key Definitions

Adaptogen – a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress.
Constituent - a component part of something.
Contraindications – a condition or circumstance that suggests or indicates that a particular technique or drug should not be used in the case in question.
Convalescence – time spent recovering from an illness or medical treatment.
Indications – A symptom that suggests certain medical treatment is necessary.
Nervine – a medicine used to calm the nerves.
Tonic – a medicinal substance taken to give a feeling of vigour or well-being.

Introduction

Do you feel depleted and fatigued, yet you struggle to get a decent night’s sleep? Or are you just anxious and stressed from daily life? Ashwagandha may be what you need. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that is known to promote and rejuvenate longevity. Ashwagandha is predominantly used as a sleep aid, to ease the impacts of stress, and to provide energy when fatigued (De La Foret, 2017) (Chevallier, 2016).

Ashwagandha was first reported between 3 000-4 000 years ago in Ayurvedic texts. It is a shrub that grows to approximately 1.5 m in length and has oval leaves with greenish or yellow flowers. Ashwagandha belongs to the same family (Solanaceae) of plants as tomatoes and potatoes and can be found in India, the Mediterranean and the Middle East (De La Foret, 2017) (Chevallier, 2016).

Constituents, Actions & Indications

Constituents

Alkaloids; steroidal lactones (withanolides); iron (Chevallier, 2016).

Actions

Adaptogenic; tonic; mild sedative; anti-inflammatory; antioxidant; anxiolytic; aphrodisiac; immunomodulator; cardioprotective; antidepressant; nervine (Chevallier, 2016) (De La Foret, 2017) (Easley & Horne, 2016).

Indications

Fatigue; emaciation; reproductive health; hypothyroid; insomnia; longevity; low libido; degenerative disease; anxiety; asthma; arthritis; fibromyalgia; insulin resistance; long-term stress & convalescence (De La Foret, 2017) (Chevallier, 2016).

Scientific Research

Hoffmann, 2003, noted that adaptogens, like Ashwagandha, offer support for conditions affecting the Adrenal Medulla. The Adrenal Medulla is responsible for the secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are responsible for the nervous system and metabolic activity (Hoffmann, 2003).

Articles by Mandlik & Namdeo, 2021 and Paul, et al., 2021 present the findings of clinical studies that have been completed on Ashwagandha in humans. These findings are summarised below:

Ashwagandha enhances sleep in people suffering from insomnia and anxiety.
Ashwagandha enhanced memory in people with mild cognitive impairment and improved executive function, attention and information processing speed in people.
Ashwagandha can be used for weight management as it decreases cortisol levels, body weight and body mass index (BMI) in adults with chronic stress.
Ashwagandha improved the serum thyroid stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels.
Ashwagandha exhibits anti-ageing potential by enhancing telomerase.
Ashwagandha improved cardio-respiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults.
Ashwagandha increased muscle strength, muscle size and testosterone levels while reducing exercise-induced muscle damage and body fat percentage.
Ashwagandha improved sexual function in healthy men and women.
Ashwagandha reduced stress and anxiety in adults by decreasing cortisol levels.

Aether Apothecary Ashwagandha tincture and powder

Preparations & Dosage

Decoction – for stress, decoct 5 g of the root with 75 mL water and take over 2 days (Chevallier, 2016).
Powder – for anaemia, take ½ tsp of powdered leaves in a bit of water once a day (Chevallier, 2016).
Capsules – for nervous exhaustion, take 1-3 g of powdered root capsules one to three times a day (Chevallier, 2016) (Easley & Horne, 2016).
Tincture – take 1-10 mL three times a day of a 1:5 ratio tincture (containing 70% alcohol) (Easley & Horne, 2016).

Shop our Ashwagandha extract and powder here.

Ashwagandha Tea Recipe

Ashwagandha has a sweet and bitter taste and the root, leaf and berries of Ashwagandha are mainly used in recipes (Easley & Horne, 2016). This recipe was taken from Herbs for Stress & Anxiety (Gladstar, 2014).
Ingredients

1 cup of milk
1 tsp powdered Ashwagandha
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp honey

Instructions

Warm the milk to your desired temperature.
Add the Ashwagandha powder, cinnamon and honey to the warm milk.
Stir to blend the ingredients.

Safety Considerations

Ashwagandha is deemed a relatively safe herb for human consumption with the research suggesting caution in the dose size rather than avoidance of the herb. Ashwagandha may modify glucose levels so people with diabetes are cautioned to monitor their blood glucose levels if taking Ashwagandha (Chevallier, 2016) (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Contraindications

Empirical evidence suggests that Ashwagandha should only be taken during pregnancy under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner as high doses may lead to an abortion (Brinker, 1998) (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Drug Interactions

Avoid high doses of Ashwagandha with sedatives and anxiolytics (Brinker, 1998) (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Adverse Events

Excessive doses of Ashwagandha may cause gastrointestinal upset, diarrhoea and vomiting (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Disclaimer

The information presented in this post is intended as an informational guide. The remedies, approaches and techniques described herein are meant to supplement, and not to substitute for, professional medical care or treatment. They should not be used to treat a serious ailment without prior consultation with a qualified health care professional.

References

Brinker, F., 1998. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Oregon: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Chevallier, A., 2016. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. 3rd ed. New York: DK Publishing.
De La Foret, R., 2017. Alchemy of Herbs. 1st ed. California: Hay House Inc.
Easley, T. & Horne, S., 2016. The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide. California: North Atlantic Books.
Gardner, Z. & McGuffin, M., 2013. Botanical Safety Handbook. 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Gladstar, R., 2014. Herbs for Stress & Anxiety. 1 ed. North Adams: Storey Publishing.
Hoffmann, D., 2003. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. 1st ed. Vermont: Healing Arts Press.
Mandlik, D. & Namdeo, A., 2021. Pharmacological evaluation of Ashwagandha highlighting its healthcare claims, safety, and toxicity aspects.. Journal of dietary supplements, 18(2), pp. 183-226.
Paul, S. et al., 2021. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha): A comprehensive review on ethnopharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, biomedicinal and toxicological aspects. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 143, p. 112175.

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