Ashwagandha, also known as winter cherry, is made from an evergreen shrub native to the Middle East and eastern Africa. So prized is ashwagandha in the Ayurvedic healing system, that it has earned the status of a rasayana -- a substance that improves physical and mental health, prevents disease and arrests the aging process. Sold as a dietary supplement in the United States, ashwagandha is often advised by natural healers to promote well-being and positive mood. Scientific research supports the anxiety-reducing and mild sedative effects of ashwagandha. Consult your doctor before taking ashwagandha.
Features
Ashwagandha is made from the plant botanically known as Withania somnifera, which features oval grayish-green leaves, small greenish-yellow flowers and orange-red fruit. Although all parts of the plant may be used, it is the root that is most commonly utilized to make herbal preparations. Ashwagandha has been traditionally employed in Ayurveda to increase strength and vigor and to combat stress, depression, anxiety and fatigue. It was also used to treat tumors, infectious diseases and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
Constituents and Effects
The pharmacologically active parts of ashwagandha are a group of triterpene lactones called withanolides. These are structurally related to the ginsenosides found in Panax ginseng and are the reason that ashwagandha is sometimes referred to as Indian ginseng. Ashwaganda also contains alkaloids, saponins and abundant amounts of the mineral iron. Drugs.com -- which provides peer-reviewed medical information to consumers -- credits ashwagandha with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antipyretic, or fever-reducing, properties in test tube and animal studies. In animal studies, ashwagandha has shown a mild depressant effect on the central nervous system, resulting in tranquilizing and relaxant effects. Ashwagandha also has adaptogenic properties, meaning that it strengthens the immune system and helps the body counteract stress.
Research
In a clinical study published in 2009 in "PLoS One," subjects with moderate to severe anxiety received 300 mg of ashwagandha root twice a day for three months as part of a program of naturopathic care; other subjects in the study received standardized psychotherapy. When results were compared, researchers found that the group that received ashwagandha exhibited greater clinical benefit, as measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory; anxiety was reduced by 50 percent. Researchers called for further study, including closer examination of the individual components. In an animal study published in 2000 in "Phytomedicine," ashwagandha induced a calming effect on rats that was comparable to that produced by lorazepam, an anti-anxiety medication sold under the the trade name Ativan. Ashwagandha also seemed to cause an antidepressant effect. This research seems to indicate that ashwagandha can act as a mood stabilizer and could conceivably help with sleeplessness that arises from anxiety and depression.
Usage and Considerations
Drugs.com notes that ashwagandha dosage usually ranges from 450 to 2000 mg per day; subjects in the naturopathic care study received 600 mg a day. Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health reports that ashwagandha can also be brewed as a tea by boiling between 3/4 tsp. to 1 and 1/4 tsp. of ashwagandha roots in 8 oz. of water for 15 minutes; you may drink three cups a day. Few adverse reactions have been reported with ashwagandha; do not use it, however, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult your doctor before using ashwagandha.
References
- Drugs.com: Complete Ashwagandha Information
- Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health: Ashwagandha
- "PLoS One"; Naturopathic Care for Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial; K. Cooley, et al.; August 2009
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Ashwagandha; Staff; 2011
- "Phytomedicine"; Anxiolytic-Antidepressant Activity of Withania Somnifera Glycowithanolides: An Experimental Study; S.K. Bhattacharya, et al.; December 2000
