Ashwagandha is a traditional herb that also goes by the names Indian ginseng and winter cherry. The scientific name for this naturopathic substance is Withania somnifera. Ashwagandha is often used for the treatment of stress, exhaustion, pain and seizures, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, MSKCC. Drugs.com reports that ashwagandha acts as a sedative, making it a good supplement for helping to manage drug and alcohol addiction.
Addiction Treatment
In 2009, researchers from the National Institute on Drug Dependence at Peking University in Beijing evaluated the benefits of using traditional herbal remedies in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. While there's no data on humans identifying the advantages of using Withania somnifera for alcoholism treatment, the study, published in the "American Journal of Drug Alcohol Abuse," found that ashwagandha may help addicts reduce alcohol intake. Ashwagandha can be used to complement proven medications for drug withdrawal treatment, and possibly, prevention of relapse.
Anxiety
People who abuse alcohol tend to have high levels of anxiety. Withdrawing from alcohol addiction can also lead to feelings of stress, fear and uneasiness. It's possible that ashwagandha could help mitigate these emotions, according to the MSKCC. In 2009, researchers from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto explored the effectiveness of herbal substances on anxiety symptoms. People with severe anxiety were given ashwagandha along with dietary counseling, relaxation exercises and a multi-vitamin. A control group took a placebo, received counseling and relaxation exercise instruction. After a period of at least eight weeks, those in the herbal group saw a 56 percent reduction in stress scores, compared to only 30 percent for the placebo group.
Seizures
People who withdraw from alcohol dependence are at increased risk of having epileptic seizures, according to Michael A. Rogawski, MD, an epilepsy researcher from the Porter Neuroscience Research Center in Maryland. Taking ashwagandha may reduce this side effect. In 1999, the journal "Phytotherapy Research" published a study indicating that Withania somnifera has anticonvulsant properties when administered to mice.
Considerations
Studies investigating the advantages of ashwagandha have found that the herb has few side effects. However, since much of the research done on this naturopathic treatment has been in animal models, there's little concrete data on its safety and efficacy in humans. In animals, the herb causes no fetal abnormalities, but may increase birth weight. There's also too little information about the root for the development of official dosing recommendations. For the treatment of joint pain, researchers prescribed 450 mg of root powder, four times daily. In sleep studies, researchers prescribed 2 g of root powder combined with other ingredients, twice daily. Before taking a dietary supplement, be sure to tell your doctor about current prescriptions and any medical problems, including alcohol addiction.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Ashwagandha
- Drugs.com: Ashwagandha
- American Journal of Drug Alcohol Abuse; Traditional Medicine in the Treatment of Drug Addiction; Lu L; 2009
- ScienceDaily: Brain Chemistry Ties Anxiety and Alcoholism; March 2008
- PLoS One: Naturopathic Care for Anxiety; October 2009
- Epilepsy Currents; Update on the Neurobiology of Alcohol Withdrawal Seizures; Michael A. Rogawski, M.D.; November 2005
