As we age, most of us will start to notice our memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be. Perhaps you’ve found yourself walking into the kitchen and suddenly forgetting why you went in there. Or maybe you forget where you left your phone or keys.

We now know that there are things you can do to maintain and improve brain health, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, being outdoors, staying in touch with friends and family, learning new things, and having a sense of purpose in your life. And an ancient herb — ashwagandha — can provide additional help.

Ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of healing, and it’s been tested in many clinical trials. It helps to calm stress and anxiety, enhance memory, promote clear and relaxed thinking, improve concentration, and support good sleep and physical strength and stamina.

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is an herb that grows in arid regions of Southwest India, and its roots and leaves are used in supplements. It’s classified as an “adaptogen,” meaning an herb that helps your system adapt to everyday challenges and regain a healthy balance.

In practical terms, it works like this: If stress is wearing you down, ashwagandha gives you more energy. But if you’re anxious, it calms you down. This basic idea of balancing is quite different from Western medicine, where medications target individual symptoms. But restoring balance has been a vital part of traditional healing systems for thousands of years, and scientific evidence shows that it works.

Ashwagandha can’t eliminate a horrific morning commute, but it can eliminate or reduce the physical and mental symptoms brought on by that stress.

Now, you might be thinking, “Why use some herb whose name I can’t pronounce when I have a doctor who can write me a prescription for something to take the edge off?”

There are many pharmaceutical medications that are commonly prescribed to help people deal with stress and anxiety. The trouble is, they often turn into a source of addiction.[1]

Ashwagandha, on the other hand, is not addictive, but a safer way to reduce stress-induced damage in your body without negative effects such as withdrawal symptoms.

5 Amazing Benefits of Ashwagandha

Here are 5 reasons you may want to start supplementing with ashwagandha:

1. Less Stress and Anxiety

Modern life offers us a lot of nifty conveniences. Who doesn’t love a 24/7 drive-thru, Face-timing with family across the country, or making plane reservations on a smartphone?

But modern life is also a big source of stress and anxiety. And when we’re exposed to this stress over long periods of time, it can wreak havoc on our health.

Chronic stress is linked to the development of complicated health issues such as heart problems, high blood pressure, depression, panic attacks, impaired memory and cognition, digestive problems, fatigue, and autoimmune disorders.[2]

The daily challenges most of us face are difficult enough. But to face these challenges while feeling tired, anxious, irritable, or foggy can be a downright nightmare. Ashwagandha can provide relief, according to a study of 98 people who were experiencing these types of symptoms.[3]

The study tested a patented form of ashwagandha called Sensoril®. It found that taking 125 mg of the supplement daily produced these benefits:

  • Improved well-being
  • Reduced fatigue
  • Reduced feelings of impending doom
  • Reduced sleepiness
  • Reduced irritability
  • Reduced inability to focus

improvements were even greater with higher doses: 125 mg twice daily or 250 mg twice daily.

In addition, the supplement significantly decreased levels of chronic inflammation, which were measured with blood tests that identified levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP. You may know that chronic inflammation is associated with an increased risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

A review of five other human trials found that ashwagandha extract improved — significantly in most cases — symptoms of stress and anxiety.[4] One of these studies found that 600 mg daily of the supplement reduced anxiety by nearly twice as much as psychotherapy.[5]

2. Improved Memory, Concentration, and Reaction Time

Ever forgotten your pin number at the check-out station and had a line of angry shoppers behind you? Our memories not only help us perform simple, daily tasks; they are also a record of the places we’ve been, the events we’ve witnessed, and the people we’ve loved. So, when they start to fade, we worry.

In a study of Sensoril®, a patented ashwagandha extract, taking 500 mg, twice daily, produced these benefits:

  • Improved memory
  • Improved reaction time
  • Improved ability to process and store information[6]

Another study looked at 50 adults who had mild cognitive impairment: early stages of memory loss and other mental impairment. After 8 weeks of taking 300 mg of ashwagandha extract twice daily, participants demonstrated significant improvements in attention, thinking speed, and overall function.[7]

In other research, a review of clinical evidence from five separate studies concluded that ashwagandha improved mental performance, attention, and reaction time.[4]

3. Better Quality of Sleep

Sleep is critical for our health and well-being. Sadly, according to the American Sleep Association, 50 to 70 million adults in the United States suffer nightly from a sleeping disorder.

In a review of five clinical trials with a total of 400 people, researchers found that ashwagandha extract improved overall sleep quality. People who were diagnosed with insomnia and took at least 600 mg of ashwagandha daily, for 8 weeks or more, experienced the most striking results. Ashwagandha extract also improved mental alertness on rising as well as reducing anxiety.[9]

4. Better Physical Health

As we age, it’s incredibly important to keep our hearts healthy. Unfortunately, chronic stress can lead to inflammation in the body, and that can lead to heart disease.

A study of 20 healthy individuals tested ashwagandha’s ability to reduce physical reactions to stress that was triggered by loud noise. Researchers found that 500 mg of the patented form of ashwagandha extract called Sensoril®, taken twice daily, blunted some harmful responses to stress that can contribute to heart problems. Benefits of the supplement included:[10]

  • Less stiffening and pressure in blood vessels
  • Lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone
  • Reduced markers of inflammation

In another study of Sensoril®, participants taking either 125 mg or 250 mg, twice daily, saw significant reduction in fasting blood sugar, triglyceride levels, and total and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Additionally, levels of HDL cholesterol (the good kind) increased among those taking 250 mg twice daily.[3]

Another study looked at 12 people, six with mild, non-insulin dependent diabetes and six with mildly high cholesterol levels. It found that ashwagandha decreased levels of blood glucose and “bad” LDL cholesterol after 30 days.[11]

5. Improved Fitness and Strength

Muscle loss and bone fractures are a common aspect of aging. But they do not have to be! Keeping active as we age helps us maintain muscle mass and bone health, so we don’t experience falls and fractures. Ashwagandha can enhance the benefits of physical activity.

A recent review of 12 studies of healthy people found that ashwagandha could improve strength, aerobic fitness, and energy, and speed up recovery after exercise.[12]

Another study of 50 healthy, athletic adults found that 300 mg of ashwagandha extract, taken twice daily for 8 weeks, improved fitness, shortened recovery times, and increased antioxidant levels.[13]

In weight training, a study of men between the ages 18 and 50 found that taking 300 mg of an ashwagandha extract, twice daily, resulted in increased muscle strength as well as muscle size. Interestingly, ashwagandha also reduced exercise-induced muscle damage and body fat.[14]

Can You Get Ashwagandha from Foods?

Ashwagandha is a flowering bush that produces a red fruit. In some parts of the world where it grows, such as India, people do eat the shoots, seeds, and fruit, or they make a tea from the root. But it’s used only for medicinal benefits, not for seasoning food.

In Sanskrit, “ashwagandha” means “smell of horse.” It got this name because the fresh root of the plant smells like a horse and because it’s believed that consuming the herb provides strength and vigor like that of a horse.

You won’t find ashwagandha fruit in American stores. Ashwagandha root powders are available but there’s no way of knowing how much of its active ingredients a serving will provide. And powders usually taste bitter.

It is far easier to take advantage of the many health benefits of ashwagandha through supplements. And you won’t have to deal with a bitter taste.

How Much Ashwagandha Should I Take?

Supplements are not all created equal. Some may include unnecessary fillers and miniscule amounts of the actual extract. If you want to take an ashwagandha supplement, be sure to look for one that includes a patented form that meets specific standards and has been clinically studied. Sensoril® is one patented form; KSM-66 and Shoden are others.

The best dose really depends on the health outcomes you’re looking for. As you can see from the studies included in this article, as little as 125 mg daily of a Sensoril® ashwagandha extract produced benefits, and some studies used more — as much as 500 mg, twice daily.

Ashwagandha Risks and Side Effects

Ashwagandha is non-addictive and generally well-tolerated in typical dosages. Mild side effects such as stomach upset, sleepiness, and headache have been reported in some studies.

Ashwagandha can potentially lower blood pressure and blood sugar and increase thyroid hormone levels. If you are currently taking any blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid medications, work with a physician when taking an ashwagandha supplement.

The Bottom Line

Traditionally, aging has meant loss: loss of memory and mental focus, loss of strength and endurance, and loss of restful sleep and physical health. Balancing our response to stress with ashwagandha can help to reverse these declines, reduce anxiety, and restore mental and physical vitality.

We can lessen the chances of experiencing the problems our grandparents may have had and gain many more years of a healthy and satisfying life!

References

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  2. Porth C. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1998. Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States.
  3. Biswajit Auddy , Phd Jayaram Hazra , Phd Achintya Mitra , Biswajit Auddy Phd, A Standardized Withania Somnifera Extract Significantly Reduces Stress-Related Parameters in Chronically Stressed Humans: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. JANA Vol. 11 #1.
  4. Pratte MA, Nanavati KB, Young V, Morley CP. An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). J Altern Complement Med. 2014 Dec;20(12):901-8.
  5. Kieran Cooley , Orest Szczurko, Dan Perri, Edward J. Mills, Bob Bernhardt, Qi Zhou, and Dugald Seely. Naturopathic Care for Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial ISRCTN78958974. PLoS One. 2009; 4(8): e6628.
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  9. Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L, Abdul Rahman R. Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2021 Sep 24;16(9):e0257843.
  10. Pingali, Usharani & Pilli, Raveendranadh & Fatima, Professor Dr. Nishat. (2013). Effect of Withania Somnifera Extract on Mental Stress Induced Changes in Hemodynamic Properties and Arterial Wave Reflections In Healthy Subjects. Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research. 11. 151-158.
  11. Andallu B, Radhika B. Hypoglycemic, diuretic and hypocholesterolemic effect of winter cherry (Withania somnifera, Dunal) root. Indian J Exp Biol. 2000 Jun;38(6):607-9. PMID: 11116534.
  12. Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB. Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on Physical Performance: Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021 Feb 11;6(1):20.
  13. Tiwari S, Gupta SK, Pathak AK. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on the effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera dunal.) root extract in improving cardiorespiratory endurance and recovery in healthy athletic adults. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 May 23;272:113929.
  14. Wankhede S, Langade D, Joshi K, Sinha SR, Bhattacharyya S. Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015 Nov 25;12:43.