When I first saw all of the evidence, I thought, “there’s no way this herb could be this good”. How does one plant provide so many holistic health benefits?
Then I took a closer look…
Most of the Ashwagandha research was done on mice and rats. Not all, but most. This article will only focus on the human research studies.
Even though most of the evidence comes from animals, in the back of my mind I wondered:
What if this actually worked?
That would make this the ultimate holistic health and wellness supplement. The more I read into its rejuvenating health benefits, the more I realized that I had to try this for myself.
So that’s what I did. At the start of 2022, I ordered a few bottles of Ashwagandha as a resolution to improve my holistic health. More on that experience later.
What is Ashwagandha?
Withania Somnifera, Winter Cherry, Indian Ginseng…so many nicknames. It makes sense when you consider how long people have been using this herb.
Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient system of medicine that began in India thousands of years ago. Ashwagandha is the most widely used medicinal herb in Ayurveda.
This plant is an adaptogen, which means that it helps your body adapt to stress, and can also reduce some of its negative impact on your mind and body.
The stress-reducing effect is one of the many reasons people use this plant. This adaptogenic herb has long been regarded as the ultimate wellness remedy. People have been using this plant for thousands of years because of its healing abilities. The evidence shows that taking the right dose of a high-quality root extract can improve your holistic health.*
*I’m not a licensed professional. I do my own research and talk about this stuff for fun. None of this is meant to be advice on how to take Ashwagandha, or whether you should take it at all. Even though people have used it for thousands of years, you still have to pay attention to what you’re doing.
Let’s discuss some of the therapeutic benefits and why this herb is making a strong comeback in 2022. What does the research say about its potential to boost your health and performance?
Potential health & performance benefits
What intrigues me most about Ashwagandha is how diverse the potential health benefits are. According to the research, it may help:
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- increase testosterone and physical strength
- enhance your cognitive function (memory, focus, and ability to think)
- improve cardio endurance & performance
- reduce stress & anxiety
- treat symptoms of depression
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That’s not even the full list, which is too long to discuss in this article. For now, let’s see what the research says about each of the health benefits above.
Reduce Stress & Anxiety
Stress comes in different forms: mental, physical, emotional, or environmental. Stress is a survival mechanism, so we all need a little stress in our lives. But chronic, or excessive stress can lead to poor health.
As mentioned before, adaptogens like Ashwagandha help you manage stress on a physiological level. They help to limit the negative impacts of stress by working on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA-axis, for short). This system helps your brain and body react to, and handle stress better. [1]
One experiment looked at 64 human subjects, all with a history of chronic stress. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups.
One group was given a full-spectrum, high concentration, root extract.
The other was given a placebo.
At different points during the 60 day study, each participant was asked to rate his own stress levels and his responses were scored. Also, cortisol levels and other health markers were measured before, during, and after the 60 days.
According to the author, the differences between the two groups, “are highly statistically significant, suggesting a substantial effect in improving the well-being of subjects with respect to stress. This finding provides evidence of strong anti-stress activity”. [2]
As a personal note, this was the one thing I noticed the most while taking my KSM-66 Ashwagandha supplement. Less stress. But of course, this is just my personal experience. I researched ahead of time and knew what to look for, so I’m not ruling out that it could’ve been the placebo effect playing tricks on me.
Either way, the people in the studies did not know what to look for. So the evidence suggests that taking the right amount of a high quality root extract can significantly reduce the negative impact of stress.
Improve cardiovascular endurance & performance
One study from 2012 looked at the effects of withania somnifera on cardio performance. They randomly assigned 40 elite cyclists into one of two groups: root extract, or a placebo.
Each subject took his dose at regular intervals for eight weeks. Performance results were recorded before, during, and after the eight week period.
Researchers concluded there was a significant performance increase among the cyclists who took the root extract versus the placebo. Specifically, “there was significant improvement in VO2 max, MET, and time to exhaustion on the treadmill”. [3]
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- VO2 max is how much oxygen your body can use during exercise. Gold standard for measuring overall cardio performance.
- MET stands for metabolic equivalent of task, which is another gauge of cardio performance.
- Time to exhaustion on the treadmill is simply how long you can go without stopping.
Enhance cognitive function
In 2017, an article was published on how Ashwagandha root extract can improve memory and cognitive function.
50 adults were randomly assigned to one of two groups: experimental and placebo.
For eight weeks, the participants went through a number of different tests. Researchers concluded that it “may be effective in enhancing both immediate and general memory in people with mild cognitive impairment…improving executive function, attention, and information processing speed.” [5]
A different source also concluded that it can improve memory, focus, and even “protect against various forms of dementia”. [4]
It looks promising, but more human research is needed in this area. Some studies looked at its potential to treat, and help prevent Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and Schizophrenia. Most of these studies were done on animals, however.
Increase testosterone, muscle strength, and recovery
In 2015 they did an eight week study on how withania somnifera root extract enhances physical performance.
57 men between the ages of 18-50, with little training experience, were randomly assigned to one of two groups: experimental and placebo.
After getting a baseline strength measurement on the bench press and leg extensions, these tests were repeated until the end of the eight week period. The study also looked at “muscle size, body composition, serum testosterone levels and muscle recovery”. [6]
Compared to the placebo group, subjects in the experimental group had significantly greater:
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- increases in muscle strength on the bench press and leg extensions
- increases in muscle size at the arms and chest
- increases in testosterone levels
- decreases in body fat percentage
- reduction of exercise-induced muscle damage
I personally didn’t notice a big improvement in gym performance when I was on it. But that’s not to say it doesn’t work. It’s hard to determine the exact cause of muscle and strength gains.
Ashwagandha is only meant to supplement your training and nutrition. That’s why it’s hard to tell if the supplement is actually working, since you don’t know if the improvements are from the supplement, or something else. Assuming you have all your other habits in check, that’s when you unlock the full benefits of this type of supplement.
Treat symptoms of depression
A few human studies have looked at Ashwagandha’s effect on depression symptoms. The subjects in these studies were either chronically stressed, healthy, or diagnosed with schizophrenia [7].
Each person went through different tests and their symptoms of depression were measured along the way.
After 8-12 weeks, researchers saw an improvement in depression symptoms in those who took the supplement versus the placebo.
Despite this, more human research is required since there’s no evidence on how this herb affects people with major depression or bipolar disorder.
Conclusion
When I first learned about Ashwagandha at end of 2021, I was perplexed that I had made it this long without knowing about its existence. Growing up, I didn’t know anything about eastern medicine.
When I got sick, I’d pop a couple ibuprofen and call it good. I had no idea what holistic health was, or what self-improvement looked like.
Even though more research is required, the list of potential health benefits is pretty impressive. Even more interesting is how diverse the different benefits are. From improving physical performance and brain health, to its ability to reduce inflammation and treat psychiatric conditions.
The fact that it’s an herbal supplement makes it even more appealing to those looking for a natural solution.
Questions or comments? email: mindbodyprime@gmail.com
References
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6750292/ – “An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract”
[2] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4103/0253-7176.106022 – “A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Safety and Efficacy of a High-Concentration Full-Spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults”
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545242/ – “Effects of eight-week supplementation of Ashwagandha on cardiorespiratory endurance in elite Indian cyclists”
[4] https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2021/7/ashwagandha-brain-benefits#:~:text=It%20may%20shield%20the%20brain,against%20cognitive%20decline%20and%20dementia – “Ashwagandha’s Brain Benefits”
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28471731/ – ”Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions”
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26609282/ – “Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial”
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8762185/ – “Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Stress and the Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia”