The Ultimate User Guide To Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a plant that is native to India. It has been utilized as a rejuvenating agent in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. The name "ashwagandha" (ash-wuh-GAN-duh) refers to "smell of horses" -- a reference to the animal-like odor of the root, as well as the vigor and strength that the plant is thought to impart.

Ashwagandha, sometimes referred to as "winter cherries" in English is an evergreen shrub which bears red fruit. They sprout from papery husks during the fall. It's the tubercular long roots that are harvested during winter and dried into a powder. Ashwagandha root powder remains commonly used in herbal medicine today, though many supplements now use a higher concentration of ashwagandha extract.

The ancient ashwagandha herb is experiencing a modern resurgence, as new research from scientists supports the growing number of Ashwagandha health benefits. 3 4 aswangdha is a remedy that reduces stress's negative effects on the body, provides numerous benefits, such as cognitive, sexual, mental, and immune health.

What is an Adaptogen?

Ashwagandha is part of a special class of medicinal herbs referred to as adaptogens. Adaptogenic herbs help with numerous aspects of mental and physical well-being by encouraging a robust and healthy resistance to stress. They help the body to better cope with physical and psychological stressors to help conserve energy, improve performance, and prevent damage from stressful conditions.6

The body prepares itself for imminent threats through triggering a sequence of reactions within the nervous system and immune system. But the body is not built to sustain this state long-term. Chronic stress occurs when the body can't recover from imbalance due to persistent stress.

Adaptogens boost the body's capacity to tolerate for stress, helping defend against the negative effects of stress on health. Contrary to other herbs that trigger certain responses within the body, adaptogenic plants regulate several physiological processes at the same time to bring the body back to balance or the state of homeostasis.

Ashwagandha Benefits

Ashwagandha is widely known as being one of the top natural remedies for stress. While many see stress relief as being primarily an improvement in mental health, it actually has broad health implications. Research suggests that stress can be a source of a range of negative effects on health. It can affect everything from heart health to reproductive health.

Ashwagandha for Anxiety Healing

Cortisol is the stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is widely used as a physiological sign for stress. The long-term high levels of cortisol levels in bloodstream are linked to chronic stress, and is linked to problems for the health of the heart, brain, hormonal health, immune health, reproductive health and much more.

Ashwagandha has been proven clinically to lower levels of cortisol by as much as 27.9 percent to 30.5%.10 11 The same research also showed a substantial reduction in psychological stress , as measured by typical mood as well as cognitive and behavioral symptoms like sleeplessness and inability to concentrate and feel anxious and social dysfunction. These are all strong reasons to suggest ashwagandha for stress relief, sleep, mood, and concentration.

There are physical and mental advantages to managing stress. In one study, ashwagandha was shown to lower stress levels and tangible cardiovascular effects, such as lower blood pressure. A different study revealed that ashwagandha can help reduce emotional eating behaviors that are triggered by stress, with a resulting decrease in body weight. This is in support of the use of ashwagandha for weight loss when it comes to stress-related weight problems.