Ashwagandha is an herb widely used in Ayurveda, a type of medicine based on Indian tenets of natural healing. Perhaps best known for its ability to relieve stress and anxiety, Ashwagandha is gaining popularity as an important herb to enhance overall health and well-being.
“Ashwagandha is a calming herb,” says Ryan Barish, M.D., a functional medicine specialist at Henry Ford Health. “It helps balance the stress hormone cortisol, and can be an important tool for people who have a lot of stress, anxiety, fatigue and brain fog.”
What Is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha (also called Indian ginseng or winter cherry) is a small flowering shrub that grows in India and Southeast Asia. “Ashwagandha” means “smell of the horse,” which describes the plant’s scent and hints at its function—horses are calming, strong and focused.
Extracts or powder from the root and leaves of the ashwagandha plant are used to treat a variety of conditions. The biologically active components of the ashwagandha plant’s leaves are withanolides, a naturally occurring steroid.
What Are The Perks Of Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha acts as an adaptogen, which means it helps the body cope with physical, emotional and mental stress. So it’s no surprise that clinicians turn to it to address conditions like insomnia, aging and anxiety.
Benefits may include:
- Improved sleep: Studies suggest that ashwagandha can promote better sleep quality and help alleviate insomnia.
- Stress and anxiety relief: Research suggests that taking ashwagandha can help calm frayed nerves. In one trial, ashwagandha supplements outperformed a placebo in reducing feelings of stress as well as levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
- Weight loss: If you’re under chronic stress, you’re more likely to pack on pounds. Preliminary research suggests that ashwagandha can help blunt food cravings, improve eating behaviors and help people who are stressed out lose weight.
- Better performance: Ashwagandha may improve attention, memory, and executive function, according to research. The reason: Compounds in ashwagandha, including withanolides, have antioxidant effects in the brain.
- Enhanced thyroid function: “There’s evidence to suggest that ashwagandha stimulates an underactive thyroid,” Dr. Barish says. “But if you are interested in taking ashwagandha for thyroid control, it’s important to work with a healthcare professional to monitor your thyroid levels.”
Like most herbal medicines, ashwagandha’s effects aren’t immediate. It can take weeks or even months before you notice changes. And ashwagandha may come with side effects, including tummy troubles, drowsiness and diarrhea.
Challenges With Using Ashwagandha
Dosing with ashwagandha can be tricky, so it’s important to work with a healthcare professional.
Most practitioners recommend taking it at specific times during the day. They base dosing recommendations on both the number of milligrams in each supplement, as well as the percent of withanolides.
“In most ashwagandha-containing supplements, the percent of withanolides ranges from 1.5% to 5%,” Dr. Barish says. “So a 300 mg supplement with 1.5% withanolides does not have the same biological activity as a 300 mg supplement with 5% withanolides.”
Your provider may measure your cortisol levels with salivary (spit) testing and tailor ashwagandha doses accordingly. So, if your cortisol level is out of range at night, which can interfere with sleep, your doctor may recommend taking an ashwagandha supplement before bed. Or, if your cortisol spikes in mid-afternoon, which could affect blood sugar levels, you might take a dose after lunch.
No matter when you’re dosing with ashwagandha, a qualified healthcare professional who knows which brands to trust and how to dose according to your unique needs is a valuable partner.
Who Should NOT Take Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is probably safe for most people, but it’s not appropriate for everyone. Doctors recommend steering clear of ashwagandha if you fall into the following categories:
- You are pregnant or nursing. There’s not enough evidence about the safety of ashwagandha during pregnancy or while nursing. In the absence of reliable information, it’s best to avoid the supplement.
- You have an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or lupus. Ashwagandha might cause your immune system to become more active, and this could increase the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.
- You have a thyroid disorder. If you have an overactive thyroid, ashwagandha could increase your levels even more. If you have an underactive thyroid, you should only use ashwagandha under the direction of a healthcare professional.
- You have a sensitivity to nightshades. Ashwagandha is part of the nightshade family, so if you’re sensitive to nightshades, such as tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, you may also have an adverse reaction to ashwagandha.
- You’re due for surgery. Ashwagandha may intensify the effects of anesthesia and other medications taken during and after surgery. Steer clear of it at least two weeks before scheduled surgery and until you stop taking medications post-surgery.
- You have hemochromatosis. People with hemochromatosis have high levels of iron, and ashwagandha also contains iron.
It’s important to note that many ashwagandha products include a blend of other ingredients. “That’s why it’s important to work with a healthcare professional,” Dr. Barish says. “Some of these blends could be dangerous if you have certain conditions. They can also interact with other supplements and medications.”
Ashwagandha is not a long-term solution to the problem of stress. Instead, it’s a valuable tool to use in concert with other calming mind-body strategies. “Ultimately, the goal is to improve our lifestyles so we’re able to responsibly minimize our need for supplements and medications,” Dr. Barish says. “Using supplements short term gets you back on track so your body can get back to the business of healing itself.”
To find a doctor at Henry Ford, visit henryford.com or call 1-800-436-7936.
Dr. Ryan Barish is a functional lifestyle medicine physician at Henry Ford Health. He sees patients at Henry Ford Medical Center in Royal Oak.
