10 AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS OF ASHWAGANDHA (INDIAN GINSENG)
1. Stress: Calming & Balancing - Ashwagandha has remarkable stress-relieving properties. When the body is stressed, the immune and endocrine systems can be affected, leaving a person feeling depleted. Adapotenic herbs such as Ashwanganda work to restore the balance of endocrine hormones, calm and strengthen the nerves and help the body handle stress better. Plus, they also help to boost your overall immune system.
In traditional Indian medicine, Ashwanganda is widely used to treat anxiety, depression, nervous exhaustion, adrenaline fatigue, and chronic fatigue syndrome. And there are no adverse reactions by taking it compared to anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications which can have terrible side effects.
2. Sleep: Promotes Restful Sleep - Due to ashwagandha’s anti-anxiety and nerve calming effects, it promotes sound, restful sleep. It also helps to stop the mental chatter that goes round and round in your head. The most commonly reported benefits are: better sleep, better ability to concentrate, more energy, a more stable mood, and a feeling of overall well-being.
3. Adrenal Fatigue: Calms Adrenal Glands: Ashwagandha’s is excellent for calming over active adrenal gland. It reduces cortisol, and nourishes the adrenals and aids healing.
4. Hair: Reduces hair fall and Prevents Greying: Ashwagandha’s is a superb tonic for your hair. Its antioxidant and hormone balancing effects reduce hair fall and promote healthy and shiny hair.
When used in hair oils or herbal shampoos, Ashwanganda works to increase scalp circulation and improve hair growth and it also helps with dandruff and greasy hair. Ashwagandha’s is also said to preserve our natural hair colour. The powerful antioxidants in Ashwanganda fight the free radicals that are usually responsible for hair greying. In addition, it stimulates production of melanin, the pigment responsible for hair colour.
Ashwagandha Hair Pack: Take equal quantities of Ashwanganda, brahmi and amla powder. Add some warm water/milk to make a semi-thick paste. Massage this mixture into your scalp, and leave it on for 30 minutes. Then rinse off.
5. Diabetes: Stabilizes Blood Sugar: If you are looking for natural herb to control diabetes, Ashwanganda can be the answer. In traditional Indian medicine Ashwanganda has been used alone or in combination with other plants to stabilize blood sugar levels. Oral intake of a combination of Ashwanganda and shilajit (an Ayurvedic herb) significantly reduced fasting blood sugar in diabetic patients.
6. Arthritis: Reduces Swelling and Pain: Ashwagandha is an effective natural treatment for arthritis. It’s naturally occurring steroid compounds to reduce pain as effectively as aspirin and phenylbutazone when given in the same amount, but without the side effects that those drugs cause. Plus, they also aid in reducing swelling and redness in the arthritic joints.
7. Muscle Strength: Increases Muscle mass and Strength : Ashwagandha is often given to weak, emaciated person to help him/her build up muscle mass, strength, and stamina. Since it is anabolic*, this herb provides an excellent, safe alternative to steroids for increasing muscle mass. *Anabolism is the phase of metabolism in which complex molecules, such as the proteins that make up body tissue, are formed from simpler one.
8. Skin: Anti-Aging and Promotes Wound Healing: Ashwagandha can help keep skin looking youthful and radiant. It works by increasing estrogen levels, which in turn stimulates collagen production and increase natural skin oils and hyaluronic acid.
Besides, Ashwanganda leaves and roots have anti-inflammatory benefits. A paste made from leaf or root of Ashwanganda is used to treat painful swelling, abscesses, cellulites, and leucoderma. It also helps to relive inflammation and bring about quick wound healing.
9. Alzheimer & Memory problems: Boosts Memory and Cognitive Performance: Ashwagandha is used widely in Ayurvedic medicine as a nerve tonic and memory enhancer. These benefits are due to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help protect brain cells from the degenerative effects of free radicals and inflammatory proteins. And people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have decreased blood levels of antioxidants and increased numbers of free radicals.
A study published in Phytotherapy Research explains these benefits:
“Several studies have revealed that natural antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene, may help in scavenging free radicals generated during the initiation and progression of this [Alzheimer’s] disease. Therefore, there has been considerable interest in plant phytochemicals with antioxidant property as potential agents to prevent the progression of AD. We found Ashwanganda afforded lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects more potent than commercial antioxidants.”
10. Hypothyroidism: Stimulates Underactive Thyroid – Siddha and Ayurvedic practitioners often prescribe Ashwanganda to stimulate sluggish thyroid gland.
How to Use Ashwagandha
The most potent Ashwanganda supplements are made from the root, although leaves too are used in the commercial preparations.
You can either take Ashwagandha powder or its extract in capsule form.
Ashwagandha powder: Typical recommended dose for powder is between 1 to 5 grams (1 tsp is 5 gram) per day once or twice a day. Start at a low dose, say 1/4 tsp and then build up gradually. You can have it with warm milk, ghee (clarified butter), or honey. You can also add it to your soups, smoothies, etc. I mix Ashwanganda powder with ghee and take it just after breakfast.
Ashwagandha capsule: Because of its bitter taste, capsule is usually preferred by many people. General recommended dose is between 500 to 1000mg. once or twice a day.
How long can you take it: Like all other supplements it is advised that you give a gap in between and not take it continually. So take it for 3 to 4 months every day then give a gap of one month. This gives your body time to readjust itself.
Along with Ashwanganda, follow a diet high in fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy fats (nuts & seeds), vegetable protein, organic eggs and meat. And remove sugars, refined flour, and packaged foods and drinks from your diet. These food changes along with Ashwanganda can help you see great results in reducing stress, boosting energy, improving neurological health, balancing hormones, and looking youthful.
Ashwagandha Side Effects and Contraindications
• Ashwagandha should not to be used during pregnancy.
• Because of its innate hot nature, people with Pitta dominance feel increased hotness after taking Ashwanganda powder or capsule. To reduce this effect, take it along with food or with milk or ghee. Also, it will help if you take it during day time.
• Ashwagandha belongs to nightshade family (tomato, potato, pepper), so if you are allergic or intolerant to these foods then Ashwanganda may not suit you.
• If you have a medical condition or take medications, please consult with your doctor/Ayurveda practitioner/Nutritionist before using this product.
Do you use Ashwanganda? What has been your experience?