Also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry, Ashwagandha is one of the essential herbs in traditional medicine. The herb grows in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa and is known for increasing the body's resistance to various forms of stress.
Since these herbs are known as adaptogens, practitioners also use them as a general tonic to boost energy, help sleep better, and manage stress and anxiety. Ashwagandha functions by containing compounds that may aid in reducing swelling, controlling blood pressure, and affecting the immune system in addition to calming the brain.
Typically, ashwagandha supplements are available in tablets, capsules, powders, etc., but they can also be found in creams, oils and other cosmetic items.
Due to the fantastic Ashwagandha benefits for men and women, Ashwagandha is often called the king of Ayurvedic herbs. So, if you want to reap the benefits of Ashwagandha powder with milk or water, here are some of the best supplements you can buy:
The Zeroharm Holistic Ashwagandha comes in tablet form and is nano-formulated to be 100% soluble in the human body. The tablets come in a pack of 60 and offer significant benefits such as alleviating stress, reducing joint pain, monitoring blood sugar levels, and increasing muscle mass.
Ashwagandha benefits for female and male consumers from this particular brand also include boosting fertility and reproductive health. Due to its properties, you can buy this supplement to boost energy and improve your overall health and workout performance.
Price: Rs. 519
Net Quantity: 60 tablets
Ratings: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Reviews: 213
Active Ingredients: Ashwagandha Root Powder
Target Audience: Adults
Himalayan Organics Ashwagandha capsules are your best bet to relieve stress and promote a calm & healthy state of mind. These capsules are packed with potent antioxidants that help manage everyday stress. These gluten-free supplements are made with a perfect balance of essential nutrients and are free from soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts.
100% vegan and cruelty-free, the Himalayan Organics Ashwagandha capsules can boost your immunity, increase energy & endurance levels and help strengthen neurons to improve cognitive functions like learning, concentration, memory, etc.
Price: Rs. 650
Net Quantity: 120 capsules
Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 stars
Reviews: 526
Target Audience: Adults
If you want to attain Ashwagandha's benefits but in tasty gummy form, the Man Matters Ashwagandha Gummies are sure to impress you. These gummies help counteract the harmful effects of physical strain by lowering cortisol levels. They also help in muscle development and boost strength.
The gummies are extracted without the use of alcohol and are rich in Vitamin D as well. KSM 66 Ashwagandha in the Man Matters Ashwagandha Gummies also helps in boosting immunity and enhance your overall well-being. These gummies are gluten and gelatin free and packed with 15 essential vitamins and minerals.
Price: Rs. 599
Net Quantity: 60 gummies
Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 stars
Reviews: 147
Active Ingredients: Ashwagandha & Vitamin D2
Flavour: Tamarind
Target Audience: Adults
The potential properties to offer Ashwagandha benefits for female and male consumers include:
It might act as a pain reliever.
It may also work as a sedative.
Ashwagandha also acts as a diuretic - which increases the excretion of urine from the body.
It also has astringent, analgesic and antioxidant properties.
The herb may be an anthelmintic - used to destroy parasitic worms.
It might have thermogenic potential - heat-producing.
Ashwagandha is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties – which help reduce swelling.
The herb might also work as an antipyretic agent, thus reducing fever.
It may also be depurative - capable of purifying and detoxifying the body.
Lastly, Ashwagandha may also be a atheroprotective and hypoglycemic - blood sugar-lowering agent.
Over the recent years, Ashwagandha supplements soared in popularity as a natural remedy to help with the following things:
Ashwagandha is highly effective in managing and lowering physical and mental stress and anxiety levels.
Supplementing with Ashwagandha may also help reduce blood sugar levels in people with and without diabetes.
One of the main Ashwagandha powder uses is that it helps improve overall immune health.
Lowering inflammation can also act as a pain reliever and, especially in treating forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, help protect you against infection.
Regular and recommended dosage of Ashwagandha also helps with getting improved sleep.
One of the major Ashwagandha benefits for men is that it may help boost fertility and promote their reproductive health by increasing sperm count and motility.
Ashwagandha may also enhance muscle mass and strength.
The herb also shows potent effects in improving memory, attention and task performance.
Many studies also highlight that taking Ashwagandha can significantly help with hypothyroidism (not hyperthyroidism).
Ashwagandha root extract also effectively lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol, easing chest pain and preventing heart diseases.
However, it is essential to know that Ashwagandha's benefits take time, and it can take several days to weeks to show results.
You can take ashwagandha supplements any time during the day or night. However, depending on what major benefits you want to reap, you should schedule your dosage in the morning or evening.
If you want to take Ashwagandha for general health and managing stress levels, it is good to take it in the morning. However, you must ensure you don't take it on an empty stomach.
If you're mainly consuming it to promote deep, relaxed sleep, you should take it with milk at night.
The ideal dosage for Ashwagandha depends on your needs. Hence, the best action is to speak with your doctor before starting it. However, most studies suggest that effectively consuming 250–500 mg of the herb daily for at least a month demonstrates its potential advantages.
If a single dose of 500 mg might be high for you initially, you may also ingest two 250 mg tablets per day. It is hence best to consult your doctor on how to use Ashwagandha.
Numerous bioactive substances, including alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, and steroidal lactones, are present in Ashwagandha. Withanolides are thought to be responsible for most of the herb's advantages and are found in steroidal lactones.
The herb mainly provides impressive benefits due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which further help improve reproductive health.
Ashwagandha affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to lessen stress and anxiety. To deliver its benefits for sleep, it also modifies the signalling of several neurotransmitters and boosts GABA receptor signalling mechanisms. The plant may also enhance endurance by raising the body's haemoglobin levels.
Though Ashwagandha is generally considered safe for most people, it may lead to the following issues in case of overdosage or consuming it on an empty stomach. However, these side effects are common and not too problematic:
Diarrhoea
Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach upset
Here are some less common side effects of Ashwagandha:
Drowsiness and dizziness
Dry mouth
Cough and congestion
Skin rashes
Blurry vision
Weight gain
Hallucinations
In rare cases, Ashwagandha from an untrusted supplement brand may even lead to liver problems. So, it is imperative to buy one from a trusted brand that is FDA-approved.
Ashwagandha should be taken after consulting your medical professional if you're:
Pregnant
Breastfeeding
Taking any antidepressant medications, or
Suffering autoimmune diseases — such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Had a recent surgery or an upcoming surgical procedure
Have thyroid disorders
Ashwagandha may and may not interact with other medications. So, it is best to consult with a doctor before supplementing it.
Generally, precautions must be taken while using Ashwagandha with:
Barbiturates (Drugs that induce relaxation, drowsiness or sleepiness) - Ashwagandha may intensify its effect and make you even more sleepy.
Alcohol - Ashwagandha shouldn't be taken with alcohol.
Sedatives - Ashwagandha shouldn't be consumed with medicines or health products that have sedative properties because they can induce more drowsiness.
Yes. Since the recommended dosage of Ashwagandha is 250–500 mg daily, consuming it in higher amounts than 600 mg daily may lead to problems like drowsiness, stomach upset, etc.
Using Ashwagandha in pregnancy may cause fetal distress and even induce premature labour.
Furthermore, people with stomach ulcers should avoid Ashwagandha.
It is also not a good choice for you if you have any liver disease.
Furthermore, do not self-medicate, and avoid altering, replacing or discontinuing any ongoing treatment.
If you still need clarification about using Ashwagandha, here are our answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
The antioxidant properties of ashwagandha help relieve cough and cold symptoms in the body.
Yes. Ashwagandha is well known for its anti‑inflammatory effects that help prevent infections, relieve pain, and even reduce fever.
With more people turning to natural remedies, Ashwagandha's reputation for supporting health and managing stress and anxiety has increased over the past few years. We hope you found this comprehensive article about Ashwagandha properties, uses, dosage and precautions helpful.
If you're planning to supplement it, make sure to buy your tablets, gummies or powder only from an FDA-approved, reputed brand. Furthermore, be patient with its use to notice effective results, consult your doctor before starting its use and do not try to self-medicate.
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