Ashwagandha Benefits, Side Effects and How to Use

Ashwagandha is a well-known and effective Ayurvedic herb which is mentioned in Ayurvedic books like Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita.

According to Ayurveda, Ashwagandha is one of the oldest and essential herbs for healing, known as Rasayana because of its ability to maintain youthfulness physically and mentally.

Its name is derived from the Sanskrit words “ ashwa” or horse and “gandha” as smell.

Ayurvedic Profile of Ashwagandha

Attribute	Details
Botanical Name	Withania Somnifera
Common Names	Indian Winter Cherry, Indian Ginseng
Family	Nightshade
Parts Used	Roots, leaves, fruits, and seeds
Rasa (Taste)	Tikta (bitter), Katu (pungent), Madhura (sweet)
Guna (Qualities)	Laghu (light), Snigdha (oily)
Virya (Potency)	Heating
Vipaka (Post-Digestive Effect)	Sweet
Dosha Effects	Balances Vata and Kapha doshas

Main Actions (Karma)

Ashwagandha supports brain function, strengthens the nervous system, and improves memory.

It has various traditional uses supported by pharmacological and biochemical studies that promote overall health and healing.

Other Properties

It also has anti-stress, neuroprotective, antitumor, anti-arthritic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Nutrition Information of Ashwagandha:

This herb contains many nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Here we are going to share with you the nutrients of Ashwagandha:

Nutrient	Amount per 100 grams
Carbohydrates	49.9 grams
Dietary Fiber	32.3 grams
Protein	3.9 grams
Iron	3.3 mg
Calcium	23 mg
Vitamin C	3.7 mg

Ashwagandha Health Benefits as Per Ayurveda -

According to Ayurveda here we are going to discuss some of its benefits:

Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety:

Ashwagandha contains adaptogens that help the body deal with stress and anxiety.

These adaptogens support the body’s stress-response system by working with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

This makes Ashwagandha a useful way to naturally manage stress and anxiety levels.

Improves Sleep Disorders:

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder, often caused by a stressful lifestyle.

The adaptogens in ashwagandha help reduce stress and anxiety, thereby managing insomnia and making it easier for you to get deep, restful sleep.

Physical Stamina:

With the help of ashwagandha, muscle strength, testosterone levels, and creatinine levels can be improved, and cortisol levels and muscle damage caused by exercise could be reduced.

With its Vajikarana property, it can also help to improve stamina.

Benefits in Mental Stability:

It helps to get the benefits of mental stability. In various types of mental stability, including psychological health, improving memory and improving attention, this herb works as a problem solver.

Improve Male Fertility:

It helps to improve the quality of men's sperm and increase the testosterone, hormone group, and blood circulation, thereby increasing male fertility.

For this reason, this Indian ginseng is used in the treatment of infertility in men.

The root of this remedy can be used to improve male infertility and erectile dysfunction.

May Treat Cancer:

Ashwagandha can be taken in addition to radiation or chemotherapy, which is a process to treat cancer.

Also, it can reduce the adverse reactions of anti-cancer drugs. It shows anticancer effects against various cancer cell lines.

It also protected the chemical Withaferin from causing chemo-induced neutropenia.

Helps in Gastrointestinal:

It also helps with gastrointestinal problems and maintains gut health by reducing inflammation and improving digestion.

It also reduces the symptoms of digestive problems, including IBS and other digestive problems.

Manage Diabetes

Ashwagandha helps with diabetic problems. It significantly increased the insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion of muscle cells, especially during fasting and the after-meal period.

The root powder can control glucose and reduce its secretion.

Arthritis Management

During arthritis, it becomes so helpful.

According to studies, Ashwagandha has the power to reduce joint pain or arthritis pain.

A substance called withaferin is found in the leaves and roots of Ashwagandha, which is helpful in producing prostaglandins, which work to control pain.

This has a pain relief property that reduces pain from the nervous system too.

Good for Skin

Skin problems can also be cured with the help of Ashwagandha.

For this, it produces collagen and removes dead skin cells due to its antioxidant capacity.

You can apply Ashwagandha powder mixed with honey or take it as a tea for better glowing skin.

Side effects of Ashwagandha

Despite being such an effective herb, long-term use of Ashwagandha has some side effects, which we are going to discuss. As per the study, it may be safe to use for a short period, such as 3 months, but long-term use may cause some side effects, such as:

It may upset your stomach.

You may have diarrhea.

High doses may cause vomiting and nausea.

Sometimes it also affects the liver, ranging from mild to liver failure.

You may feel drowsy for some time.

How to use:

There is not any specific data or approved data about the use of Ashwagandha; hence, we are giving some doses described by the experts, which can help to be on the safer side and use it in a proper way.

For stress, you can take ¼ teaspoon of ashwagandha with 2 cups of boiled water and an inch of ginger.
For diabetes, you can take ¼-½ teaspoon of ashwagandha root powder with 1 glass of water mixed with milk and crushed with almonds and walnuts.
For high BP, it may be taken in the quantity of ¼ teaspoon ashwagandha powder with a cup of water.
For male infertility, it can be taken at ¼- ½ teaspoon of ashwagandha with ghee, sugar, and honey once or twice a day for a month.
There is no specific dosage for its use for a normal person; it may vary from person to person, but according to some studies, the most effective dosage of this herb would be between 500 and 600 mg per day, but sometimes taking 120 mg per day can also be beneficial.

Precaution

There are some precautions you should follow while taking Ashwagandha:

Avoid it during pregnancy. Consult a doctor before use.
In case of thyroid problems, it may affect thyroid hormones.
In cases of BP or diabetes, it may lower blood pressure or blood sugar.
Stomach problems: It may cause stomach discomfort.
Allergic reactions: Avoid taking it if you have any allergy symptoms.
Make sure you have taken it from a reputed brand.

Conclusion:

Ashwagandha is a powerful and versatile herb. It has a wide range of health benefits, such as increased stress levels, more energy, greater immune system support, etc.

Using ashwagandha requires responsibility and caution, just like taking any other Ayurvedic supplements or herbs.

It is generally considered safe, but some people, such as pregnant women, people with breast cancer, people with thyroid or autoimmune disorders, and people taking certain medications, should exercise caution when using it.

Always start with a low dose, pay attention to your body's response, and consult a doctor before taking it if you have an actual health problem or are taking other medications.

With guidelines and precautions, you can safely enjoy its excellence.

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