Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Photo: Neha.Vindhya · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Digestive
- 5 conditions
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Overview
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), sometimes called “Indian ginseng,” is a sturdy shrub growing to about 5 ft (1.5 m) with oval leaves, greenish or yellow flowers, and small, round fruits. A key herb in Ayurvedic medicine, it is valued for boosting vitality and aiding convalescence from chronic illnesses. It promotes relaxation, increases energy and muscle tone, and can support healthy thyroid hormone conversion from T4 to T3. Traditionally, ashwagandha is considered a “Rasáyana” (rejuvenator), used long-term to rebuild and regenerate body and mind.
Traditional uses & properties
Adaptogen: Helps the body cope with stress, supports adrenal function, and enhances resilience. Anti-inflammatory: Can relieve symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Nervine: Calms the nervous system, helpful for anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleeplessness. Tonic: Improves overall vitality and aids recovery after illness; beneficial for sexual dysfunction related to stress and for general weakness or exhaustion.
Traditional preparations
Traditional texts describe the preparations below, and where those texts give specific amounts, the amounts are quoted here as part of that record. This is a record of historical practice, not a dosage recommendation - the figures are what the sources say, not what HerbMate tells you to take. Amounts, potency, and safe use vary enormously by preparation, plant part, and person.
4-8 ounces 3 times daily, or decoct in coconut milk with vanilla and honey
Dried root (1:5, 70% alcohol); 1-10 ml (0.2-2 tsp.) 3 times daily
2-6 capsules (1,000-3,000 mg) 3 times daily
Safety & precautions
Pregnancy: Use cautiously under professional guidance. Nightshade Sensitivity: This herb can cause adverse reactions in those sensitive to the nightshade family. Digestive Sensitivities: Some individuals may find it hard to digest ashwagandha. Combining it with digestive spices such as black pepper or ginger can help.
Drug & food interactions
Although ashwagandha may have blood-glucose-lowering effects, these seem to be mild, and would not generally be expected to affect the control of diabetes with conventional medicines. Ashwagandha may affect the reliability of digoxin assays, and interfere with the control of hypo- and hyperthyroidism.
- Antidiabetics
- Limited evidence suggests that ashwagandha has blood-glucose-lowering effects, which may be additive with conventional antidiabetics. In 6 subjects with mild type 2 diabetes, giving powdered root of ashwagandha 1 g three times daily after meals for 30 days reduced blood-glucose levels by 12% (from 11.5 to 10.1 mmol/L - timing of sample in relation to meals not stated). These subjects discontinued any blood-glucose-lowering drugs before the study, and 6 control subjects continued treatment with glibenclamide. These control subjects also had a reduction in blood-glucose of 12%. This study is difficult to interpret, because there was no placebo group.
- Food
- No interactions found.
- Laboratory tests
- Digoxin levels might be spuriously elevated when assayed using a fluorescence polarisation immunoassay in patients taking ashwagandha. Ashwagandha does not interfere with in vitro assays for carbamazepine, gentamicin, paracetamol, phenytoin, phenobarbital, procainamide, salicylate, theophylline, tobramycin or valproic acid.
- Thyroid and antithyroid drugs
- Limited evidence suggests that ashwagandha increases thyroid hormone levels and therefore interferes with the control of hypo- and hyperthyroidism. A 32-year-old healthy woman developed clinical symptoms of thyrotoxicosis, and was found to have elevated levels of thyroid hormones when she increased the dose of capsules containing ashwagandha herbal extract that she had been taking for chronic fatigue. The symptoms and raised thyroid hormone levels resolved on stopping the product.
- Digoxin
- Ashwagandha has been shown to interfere with some methods of measuring serum digoxin levels
- Medicine
- No interactions found.
These entries keep the wording of the reference they come from, and three phrases mean three different things. "No interactions found" means the source looked for reports of that pairing and found none. "No data found" means nothing has been published either way. "Based on experimental evidence only" means the effect has been seen in a laboratory or animal study but not in people - a reason for caution, not a report of harm.
Habitat
Found in India, the Mediterranean, and parts of the Middle East, ashwagandha is grown from seeds or cuttings in spring. Leaves and fruits are typically gathered in spring and autumn, while the root is harvested in autumn.
Traditionally used for
- Heartburn4 herbs · 2 free
- Erectile Disfunction6 herbs · 2 free
- Adrenal Fatigue5 herbs · 2 free
- Anxiety11 herbs · 2 free
- Stress13 herbs · 2 free
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Frequently asked questions
What is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) traditionally used for?
Traditional sources describe Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as follows: Adaptogen: Helps the body cope with stress, supports adrenal function, and enhances resilience. Anti-inflammatory: Can relieve symptoms of arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Nervine: Calms the nervous system, helpful for anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleeplessness. Tonic: Improves overall vitality and aids recovery after illness; beneficial for sexual dysfunction related to stress and for general weakness or exhaustion.
How is Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) prepared?
Traditional texts describe the preparations below, and where those texts give specific amounts, the amounts are quoted here as part of that record. This is a record of historical practice, not a dosage recommendation - the figures are what the sources say, not what HerbMate tells you to take. Amounts, potency, and safe use vary enormously by preparation, plant part, and person. STANDARD DECOCTION: 4-8 ounces 3 times daily, or decoct in coconut milk with vanilla and honey TINCTURE: Dried root (1:5, 70% alcohol); 1-10 ml (0.2-2 tsp.) 3 times daily CAPSULE: 2-6 capsules (1,000-3,000 mg) 3 times daily
What safety cautions apply to Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)?
Pregnancy: Use cautiously under professional guidance. Nightshade Sensitivity: This herb can cause adverse reactions in those sensitive to the nightshade family. Digestive Sensitivities: Some individuals may find it hard to digest ashwagandha. Combining it with digestive spices such as black pepper or ginger can help.
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