Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, one of the most powerful herbs in Indian healing, it's been used for thousands of years for a wide variety of conditions.
Traditionally, ashwagandha has been prescribed as a nerve tonic and adaptogen—an agent which helps the body adapt to various emotional and physical stressors. It has classically been used in India for nearly 5,000 years for conditions such as failure to thrive in children, weakness and debility in old age, rheumatism, constipation, insomnia, nervous conditions, stress, goiter, joint inflammation, parasites, hormone balance, and more. A paste made from the root powder applied topically can treat boils, ulcers, and other skin irritations and infections.
Ashwagandha is known to help people strengthen their immune system after illness, chemotherapy, or surgery. It is a highly effective, evidence-based remedy for anxiety and stress—by lowering cortisol levels and mimicking the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.
Ashwagandha is frequently referred to as “Indian ginseng” because of its rejuvenating properties, even though botanically, ginseng and ashwagandha are unrelated.
Belonging to the same nightshade family as the tomato, ashwagandha is a plump shrub with oval leaves and yellow flowers. It bears red fruit about the size of a raisin. The herb is native to the dry regions of India, northern Africa, and the Middle East, and today is also grown in more mild climates, including the United States.
Why Use Ashwagandha?
Do any of these common symptoms sound familiar?
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor memory
- Trouble sleeping
- Low libido
- Frequent illness
- Anxiety
- Low endurance (mentally or physically)
- Joint pain
- Neurological condition
The use of ashwagandha can help alleviate these symptoms and support an energetic and rejuvenating sense of well-being.
Benefits and Healing Effects
Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including withanolides (steroidal lactones), alkaloids, choline, fatty acids, amino acids, and a variety of sugars. While the leaves and fruit have valuable therapeutic properties, the root of the ashwagandha plant is the part most commonly used in Western herbal remedies.
Medical researchers have been studying ashwagandha for years with great interest and have completed more than 200 studies on the healing benefits of this botanical.