About Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is one of the most highly regarded and commonly used adaptogens in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia that supports normal relaxation.

What Ashwagandha is Best For

Ashwagandha is recommended for people who have occasional stress or sleeplessness.

Ashwagandha may be used for the following

• Increases energy and vitality*
• General adaptogen for combating stress*
• Assists in calming the mind and promotes restful sleep*
• Supports proper function of the adrenals*

How Ashwagandha Works

Ashwagandha is one of the most highly regarded and commonly used adaptogens in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. Maximizing the body's ability to resist stress, it enables the body to reserve and sustain vital energy throughout the day while promoting sound, restful sleep at night. It is considered one of the best herbs for calming vata and for revitalizing the male reproductive system. Used by both men and women, it maintains proper nourishment of the tissues, particularly muscle and bone, while supporting proper function of the adrenals. This potent herb is used to promote muscle strength and to support comfortable joint movement. It is also used to maintain a healthy libido, for it is said to bestow upon its user the vitality and strength of a horse. As a rejuvenative, Ashwagandha is particularly useful to seniors and for anyone that would benefit from a nourishing, natural source of energy.*

Ashwagandha has become of interest to a number of researchers, particularly as it grows in popularity.

• It has been the subject of studies looking at the benefit on the immune system, including possible support of the immune system during radiation and chemotherapy.2
• Used in combination with licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), safed musli (Chlorophytum borivillanum), and sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum), ashwagandha has been shown to support healthy cholesterol levels and antioxidant properties.

Ayurvedic Energetics:

• Rasa (taste): bitter, astringent, sweet
• Virya (action): heating
• Vipaka (post-digestive effect): sweet
• Doshas (constitutions): Balancing for vata and kapha, may aggravate pitta in excess

Ashwagandha Studies

Ashwagandha is one of the most well-known and widely used Ayurvedic herbs. And for good reason! It is great for so many functions in the body—from sleep, energy, and stress, to rejuvenation, muscle strength, and joint health. Ashwagandha is a wonderfully versatile herb that is gaining more and more popularity amongst mainstream America and herbalists from all backgrounds (naturopaths, Chinese medicine, and Western herbalists included). Researchers love studying this herb, and they are finding many benefits.

1 Physical Performance

In a small double-blind, placebo-controlled study, healthy participants receiving a standardized root extract of ashwagandha for eight weeks showed an increase in speed and muscular strength by nearly 10% in tested physical activity.

2 Focus and Concentration

In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, twenty healthy males were given 500 mg of ashwagandha root extract for fourteen days. Significant cognitive improvements were seen in reaction-time tests, discrimination tests, and in card sorting tests, among many others. These results show ashwagandha’s ability to support attention, memory, focus, concentration, and responsiveness and coordination between the mind and motor functions.

3 Stress and Food Consumption

In a study with fifty-two healthy subjects experiencing stress for a long period of time, ashwagandha (300 mg twice daily) not only decreased stress (as measured by the perceived stress scale), but also food cravings and overall body weights. This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial that lasted eight weeks.

4 Rejuvenation

In a clinical trial with healthy male volunteers aged fifty to sixty-nine, purified ashwagandha powder, given as 3 grams per day for one year, showed increases in blood counts, improved posture, and increased hair melanin (pigmentation of the hair). In another study, healthy children who were given 2 grams of powdered ashwagandha in milk, experienced improvements in blood counts, body weight, and hand strength.

5 Sleep and Emotional Health

In a survey study of 218 healthy participants taking the same ashwagandha herb, sourced and provided by Banyan Botanicals (1200 mg two times a day), for one month, participants noted a 66.9% improvement in sleep quality. This is likely because it decreased stress levels in the participants. The herb also showed the positive effect of enhancing people’s emotional health by 42%. The positive effects on emotional health translated to the participants’ social life and social activities becoming improved by nearly 45.8%. The participants were better able to participate in activities like visiting friends and relatives and enjoying social activities and hobbies.

As always, it is very important to make sure that the quality of the ashwagandha that you take is superb. Banyan Botanicals’ organic ashwagandha contains withanolide A and withaferin A (the main active constituents of ashwagandha) in levels that exceed the British Pharmacopoeia requirements by three to five times! Further, Banyan Botanicals is committed to providing herbs that are fairly traded, sustainably sourced, and organic so you can rest assured that your body is getting only the highest quality herbs and supplements.

Serving Size

Take 1-2 tablets, once or twice daily, or as directed by your health practitioner.

Ashwagandha Ingredients

Ashwagandha root (Withania somnifera) 500mg.

Other ingredients, from natural sources: organic maltodextrin, organic gum arabic, organic rice flour.

This item contains no animal products and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

• Certified Organic
• Gluten-Free
• Soy Free
• Dairy-Free
• Vegetarian
• Chemical free
• No Artificial Dyes
• No Synthetic Fillers
• BPA Free

Notes: 

• High Ama, Not for use by pregnant women.
• Please consult your healthcare practitioner if you are taking medications or have a medical condition
• Keep out of the reach of children.
• California Customers Warning
• Large doses of ashwagandha can cause abdominal discomfort and diarrhea.
• Ashwagandha has otherwise been tolerated well in the few reported studies that exist.
• Though the herb is traditionally used in India during pregnancy, it is recommended that ashwagandha be avoided in pregnancy in the West; this is because of its spasmolytic activity on the uterus, and its induction of abortions in animals when given in very large doses.
• From an Ayurvedic perspective, use ashwagandha with caution in cases of excess pitta and ama.

References

Sebastian Pole, Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice (London: Churchill Livingston, 2006), pp. 133-134.

Sandhu Jaspal, et al. “Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Terminalia arjuna (Arjuna) on physical performance and cardiorespiratory endurance n healthy young adults.” Int J Ayurveda Res. 1, no 3 (July-Sept 2010):144-149.

U Pingali, et al. “Effect of standardized aqueous extract of Withania somnifera on tests of cognitive and psychomotor performance in healthy human subjects.” Pharmacognosy Res. 6, no 1 (January 2014):12-8.

Lakshmi-Chandra Mishra, Betsy Singh, and Simon Dagenais. “Scientific Basis for the Therapeutic Use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha): A Review.” Alternative Medicine Review. 5, no 4 (2000):334-346.

About Banyan Botanicals

Banyan Botanicals was founded in 1996 in New Mexico by Kevin Casey and Scott Cote, former Ayurveda students, who ran the Ayurvedic Institute’s herbal pharmacy for more than a decade. However, the more Ayurveda gained a loyal following, the more Kevin and Scott received requests for higher quality Ayurvedic products and herbs. This constantly increasing demand gave birth to Banyan Trading Company, whose headquarters was Kevin’s room at that time. It didn’t take long for the company to spread its wings and fly and quickly moved to a small warehouse in Albuquerque and was armed with a group of Ayurveda enthusiasts that shared the same vision – to help the world enjoy great health and wellbeing with the healing powers of certified organic Ayurveda herbs and products.