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In Sanskrit, ashwagandha means "the smell of a horse", indicating that the herb holds the strength of a stallion, and has traditionally been prescribed in ancient Ayurveda to help people strengthen their immune system after an illness. The herb, also known as Withania somnifera, is native to the dry regions of India and it actually belongs to the same 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. But actually, it is the root, not the fruit, of the plant that is the prize here. Uses of the root can be traced back as far as 3,000 years.
Ashwagandha is classified as a rasayan, in Ayurvedic science, a rejuvenating or life extending agent. The rasayan are the most esteemed of all of Ayurveda's herbs. The root of the plant appears in remedies for cough, rheumatism, gynecological disorders, fatigue, emaciation, inflammation, ulcers, sore eyes, diminished brain function, and (what you may have heard of it for), improves low libido and sexual organ function in men and women.
According to the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, a whole acre of cultivated ashwagandha will yield about 500 pounds of the root, which when dried, reduces to around 150 pounds. It takes a full year to bring the plant to maturity. Harvest is usually between January and March, but the nice thing is that the plant is forgiving since it requires little attention and no irrigation, even in the parched climate of southern India.
Ashwagandha is a strong and vigorous plant, thriving where other plants would wither and die. Therefore it could be called a power plant. . . and many scientists would agree.
There are over 200 studies done that portray it's reaping benefits.
Some of the most notable recent studies:
- Tokyo University of Technology researchers found that ashwagandha slows the process of melanocyte stem cell phosphorylation, giving it the potential of blocking skin cancers. Plus Researchers from Louisiana State University found that ashwagandha inhibited cancer tumor growth.
- Research from the Asha Hospital in Hyderabad found, in a study of 64 people with chronic stress, that ashwagandha supplementation for two months decreased stress by 44% and decreased depression and/or anxiety by 72%.
- Research from Texas’ Baylor University found that ashwagandha reduced inflammation related to type I diabetes. There have also been studies on its aid in type 2 diabetes.
- Colorado State University researchers found that ashwagandha and other Ayurvedic herbs help protect the heart from oxidative damage.
- Researchers from the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences found that ashwagandha supported memory and helped prevent nerve cell degeneration among rats.
- Researchers from the ICMR Advanced Centre for Reverse Pharmacology in Traditional Medicine found in a 30-day clinical trial among 18 healthy volunteers that 750-1250 milligrams of ashwagandha per day reduced cholesterol, improved sleep and increased muscle strength.
- Research from India’s National Research Institute of Ayurvedic Drug Development found ashwagandha, combined with other Ayurvedic herbs, reduced symptoms among tuberculosis patients.
- Jamia Hamdard University researchers found that ashwagandha reduces oxidative damage related to brain cell damage making it useful for reducing dementia and risk of Alzheimer's disease.
- Banasthali University researchers found that ashwagandha may protect the liver against lead toxicity.
- Researchers from Brooklyns Woodhull Medical Center found ashwagandha increases circulating cortisol levels and improves insulin sensitivity. This effect was also found for those with adrenal insufficiency issues or even congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a birth defect of the adrenal glands.
And these are just a handful of the studies. In Ayurveda, there are specific herbs with adaptogenic actions such as ashwagandha. Adaptogens are substances (a combination of amino acids, vitamins, and herbs) that modulate your response to stress or a changing environment. Adaptogens help the body cope with external stresses such as toxins in the environment and internal stresses such as anxiety and insomnia. Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including withanolides, (steroidal lactones), alkaloids, choline, fatty acids, amino acids, and a variety of sugars. And along with its 5,000 year old ancient science proof, it seems this stallion of a herbs therapeutic potency to inhibit cancer, decrease stress and depression,reduce the bodys inflammation, protect the heart, reduce cholesterol, improve sleep, help muscle strength, reduce oxidative damage to brain cells, aid in liver protection, help certain adrenal gland defects, and have overall improvement in immune function. . . can finally be discerned by Western medical practitioners as well. The potency of Ayurvedic herbs like ashwagandha is why the Ancient Health Care team wants to get the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to the masses.
