Complete Guide to Ashwagandha and its Health Benefits

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a natural herb used in Ayurvedic medicine. Its scientific name is Withania somniferia, also known as Indian ginseng or Indian winter cherry. 

Its roots and berries are used in the making of supplements. However, Ashwagandha supplements extracted from roots are beneficial to health due to its bioavailability.

It is used as a health supplement for various purposes. 

How to choose the best Ashwagandha?

There are plenty of Ashwagandha supplements in the market and it becomes hard to figure out which one to choose. 

KSM-66 Ashwagandha is the purest form of Ashwagandha as it is derived from the roots of the plant whereas other supplements in the market are made from bark, berries, etc. 

Thankfully, BodyFirst has KSM-66 Ashwagandha. 

Benefits of Ashwagandha

1. Stress and anxiety relief: Ashwagandha benefits your health by suppressing stress and anxiety levels. It contains Sitoindosides and acylsterylglucosides which act as anti-stress agents. 
2. Anti-inflammatory: Ashwagandha contains some compounds that target inflammatory pathways in the body. It can reduce inflammation in the body  
3. May lower blood sugar levels: Research suggests that consuming Ashwagandha can lower blood sugar levels in diabetic individuals suffering from high blood glucose levels. 
4. May lower blood cholesterol: Individuals having high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels can lower them by consuming Ashwagandha with proper diet and exercise. 
5. Increases Muscles strength: Ashwagandha can significantly increase muscle strength. 
6. Improves sleep: If you are suffering from lack of sleep, Ashwagandha might help you with this. 
7. Boosts fertility and testosterone levels: As men age, their level of testosterone falls due to the amount of stress they suffer.>As a result, it affects their sex life. To keep up the sex-life balance, Ashwagandha can help you to lower stress levels which in return improves testosterone levels. 
8. Improve Focus: Consuming Ashwagandha may help you in cognitive memory, reaction time, motor skills, and focus. A study suggests that Ashwagandha might improve attention span, processing speed, general and immediate memory.
9. May Improve immunity: Ashwagandha can work as an immunity booster by improving innate and adaptive immune systems.  

What is the dosage of Ashwagandha?

It depends on the person to person depending on their situation. 

However, it is normal to consume at least 500 mg of Ashwagandha on a daily basis. 

Are there any side effects of Ashwagandha?

As Ashwagandha acts like a sedative causing you to sleep, it is advisable to avoid it while drinking alcohol. 

Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers can avoid it as there are no available research studies on how it can help them. 

Individuals suffering from auto-immune diseases.