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Ashwagandha · Withania somnifera
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Herbs & Plants
Ashwagandha
Withania somnifera
Ashwagandha is a nightshade — a cousin of the tomato and the potato — and the part used is the root, dug up and dried.
Benefits
Steadies you through a stressful stretch.
It builds up rather than working the first night.
What It Is Known For
There is limited evidence in men over two to four months, and it is nowhere near settled.
Small trials, mostly funded by supplement makers, and nothing consistent.
Two federal sources disagree about this. One says stress improves, the other says the anxiety evidence is unclear.
It has injured livers, it raises thyroid hormone, and it should not be taken in pregnancy.
Key Active Compounds
The group of compounds the root is measured by.
The part used. Leaf preparations are a different thing.
Traditionally Used
One to two teaspoons of the powdered root simmered in a cup of milk on a low heat for fifteen to thirty minutes, strained, and drunk warm at night.
How to Take It / Use It
Take the root, morning and evening, with food. Give it a month before judging it.
Take it in the evening, stirred into warm milk if you would rather not swallow capsules.
Why It Works
It damps the chain that keeps the body braced.
Cautions
Ashwagandha has injured livers, raises thyroid hormone, and must not be taken in pregnancy.
Ashwagandha has injured the liver in a small number of people, so stop it if your skin or eyes turn yellow.
Ashwagandha can push thyroid hormone levels up, so keep away from it if you take thyroid medicine.
Do not take ashwagandha while pregnant.
Where It Comes From
Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub of the nightshade family, native to India, North Africa and the Middle East. It grows in dry, poor ground where little else does. India grows nearly all of what is sold.
How We Choose It
We check every product so you don't have to. A ashwagandha only makes our list if:
- Root only, never root and leaf. Leaf is cheaper, and the record behind ashwagandha is a record about the root.
- A withanolide percentage on the label. A number means someone measured it. No number means nobody looked.
- One ingredient. Blends bury the amount of ashwagandha you are actually getting.
- Heavy-metal testing published. It is a root crop from dry soil, and roots take up what the soil holds.
If no product meets these standards, we don't list one. No exceptions for affiliates.
See our picks
Sources2
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Ashwagandha fact sheet. Fact sheet
- Britannica. Withania somnifera. Encyclopedia