Ashwagandha is an incredible medicinal herb with a wide range of proven benefits. Ashwagandha has been a staple in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 3,000 years as a tool to help heal various ailments.
Historically, it’s been used to:
- cope with stress
- increase energy
- combat signs of aging
- lower inflammation
Ashwagandha and Anxiety
Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogen that allows your brain to adapt to chronic stress, and deal with anxious feelings. Perhaps the most well-known benefit of ashwagandha is its proven ability to lower cortisol (the stress hormone). Placebo-controlled studies found that people who took ashwagandha extract for 8 weeks had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared with those who took a placebo.(Lopresti, 2019; Choudhary, 2017).
Several studies have even compared ashwagandha to anti-anxiety medications like lorazepam (Ativan) in terms of effectiveness. They have found that ashwagandha works as well as, or even better than antidepressant drugs.
Ashwagandha is a powerful herb that has many benefits for women in particularly.
Additionally, the herb can help balance hormones, improve menopause symptoms, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote overall health.
Ashwagandha Can Improve Cognitive Function and Memory
Modern research has found that ashwagandha promotes healthy functioning of the brain. According to the study, “Acute supplementation with 400 mg of a proprietary ashwagandha root and leaves extract improved selected measures of executive function. Acute ingestion of ashwagandha helped sustain attention and increase short-term/working memory in healthy young adults”. (study)
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