Ashwagandha

 

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogenic herb used in Ayurvedic medicine to help the body resist physical and psychological stress. It is primarily taken to reduce anxiety, lower cortisol levels, and improve sleep quality, with clinical trials supporting its efficacy for generalized anxiety disorder.

Key benefits and considerations include:

• Stress and Anxiety: Extracts significantly reduce perceived stress and fatigue, with optimal effects often seen at doses of 300–600 mg/day of standardized root extract.

• Sleep and Energy: It promotes restful sleep and may improve energy levels, endurance, and cognitive focus, particularly in individuals with insomnia or stress-related fatigue.

• Other Potential Uses: Research suggests it may support thyroid function in hypothyroidism, enhance testosterone levels in men, and improve reproductive health, though more robust studies are needed for some claims.

• Safety and Interactions: Common side effects include gastro-intestinal upset and drowsiness. It should be avoided by pregnant individuals and those with hyperthyroidism or autoimmune conditions. It can interact dangerously with sedatives, thyroid medications, diabetes drugs, and immuno-suppressants, so medical consultation is essential before use.

  ~AI

Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb that's been around for centuries. It's actually an evergreen shrub that can be found in Africa, India, and the Middle East with multiple benefits that have been well documented in animal and human trials.

First of all, it's associated with stress reduction and improved mental well-being. It's been known for its adaptogenic properties, which means that it helps the body adapt to stress and promotes a sense of balance. It's been used for centuries to reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.

One of the ways it does this is by regulating cortisol, a hormone related to response to stress, thereby producing a calmer state of mind and overall mental well-being. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study, Ashwagandha also improved sexual performance and testosterone levels.

The reduction in cortisol levels actually improves sleep and Ashwagandha has been shown over and over again to improve sleep... and getting a great night's sleep is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health and improve your longevity.

Second, it enhances physical performance and endurance. Ashwagandha has been traditionally used to boost energy levels and enhance physical performance. Research shows that it improves cardiovascular endurance, increases muscle strength, and reduces exercise-induced muscle damage. It also improves exercise recovery time, reduces fatigue, and aids athletes engaging in regular physical activity.

It also has anti-inflammatory and immune boosting effects. Ashwagandha contains compounds that improve anti-inflammatory properties. These reduce inflammation in the body and can support a healthy immune system. Ashwagandha's immune-enhancing ability is attributed to its ability to enhance the performance of immune cells and promote overall immune function.

On top of all these incredible benefits, Ashwagandha can also uncouple your mitochondria, which is the ultimate way of improving life span and muscle performance... and it does this by improving mitochondrial biogenesis, making more mitochondria, and improving the ability of mitochondria to repair themselves and clean up their act without damaging themselves. Studies show that Ashwagandha given to animals increases animal life span by over 20% compared to animals that are not given Ashwagandha.

Are you going to notice an immediate difference if you begin taking it? Are you going to notice calmness or are you going to notice your stress levels reduced? You're not going to find it from the first dose in general. It has a cumulative effect.

How do you use Ashwagandha to normalize cortisol levels? Ashwagandha is an herb that's been used for 6000 years and so has stood the test of time with minimal side effects. It is hands down one of the best adaptogens or herbs that help you cope with stress as well as depression and has been shown to increase stamina, especially with endurance when you're exercising.

There's been a study with favorable results in the hormone cortisol which is probably the reason why it's helping shrink fibroids. Cortisol is typically an anti-inflammatory hormone so if we're reducing this anti-inflammatory hormone by taking Ashwagandha, why would you have more benefit? You would think a person with high cortisol would not have inflammation, but the confusion lies in the difference between acute stress and chronic stress. When you're chronically stressed you have an elevated amount of cortisol, very similar to when you have high levels of insulin, so you develop cortisol resistance, just like you would with insulin resistance... so cortisol resistance is a situation where you have high levels of cortisol, but the cortisol is not penetrated into the cell... so we don't really get the benefits of cortisol... we get the opposite sometimes. What Ashwagandha is doing is making cortisol more sensitive so the feedback loop can connect and the body doesn't have to produce so much. It can it can be lowered.

This is why Ashwagandha is also good for the immune system and has cognitive benefits to improve situations like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. There's also some benefits that it can help lower blood sugars because any time you're in stress mode the body will start burning more sugar. Even though your diet may be sugar-free you're actually living on sugar when you're going through chronic stress.

It's important to realize that the dose is variable, depending on lifestyle. If you're doing strengthening type exercises or endurance type exercises I would recommend taking about 300 milligrams twice a day - in the morning and before bed. You might want to take it for a period of time and then come off of it for a while and see how you feel... because it's for stress and it's very powerful and maybe you might not need it once you really change your lifestyle.

You want to use Ashwagandha as a tool - take it as needed. It's not meant to be taken for the rest of your life. If you don't exercise and you're a bit sedentary, you probably only need 100 milligrams once a day.

from YouTube @Drberg on July 20, 2023