Ashwagandha: What Is It And What Benefits Does This Medicinal Plant Have?

If you feel stressed or have trouble falling asleep, the medicinal plant ashwagandha may be the natural solution to your problems.

Ashwagandha is a plant that grows in Nepal, India, Yemen, and China. It has been used for many years as an alternative medicine and is now reaching Europe due to the large number of ashwagandha health benefits it brings to the body.

What Is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub. It belongs to the nightshade family (the same as potato or tomato) and is also known as Indian ginseng. Its fruit is spherical, small, and orange-red. In the roots of this plant is where the compounds that are used for its commercialization are found.

It is considered the queen of Ayurvedic herbs. Additionally, the ashwagandha herb may improve endurance by increasing levels of hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen to the rest of the body), although more studies are still needed to confirm this effect.

What Is Ashwagandha Used For?

In recent years, the use of ashwagandha has become popular. It is a supplement with a large number of benefits, although the best known is that it helps reduce the level of daily stress.

Most of the benefits of ashwagandha are due, at least in part, to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

What Benefits Does Ashwagandha Have?

As we have mentioned, the main property of ashwagandha is its ability to control stress levels. There are several scientific studies that support that this plant helps to improve general well-being.

According to a study on the effects of ashwagandha on sleep, the herb may also help improve sleep quality: researchers confirmed that participants slept much better with doses of the herb compared to placebo doses.

Although these are the main benefits of consuming this natural remedy, ashwagandha can also:

• Reduce swelling: It is a plant with anti-inflammatory properties, so its consumption will increase general well-being and reduce the risk of suffering from some of the diseases related to chronic inflammation.
• Reduces blood sugar levels: A study on the hypoglycemic activity of ashwagandha, conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Medical Research Institute, indicates that its consumption increased insulin secretion and improved insulin sensitivity in muscle cells.
• Improves the sexual function of women: Ashwagandha may benefit women experiencing sexual dysfunction. Thanks to its consumption, greater arousal was seen, and lubrication and orgasm were improved.
• Improves memory: Ashwagandha may mitigate problems with memory and brain function caused by injury or disease, and promote antioxidant activity that protects nerve cells from damaging free radicals.
• Reduces stress and anxiety: Ashwagandha is able to block the stress pathway by regulating chemical signaling in the nervous system. 

Can Ashwagandha Fight Aging?

In addition to all the aforementioned benefits that undoubtedly help promote longevity by improving general health and avoiding deadly diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, a study showed that Ashwagandha can extend lifespan.

The results of this study showed about a 20% extension of the lifespan of these animals treated with Ashwagandha.

Thus, one of the oldest long-lived healthy supplements is Ashwagandha powder. Now it is necessary to verify if these observations are applicable to humans.

How Can You Take Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha roots and berries can be consumed for their medical properties, but it is typically marketed in supplement capsules or in tablet, powder, or tea form. If you buy it in powder form, you can choose to add it to your dishes as a seasoning.