The many gifts of Ashwagandha
An herb to restore, replenish & optimize
hormonal health and beyond

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Oh, Ashwagandha. 

An herb that almost every single one of us have heard of - at least by name, if not because we've used it at some point along the way.

A real celebrity of the plant world. And a true favorite among herbalists, too. 

Before I share more, just take a moment to think about what you already know about this plant. 

My guess is you probably think of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as an adaptogen, and maybe as an ally for anxiety, or perhaps also to encourage more optimal sleep. 

And yes, yes, and yes. 

These are all lovely uses for this easy-to-grow, rather unassuming plant. 

But as you know, plants are complex, and cannot be pigeonholed into just a handful of "uses." 

The truth is, ashwagandha has been worked with medicinally for thousands of years -  not only in Ayurveda (which is what most of us think of), but also in the Middle East, and Africa too.

The range of uses embodied in these traditions has included everything from easing back pain to reducing coughs to tending gastric ulcers all the way to promoting longevity and recovering after giving birth. 

Ashwagandha is one of the most revered herbs in all of Ayurveda.

It's even a potent (and I might say indispensible) ally for every phase of our hormonal health - from menarche to fertility to postpartum to peri-menopause to post-menopause. 

I go into all of this - and more - in this week's episode.

Listen in to learn:

• the basics on Ashwagandha's medicinal actions, energetics + uses
• why ashwagandha is so highly respected in Ayurveda
• what a rasayana is + when you might consider using one
• the best ways to take ashwagandha for sexual + hormonal health
• safety considerations around taking ashwagandha
• about some clinical studies showing support for hormonal health

Resources:

• Episode 17: How stress messes with your hormones
• Episode 50: Adaptogens + hormonal health
• Episode 30: 5 pillars of hormonal health the herbal way
• Episode 64: How does the vagus nerve affect sexual arousal?
• FREE GUIDE: 10 key herbs for your hormonal health

References

Ajgaonkar A, Jain M, Debnath K. (2022). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract for Improvement of Sexual Health in Healthy Women: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Cureus., 14(10):e30787. doi: 10.7759/cureus.30787.

Björnsson HK, Björnsson ES, Avula B, Khan IA, Jonasson JG, Ghabril M, Hayashi PH, Navarro V. (2020) Ashwagandha-induced liver injury: A case series from Iceland and the US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network. Liver Int. 2020 Apr;40(4):825-829. doi: 10.1111/liv.14393

Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB. (2021). Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on Physical Performance: Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol., 6(1):20. doi: 10.3390/jfmk6010020

Cech, R. (2016). Making plant medicine. Herbal Reads: Williams, OR.

Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L, Abdul Rahman R. (2021). Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One., 16(9):e0257843. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257843

Dongre S, Langade D, Bhattacharyya S. (2015). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study. Biomed Res Int., 2015, 284154. doi: 10.1155/2015/284154

Engels, G., & Brinckmann, J. (2013). Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). HerbalGram, Issue 99, 1-7. Retrieved from https://www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/99/table-of-contents/hg99-herbprofile-ashwagandha/

Frawley, D. & LAd, V. (1986). The yoga of herbs (2nd ed). Lotus Press: Twin Lakes, WI.

Gopal S, Ajgaonkar A, Kanchi P, Kaundinya A, Thakare V, Chauhan S, Langade D. (2021). Effect of an ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) root extract on climacteric symptoms in women during perimenopause: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Obstet Gynaecol Res., 47(12):4414-4425. doi: 10.1111/jog.15030

Mikulska P, Malinowska M, Ignacyk M, Szustowski P, Nowak J, Pesta K, Szeląg M, Szklanny D, Judasz E, Kaczmarek G, Ejiohuo OP, Paczkowska-Walendowska M, Gościniak A, Cielecka-Piontek J. (2023). Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)-Current Research on the Health-Promoting Activities: A Narrative Review. Pharmaceutics, 15(4), 1057. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041057

Mukherjee PK, Banerjee S, Biswas S, Das B, Kar A, Katiyar CK. (2021). Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal - Modern perspectives of an ancient Rasayana from Ayurveda. J Ethnopharmacol., 264, 113157. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113157

Nasimi Doost Azgomi R, Zomorrodi A, Nazemyieh H, Fazljou SMB, Sadeghi Bazargani H, Nejatbakhsh F, Moini Jazani A, Ahmadi AsrBadr Y. (2018). Effects of Withania somnifera on Reproductive System: A Systematic Review of the Available Evidence. Biomed Res Int. 2018, 4076430. doi: 10.1155/2018/4076430

Khalsa, KP & Tierra, M. (2008). The way of Ayurvedic herbs. Lotus Press: Twin Lakes, WI

Kun, M. & Winston, D. (2008). Herbal therapy & supplements: A scientific and traditional approach (2nd ed). Wolters Kluwer.

Lopresti, A., Smith, S., Malvi, H, & Kodgule, R. (2019). An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore), 98(37):e17186. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000017186

Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Drummond PD. (2022).  Modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by plants and phytonutrients: a systematic review of human trials. Nutr Neurosci., 25(8):1704-1730. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2021.1892253

Miller, A. (2020). The medicine hunter talks ashwaganhda (No.12) [audio podcast]. In The Thorne Podcast. https://thorneresearch.podbean.com/e/episode-12-the-medicine-hunter-talks-ashwagandha/

Paul S, Chakraborty S, Anand U, Dey S, Nandy S, Ghorai M, Saha SC, Patil MT, Kandimalla R, Proćków J, Dey A. (2021). Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha): A comprehensive review on ethnopharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, biomedicinal and toxicological aspects. Biomed Pharmacother., 143:112175. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112175

Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D. (2019).  Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study. Cureus., 11(12):e6466. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6466 

Sharma AK, Basu I, Singh S. (2018). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med., 24(3):243-248. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0183 

Singh, N., Bhalla, M., de Jager, P., Gilca, M. (2011). An overview on ashwagandha: A rasayana (rejuvenator) of Ayurveda. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med., 8(5 Suppl), 208-13. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5S.9

Speers AB, Cabey KA, Soumyanath A, Wright KM. (2021). Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Stress and the Stress- Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia. Curr Neuropharmacol., 19(9):1468-1495. doi: 10.2174/1570159X19666210712151556 

Tóth M, Benedek AE, Longerich T, Seitz HK. (2023). Ashwagandha-induced acute liver injury: A case report. Clin Case Rep., 11(3):e7078. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.7078 

Verma N, Gupta SK, Tiwari S, Mishra AK. (2021). Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, study in Healthy Volunteers. Complement Ther Med., 57:102642. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102642 

Winston, D, & Maimes, S. (2007). Adaptogens. Healing Arts Press: Rochester, VT.

Yance, D. (2013). Adaptogens in medical herbalism. Healing Arts Press: Rochester, VT.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.

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