Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha

What is it:

Ashwagandha is a herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine, which has been used for centuries to promote physical and mental health. It is also known as Withania somnifera and Indian ginseng. The herb is typically grown in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. It is believed to have adaptogenic properties, meaning it can help the body better adapt to stress and anxiety. It is available in various forms, including supplements, powders, and teas.

Rating:

Ashwagandha has also been studied for its potential benefits on brain function, inflammation, stress, and fertility. While research is still limited, there is promising support in the literature for this herb as a powerful adaptogen that is safely tolerated. It is important to note that supplements are unregulated in the U.S. and may not contain what they say or may be low in quality.

Resources:

  1. Ashwagandha improved memory and focus, psychological well-being, sleep quality, and reduced stress levels (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial)
  2. Ashwagandha modulates stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-axis (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial)
  3. Ashwagandha reduces cortisol and perceived stress (prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial)
  4. Ashwagandha has beneficial effects on anxiety and stress ( systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials)
  5. Ashwagandha may improve spermatogenic activity (pilot study)
  6. Ashwagandha reduced oxidative stress and improved sperm quality and reproductive hormone levels in infertile men (prospective controlled clinical trial)
  7. Ashwagandha improved sexual function in women (double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized pilot study)

How we rate ingredients

Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:

Clean

It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.

Caution

It goes into one or more of the below categories

  • It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
  • It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)

We Avoid

It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)

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