Prized for its ability to balance the body’s reaction to stress, ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb with a seemingly endless list of uses, from anxiety buster to pain reliever. Here's what the science says about this Ayurvedic all-star.

A patented extract from ashwagandha seeds is showing promise for Alzheimer’s disease, according to research.

If someone told you that one herb could reduce stress and anxiety, increase energy, improve sleep, quell food cravings, and help you have a better workout and better sex, would it seem too good to be true? Ashwagandha, a star in India’s ancient ayurvedic system of healing, delivers all these benefits and more.

In Sanskrit, its name literally means “smell of a horse,” because of the root’s odor. But taking ashwagandha won’t make you smell bad. Its classic action is that of an adaptogen, meaning it balances the way your body reacts to stress, calming or rejuvenating as needed.
And the effects can be far-reaching.

One case history, published in a British medical journal, described a woman whose hair loss was dramatically reduced after she took ashwagandha for a couple months. It also improved a combination of her underlying health conditions, including disturbances in thyroid, cortisol, insulin, and other hormones. While the herb isn’t usually viewed as a hair-loss remedy, this lady’s experience illustrates how restoring balance can have surprising side benefits.

At Michigan State University in East Lansing, a patented extract from ashwagandha seeds is showing promise for Alzheimer’s disease by protecting brain cells from a rogue protein. The compound, says its developer Muraleedharan Nair, PhD, “may work to prevent Alzheimer’s disease at the onset, and it also could prevent its progression.” So far, the seed extract has not been tested in humans and is not available in products.

Did You Know?

Ashwagandha powder mixed with milk and honey is a traditional Ayurvedic remedy, taken before bedtime to enhance sleep. It also enhances the immune system. 

What Is Ashwagandha Used For?

Ashwagandha’s history traces back about 6,000 years, with a wide range of applications. Overall, it has been viewed as a tonic that promotes a youthful physical and mental state in adults, while helping children grow strong. Through the ages, it has been used for:

• Resilience to stress
• Sexual health
• Resistance to disease
• Pain relief
• Relief from rheumatism
• Better sleep
• Relief from constipation
• Relief from goiter
• Nervous system problems
• Nervous breakdown
• Colic
• Hemorrhoids
• Snake bites and scorpion stings
• Skin ulcers, boils, and swellings (in a topical paste)

The Science Behind Ashwagandha

During the past 50 years, more than 900 scientific articles have been published about ashwagandha, including chemical analyses of its constituents, case histories, and studies of its effects on cell cultures, animals, and people. It calms the central nervous system, reduces inflammation, and has killed cancer cells in lab studies, but its anti-cancer effects have not been proven in humans.

A review of studies following a total of 400 people, by researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y., and the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Conn., found that various ashwagandha extracts were effective forrelieving anxiety and stress, sometimes as well as anti-anxiety medications, but without harmful drug side effects. Other human trials have used patented ashwagandha extracts, most notably KSM-66 and Sensoril, which can be found as ingredients in many different brands of supplements. These studies have found numerous bonus benefits, in addition to the adaptogenic action of the herb.