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Ashwagandha
The Traditional View from India According to the Ayurvedic system of India, Ashwagandha is good for soothing Vata and Kapha disturbances. These include anxiety on the Vata side, and lassitude and the accumulation of fluids on the Kapha side. Taken in excess, Withania can aggravate the Pitta constitution. Pitta is associated with fire (including digestive fire and cellular metabolism). Ayurvedic practitioners would not usually advise Ashwagandha for those individuals that are fiery intense or have a high metabolism. Pitta people would be better off taking an aphrodisiac like Gokshura (tribulus), or a blend of Shatavari Asparagus Root with a little ashwagandha.. The 'typical' dose of Ashwagandha is 250 to 1000 mg of the root, 1-3 times a day. Of course, it also varies according to the weight of the patient, their ayurvedic body type, and the reason it is taken. Some companies that sell the root advise 3-6 grams a day. I have had good results when taking 2-3 grams a day, about 1 gram at a time. The root can be taken in a variety of forms, but the most common tradition is to decoct it a cup of milk if it is to be used as an aphrodisiac. I personally would want to boil the heck out of most any herb that is a root - never know what bacteria is in the soil. Usuaully, I soak the root in rum or vodka, and add a few drops to my morning and evening coffee.
Precautions In the west, ashwagandha is not recommended for pregnant women. There are concerns that the steroid lactones may negatively affect the development of a fetus. In India, this herb is considered useful for pregnant women that develop certain forms of weakness; it it said to 'stabilize' the fetus. Take your pick, depending on where you are from. No science on this one, but I think caution is always good when it comes to a pregnancy. The root is the part of the plant that is used as a tonic and aphrodisiac. Like its tomato and potato relatives, the leaves are considered toxic. The berries are used to curdle milk and make cheese, but eating them alone can cause stomach distress. There is one reported case where the development of hyperthyroidism was associated with taking ashwagandha. This is consistent with other research on rats showing that the herb can increase thyroid hormone production. This is also consistent with traditional use of the drug in India, where large doses are said to aggravated the Pitta (metabolic) elements of the body. (Thyrotoxicosis following the use of ashwagandha) I'll be cutting back on this herb as we move into the heat of summer. Prior to taking Ashwagandha, my hands and feet were often cold; they became normal within a few days after I added this aphrodisiac to my regimen. Pre-Ashwaganda, my thyroid hormone levels were within the normal reference range, although they were on the low end of it last time I was tested. Caution is warranted if a person is taken calcium channel blocking drugs (CCBs, often prescribed for high blood pressure and some neurological conditions). Withanolides also act as calcium channel blockers, and taking ashwagandha in addition to CCBs could possibly lead to extremely low blood pressure and dangerous, irregular heart rhythms. (PMID: 16108094) Male mice given extremely large doses of Ashwagandha extract experienced reduced libido and sexual performance. This is in contrast with the normal sexual energizing effects, and may be caused by sedation that is possible at extremely high doses. I have taken ashwaganda for over a month at the normal dose (or somewhat higher), and my sexual energy is higher, not lower than before I started. I have no doubt that taking too much of anything can be toxic, and can mess up energy and libido. Think about Coffee - a cup or two is a pleasant boost and can sharpen concentration. Twenty or thirty cups would have the opposite effect. In other trials on humans (for osteoarthritis, impotence, and other conditions), no toxic effects were noted with respect to the liver, kidneys, or other organs. Miscellaneous Scientific Research on Ashwagandha: ( PMID: 17329138) The famed herbalist Michael Tierra has written on how this herb (like ginseng) comes close to being a true panacea. Botany This plant goes by the Latin name of Withania somniferum. Ashwagandha is in the same family as tomatoes, potatoes and tobacco (Solanaceae). It is sometimes called 'winter cherry' although this can lead to confusion as there are a variety of other plants that are also given this nickname. It grows to full maturity in one season, making it more economical than ginseng, which requires 4 to 6 years before harvest. There are many different races or cultivars of the plant; some are creeping shrubs only a foot tall, while others grow to 5 feet or more. The plant becomes self-seeding in warmer climates; it is a weed that people want. Ashwagandha is sometimes spelled ashwaganda or ashvaganda - the translation is not exact. The Sanskrit name Ashwagandha is based on the word for horse. Ashwagandha is said to give the stamina of a stallion, and some compare it to the smell of a horse (I haven't noticed that with the dried roots, root powder, or capsules containing the standardized extract). I find the smell to be mild, and the taste is not as bad as many other herbs I have tried. Other names for the plant include Ajagandha, Kanaje Hindi, and Samm Al Ferakh. Other references:
Credits: Photo of Ashwagandha plant placed in public domain by Lisa Ganora at herbalchem.net. Image of withanolide molecule from pubmed/pubchem and in the public domain.  |
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