Latest Clinical Studies In

Ashwagandha
 Ashwagandha
❖Ashwagandha, popularly known as Indian Ginseng, is
one of the most well-known and widely used Ayurvedic
herbs. Helpful in various functions in the body from sleep,
energy, and stress relief to rejuvenation, muscle strength,
and joint health, the herb is popular for a valid reason.

❖Due to this versatility in human health, the herb is

gaining more and more popularity amongst the herbalists
from all backgrounds; naturopaths, Chinese medicine, and
Western herbalists, especially in America.
Here’s a synopsis of the 7 latest
clinical studies on Ashwagandha
and what they revealed
1) Effect on physical strength

✓Researchers at Lindenwood University’s Exercise and

Performance Nutrition Laboratory[1] investigated the
effects of Sensoril, a patented, aqueous extract of the
roots and leaves of Ashwagandha on men.

✓This 12-week study revealed significant improvement

in average squat power and peak bench press power in
men who ingested 500 mg of this aqueous extract
daily.
2) Improvement in memory and
cognitive function

✓Efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha root extract in

improving memory and cognitive functions was studied in
Chicago in 2017.[2]

✓Thus, Ashwagandha root proved to be effective in

enhancing both immediate and general memory in people
with MCI as well as improving executive function,
attention, and information processing speed.
3) Effect on immune function

✓A study was conducted to investigate the immunologic

effects of Ashwagandha on four types of immune cells in
human beings.

✓Researchers observed a significant increase in the

expression of CD4 on CD3+ T cells after 96 hours.
CD56+ NK cells were also activated after 96 hours as
evidenced by expression of the CD69 receptor. The results
indicated a major change in immune cell activation in the
participant’s sample.[3]
4) Stress and Anxiety Relief

✓An 8-week study was conducted to evaluate the safety and

efficacy of a standardised root extract of Ashwagandha
through a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled
trial. 52 subjects suffering from chronic stress received
either Ashwagandha (300 mg) or placebo twice daily.

✓Each participant was assessed at the start, at 4 weeks, and

8 weeks. Ashwagandha demonstrated significant
improvements in primary and secondary measures and was
found to be safe and tolerable. This study suggests that
Ashwagandha root extract can be used for body weight
management in adults under chronic stress.[4]
5) Focus and Concentration

✓In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 20 healthy

males were given 500 mg of Ashwagandha root extract
for fourteen days. The participants showed significant
cognitive improvement in reaction-time tests,
discrimination tests, and in card sorting tests, among
many others.

✓These results prove Ashwagandha’s ability to support

attention, memory, focus, concentration, and
responsiveness and coordination between the mind and
motor functions. [5]
6) Rejuvenation

✓A trial was conducted with healthy male volunteers aged

fifty to sixty-nine. All the volunteers were given purified
Ashwagandha powder in the dose of 3 grams per day for
one year. After a year, these males showed an increase in
blood counts, improved posture, and increased hair melanin
(pigmentation of the hair). [6]

✓In another study, healthy children were given 2 grams of

powdered Ashwagandha in milk and they experienced
improvements in blood counts, body weight, and hand
strength.
7) Sleep and Emotional Health

✓A survey study was conducted with 218 healthy

participants who were given 1200 mg of the Ashwagandha
herb two times a day for one month. The participants noted
66.9% improvement in their sleep quality. This can be
attributed to the decreased stress levels in the participants. [7]

✓The herb also demonstrated a positive effect of

enhancing the participant’s emotional health by 42%. The
positive effects on emotional health translated to the
participants’ social life and social activities being improved
by nearly 45.8%.
References:
[1] Ziegenfuss TN, Kedia AW, Sandrock JE3, Raub BJ, Kerksick CM, Lopez HL.; 2018
Nov 20;10 ;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30463324
[2] Choudhary, D., Bhattacharyya, S., & Bose, S. (2017). Journal of Dietary Supplements,
1-14. Chicago
[3] Mikolai J, Erlandsen A https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19388865, Murison
A, Brown KA, Gregory WL, Raman-Caplan P, Zwickey HL J Altern Complement
Med. 2009 Apr;15
[4] D Choudhary, et al. “Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through
Treatment with Ashwagandha Root Extract: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-
Controlled Trial.” J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. April 6, 2016.
[5] U Pingali, et al. “Effect of standardized aqueous extract of Withania somnifera on tests
of cognitive and psychomotor performance in healthy human subjects.” Pharmacognosy Res. 6,
no 1 (January 2014):12-8.
[6] Lakshmi-Chandra Mishra, Betsy Singh, and Simon Dagenais. “Scientific Basis for the
Therapeutic Use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha): A Review.” Alternative Medicine
Review. 5, no 4 (2000):334-346
[7] Sebastian Pole, Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice (London:
Churchill Livingston, 2006), pp. 133-134.