Ashwagandha - pills for stress and insomnia

Ashwagandha enjoys a stellar reputation in Ayurvedic medicine as a Rasayana herb, an herb that can rejuvenate the body and promotes the health of all tissues. Today, it is mostly known as a natural remedy for stress, anxiety and sleep problems. You'll admit that it's very convenient when you can improve your well-being by taking the right pills. And on top of that, naturally and safely! Let's check out what specifically Ashwagandha pills can offer.
- Natural pills for stress - Ashwagandha!
- In addition to reducing stress, Ashwagandha can improve mood and sleep quality
- Ashwagandha - stress pills with incredible popularity
- Is it worth using Ashwagandha tablets?
Natural pills for stress - Ashwagandha!
The phenomenon of Ashwagandha's properties was recognized by Indian herbalists several thousand years ago, and today supplements with it are breaking sales records around the world. Once used in the form of dried powder, decoctions and tinctures, today it is mainly used as tablets and capsules with root or leaf extract. Ashwagandha owes this incredible success to its active ingredients - vitanolides, alkaloids and saponins. Its great effectiveness in adapting to stress is shown by old Ayurvedic books, preclinical experiments, as well as high-quality clinical studies.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is classified as an adaptogen, and one of the most effective ones. As a reminder, an adaptogen is a pill that promotes homeostasis of the entire body not just through one specific pharmacological mechanism, but through the simultaneous regulation of multiple processes.
Reports of the effects of Ashwagandha tablets include the ability to improve concentration, memory and mood, as well as increase resistance to pathogens and disease.
In addition to reducing stress, Ashwagandha can improve mood and sleep quality
These are valuable properties, as sleep and mood disorders are much more common in our society than you might think. In the context of mood , Ashwagandha has a very well-documented anti-anxiety effect. Significant improvements were noted after just 60 days of taking 600 mg of Ashwagandha extract daily, both in psychological questionnaires and in plasma cortisol testing.
Similarly, in the context of improving sleep - taking at least 600 mg of Ashwagandha extract daily for 8 weeks is suggested. The effects are significant, and best seen in people who actually struggle with insomnia. The sleeping effect is mainly due to Ashwagandha's effect on the brain's GABA system, a neurotransmitter that inhibits nervous system activity.
Ashwagandha - stress pills with incredible popularity
In 2016 in the US, Ashwagandha was ranked 8th on the list of best-selling herbs. A year later, in 2017, it moved up two places, jumping to the 6th position. In 2019, it was the 5th most popular dietary supplement creating a market of more than $10 million in mainstream channels (e.g., grocery stores, drugstores).
This immense popularity of Ashwagandha tablets shows how stressed we are as a society and how badly we need relief from it.
Is it worth using Ashwagandha tablets?
User reviews are very favorable, as are many of the conclusions of scientific studies. Ashwagandha tablets are especially worth reaching for during periods of increased psychological stress or periods of increased physical activity.
It can be useful both for athletes during intense training cycles to help them adapt to tough conditions, and for people struggling with chronic stress and seeking relief from the hardships of everyday life. It also has good reviews as a general strengthening agent for seniors.
If you just feel you need more stress resistance and improved sleep quality, then try Ashwagandha tablet supplementation.
Just make sure you're not taking any medications that interact with it (mainly neurological and psychiatric medications), or have an allergy to solanaceous plants.
Sources:
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Speers AB, Cabey KA, Soumyanath A, Wright KM. Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Stress and the Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2021;19(9):1468-1495. doi:10.2174/1570159X19666210712151556
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Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-262. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.106022
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Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L, Abdul Rahman R. Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2021;16(9):e0257843. Published 2021 Sep 24. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0257843

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