Ashwagandha, Ayurvedic Medicine, and You
Staying healthy can take a lot of forms. Using dietary supplements to make up for what we might lack from our meals is ages old, and can help us to stay healthy or even treat issues and disorders that we might have. After all, medicine began with an understanding of what we ingest and the effects on our health. One of the oldest recorded traditional medicines is Ayurvedic medicine, originating in the Vedic civilization of what is now modern India approximately 4,600 years ago. Many practices and pharmacopeia were ancient long before they were written down, so exact origins remain lost to time, but in modern times these practices began to transcend cultures and spread out with colonization, migration, and trade. Many people turn to these remedies when they are seeking wellness and well being, and one of the ancient herbs they turn to is a potent adaptogen called ashwagandha.
What is ashwagandha?
Withania somnifera is the Latin name for ashwagandha, and it's an important herb in both Indian and Chinese medicinal traditions. The traditional name translates to 'smells like a horse' which is a reference to its pungent smell when freshly cut as much as the vitality and health it imparts. Traditionally, ashwagandha is used to treat stress, anxiety, and fatigue, returning to the patient the ability to sleep well and return cortisol levels to normal. It is also used to treat diabetes and can be beneficial to some with joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis.
How should I take this?
Ashwaganda is an adaptogen, something you can add to food and drink, or brew as a tea. Supplements are a much higher dose than you'd normally get than using it in your daily meal plan. Start with the lowest recommended dose and let that 'burn in' for a couple of weeks before increasing your dose.
Look at the reasons you want to use ashwagandha and then decide on a supplement that best suits your purposes.
You may also want to try a caplet form of ashwagandha on its own to add to smoothies, teas, and even to your favorite Indian dishes. The possibilities are not limited to swallowing capsules, and when you use ashwagandha with other Ayurvedic spices like turmeric, ginger, pepper, and ginseng, they can all work together for better health.
Words of warning
Everyone is different and everyone responds to supplements in a different way. Side effects of using ashwagandha can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, headache, and drowsiness.
Because ashwagandha is used in so many supplements for testosterone boosting, sleep, calmness, cognitive clarity, and energy, it can be easy to inadvertently take too much. Too much of a good thing is not a better thing! For instance, you can take Tylenol for a headache, but over 3,000mg of Tylenol will land you in the hospital with liver failure. When it comes to supplements, read your labels!
Ashwagandha is a member of the nightshade family of plants, and so is related to white potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, okra, gooseberries, huckleberries, goji berries, pimiento, pepino melons, and both sweet and hot peppers. Anyone with a nightshade allergy or sensitivity should not take ashwagandha, and people who have allergies or sensitivities to blueberries might want to avoid taking ashwagandha. Even though blueberries are not members of the nightshade family, they carry similar alkaloids.
While ashwagandha can be beneficial, there are certain people who should not take this botanical.
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Pregnant women should not take ashwagandha as it can cause miscarriage.
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Men with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer should avoid using this herb as it can increase testosterone levels.
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People with IBS, Crohn's Disease, leaky gut syndrome, psoriasis, or some autoimmune disorders could experience worsening symptoms especially if they have an existing sensitivity to nightshades.
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People taking insulin or other diabetes medications could experience hypoglycemia when using ashwagandha.
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People with cirrhosis or advanced chronic liver disease should not take ashwagandha.
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People taking anticonvulsants, barbiturates, or benzodiazepines should avoid ashwagandha as it can react with these medicines and enhance sedative effects.
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Ashwaghanda may increase thyroxine levels, and should be taken with a doctor's supervision by those with hyperthyroid and who are currently medicated for hypothyroid conditions.