Ashwagandha is a plant that has been used in the Ayurvedic medicine for three millennia.
It’s an adaptogenic herb which supports the function of several systems in your body. What makes the so-called Ashwagandha Wirkung (effect=eng.) so powerful is the content of this plant.
The root of this plant contains bioactive compounds, including saponins, alkaloids, withaferins, withanolide glucosides, and steroidal lactones.
All of them work together in order to prepare your body for the conditions it faces and improve its response to them.
In that way, it helps in treating certain health conditions and diseases.
Copyright: Unsplash / author: rochangraphics / I License: CC0 Public Domain
See also:
- Best Essential Oils For Hyperpigmentation
- Essential Oil Car Diffuser
- Plant Guru Essential Oils Reviews
- Best Lavender Essential Oil
The Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
Magic potions exist only in fairytales, but ashwagandha is closest to them.
Regardless of the way you use it and the purpose, it can significantly help you treat a number of health conditions and few diseases. So, let’s see how.
It Can Reduce Stress and Anxiety
One of the main things ashwagandha is used for is stress and anxiety management.
Having in mind that a lot of people suffer from these conditions and that they negatively affect our lives, it is alarming to find a way to treat them.
Although this plant might not completely treat them, it will undoubtedly help reduce their severity and frequency.
There have been many studies showing that ashwagandha can reduce stress and anxiety by reducing their symptoms.
As a matter of fact, it has been found that it reduces the levels of the stress hormone – cortisol, thus regulating the humans’ response to stressful events.
Also, there has been a study on rats, which shows that ashwagandha regulated the chemical signals in the nervous system, in that way blocking the stress pathway in their brains.
It Can Reduce Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is primarily released as a body’s response to stress, but it’s also released when your blood sugar levels are too low.
And, sometimes the cortisol levels can become chronically higher, which leads to high blood sugar levels.
This can also lead to increased fat storage in the abdomen, which will cause weight gain. Fortunately, it has been found that ashwagandha can help reduce cortisol levels.
In that way, it prevents weight gain and high blood sugar levels.
It Can Improve Your Heart Health
Ashwagandha can improve your heart’s health by reducing high blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and triglycerides levels.
All of these factors can cause heart-related problems or even heart disease if not treated.
Fortunately, Ashwagandha can reduce high blood sugar levelr (hyperglycemia) by increasing insulin secretion and improving insulin sensitivity in muscle cells.
It was also found that it may also reduce the LDL (bad) cholesterol and glycerides levels. In that way, it helps prevent diabetes and other health problems.
Copyright: Unsplash / author: mero_dnt / I License: CC0 Public Domain
It May Improve Your Brain Health
It was found that Ashwagandha can improve the work of the nervous system and cognitive functions.
It can especially help when there are problems in their function as a result of a disease or injury.
According to what has been found, this plant can protect the nerve cells from damage caused by free radicals by promoting antioxidant activity.
It may also improve memory and other cognitive functions in people with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or another neurodegenerative disease.
Plus, it can help reverse the spatial memory impairment in people with epilepsy. This is probably due to reducing the oxidative stress caused by the disease.
It May Reduce Inflammation
Studies have found that ashwagandha can reduce inflammation in the body which is caused by bacteria, viruses, or a certain health condition, such as arthritis.
It’s because it reduces the C-reactive protein levels. This protein is one of the markers of inflammation that is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
This plant also improves the function of the immune system. It does that by boosting the activity of the immune cells.
In that way, it supports the body’s natural defense system in fighting against infections that cause inflammation.
It Can Increase Fertility
Ashwagandha can also affect fertility in men. According to what has been found, it can increase the amount and motility of sperm in infertile men.
Moreover, it can increase their testosterone levels. It is believed that this is because of the increased antioxidant levels in the blood, which is a result of using ashwagandha.
It May Increase Your Strength
Ashwagandha has been used as a natural supplement in kids to support their growth.
It’s because it improves body composition, increases muscle mass and aid muscle recovery. It may also increase your strength and reduce body fat percentage.
Of course, there are many other health conditions ashwagandha can help with.
However, most of them are not researched yet or there’s too little evidence. For the purpose of credibility and relevance, we have listed only those benefits which have been confirmed by science.
