The incredible effect of ashwagandha (sleeping berry)
Ashwagandha is one of the most important medicinal plants in Ayurveda. There it has been used for several thousand years to treat numerous ailments, such as insomnia, anxiety, joint and fertility problems and impotence, as well as to improve brain performance and brighten the mood. A true all-rounder, so to speak. In this article you will learn everything you need to know about this medicinal plant.
What is ashwagandha?
The sleeping berry, Ashwagandha in Sanskrit, also known as winter cherry or rarely known as Indian ginseng, is a plant species from the genus Withania within the nightshade family. Ashwagandha is a root used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine that has been practiced in India since the 5th century BC.000 years is practiced. Ashwagandha berry bushes grow to a height of around 90 to 180 cm and bear bright red fruits. Don't be distracted by the berries, however, because the medicinal components are the leaves and the root.
The ingredients of ashwagandha root
The ashwagandha root contains various active ingredients. These include alkaloids such as anaferine, anahygrine, cuscohygrine, nicotine, tropine and withasomnine. In addition, withanolides such as somniferanolide, somniwithanolide, withaferin A and withasomniferanolide.
Application area of ashwagandha
The field of application of ashwagandha is extremely broad and so the sleeping berry is used for various ailments. One of ashwagandha's most sought-after properties is its supposed ability to help the body cope with stress. But chronic stress is something else. "A prolonged stress response for environmental and social reasons can contribute to the development of complicated health problems such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, panic attacks, memory and cognitive impairment, digestive problems, fatigue syndrome and autoimmune diseases," Indian researchers said after a randomized double-blind study in which 60 people took either ashwagandha or placebo capsules for two months. In the end, the people who had taken 250 or 600 mg of the real root daily had fewer feelings of anxiety and their cortisol levels - the body's natural stress hormone - were also lower.
In addition to various studies that have already been carried out with Ashwagandha, you can hear an extremely large amount of positive feedback regarding the application:
- Stress, stress hormone levels
- States of anxiety
- Sleep disorders, insomnia
- Brain performance
- Schizophrenia
- Underactive thyroid
- Fertility in men
- Increase in the testosterone level
- Arthritis, joint pain
- Blood lipid and blood sugar levels
- Diabetes
- Cancer
Effect of Ashwagandha
A review by the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic from the year 2000 lists numerous therapeutic effects of ashwagandha:
- Sleep-inducing
- Anti-anxiety
- Anti-stress effect
- Anti-dementia effect
- Immunomodulating
- Antioxidant
- Promotes blood formation
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-tumor effect
- Anti-ageing effect (increases DHEA levels, an anti-ageing hormone)
- Positive effect on the hormone balance, the cardiopulmonary system and the central nervous system.
Effect of ashwagandha on stress, anxiety and sleep disorders
The use of ashwagandha root is now widespread, and not just for stress. The root is also becoming increasingly popular for anxiety disorders, problems falling asleep and sleeping through the night and even joint problems such as arthrosis and arthritis. This has to do with the adaptogenic effect of ashwagandha. These help the body to adapt to stressful situations and also have a calming effect. The aim is to restore equilibrium and thus balance in the nervous system. However, ashwagandha not only has a calming effect in cases of stress, but also in cases of anxiety or overexertion.
Effect of ashwagandha on depression
Studies show that ashwagandha could also have a positive effect on depression and depressive moods. The root has also been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years to brighten the mood.
Effect of ashwagandha on diabetes (elevated blood sugar)
Studies have also been carried out with ashwagandha in diabetes, which confirm that the root has a blood sugar-lowering effect. In this study, all subjects were administered ashwagandha for 30 days. The effect after these 30 days clearly showed that the reduction in blood sugar levels was comparable to taking a blood sugar-lowering drug orally.
Effect of ashwagandha on diabetes (elevated blood sugar)
Side effects of ashwagandha
In principle, ashwagandha has no serious side effects to date and is not toxic, provided you do not exceed the recommended daily dose. However, an overdose can lead to side effects such as nausea, abdominal pain or diarrhea.
Intake and dosage of the ashwagandha plant
There are different recommendations regarding the correct dosage of ashwagandha. As a guideline, approx. 1000mg. Nevertheless, different manufacturers recommend different dosages. Often 2 x 300mg per day is also mentioned, which is regarded as a normal dose. It makes sense to follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is best to take them with meals. Breakfast or dinner is the best time for this.
Who should not take ashwagandha
Whoever suffers from autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatism or MS should be careful here. Ashwagandha (like tomatoes and eggplants) belongs to the nightshade family - and these should be avoided in the case of autoimmune diseases because they can increase inflammation levels in the body.
Ashwagandha capsules from Naturaleza
The Ashwagandha capsules from Naturaleza are a dietary supplement with sleeping berry powder and black pepper extract. Together with trained pharmacists and chemists, Naturaleza develops its own formulations from valuable combinations of herbs, plants and roots. Naturaleza relies in particular on highly effective and tried-and-tested active ingredients that have more than proven themselves in the past. With the help of targeted product analyses, we ensure that only the best and strongest nutritional supplements are represented in the store. Get an overview yourself and let us know if you have any questions!
about the Ashwagandha capsules