9 Ashwagandha Benefits: Dosage & Safety

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb with amazing benefits to your health and well-being.

Ashwagandha may help to reduce anxiety, improve overall sleep, and build stress resilience.

Ashwagandha is categorized as a herbal adaptogen and has been used for centuries in traditional medicines around the world.

In this article, we will look at the benefits of ashwagandha, its safety, and history.

Health Benefits of Ashwagandha:

The positive effects of Withania somnifera have been confirmed by over 40 clinical studies to date, with the following major health benefits:

1. May Help To Reduce Stress

Ashwagandha has been shown to be helpful anti-stress herb due to its adaptogenic effects.

A clinical trial looked at the stress-relieving effects of ashwagandha root in stressed healthy adults. The researchers found that ashwagandha reduced perceived stress in the study participants. It also reduced cortisol levels (a physiological marker for stress) and improved sleep quality.

Another clinical trial on adults with chronic stress found that supplementation with 300mg of ashwagandha extract significantly reduced perceived stress and cortisol levels.

A clinical trial looked into the specific effects of ashwagandha on chronically stressed adults and its impact on food cravings. Researchers found that supplementing with ashwagandha reduced perceived stress and food cravings. Additionally, the treatment group had significantly higher levels of happiness, improved eating habits, lower cortisol, and improved body weight.

One other clinical study evaluated the effects of Withania somnifera extract on stress and the quality of life of college students. The researchers noted that ashwagandha supplementation (700mg) was associated with improvements in perceived well-being, which was largely attributed to: reduced stress and improved energy, increased sleep quality, and improved mental clarity.

2. May Help With Anxiety

Clinical research indicates that ashwagandha root may work to safely and effectively improve your resistance towards stress and improve your self-assessed quality of life. Because of this, it’s thought to be one of the best herbs for anxiety. 

One clinical trial looked into the effects of three doses of ashwagandha (125, 150, and 500mg) on individuals with anxiety. The researchers found that all doses were associated with improvements in anxiety compared to the placebo. Moreover, all doses significantly reduced fatigue, sleeplessness, feelings of impending doom, irritability, and other symptoms compared to the placebo. The researchers noted that there were trends towards greater benefits when taking higher doses of ashwagandha.

Another study showed that Withania somnifera extract helped to reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in individuals with self-reported high stress levels. 

A clinical study analyzed the effects of ashwagandha root extract on people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Those who were given ashwagandha root showed significant reductions in anxiety symptoms.

Lastly, researchers found in another clinical study that supplementing with ashwagandha root led to improvements in individuals with various anxiety disorders. That is, individuals who took ashwagandha showed a decrease in measured anxiety levels.

Researchers speculate that ashwagandha’s anxiety-relieving effects may occur by controlling the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to stress, which lowers stress hormone output. Additionally, ashwagandha may increase levels of GABA, which is generally known to be a calming neurotransmitter.

3. May Improve Sleep Quality

Ashwagandha may have the ability to improve overall quality of sleep and reduce insomnia. In fact, ashwagandha appears to be one of the best herbs for insomnia, especially when taken as an herbal tea for sleep.

In one clinical study, researchers looking into the impact of ashwagandha on sleep found that it significantly improved all sleep parameters in individuals with insomnia and anxiety. Specifically, the subjects who were given ashwagandha experienced better quality of sleep, fell asleep faster, and stayed asleep longer.

Another clinical study compared the effects of giving ashwagandha to individuals with insomnia versus those with normal sleep patterns. The researchers found that ashwagandha improved the quality of sleep in both the insomnia group and the group of healthy sleepers. Moreover, the improvements in sleep parameters were even more significant in those with insomnia. 

An additional clinical trial used a relatively small dose (120mg) of Withania somnifera in healthy adults. Yet, this small dose still led to a reduction in non-REM sleep and overall better quality of sleep.

This makes ashwagandha a great supplement to consider for individuals looking to improve the quality of their sleep.