Ashwagandha is a medicinal plant that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional medical system in India. It is also known by its scientific name, Withania somnifera.
Ashwagandha root extracts have traditionally been used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and inflammation. It has also been suggested that ashwagandha may have antioxidant properties and may be beneficial in improving cognitive function and memory.
Today we would like to review the extraordinary properties that ashwagandha has. Most common uses and the ailments in which it can be useful. Finally bring you a real case of a person who has recently used this plant with positive results.
What is ashwagandha used for?
Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub from the Solanaceae family that grows in Asia (originally from India) and has spread to the East, some parts of North Africa and even southern Spain.
It is also known as bufera, Indian ginseng, greater nightshade, orval and oroval, among other nomenclatures, although its Sanskrit name, ashwagandha, which translates as horse odor, is the one that has become more common, due to the characteristic aroma that give off their roots, reminiscent of the smell of the horse.
This plant has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, it has become popular in the West in recent years due to the number of properties attributed to it and the rise of ailments in which it seems to have a positive effect.
Anxiety and stress management
Among these properties we highlight that ashwagandha acts as an adaptogen. This means that the root of this plant, taken regularly and in the doses recommended by a professional, helps the body to adapt to the adverse situations that we face every day.
It helps to improve stress management and its main reaction, anxiety, which is becoming more and more common in our society.
Ashwagandha is frequently used in patients with mild depressive symptoms, of course always under the supervision of a specialist. There are studies that even determine that ashwagandha can be used to relieve patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments against cancer.
Because it contains whitanolides, ashwagandha seems to work as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Improve sleep quality
The scientific name of Ashwagandha is Withania Somnifera, which can give us a pretty accurate idea of another of its uses. Indeed, there are studies that have determined that ashwagandha, depending on the dose, can help reduce insomnia.
It can also be used to improve the quality of sleep, especially in its REM phase, where the body takes the opportunity to repair itself, hence the expression “refreshing sleep”.
Other benefits of Ashwagandha
There are many more properties that are attributed to ashwagandha. Among the long list, we can mention those that have been proven by studies. These benefits would be, among others, the reduction of inflammation that helps in processes of mild osteoarthritis, reduction of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Ashwagandha can help improve memory and intellectual performance, lower blood pressure, and boost the immune system. Its active principles are mainly extracted from its root and it can be taken directly in powder, in the form of capsules and also gummies.
Why is ashwagandha so popular?
We live in a time when everything moves so fast, we want it all and we want it now, we are barely allowed to rest, “stop and smell the roses” as the expression goes. Youth has gone from being one more period of our lives to becoming the goal. Stay young, active, productive.
Our society has little or no tolerance for frustration, the imposed pace of life makes it increasingly difficult to reconcile work and personal life. All these are factors that contribute enormously to the fact that anxiety, discontent and depression have an ever-growing dent in our lives.
And of course, we cannot fail to mention the latest events that we have had to experience as a society. Uncertainty, isolation, worry, all of them ingredients for a deterioration of our mental health.
Mental health
Social isolation, the fear of losing our loved ones, our work and having social networks and the media as the only window to the world, have taken their toll on our mental health, as well as the limited access we have had to health care. to our overall health.
Many people have chosen to resort to traditional medicine, finding in it products such as ashwagandha, which has a history of thousands of years of use in Traditional Indian Medicine, or Ayurveda, and with numerous studies that support its effectiveness in the treatment conditions such as stress, anxiety, insomnia, weight gain due to cortisol (produced by stress), fatigue…
So the boom in the use of this ancient medicinal plant is directly related to the increase in ailments that seem to improve.
Ashwagandha, a real case.
We wanted to share the testimony of one of our clients about her experience with ashwagandha.
Zenia Natural: Laura tell us, why did you decide to start taking ashwagandha?
Laura: Well, for several reasons. My work is not constant, I work for projects and sometimes I have several in a row. I don’t have time to rest, my schedules get out of control, I barely go home…
That level of activity can go on for one or two weeks, sometimes more, with no project in sight and therefore nothing to do at work. These sudden changes were taking their toll on me emotionally and also physically.
After so much adrenaline I ended up exhausted, which prevented me from sleeping well. In addition, I am very active and the periods of pause between projects were terrible, it frustrated me a lot. It’s not like I knew how to manage busy times either, after the last anxiety attack I decided to take my health seriously and seek help.
I read an article about the properties of ashwagandha and decided to come to Zenia Natural to find out.
ZN: Have you noticed improvement since taking ashwagandha?
L: I have noticed improvement, yes. I think I take things a little more philosophically. I am calmer when I work and also when I don’t. In addition, it has been very good for me to regulate sleep, now, although in periods of more work I continue to sleep little, the rest is of better quality.
ZN: Would you recommend the use of ashwagandha?
L: I recommend always consulting a professional, because each person is different and each case is different. It is better to always talk to someone who advises you on times, doses, compatible treatments, etc. And based on my personal experience, yes, I would recommend its use without a doubt.
We say goodbye with Laura’s words and we thank her for her testimony. We believe that consulting with professionals is always the best decision.
At Zenia Natural we are at your disposal to advise you both on ashwagandha, its indications, how to use it, etc.
As well as on any of the treatments that we make available to you and that you can consult on our website zenianatural.es, where you will also find our contact information so that you can come visit us at the store or call us by phone.