The healing properties of ASHWAGANDHA

“Ashwa what??” That’s how I reacted the first time I heard about it:-)!!

Ashwagandha, is one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurvedic healing. It has been used since ancient times for a wide variety of conditions, and is known for its restorative benefits.

Traditionally, it has been prescribed to help people strengthen their immune system after an illness.

Ashwagandha is frequently referred to as “Indian ginseng” because of its rejuvenating properties, even though, botanically, ginseng and Ashwagandha are unrelated.

Belonging to the same family as the tomato, Ashwagandha is a plump shrub with oval leaves and yellow flowers. It bears red fruit about the size of a raisin. The herb is native to the dry regions of India, northern Africa, and the Middle East, and today is also grown in more mild climates, including the United States.

Why Use Ashwagandha?

The use of this Ayurvedic herb can help alleviate symptoms like stress, fatigue, lack of energy and difficulty in concentrating, and it supports an energetic and rejuvenating sense of wellbeing.

Benefits and Healing Effects:

Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including alkaloids, fatty acids, amino acids, and a variety of sugars. While the leaves and fruit have therapeutic properties, the root of the Ashwagandha plant is the part mostly used in Western herbal remedies.

Medical researchers have been studying Ashwagandha for years and have completed more than 200 studies on the healing benefits of this botanical. Some key examples of the healing effects of Ashwagandha are:

• Protects the immune system

• Helps combat the effects of stress

• Improves learning, memory, and reaction time

• Reduces anxiety and depression without causing drowsiness

• Helps reduce brain-cell degeneration

• Stabilizes blood sugar

• Helps lower cholesterol

• Offers anti-inflammatory benefits

• Contains anti-malarial properties

• Enhances sexual potency for both men and women

Ashwagandha is also an Adaptogenic Herb.

In Ayurveda, there are specific herbs with adaptogenic benefits. Being one of them, Ashwagandha helps the body cope with external stresses such as toxins in the environment and internal stresses such as anxiety and insomnia.

How can you add Ashwagandha to your daily diet?

Every day our bodies need essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to maintain our body’s delicate balance. Taking an Ashwagandha supplement is a highly effective way to create that balance.

Ashwagandha is typically ingested in capsule form.

The typical recommended dose is 600 to 1,000 mg. twice daily. For people who suffer from insomnia and anxiety, having a cup of hot milk that contains a teaspoon of powdered Ashwagandha before bedtime is beneficial.

Medical Caution: Always consult with your healthcare practitioner before taking it if you have any health conditions. Ashwagandha is not recommended for women who are pregnant.