The switch from natural medicine or alternative medicine from traditional Western medicine is a not a new phenomenon. There are cultures who have practiced their own forms of alternative medicine for thousands of years successfully. These practices and medicines are making their way to places that historically have been more traditional. Medicines such as Ashwagandha is a plant that has been used for thousands of years in Indian medicine that has become more mainstream in Western culture.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is a shrub that grows in parts of Africa and Asia. This shrub is generally used to help with stress and anxiety. It is a form of alternative medicine in India and is a traditional form of natural healing. Some standard uses for Ashwagandha include stress relief, concentration, and increasing energy. Ashwagandha is often referred to as an adaptogen, which is why when it is mixed in with liquid, these are referred to as drinks with adaptogens. Adaptogens are used to relieve stress in the body and the mind and sometimes used for other applications like performance enhancers for athletes or to reduce insomnia. With the Ashwagandah shrub, a powder is extracted from the roots and mixed in various forms such as adaptogen drinks to make it easier to ingest.
What Are the Benefits of Ashwagandha?
It is believed that Ashwagandha carries many benefits outside of stress reduction and anxiety control.
Some other benefits include:
- Enhancing athletic performance – when taken in relaxing beverages or other forms, a daily dose of ashwagandha can help with oxygen flow and overall gains in muscle while exercising over someone who is not taking it daily
- Reducing symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions – when taken in a relaxing drink, Ashwagandha can help with alleviate the symptoms of some mental conditions like depression, bi-polar disorder, and schizophrenia.
- Help with male fertility by boosting testosterone – ashwagandha is said to help with reducing damage in the testicles
- Reducing blood sugar levels – helps with cells’ ability to absorb sugar from the bloodstream
- Reducing inflammation – reduces chronic inflammation by helping reduce the effects of chronic disease
- Alleviating insomnia – some of the best adaptogen drinks with Ashwagandha can be taken to help with sleep problems as it promotes relaxation of the mind and body. Make sure to check the labels on these relaxing beverages to see how much of a dose they contain.
- Improving memory- helps with the production of choline which affects focus and memory
- Safe and available – Ashwagandha is widely available in places that sell natural herb supplements or cannabis products. This supplement is found in an adaptogen drink, adaptogens and nootropics drinks, and other adaptogen beverages.
5 Things Everyone Should Know About Ashwagandha
1. What Does Ashwagandha Do?
Ashwagandha works with the neuroreceptors in the brain to help reduce cell degeneration, stress and anxiety.
2. Ways to Take Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha can be taken in several forms and dosages. The root of the shrub is ground up into a fine powder and then that powder can be used in:
- Beverage like milk
- Tablets
- Churna balls
- Chocolate
- Tea
- Water
- Oil
- Paste for hair
3. How Can Ashwagandha Reduce Inflammation?
Ashwagandha can reduce the effects of chronic inflammation brought about by stress in the body as related to heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and bowel diseases.
4. Is Ashwagandha Safe?
Ashwagandha is considered safe for most people, although if you take other medications, you may want to check into any interaction warnings with your healthcare provider.
5. How Can Ashwagandha Help Me?
It really depends on what you are looking for. If you suffer from insomnia, then you will want to find out the best way of taking it, when to take it and what dosages are generally effective to get a good night’s sleep without feeling groggy in the morning.
The same holds true to if you are looking to enhance your performance at the gym or in the bedroom as these are both areas believed to be helped by Ashwagandha.
Other ways it can benefit you are:
- Improving mood
- Reducing inflammation
- Boosting testosterone levels
- Improving your concentration
If you are looking at adding Ashwagandha to your daily routine for its benefits, then you should have enough information to take to your healthcare provider and ask questions about dosages and methods that are right for you. When you look at a natural medicine like Ashwagandha, you can feel secure knowing that it is a medication that has been used for thousands of years successfully.
