Ashwaganda

[Guest guest]

From The October 1998 issue of Nutrition Science News

 

Revitalize with Ashwagandha

 

By John Douillard, D.C.

 

An herb that rejuvenates the nervous system, erases insomnia and eases

stress?

Finding a gentle tonic for common 20th-century ailments sounds too good to

be

true, but research has validated many virtues of the Ayurvedic herb

ashwagandha.

 

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is sometimes called Indian ginseng in

reference to its rejuvenative and tonic effects on the nervous system. In

fact,

numerous studies show ashwagandha to be superior to ginseng (Panax

ginseng)

as an antistress adaptogen.1,2

 

Ashwagandha, also called winter cherry, is a small, perennial evergreen

shrub

found predominantly in India and Israel. A member of the Solanaceae

family,

it

resembles a large, erect potato plant. Traditionally, all parts of the

plant

were used

as medicine, but the root, which has a damp-horse smell, is most commonly

used

today.

 

Ashwagandha contains at least 26 bioactive alkaloids and steroidal

lactones

called

withanolides.3 The most active withanolide, withaferin A, appears

responsible for

most of ashwagandha's bioactivity. The plant's complex chemistry and

numerous

constituents may explain its broad spectrum of therapeutic properties

including

acting as an adaptogen, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac, nervine,

respiratory

 

stimulant, sedative and tonic.

 

Deep Tissue Cleansing

Because ashwagandha is a sweet root with secondary bitter qualities, it

can

penetrate the body's deep tissues, opening rather than constricting them.

Very

bitter roots constrict and cleanse but do not deeply access the body and

rejuvenate

it. After tissues are penetrated, ashwagandha's secondary bitter and

astringent

qualities stimulate a deep-tissue cleansing not possible with an

exclusively

bitter

herb. Its sweetness also makes ashwagandha a "heavy" herb, which may

require

it

to be taken with meals or ginger (Zingiber officinale) for effective

digestion, all

according to Ayurvedic theory.

 

A typical dose is 250 mg three times daily but varies based on condition.

A

toxic

dose of ashwagandha would be hard to come by. The LD50 (a lethal dose for

50

 

percent of mice studied) was 1,076 mg/kg.4

 

Ashwagandha is called a rasayana, which means a powerful rejuvenative in

Ayurvedic terminology. Rasayanas are rarely made up of just one herb, but

ashwagandha is a key component of many formulas. According to the

Ayurvedic

system of medicine, there are seven "tissues" manufactured by the body:

lymph,

blood, bone, muscle, fat, nerve and reproductive tissues. According to

Ayurvedic

theory, a 30-day series of enzymatic processes transforms lymph into ojas,

which is

the body's most specialized tissue. Ojas controls reproduction, immunity

and

 

general health, and ashwagandha specifically builds ojas and supports

these

functions.

 

Ojas depletion can be caused by stress, which triggers stress-fighting

hormones

and free radicals that in turn cause degeneration of the immune and other

physiological systems. This stress-induced reaction can open the way for

illness

and disease.

 

In one double-blind study involving mice, ashwagandha prevented

stress-related

gastrointestinal ulcers, increased physical endurance, and prevented the

depletion

of vitamin C and cortisol in subjects that were stressed with a swimming

exercise.5

 

In another double-blind study, 101 healthy men ranging in age from 50 to

59

took

either ashwagandha or placebo for one year. Aging parameters such as

graying

 

hair and calcium levels were significantly improved in the herb group

compared to

placebo. Up to 70 percent of those using ashwagandha also noticed

increased

libido and sexual function.6

 

In Ayurvedic medical theory, ashwagandha balances both the nervous system

(Vata) and the musculoskeletal system (Kapha) simultaneously, while it

also

increases heat (Pitta). In chronic conditions it is common to see

Vata-Kapha

 

imbalances, which are usually long-standing and difficult to treat. A

classic example

of such a condition is arthritis, which involves joints that are both

painful-dry (Vata)

and swollen-inflamed (Kapha). Ashwagandha would be the medicine of choice

in

 

such a condition because it balances both Vata and Kapha.

 

Ashwagandha is used effectively for insomnia but does not act as a

sedative.

Its

rejuvenative and nervine properties provide the energy (prana) the body

needs to

settle and sleep. In this way it helps the body address a stress-related

condition

rather than masking it with a sedative.

 

Ashwagandha has a complex role in health and healing that is just

beginning

to be

understood by researchers. Its diverse applications, which range from

antistress

and anticancer to enhancement of memory and learning, make this an

up-and-coming herbal star.

 

John Douillard, D.C., is an Ayurvedic physician trained in India. He

has taught Ayurveda in the United States for 11 years. Author of

Body,

Mind and Sport (Crown Books, 1994), he also directs an Ayurvedic

panchakarma center in Boulder, Colo.

 

REFERENCES

1. Grandhi A, et al. Compapharmacology investigation of ashwagandha and

ginseng. J Ethnopharmacol Dec 1994;44(3):131-5.

 

2. Battacharya SK, et al. Antistress activity of sitonindosides VII and

VIII, new

acylsterylglucosides from Withania somnifera. Phyto Therapy Research

1987;1(1):32-7.

 

3. Duke J. Handbook of Medicinal Plants. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press;

1986.

 

4. Withania. Lawrence Review 1988 Jul.

 

5. Karnick CR. Indian Medicine 1991 Apr-Jul;3(2,3):1-5.

 

6. Kupparanjan K, et al. Effect of ashwagandha on the process of aging

in

human

volunteers. J Res Ayurveda and Sadai 1980;247-258.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 1995-1998, New Hope Communications. Any duplication of this document

by

electronic or

other means is strictly prohibited. Email nsn (AT) newhope (DOT) com with your

magazine-specific questions. We

do not offer medical advice. For questions related to the website, contact

webmaster (AT) newhope (DOT) com