Ashwagandha has been called the king of Ayurvedic herbs. And that is for very good reasons,
on this video i'm going to discuss 4 key benefits and also concerns, so guys, if you want to
learn more about ashwagandha watch this video. Let’s go
They say history repeats itself, historic ways of healing and secrets to health are
now making their way back into modern society. The earliest known mention of ashwagandha
was in the Rig Veda, which was compiled around 6,000 BC and now google searches for ashwagandha
have gone up 400% in the last 4 years.
Ashwagandha is native to india and it’s sometimes referred to as indian ginseng and
Ashwagandha is used in Ayurvedic medicine in a way similar to how Asian ginseng (Panax
ginseng) is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Fun fact, in Sanskrit, a language of ancient India, Ashwagandha means "the smell of a horse,"
some say this means that this herb may impart the vigor and strength of a stallion.
This herb is versatile, potent and has a long list of therapeutic benefits. I've been using
this herb for over for a while and before every strong lift in the gym, there is a high
chance I make a smoothie with this herb.
So let’s get into the benefits
The first benefit is that ashwagandha helps fight stress.
Ashwagandha can help combat fatigue, relieve stress and anxiety. Modern day living puts
a lot of stress of us, i'm a workaholic, this sometimes impacts my sleep and sleep and mood
are closely connected; poor or inadequate sleep can cause irritability and stress within
the body. And then this stress can adversely affect sleep quality and duration thus leading
to more stress.
The thing is, we may not even know we are stressed. How many of you at any point this
year have had difficulty relaxing, low energy, frequent colds, loss of sexual desire or ability
to focus.had, these are some symptoms of stress within the body. Some of us can just put this
down to cost of living the city life.
Ashwagandha can help. Ashwagandha is classed as an adaptogen, meaning that it can help
your body manage stress and promote or restore normal physiological functioning
Cortisol is known as a stress hormone, your adrenal glands release it in response to stress,
high cortisol levels can lead to weight gain, mostly around the belly area, fatigue, headaches
and difficulty concentrating.
Studies have shown that ashwagandha may help reduce cortisol levels. In one study in chronically
stressed adults, those who supplemented with ashwagandha had significantly greater reductions
in cortisol, compared with the control group. Those taking the highest dose experienced
a 30% reduction, on average.
In a 60-day study in 64 people with chronic stress, those in the group that supplemented
with ashwagandha reported a 69% reduction in anxiety and insomnia, on average, compared
with 11% in the placebo group (14 in another 6-week study, 88% of people who
took ashwagandha reported a reduction in anxiety, compared with 50% of those who took a placebo
(18 This is a powerful stress fighting herb. Stress
impacts us all, on some level, and some of us a chronically stress, chronically inflamed,
prolonged stress is dangerous, this herb has been shown to help. And thus have other benefits
of weight loss and energy.
The second benefit is brain health Experts say that it improves memory, increases
spatial and visual memory, decreases oxidative brain stress and helps prevent nerve cell
degeneration. Some of the ways it does this is by reducing anxiety, improving sleep, helps
you relax as it’s a natural relaxant, relieves stress and it improves cognitive functions.
Many of these benefits of ashwagandha are attributed to its high concentration of withanolides
has been shown to improve cognitive function. It also helps in attention building, information
processing speed and overall mental skills. It increases acetylcholine levels in the brain
which, in turn, improves memory, brain function and intelligence
In two small studies, the first a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, supplementation
at 250 mg twice daily for 2 weeks showed improved reaction time in healthy men, the second randomized
controlled study, patients with bipolar disorder treated with 500 mg/day experienced greater
improvements in a type of working memory, a measure of reaction time, and a measure
of social cognition, compared to those receiving placebo. So this shows promise,
As always guys, my research links are in the description.
The third benefit is bodybuilding benefits!
I’ve mentioned in previous videos how important the brain is during your lifts. The ability
to focus and how the better you feel, the better you do and lastly, blood flow is crucial
during high intensity lifts. By the way, does anyone train here and want more videos on
herbs for bodybuilding or fitness, let me know.
Ashwagandha is known as a strength enhancer. We have shown already helps you feel good,
it helps your ability to focus but it also helps stimulates nitric oxide production by
regulating the blood flow and pressure of the arterial system
Increased blood flow is good for cognitive ability but the nitric oxide theoretically
could lead to enhanced muscle pump, better endurance, and faster recovery. Nitric oxide
also helps in testosterone production.
And Ashwagandha itself helps increase testosterone levels and significantly boosts sperm quality
and fertility in men.
In another study, those who took ashwagandha had significantly greater gains in muscle
strength and size. It also more than doubled their reductions in body fat percentage, compared
with the placebo group.
For the endurance and resistance training, the herb is truly a win. It helps with test,
recovery, energy and the brain. Before any strong session, these is one of my go to herbs,
see other herbs by clicking the I.
The last benefit we’ll discuss is it’s immune system benefits.
In the winter people tend to get more colds and flus, contrary to popular belief, it’s
not because of the cold weather, these diseases are viruses and we tend to get them more in
the winter because we tend to be indoors more and thus around each other, so spread of viruses
by air or touch. Ashwangda can help you by encouraging anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting
immune cells that help to ward off illness.
In summary, ashwagandha is powerful, it can help with immunity, weight loss, bodybuilding,
stress and other benefits not mentioned like improving thyroid health. Some of the concerns
though are that the effects of long term use aren't really understood or known yet, in
my opinion, it’s good to take breaks from things anyway, 4-8 weeks and then a week or
two off, works well. If you have a current illness such as thyroid problems, low blood
pressure, be sure to consult an expert before trying and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding,
avoid use. Bar that it’s a pretty safe herb
I use the root in my smoothies, although some say the extracts are more potent and effective,
you can see which works best for you. If you enjoyed that video, be sure to hit
the thumbs up button and subscribe, if you want to get more into herbs click my face
and get my herb guide, before you go, check out these 2 videos right here and right here.
I’ll see you on the next one, peace.