If you haven’t heard about ashwagandha, then it’s time you start paying attention
to it.
Also known as 'Withania Somnifera', this plant is becoming increasingly popular in the west
due to its numerous health benefits.
Hi viewers and welcome back to another Bestie video!
Ashwagandha is a fairly small shrub with small pale green flowers, simple leaves and red
berries.
It has a distinct smell, described as horse-like, which is where it gets its name from.
Ashwa is Sanskrit means horse and gandha means smell.
Most of its benefits are from the root and the leaves.
A growing body of evidence is being collated around this powerful herb with an impressive
variety of health benefits.
And in today’s video, we will tell you what they are.
From protecting against cancer, reducing blood sugar levels, increasing blood production,
boosting immunity to improving brain function and more, watch till the end to learn about
all of them.
Reduces Anxiety: Ashwagandha is classified as an adaptogen which means that it helps
the body to adapt to stress.
It can boost brain function and help fight symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Several controlled human studies have shown that it can reduce symptoms in people with
stress and anxiety disorders.
In a 60-day study on people with chronic stress, those in the group that supplemented with
ashwagandha reported a 69 percent reduction in anxiety and insomnia, on average, compared
with 11 percent in the placebo group.
If you experience stress in your day to day life, you can use a traditional oil to massage
your body with Ashwagandha as one of the key ingredients.
What are the things that make you anxious?
How do you calm yourself down?
Tell us quickly down below in the comments section!
Protects Against Cancer: Many experiments have shown that ashwagandha is a potent medicine
against cancer.
It's been found to reduce the growth of new cancer cells and induce death in pre-existing
cancer cells.
Most of these findings have been on animal studies and it has yet to be tested on humans,
but the data looks promising to treat several cancers.
One experiment on mice found 70 to 80 per cent reduction in tumor growth and complete
inhibition of metastasis to other organs compared to untreated controls.
Improves male fertility: Stress affects fertility the most.
Men with high stress levels usually have low testosterone and sperm count.
Whether it directly affects the reproductive system or if it’s powerful to bring down
stress levels that causes the improvement is unknown.
But a strong correlation has been found between ashwagandha and impproduction and sperm health.
A study found that men who received th is herb for stress experienced higher antioxidant
levels and better sperm quality.
After 3 months of treatment, 14 percent of the men’s partners had become pregnant.
Stabilizes hypothyroidism: When people have high blood levels of a hormone called TSH
or thyroid-stimulating hormone, it means that they have an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism.
In those with a mild form of underactive thyroid, ashwagandha helps to lower TSH and increase
thyroid hormone levels.
However, it is recommended that you consult with a physician before eating ashwagandha
in order to avoid its interaction with your regular drugs.
Reduces Inflammation: Inflammation is your body’s normal response to conditions such
as infection, toxins, and trauma.
Under normal conditions, your body will produce an anti-inflammatory response to restore balance.
In cases of chronic pain, however, the body is not able to regulate such a response.
The result is chronic imbalance and pain.
Ashwagandha has proven to be effective in reducing inflammation.
Tea prepared from its leaves is helpful in relieving swelling.
Protects against Alzheimer’s: Researchers have found that Ashwagandha inhibits the production
of beta-amyloid plaques.
These plaques, considered lethal to brain cells, grow in the brains of people with neurodegenerative
diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
When scientists conducted tests on mice with Alzheimer’s, they found that after a few
days of treatment, cognitive performance of the mice improved significantly.
At the end of one month, their brain function had returned to normal and the amyloid plaques
that had been present in their brains were reduced.
Studies show that rather than altering brain chemistry directly, ashwagandha boosts a protein
in the liver which clears amyloid from the brain.
Reduces blood sugar levels: In several studies, ashwagandha has been shown to lower blood
sugar levels.
One test-tube study found that it increased insulin secretion and improved insulin sensitivity
in muscle cells.
Also, several human studies have suggested that it can reduce blood sugar levels in both
healthy people and those with diabetes.
Additionally, in a 4-week study in people with schizophrenia, those treated with ashwagandha
had an average reduction in fasting blood sugar levels of about 13 milligrams per decilitre,
compared with about 4 milligrams per decilitre in those who received a placebo.
What’s more, in a small study in people with type 2 diabetes, supplementing with ashwagandha
for 30 days lowered fasting blood sugar levels.
Boosts Immunity: Psychological stress and anxiety adversely impacts the normal body
functioning.
It also affects the immune system functioning leaving you vulnerable to diseases and infections.
Here, the stress relieving effects of Ashwagandha may also be effective for boosting your immune
system.
Not only this, it directly stimulates the white blood cells, platelets and macrophages,
all of which have a direct effect on immunity.
Moreover, it boosts up hemoglobin levels in red blood cells for better oxygenation and
blood circulation.
Increases muscle mass and strength: Ashwagandha can reduce body fat, and increase muscle mass
and strength.
A study was conducted to determine a safe and effective dosage for Ashwagandha.
Healthy people who took 750–1,250 milligram per day of powdered Ashwagandha root per day
gained muscle strength after only 30 days.
In a different study, those who took ashwagandha also had significantly greater gains in muscle
strength and size.
In addition, it more than doubled the reduction in body fat percentage, compared to the placebo
group.
Increasing muscle mass in no easy feat.
But you don’t have to rely on expensive supplements and gyms, you can do it naturally.
To know how, watch this video titled “10 Sureshot Ways To Build Muscles Naturally”
Now back to ashwagandha health benefits.
Improves memory and brain function: Ashwagandha supplements may be taken to improve brain
function, memory, reaction times and the ability to perform tasks.
It promotes antioxidant activity that protects nerve cells from harmful free radicals.
Test-tube and animal studies suggest that the herb may reduce memory and brain function
problems caused by injury or disease.
In one study, epileptic rats treated with ashwagandha had nearly a complete reversal
of spatial memory impairment.
This was most likely caused by a reduction in oxidative stress.
It works on people who are not injured or sick.
In one controlled human study, healthy people who took 500 milligram of standardized extract
daily reported significant improvements in their reaction time and task performance,
compared to those who received a placebo.
In another eight-week study conducted on adults showed that taking 300 milligram of ashwagandha
root extract twice daily significantly improved general memory, task performance, and attention.
Increases blood production: Although only animal testing has been performed in this
regard, but the results of these tests reveal that Ashwagandha carries hematopoietic properties
in it.
This means that it can increase the red blood cell count in your body.
If the same effect is apparent on human beings, it can be effectively used to cure Anemia.
In anemic patients, the red blood cell count falls catastrophically.
So, it may turn out to be indispensable for such people.
Helps people with arthritis: Arthritis is a chronic problem, which means pain medication
needs to be taken long term.
This can often lead to unwanted side effects, and people who suffer from this problem often
seek treatment solutions with minimum tradeoffs to their health.
Ashwagandha is a long-standing remedy for arthritis and is usually taken in conjunction
with other herbs like turmeric to increase benefits.
It contains steroidal compounds that are beneficial to people with this problem.
And most importantly you can take it indefinitely without side effects.
Controls Cholesterol and Triglycerides: High cholesterol levels in the body can end up
becoming a great risk for your heart.
This is why doctors ask you to keep its levels in check.
Ashwagandha can help you achieve this.
In a research involving people with high levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, it was
found that taking Ashwagandha daily reported improvements.
In fact, on average bad cholesterol decreased by 17 percent, while the triglyceride concentration
went down by 11 percent in these people.
It’s safe for most people and widely available: Ashwagandha is a safe supplement for most
people, although its long-term effects are still unknown.
However, certain individuals should not take it, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
People with autoimmune diseases should also avoid it unless authorized by a healthcare
provider.
This includes people with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis,
and type 1 diabetes.
Additionally, those on medication for thyroid disease should be careful when taking ashwagandha,
as it may increase thyroid hormone levels in some people.
It may also decrease blood sugar and blood pressure levels, so medication dosages may
need to be adjusted if you take it.
The recommended dosage of ashwagandha depends on the type of supplement.
Extracts are more effective than crude ashwagandha root or leaf powder.
Remember to follow instructions on labels.
Standardized root extract is commonly taken in 450–500-milligram capsules once or twice
daily.
It's offered by several supplement manufacturers and available from various retailers, including
health food stores and vitamin shops.
There's also a great selection of high-quality supplements available online.
Ashwagandha is just one of the many herbs that have a wide range of health benefits.
They are great for your body and are completely chemical free, inexpensive and natural.
You can get to know more about the different types of herbs and their benefits by:
Finding out 7 Herbs & Spices With The Most Powerful Health Benefits
Becoming aware of 10 Health Benefits of Moringa Powder
These 2 videos will surely help you maintain a healthy body naturally.
Also, don’t forget to like and subscribe to our channel.
Have you ever tried ashwagandha?
What was it for?
Let us know in the comments section below!