By: Peter Bongiorno ND, LAc
Reviewed by Lybi Ma
Posted January 8, 2014
Ashwagandha (Latin name: Withania somnifera) is an herbal medicine with a rich tradition. Its use dates back three millennia to the time the Ayurvedic practitioners in India began using it for people with anxiety, low energy, and the ravages of aging.
The word “ashwagandha” translates to “smell of horse” and has a dual meaning: First, the herb itself does have that particular aromatic quality, and second, because traditional belief is that consumption can help its user gain horse-like strength and vitality. Luckily, if you take this herb, you will not smell like a horse, but many of my patients do find increased energy and vigor.
How Does Ashwagandha Work?
Ashwagandha has been studied for its benefits to lower inflammation, help Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological disorders, and has been used as an adjunct in cancer care to support low white blood cell count (Mishra et al., 2004). While this plant medicine contains many plant compounds that help balance the body’s physiology, ashwagandha's most well-researched phytochemicals are its alkaloids and lactones (known as withanolides), which are thought to act as hormonal precursors (no authors, 2004). In holistic medical care, ashwagandha is seen as adaptogenic, meaning it will help increase effect when activity is low but will block excess stimulation when activity is too high (Bhattacharya et al, 2000). This is a very good choice for the wild hormonal variations that occur with anxiety.
Ashwagandha for Anxiety?
Clinically, ashwagandha is found to be very helpful to calm anxiety, and specifically, help agoraphobia (anxiety especially in open or crowded places). Most of the understanding we have about ashwagandha is based on its substantial anecdotal history and animal studies. But more clinical studies are being done.
