TAHMINA BEGUM
22/05/2019
There was a time where if you announced how many supplements and capsules you were taking, you were looked upon as if you had issues.
Nowadays, with a generation obsessed with wellness, buying vitamins from Holland and Barrett on your lunch break has become normal.
A trendy vitamin to take recently is ashwagandha. Said to be used by the likes of Meghan Markle, Emily Weiss, Jennifer Aniston and a growing list of celebrity names, this herb native to South Asian and North African countries, is credited with helping to reduce stress and anxiety.
But are the benefits behind ashwagandha more myth than magic?
Women's Health talks to specialists behind the rising use of this herb and works out what ashwagandha can really do for your mental health.
What is it ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is a plant and the root and berry is used in Ayurvedic medicine for a variety of reasons. This ranges from tackling anxiety, bipolar disorder, balance, asthma, sleep issues as well as increasing the chances of fertility and one's libido.
Pukka Herbs’ medical herbalist, Katie Pande even said that 'ashwagandha can be taken safely with contraceptive pills, which can, for some women, can be a factor associated with low libido levels'.
Why has ashwagandha become more popular?
Stress has become a normal part of modern life, with many feeling anxious about political, social, environmental and technological changes.
74% of adults in the UK have admitted to feeling so overwhelmed in the past year, to the point where they feel like they can't cope, so many are looking for alternatives to manage stress.
