Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is the root of an Indian shrub, Withania somnifera, sold as a supplement for stress and sleep. It is not a nutrient and no food supplies it. Small, short trials found modest effects on stress and sleep, and safety beyond 3 months is unknown.
No set daily amount
May help with stress and insomnia, says NCCIH; the effect on anxiety is unclear
3 months · the period NCCIH says it may be safe for; longer-term safety is unknown
- Part used Root some extracts add the leaf
- Main compounds Withanolides steroid-like plant chemicals
- Studied for Stress, sleep also anxiety
- Evidence Limited few small, short trials
Trial length, evidence and safety summary from NCCIH. No recommended amount exists.
Where Ashwagandha Comes From
Diet supplies none. Ashwagandha is not eaten as a food, so supplements are the only source.
- Foodno ordinary food contains it; the shrub's berries and leaves are not part of any usual diet
- Root powderthe dried, ground root, stirred into milk or water in traditional use
- Standardized extractscapsules and gummies with a stated withanolide content; most trials used these
What Is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha belongs to the nightshade family, the same family as tomatoes and potatoes. Its Sanskrit name translates as 'smell of the horse', after the odor of the fresh root, and its Latin species name, somnifera, means sleep-bringing. It is also called Indian winter cherry.
What Is in Ashwagandha Root
The compounds researchers focus on are withanolides, steroid-like molecules the plant makes. How they might work in people is not known. Extracts are sold by their withanolide percentage, which says how concentrated they are, not that they work.
What Ashwagandha Trials Found
Most trials gave a root or root-and-leaf extract every day for 8 weeks to about 3 months. Compared with a placebo, several reported lower scores on stress questionnaires, and some, such as Lopresti 2019, also found a larger drop in morning blood cortisol, a stress hormone. A 2021 review of the sleep trials found a small gain in sleep, largest in people with insomnia and in trials that used 600 mg a day or more for at least 8 weeks.
NCCIH says some preparations may help with stress and insomnia, and that the effect on anxiety is unclear. The trials were small, short and used different extracts, so their results are hard to combine.
Ashwagandha Safety and the Thyroid
NCCIH says ashwagandha may be safe for up to 3 months. Reported side effects are drowsiness, upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting, and a number of rare cases link liver injury to ashwagandha supplements. NCCIH does not recommend it for people about to have surgery or with thyroid or autoimmune disorders, notes that it may interact with thyroid hormone medicine, and says people with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer should avoid it.
NCCIH also says to avoid it in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and that it may interact with medicines for diabetes, high blood pressure, immune suppression and seizures, and with sedatives.
Common Ashwagandha Mistakes
Treating all ashwagandha as the same. A root-only extract, a root-and-leaf extract and plain root powder differ in what they contain. A study of one says little about the others.
Assuming traditional means tested. Centuries of use in Ayurveda are not the same as controlled trials. NCCIH also reports that tests of some Ayurvedic products sold online found lead, mercury or arsenic.
Taking it indefinitely. Almost no trial ran past 3 months, so long-term safety is unknown. For sleep, compare the evidence for valerian, which is also mixed.
Ashwagandha Supplements
Supplements are the only source. Labels name the plant part, the extract and its withanolide content, and these differ between brands.
Types of Ashwagandha Supplements
- KSM-66a branded extract of the root only; trials of it apply to it alone
- Sensorila branded extract of root and leaf, so its makeup differs from a root-only extract
- Plain root powdernot standardized, so the withanolide content is unknown
Ashwagandha Drug Interactions
- Thyroid hormoneNCCIH lists thyroid hormone medicine among possible interactions
- Sedatives and sleep medicinesthe drowsiness may add up
- Diabetes, blood pressure, seizure and immune drugsit may interact with them
Sources are listed at the end of this page. Not medical advice.
Ashwagandha in Caltide
- Not totaled yetCaltide does not add up ashwagandha yet. The foods you eat still count toward calories and nutrients, with each one's breakdown in the food library.
Related Nutrients
Ashwagandha Sources and References
The figures and claims on this page are checked against these sources.
Questions About Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an evergreen shrub from India, the Middle East and parts of Africa. Its root, and sometimes its leaf, is dried and sold as a powder, capsule or extract, and has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine.
Possibly, but the proof is limited. NCCIH says some ashwagandha preparations may help with stress, and in short trials people on root extracts reported lower stress scores than people on a placebo. Its effect on anxiety is unclear.
It may help a little. NCCIH says some preparations may be effective for insomnia, and a 2021 review of the trials found small gains in sleep, largest in people with insomnia and at 600 mg a day or more for at least 8 weeks. The trials were few and small.
No. It is not an ordinary food anywhere. Supplements, powders and teas are the only source, and the amounts used in trials come from concentrated root extracts.
A branded ashwagandha extract made from the root only. Sensoril, another brand, uses root and leaf. They are made differently, so a trial of one does not prove the other works the same way.
It may be safe for up to about 3 months, according to NCCIH. Drowsiness, stomach upset, diarrhea and vomiting are the reported side effects, rare cases of liver injury have been linked to it, and its safety over longer periods is unknown.
NCCIH says to avoid it in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and does not recommend it for people about to have surgery or with thyroid or autoimmune disorders. Anyone taking thyroid hormone, sedatives, seizure medicine or medicines for diabetes, blood pressure or immune suppression should ask a doctor first.
Not yet. Caltide does not total ashwagandha, because it is not a nutrient with a daily amount.
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