Ashwagandha The root and berry of the ashwagandha plant are a traditional Ayurvedic medicine in India. Ashwagandha is used as a tonic (it is sometimes referred to as the “Indian ginseng”) to improve physical and mental health and to treat a number of specific conditions. Why do people take ashwagandha? Theres some early evidence that ashwagandha affects the immune system and helps reduce swelling, from both arthritis and fluid retention. However, the practical benefits and risks for people arent clear yet. One study found that a compound containing ashwagandha helped relive osteoarthritis symptoms. Its not clear which of the ingredients had the benefit since ashwaganda is traditionally used in combination with other herbs. Ashwagandha might help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and lower high cholesterol. Since ashwagandha has sedative effects, it could help ease anxiety and stress -- in fact, human studies have indicated as much. There is some preliminary research that it may help with epilepsy and memory loss, but these results are too early to say for sure if it could benefit humans. Some lab tests of cancer cells have found that ashwagandha might slow down their growth. Animal studies have found that ashwagandha could boost the effects of radiation therapy. However, these are early results. It isnt known if ashwagandha will help people with cancer. People use ashwagandha for other health conditions, including anemia. It is high in iron and has been shown to help increase hemoglobin levels. For many of the other purported uses, there isnt evidence to support ashwaganda’s benefits.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 05:01:10 +0000
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