A Botanical Remedy for Inner Peace
Did you know that 84% of the world experiences some feelings of stress? Not everyone has the patience or time for meditation and so you may want to investigate ashwagandha. It is a powerful adaptogen that can help with your inner calm. Adaptogens are a select group of herbs (and some mushrooms) that support the body's natural ability to deal with stress. They are called adaptogens because of their unique ability to “adapt” their function according to the specific needs of the body. This may be physical, chemical or biological needs.
What is Ashwagandha?
Belonging to the same family as the tomato, ashwagandha is a plump shrub with oval leaves and yellow flowers. It bears red fruit about the size of a raisin. The herb is native to the dry regions of India, northern Africa, and the Middle East, but today is also grown in more mild climates, including in the United States.
Why you need it…
The Chopra Center sums up its benefits up quite well:
Ashwagandha, one of the most vital herbs in Ayurvedic healing, has been used since ancient times for a wide variety of conditions, but is most well known for its restorative benefits. In Sanskrit ashwagandha means “the smell of a horse,” indicating that the herb imparts the vigor and strength of a stallion, and it has traditionally been prescribed to help people strengthen their immune system after an illness. In fact, it’s frequently referred to as “Indian ginseng” because of its rejuvenating properties (although botanically, ginseng and ashwagandha are unrelated). In addition, ashwagandha is also used to enhance sexual potency for both men and women.
Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including withanolides, (steroidal lactones), alkaloids, choline, fatty acids, amino acids, and a variety of sugars. While the leaves and fruit have valuable therapeutic properties, the root of the ashwagandha plant is the part most commonly used in Western herbal remedies.
Medical researchers have been studying ashwagandha with great interest and have carried out at least 216 studies of its healing benefits including:
Aides in immune system protection
Combats the effects of stress
Improves learning, memory, and reaction time
Reduces anxiety and depression without causing drowsiness
Stabilizes blood sugar
Lowers cholesterol
Reduces brain-cell degeneration
Contains anti-malarial properties
Offers anti-inflammatory benefits
Some studies have also found that ashwagandha inhibits the growth of cancer cells in small animals, but further research is needed to determine whether the herb prevents the development of tumors in human beings.
Ashwagandha in conjunction with Saffron (another blog post to come on that!) and L-theanine promotes a sense of calm and relaxation without feeling drowsy. I recommend a NEW product released that tastes of peach and green tea! Find Out More.
