What is Ashwagandha?
Found majorly in India, some parts of the Middle East, and Africa, Withania Somnifera is a magical herb that has been helping our body to protect itself, heal, and rejuvenate in the best way. This herb is commonly known by the name of “Ashwagandha” and is an evergreen shrub that has been widely used to make some of the best Ayurvedic medicines that are essential for improving our overall health, enhancing our energies, and decreasing the level of pain, and inflammation, and anxiety in the body. There is no doubt that this medicinal plant has played a vital role in balancing the human body.
How does Ashwagandha work in the human body?
Ashwagandha – The miraculous medicinal plant that has a unique composition perfect to reduce the stress levels in the human body and protects it from strokes. It supports the natural stress response of our body and the Withanolides promote the happy hormones making it possible for a person to come out of depressive states. There are various clinical studies that show the lowering stress graph among people who used to take medicines for their condition. All the participants involved in the study were given ashwagandha extract regularly for approximately 60 days and the results were amazing. All the ingredients of this plant helped to improve the resilience of the human body towards rising stress levels. Not only this, but the herb is responsible for providing defense to our body against various chronic diseases. This is possible because it can enhance cell-mediated immunity which helps in the fight against the various diseases in the body. This is how Ashwagandha works in the human body & promotes good health and shape. The herb is also renowned for its antioxidant properties that again protect the human body against the damage caused due to free radicals.
Nutritional Value of Ashwagandha
There is no doubt that Ashwagandha is fully packed with magical properties and there are lots of nutrients present in it that include Calcium, Vitamin C, and iron. If we take 100 grams of fine Ashwagandha power, it means we are taking 245 Kcal energy, 49.9 gm of Carbohydrates, 32.3 gm of Dietary Fibres, 23 mg Calcium, 3.3 gm of Iron, 3.9 gm of Protein and 3.7 mg of Vitamin C. It is very important to know the nutritional value of this plant because it will clear all your doubts and help you know this herb better. People who ask why the market for this herb is rising high should know the true answer to their query.
Properties of Ashwagandha
While listing the different properties of this amazing herb, the major ones are
- Aphrodisiac: The plant plays an excellent role in arousing the sexual desires of both men and women. People who are facing issues with their sexual life must try this herb rather than trying the hard medicines that have a lot of side effects.
- Healer: We call this plant a healer because it has been helping our important organ i.e., the liver to heal and reduce the level of liver enzymes. People with fatty liver can use the Ashwagandha extract to detoxify the liver and reduce the fatty layers to turn things into normal again.
- Diuretic: Yes, Ashwagandha is a diuretic & it helps your body to get rid of excessive water and sodium. This herb is perfect to help your kidney release high levels of sodium into urine, thus reducing blood pressure.
- Astringent: If you have acne, pigmentation, or dullness on your face, you can use the Ashwagandha powder with your daily face pack to get bright shiny, and plum-like skin. The plant has rich anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties that are excellent to nourish our skin and keep the acne and boils at bay.
- Anti-Inflammatory: People suffering from chronic inflammation always complain of diabetes, heart diseases, arthritis, cancer, IBS, and several other ailments. when the level of inflammation inside your body increases, it causes several problems to the internal organs, thus making it tough for a person to ignore the symptoms and take a consultation from the top medical professionals. However, if you know that you are facing these issues & you don’t have an active lifestyle, you must try this fine magical powder because it has great anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing swelling and turn things to normal.
10 Proven Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
1. Reduction of inflammation:
As mentioned before, Ashwagandha contains steroidal lactones – withanolides that are known for their anti-inflammatory property. The studies have revealed that people who took this powder regularly showed improvement in their chronic inflammation.
2. Improves immune function and anti-aging properties
Ashwagandha belongs to the community of Ayurvedic tonics and is an important part of the family. We can call it a nervine tonic because it acts as a great vitalizer, & rejuvenator and induces immunity in users. In addition, it is excellent for your skin because it reduces the fine lines as well as wrinkles on the face and body by enhancing the telomerase activity in the human body. You can get shining younger looking skin with this little plant and improve the firmness, pigmentation, and elasticity of your face.
3. Decreases the likelihood of cancer
As Ashwagandha is responsible for making our body rejuvenate again, it protects the whole system from chronic fatigue, swelling, and other issues that may later on cause some serious issues like Cancer. This plant is not directly concerned to prevent cancer cells from spreading in the body, but it is working on other parameters that help in keeping the cancer cells dormant.
4. Relieves stress and anxiety
This Ayurvedic miracle contains adaptogens that are known to lower the stress levels in the body by reducing the levels of cortisol. In addition, adaptogens come with other benefits also that collectively help in reducing stress & letting the person practice a free and happy lifestyle. The experts even say that people who used this plant regularly experienced significant changes in their sleep cycle. They could sleep much better than before.
5. Enhances memory
As the studies have revealed, Ashwagandha is responsible for helping people recall their memories and remember some of the important moments of their life that they had forgotten. This was possible because as the stress levels get lower, it gives the person time to think about life and other moments which they have cherished in their past and forgot dues to stress and anxiety issues.
6. Reduces blood sugar and fat
People with Type-2 diabetes can take ashwagandha as it has the properties to lower the sugar levels in the body and reduce the triglycerides also. If you too have borderline sugar levels, you can try this magical powder and keep tracking your sugar levels to know whether it’s working on you or not. There are no potential side-effects of taking this plant when in moderate quantity.
7. Promotes cardiovascular health
When we do physical exercises, our body breathes heavily and a lot of oxygen is needed to burn the calories inside the body. people who take Ashwagandha have experienced that there was an increase in VO2max levels i.e., their capacity to take oxygen inside the system has enhanced which increases the levels. And, if you have higher levels, it means that your heart and lungs have a good synchronization of delivering oxygen to the other parts of the body. So, we can say that this miracle powder is of great use to our bodies and helps us to stay young, fit, and healthy.
8. Improves Hypothyroidism or Underactive Thyroid Function
As an alternative medicine, Ashwagandha plays its part in balancing your thyroid levels but you cannot replace your medication with this powder. You have to be sure that you are using this plant under the supervision of a medical professional who knows about your medical history.
9. Helps Improve Depression
Yes, Ashwagandha helps to alleviate the good mood of a person and reduce the level of depression. This is all because this medicinal plant is responsible for lowering stress hormones, giving a person chance to think positively and find a way toward a happy tomorrow.
10. Boosts Muscular Strength and Endurance
Studies have shown significant changes in the muscle mass and strength of people who regularly take the Ashwagandha powder. there was a reduction in the fat percentage and the body turned out to be lean and healthy. So, we can say that using this magical plant can help us build strength and keep our bodies strong and disease free.
Special Precautions Warnings to Take with Ashwagandha
Well, there is no doubt that Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic medicine and for this reason, it’s quite safe to use its low dosages. However, in case you already are suffering from some chronic health issues like Multiple Sclerosis, Type -1 Diabetes, Bleeding Disorders, Cancer, Lupus, etc., you must first speak to your doctor and assure that you can take it. Sometimes people get allergic to even simple things when they are already taking some strong medicines. So, it’s better to be on the safer side and consult your doctor before using it.
Conclusions:
So, hereby we can conclude that Ashwagandha comes with several magical properties and amazing health benefits that help our body to stay fit and healthy. This indicates that you can start using this amazing plant and enjoy its endless health benefits. People in Indian consider it the best tonic for good sleep, stress-free life, and the best aphrodisiac.
FAQ
1. Who needs Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is not restricted to any person, so anyone who wants to control stress in life, have a good sex life, and sleep well can take it under the supervision of a good medical professional. It is not recommended for some specific groups of people or those who are suffering from a particular ailment. It’s for everyone but in a supervised dosage. We all know that excess of everything is bad.
2. What happens when you start taking ashwagandha daily?
Studies have shown that people who take Ashwagandha regularly feel a change in their sleep cycle, have less stress in their brains, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. It’s a kickstart to a healthy tomorrow.
4. Is Ashwagandha actually worth taking?
Yes, it’s worth taking this Ayurvedic tonic because it gives you endless health benefits that help your body to revitalize, rejuvenate and relax.
5. How long does it take to feel the benefits of ashwagandha?
If you are expecting this medicine to work the same moment as you take it, then you are a little impatient. You have to wait for a few weeks before it shows the visible results. Patience is the key to success.
6. Why is Ashwagandha so powerful?
Ashwagandha is powerful because of its miraculous ingredients that play an essential role in keeping our bodies healthy and fit. It is an amazingly powerful adaptogen that makes your body resilient to high-stress levels and provides cell-mediated immunity to protect from serious ailments. This is the reason why it is known as a power-packed plant that nature has gifted to human beings.
