Ashwagandha's golden benefits

Today, it's all about Ashwagandha, the SuperStar herb. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a native to India and traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine. Fortunately, it has found its way to all parts of the world so all of us can benefit from its amazing medicinal properties.

I personally love this herb and truly wish I would have known about it years ago. Life would have been sooo much easier for me...! You see, I've gone through pretty much a complete 'regeneration' of my physical body over the last 10 years or so. E.g., I've cleansed my body of toxins caused by using contraceptives, eating the wrong types of foods (my body being acidic rather than alkaline because of it) and I've just been anxious and got easily stressed earlier on in my life. The list goes on.

But now, time to jump right in and as per usual, I'll try keeping this short and useful.

Ashwagandha powder, photo by Pia

I'm sure you have either experienced, are experiencing or are aware about the most common modern-day concerns: stress, anxiety, sleep problems, brain fog, infertility, low energy, low libido & menopause symptoms in women and brain fog just to name a few. Well, ashwagandha truly helps as it affects the whole body and there's plenty of scientific proof to back it up.

- The Sanskrit term Ashwagandha translates to "smell of horse", and rightly so. Traditionally, it is believed that a person who consumes this herbal medicine will gain horse-like strength and vitality.

- Ashwagandha is a tonic herb => helps to restore, tone and invigorate systems in the body such as our adrenals (involved in the stress response), immune system, nervous system, and more.

- It is also referred to as an adaptogen, meaning, it helps us adapt to the world around us.

- Traditionally, it is used to rejuvenate people regarding different physical and sexual matters, induce sleep, and help with many other nags such as cough, infertility, high cholesterol*, and blood sugar* (reference*).

- For most of the last 6000 years, Ashwagandha root has been regarded as tonic, aphrodisiac, narcotic, diuretic, anthelmintic, astringent, thermogenic and stimulant (reference).

Those Benefits then:

1. Balances hormones and eases menopausal symptoms in women (reference). Think about all those hot flashes, sleep disturbance, libido changes, headache, and changes in mood... NOT so pretty for many! In men (yes, men will benefit taking this herb too!), it increases semen quality and boosts testosterone (reference).

2. Increases energy levels and improves memory (reference 1 and 2).

3. Improves sleep, reduces stress and anxiety (reference). It's clear that high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individual's resistance towards stress, thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.

4. Eases aches and pains and fights infection and inflammation, e.g. regarding arthritis, rheumatism (reference1 and 2):

"Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root is a traditional general tonic for energy and health and a component of Ayurvedic formulas for arthritis, rheumatism, and disease prevention in both elderly and pregnant individuals. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of 42 patients with osteoarthritis found that ashwagandha, in conjunction with other herbs, reduced pain and disability significantly.

Other studies found improved hemoglobin levels in healthy children and adult men. Ashwagandha has stimulated neurite growth in human brain cells. In animals and in vitro, it has stimulated thyroid function, increased endurance, and shown hepatoprotective, renal-protective, antineoplastic, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulating effects. The authors use ashwagandha for low libido in patients suffering from stress or anxiety, those with arthritis, and for elderly patients with dementia."

5. It's an aphrodisiac since it supports sexual health. Very good, eh!

How to use it?

First of all, ALWAYS do your research and buy a product from an organic source with no fillers, gluten, fertilizers, pesticides or soy. You know the deal.

Secondly, if you have any health concerns and you're on medication, always check with your Naturopathic Doctor, herbalist, or another qualified healthcare practitioner before consuming ashwagandha.

So, Ashwagandha root comes in many forms such as capsules, powder, tea and tincture. I personally always use it in powder form because of its versatility. I add it to shakes, smoothies, soups and use it when I bake or prepare raw treats. But, it's yours to choose from. Find what form of ashwagandha will serve you the best:

- If you're a tea drinker: get steeped tea bags, add about 1-2 Tbsp in 8oz/ 240ml water, leave it for about 30min, strain and drink.

- Capsules and tinctures are obviously a perfect option for someone with a busy schedule!

- In general, it is advised to use about 500- 600mg/day. Bearing in mind what is it that you'll be using it for.

Few examples: for stress and anxiety, 500-600mg/day; for lowering blood sugar levels, 250mg/day; for boosting fertility, for both men and women, 5g/day; for fighting infection and inflammation, 250mg/day and for boosting memory, 500-600mg/day (reference).

When NOT recommended*:

- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

- Stomach ulcers

- Auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto’s disease

- Before surgery: Ashwagandha may slow down the central nervous system. Healthcare providers worry that anesthesia and other medications during and after surgery might increase this effect. It is advised to stop taking ashwagandha at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery

- Thyroid disorders

*Ashwagandha may interact with thyroid, blood sugar and blood pressure medications.

As I mentioned, I use this herb in baking too so, here is one raw recipe you might just enjoy. Oohh it's sooo yummy!

Salted Caramel Green Bliss Balls by Pia

Salted Caramel Green Bliss Balls

Super #healthy, refined #sugarfree, #glutenfree, #dairyfree!

10 min preparation time, serves 16(ish)

Ingredients: 1 cup pitted dates (soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained)

½ cup raw mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc)

½ cup almond meal (or additional mixed nuts)

1 tsp Ashwagandha

½ tsp spirulina

½ tsp pink Himalayan salt

Desiccated coconut for rolling

Instructions: - Add the nuts to a food processor and process until the nuts are a rough texture;

- Add the dates, almond meal and salt and blend until the mixture starts to stick together inside the food processor. The mixture should stick together if pressed but not be too sticky. If you find the mixture is too sticky add more almond meal and pulse until combined; add water if the mix gets too dry (be careful for not adding too much)

- Use a teaspoon, scoop out one teaspoonful of the mixture and roll using clean hands into a ball

- Roll the ball in desiccated coconut

- Store in the fridge

Dig in and ENJOY!

Notes:

* If you don't own a food processor, buy Medjool or Iranian dates that are soft thereby you will be able to mash them by hand. Also, buy already chopped nuts or almond meal or, just chop them by hand. Use that muscle power! Heeeh. *These bliss balls will keep for about a week, if they last that long..! Or a few months in the freezer.

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As always, hope you enjoyed visiting my page!

Much love,

Pia