Everyday hassles associated with money, work and family life contribute to stress and anxiety, slowly leading to fatigue and poor sleep quality. Stress is like a double-edged sword. Short-term stress can fire up our body’s systems and keep us alert. However, prolonged stress significantly diminishes quality of life as it weakens immunity, digestive, excretory, and reproductive systems. Experts worldwide have also come to agree that continuous exposure to stress leads to a number of health issues such as a poor immune response, stomach problems and a weak heart. So if you are not sleeping well you might want to ask yourself, “Am I too stressed at work or over personal matters?”
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an Ayurvedic herb and medicinal plant, with a 4,000-year usage history. Also known as Indian ginseng for its adaptive abilities, this natural herb is mostly harvested for its roots that contain active constituents known as withanolides. Withanolides make ashwagandha an excellent adaptogen that promotes balance in the body to address stress and fatigue while also improving muscle strength, energy, sexual vitality and cognitive health. KSM-66® Ashwagandha is the current leading ashwagandha extract brand; the sole product of Ixoreal Biomed, Inc. Often known as the “World’s Best Ashwagandha”, KSM-66® is produced using a first-of-its-kind, unique extraction process based on “Green Chemistry” principle without using alcohol or any synthetic solvents. KSM-66® is the highest concentration (>5% withanolides) full-spectrum extract on the market today, retaining all the natural constituents of the herb in its original balance. Ixoreal Biomed is the only ashwagandha manufacturer in the world with its own farms, production facilities, testing laboratories, research centre and distribution. KSM-66® is GRAS affirmed and safe for long-term consumption proven by its historical footprint in Indian culture. In completion of its qualification reassurance, it is also halal certified, 100% organic, vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free.
Ashwagandha root is often called the “Prince of Herbs” in Ayurveda because it has an impressively broad range of therapeutic benefits. KSM-66® has the largest pool of studies including 11 completed human studies and at least 8 ongoing human studies. It has been clinically proven to reduce stress and anxiety, enhance memory and cognition, increase endurance and strength and also improve sexual function and testosterone levels in men. In a 64-subject study, 2 capsules containing 300mg of KSM-66® Ashwagandha each was given to participants that were under stress for a total of 8 weeks. At the end of the study, stress hormone (namely cortisol) levels fell by 27.9% and all participants recorded significant reduction in depression, anxiety and stress in multiple stress surveys. While stress response in the body is biologically accompanied by an increase in stress hormone levels, the ashwagandha herb being an adaptogen is known to promote balance in the body, reduce stress levels and help individuals to relax and calm down. In the area of sports and endurance, KSM-66® has been studied in 50 healthy males taking the same dose of ashwagandha supplements as the above study.
After 8 weeks, the male hormone, testosterone, was found to have increased in the participants accompanied by improved muscle strength, muscle size and a decrease of body fat percentage by 19%. Muscle growth was possibly influenced by the increase of testosterone levels with an observation of muscle recovery as well. In another similar study, KSM-66® also showed an improvement in oxygen capacity in healthy athletic adults. These two studies perfectly document the capabilities of ashwagandha to be taken as a supplement for those who are athletic and looking to improve their muscle-building routines. With an adaptive nature, the ashwagandha herb is a supplement that is suitable for all ages. It can be taken as a natural supplement for stress reduction. Ashwagandha is highly recommended for those who are stressed at work (especially executive levels and above), those who are experiencing sleeping difficulties and chronic fatigue, elderly and athletic individuals. If the source of stress can’t be resolved immediately, at least do not let the stress slow you down.
References:
Chandrasekhar, K., Jyoti Kapoor, and Sridhar Anishetty. "A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults." Indian journal of psychological medicine 34.3 (2012): 255.
Choudhary, Dnyanraj, Sauvik Bhattacharyya, and Kedar Joshi. "Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through Treatment With Ashwagandha Root Extract A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial." Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine (2016): 2156587216641830.
Wankhede, Sachin, et al. "Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 12.1 (2015): 1.
Choudhary, Bakhtiar, A. Shetty, and Deepak G. Langade. "Efficacy of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults." Ayu 36.1 (2015): 63.
Ambiye, Vijay R., et al. "Clinical evaluation of the spermatogenic activity of the root extract of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in oligospermic males: a pilot study." Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013).
Dongre, Swati, Deepak Langade, and Sauvik Bhattacharyya. "Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study." BioMed Research International (2015).
Dnyanraj Choudhary and Deepak Langade “Efficacy and safety of an Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in improving memory and selected cognitive functions.” Publication pending.
