Verywell / Michela Buttignol
Ashwagandha is having a big moment in the TikTok limelight.
Testimonies of its wonders for reducing stress and anxiety flood the app.
All things considered, my life is pretty stress-free these days.
Verywell / Michela Buttignol
Still, my active lifestyle wears me outI teeter on the edge of exhaustion most nights.
Falling asleep isnt typically a problem for me.
But staying asleep in a noisy Brooklyn apartment can be.
So I took a daily ashwagandha pill for three weeks to see what the hype is all about.
Ashwagandha belongs to a class of plants and mushrooms calledadaptogens.
Alongside herbs like turmeric and licorice root, ashwagandha has long been part of a healthful ayurvedic lifestyle.
By acting on hormones, ashwagandha can even boost athletic performance and libido.
Getting out of bed for my morning gym session has been much less trying.
Researchers are still trying to understand precisely how ashwagandha interacts with the brain to promote sleep.
My improved sleep came with a side of colorful dreams.
Sometimes we do have to process some things at night that we havent necessarily processed in the day.
How Does Ashwagandha Work?
Some studies find that it takes weeks of ashwagandha use at high dosages to reduce stress and anxiety.
But Parrish said that, depending on the dosage, some people may feel the effects within days.
Its very tonifying for a nervous system.
So if someones mentally exhausted, sometimes they feel the effect pretty immediately, Parrish said.
Some social media users say they experience emotional numbness with ashwagandha use.
Some even take it for that reason.
This means the herb can bring the immune response into balance, Shah said.
if there is a hyper-immune response, [ashwagandha] will lower it.
if there is a low immune response, it will up it.
Because its in the nightshade family, it can be harmful to people with weakened immunity.
What Else Should You Know Before Taking Ashwagandha?
You may not know if ashwagandha is right for you until you try it.
Otherwise, there are no known downsides to taking the supplement for a trial run.
Wholistic health stores and online marketplaces are awash with ashwagandha options.
The supplement industry, Parrish said, is probably the most unregulated industry in the world.
When choosing an ashwagandha supplement, she said to look for reputable brands that follow good manufacturing practices.
Parrish recommends starting with a low dose, and increasing it if necessary.
While ashwagandha can be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle, its not a cure-all.
Stress, anxiety, insomnia, and other health problems can have multiple causes and solutions.
In Ayurveda, we spend time to identify the root cause of your issues, Shah said.
“Eliminating the primary root cause of the disease is the first step of treatment.
The Final Verdict
So far, my ashwagandha journey has been lovely.
I’m sleeping better and generally feel more chill.
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