Ashwagandha (withania somnifera)

Table of Contents

Other names

Indian ginseng
winter cherry

Synopsis

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry, is a revered adaptogenic herb in Ayurvedic medicine, prized for its ability to restore vitality, enhance stress resilience, and promote overall well-being. Native to India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, ashwagandha is a small shrub in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, with the root being the most commonly used part for medicinal purposes.

Ashwagandha contains a unique group of steroidal lactones called withanolides, along with alkaloids and flavonoids, which give it its broad therapeutic effects. It is best known as a nervine tonic and adaptogen, helping the body adapt to physical, emotional, and environmental stress while reducing cortisol levels and supporting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Key benefits include:

  • Reducing anxiety and stress
  • Improving sleep quality
  • Enhancing cognitive function and memory
  • Supporting thyroid and adrenal health
  • Increasing stamina, strength, and recovery
  • Balancing blood sugar and supporting immune function

Ashwagandha is commonly taken as a powder (churna), capsule, extract, or tea, and is frequently combined with other rejuvenative herbs in Ayurvedic rasayana (rejuvenation) formulas.

Historical Use:

Ashwagandha has been used for over 3,000 years in Ayurveda, where it is classified as a rasayana, meaning a herb that promotes longevity, vitality, and youthfulness. Its name translates to “smell of a horse,” reflecting both its distinct odor and its traditional belief to impart the strength and vitality of a horse.

Ancient Ayurvedic texts such as the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita recommend ashwagandha for conditions involving debility, emaciation, nervous exhaustion, impotence, insomnia, and joint inflammation. It was traditionally used to strengthen reproductive tissues (shukra dhatu), enhance mental clarity, and support convalescence after illness or trauma.

Ashwagandha has also been employed in Unani and Middle Eastern medicine, where it is valued for its anti-inflammatory and calming properties, and occasionally used to treat rheumatism, chronic fatigue, and impotence.

Today, ashwagandha remains one of the most widely used and studied adaptogens in modern herbal medicine. It continues to gain global recognition for its ability to support stress management, hormonal balance, immune health, and mental performance, offering a powerful blend of ancient wisdom and modern scientific validation.

Uses: Health Conditions

Abdominal Pain (Traditional)
Abuse and Trauma (Traditional)
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Traditional)
Addictions (coffee, caffeine) (Traditional)
Addictions (drugs) (Traditional)
Addictions (general remedies for) (Traditional)
Addictions (sugar or refined carbohydrates) (Traditional)
Addictions (tobacco smoking or chewing) (Traditional)
Addison's Disease (Traditional)
Adenitis (Traditional)
Adrenal Fatigue (Traditional)
Afterbirth Pain (Traditional)
Aging (prevention) (Traditional)
Alcoholism (Traditional)
Allergies (food) (Traditional)
Allergies (respiratory) (Traditional)
Alzheimer's Disease (Traditional)
Amenorrhea (Traditional)
Anemia (Traditional)
Aneurysm (Traditional)
Anger (excessive) (Traditional)
Angina (Traditional)
Anorexia (Traditional)
Anxiety (Traditional)
Anxiety Disorders (Traditional)
Apathy (Traditional)
Appetite (deficient) (Traditional)
Appetite (excessive) (Traditional)
Arrhythmia (Traditional)
Arteriosclerosis (Traditional)
Arthritis (Traditional)
Asthma (Traditional)
Athletic and Exercise Aids (Traditional)
Attention Deficit Disorder (Traditional)
Autism (Traditional)
Autoimmune Disorders (Traditional)
Backache (Traditional)
Bedwetting (Traditional)
Belching (Traditional)
Bell's Palsy (Traditional)
Bipolar Mood Disorder (Traditional)
Birth Control (countering side effects) (Traditional)
Birth Control (natural) (Traditional)
Bladder (irritable) (Traditional)
Bladder (ulcerated) (Traditional)
Blood Poisoning (Traditional)
Body Building (Traditional)
Breasts (enhance size) (Traditional)
Breasts (swelling and tenderness) (Traditional)
Bulimia (Traditional)
Cancer (prevention) (Traditional)
Cancer Treatment (reducing side effects) (Traditional)
Emotional Sensitivity (Traditional)
Endurance (lack of) (Traditional)
Energy (lack of) (Traditional)
Epilepsy (Traditional)
Erectile Dysfunction (Traditional)
Exercise (Traditional)
Fainting (Traditional)
Fat Cravings (Traditional)
Fatigue (Traditional)
Fear (excessive) (Traditional)
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (Traditional)
Fingernail Biting (Traditional)
Gangrene (Traditional)
Glands (swollen lymph) (Traditional)
Goiter (Traditional)
Grave's Disease (Traditional)
Grief and Sadness (Traditional)
Hair (graying) (Traditional)
Hair (loss or thinning) (Traditional)
Hair Care (general) (Traditional)
Hashimoto's Disease (Traditional)
Headache (cluster) (Traditional)
Headache (general) (Traditional)
Headache (tension) (Traditional)
Heart (weakness) (Traditional)
Heart Fibrillation or Palpitations (Traditional)
Heart Valves (Traditional)
Hot Flashes (Traditional)
Hypertension (Traditional)
Hypochondria (Traditional)
Hypoglycemia (Traditional)
Hypotension (Traditional)
Hypothyroid (Traditional)
Hysteria (Traditional)
Incontinence (Traditional)
Infertility (Traditional)
Inflammation (Traditional)
Insomnia (Traditional)
Irritability (Traditional)
Jet Lag (Traditional)
Leucorrhea (Traditional)
Lupus (Traditional)
Lyme Disease (Traditional)
Lymphoma (Traditional)
Mania (Traditional)
Melanoma (Traditional)
Memory and Brain Function (Traditional)
Menopause (Traditional)
Menorrhagia (Traditional)
Menstrual Irregularity (Traditional)
Menstruation (scant) (Traditional)
Mental Illness (Traditional)
Miscarriage (prevention) (Traditional)
Mood Swings (Traditional)
Multiple Sclerosis (Traditional)
Muscle Tone (lack of) (Traditional)
Myasthenia Gravis (Traditional)
Narcolepsy (Traditional)
Nervous Exhaustion (Traditional)
Nervousness (Traditional)
Neurosis (Traditional)
Night Sweating (Traditional)
Nightmares (Traditional)
Nocturnal Emission (Traditional)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (Traditional)
Ovarian Pain (Traditional)
Pain (general remedies for) (Traditional)
Parkinson's Disease (Traditional)
Peripheral Neuropathy (Traditional)
Perspiration (deficient) (Traditional)
Perspiration (excessive) (Traditional)
Pets (supplements for) (Traditional)
Phobias (Traditional)
PMS (general) (Traditional)
PMS Type A (Traditional)
PMS Type C (Traditional)
PMS Type D (Traditional)
Post Partum Depression (Traditional)
Post Partum Weakness (Traditional)
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Traditional)
Premature Ejaculation (Traditional)
Progesterone (low) (Traditional)
Prolapsed Uterus (Traditional)
Puberty (hormone balancer) (Traditional)
Restless Dreams (Traditional)
Restless Leg Syndrome (Traditional)
Sex Drive (excessive) (Traditional)
Sex Drive (low) (Traditional)
Shame and Guilt (Traditional)
Shock (Traditional)
Sleep (restless and disturbed) (Traditional)
Sleep Apnea (Traditional)
Stress (Traditional)
Sugar Cravings (Traditional)
Surgery (preparation for) (Traditional)
Syphilis (Traditional)
Tachycardia (Traditional)
Teeth (grinding) (Traditional)
Tension (Traditional)
Testosterone (low) (Traditional)
Thinking (cloudy) (Traditional)
Tics (Traditional)
Tinnitus (Traditional)
TMJ (Traditional)
Tremors (Traditional)
Triglycerides (high) (Traditional)
Triglycerides (low) (Traditional)
Tuberculosis (Traditional)
Twitching (Traditional)
Vaccines (detoxification from) (Traditional)
Vitiligo (Traditional)
Weight Gain (Traditional)
Weight Loss (Traditional)
Wheezing (Traditional)
Whiplash (Traditional)
Worry (Traditional)

Body Systems

Adrenal Cortex (Traditional)
Sympathetic Nervous System (Traditional)
Adrenal Glands (Traditional)
Adrenal Medulla (Traditional)
Brain (Traditional)
Cortisol (Traditional)
Epinephrine (Traditional)
GABA (Traditional)
Glandular System (Traditional)
Hair (Traditional)
Immune System (Traditional)
Male Reproductive System (Traditional)
Ovaries (Traditional)
Pancreatic Tail (Traditional)
Parasympathetic Nervous System (Traditional)
Pituitary (Traditional)
Pituitary (anterior) (Traditional)
Pituitary (posterior) (Traditional)
Progesterone (Traditional)
Reproductive System (Traditional)
Serotonin (Traditional)