Evidence supporting the use of: Ashwagandha
For the health condition: Adrenal Fatigue

Links: Go back one page, Tool main page, Ingredients list, Health conditions list, Body systems list

Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine as an “adaptogen,” meaning it is believed to help the body cope with various forms of stress, including “adrenal fatigue”—a non-medical term used to describe a collection of vague symptoms (fatigue, sleep disturbances, etc.) attributed to chronic stress and supposed dysfunction of the adrenal glands. While traditional use supports the idea of ashwagandha as a remedy for stress and exhaustion, the scientific concept of “adrenal fatigue” is not widely accepted in mainstream medicine, and there is limited direct clinical research on ashwagandha’s effect on this specific condition.

However, several modern studies have investigated ashwagandha’s adaptogenic properties, showing that it may help reduce perceived stress and cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands). A few randomized controlled trials have reported improvements in stress, anxiety, and cortisol balance in stressed adults taking ashwagandha extract. Nevertheless, these studies typically assess general stress resilience rather than directly measuring or treating “adrenal fatigue.”

In summary, the use of ashwagandha for “adrenal fatigue” is primarily justified by traditional medicine, with some supporting evidence for stress reduction in modern research. However, there is no robust clinical evidence that ashwagandha treats a defined adrenal gland disorder as described by proponents of “adrenal fatigue.”

More about ashwagandha
More about Adrenal Fatigue

Other health conditions supported by ashwagandha

Addictions (drugs)
Addictions (general remedies for)
Adrenal Fatigue
Afterbirth Pain
Aging (prevention)
Alcoholism
Allergies (respiratory)
Alzheimer's Disease
Amenorrhea
Anemia
Angina
Anorexia
Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders
Appetite (deficient)
Anger (excessive)
Arthritis
Asthma
Athletic and Exercise Aids
Attention Deficit Disorder
Autoimmune Disorders
Backache
Bedwetting
Body Building
Cancer (natural therapy for)
Cancer (prevention)
Cancer Treatment (reducing side effects)
Cholesterol (high)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder
Circulation (poor)
Concentration (poor)
Depression
Diabetes
Digestion (poor)
Emotional Sensitivity
Endurance (lack of)
Energy (lack of)
Epilepsy
Erectile Dysfunction
Exercise
Fatigue
Fear (excessive)
Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Goiter
Grief and Sadness
Hair (graying)
Hair (loss or thinning)
Hair Care (general)
Headache (general)
Headache (tension)
Heart (weakness)
Hot Flashes
Hypertension
Hypothyroid
Hysteria
Infertility
Inflammation
Insomnia
Irritability
Leucorrhea
Lyme Disease
Memory and Brain Function
Menopause
Menorrhagia
Menstrual Irregularity
Menstruation (scant)
Mental Illness
Migraine
Miscarriage (prevention)
Mood Swings
Muscle Tone (lack of)
Nervous Exhaustion
Nervousness
Neurosis
Nightmares
Nocturnal Emission
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Osteoporosis
Pain (general remedies for)
Parkinson's Disease
Peripheral Neuropathy
Pets (supplements for)
PMS (general)
PMS Type C
PMS Type D
Post Partum Depression
Post Partum Weakness
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Premature Ejaculation
Prolapsed Uterus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sex Drive (low)
Sleep (restless and disturbed)
Stress
Syphilis
Tension
Testosterone (low)
Thinking (cloudy)
TMJ
Tremors
Triglycerides (high)
Tuberculosis
Vitiligo
Weight Gain
Weight Loss
Worry
Wounds and Sores