Common names: Ashwagandha, Indian Ginseng, Winter Cherry
Taxonomic name: Withania somnifera
Family: Solanaceae
Related herbs: Kangaroo Apple, Turkey Berry, Blackberry Nightshade, Tomato, Pepino
Area of origin: Nepal, India, Middle East and parts of Africa
Parts used: Generally, the root (as a powder) but there is use of processed leaves and traditional use of the berries.
Has been used medicinally for: debility, exhaustion, ageing, stress related exhaustion, memory enhancement and improving cognitive functions, anxiety, restlessness, improving sexual function, increasing libido, lowering cholesterol. A tonic for the elderly and children who fail to thrive. Lowering blood sugar, improving hypotension, relieving spasms and cramps. As an anti-venom. Improving white blood cell count, especially when a low count is due to cancer treatments and cytotoxic drugs.
Healing Actions: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, hypocholesterolemic. hypotensive, immunomodulating, adaptogenic, diuretic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, women’s tonic, antiphodic, sedative
Taste: Bitter, earthy
Energetics: Warming, drying. Cooling, calming
Tissue states: Damp, congested, atrophied
Organ/System affinities: Nervous system, lungs, digestive system, Spleen, Liver, Stomach, Lung meridians
Healing constituents: Withanolides (steroidal saponins), withaferins, withaniamides.
Withania somnifera glucoprotein and other proteins, withania lectin like-protein
Contraindications and warnings: Do not eat raw leaves.
Avoid during pregnancy (possible abortificiant)
May increase testosterone levels
Hyperchromatosis (hemochromatosis?), hyperthyroid disease, Hyperarousal syndrome
Drug/herb interactions: Increases effects of triazolam
May potentiate effects of barbituates
May induce catalepsy if used with haloperidol
May increase tolerance to morphine analgesia, but may decrease morphine dependence
Caution with thyroid hormones
May interfere with Cancer medications
Description
Ashwagandha is perennial shrub to 1m tall. It has dull, grey-green elliptic leaves on tomentose branches that branch from an upright, central stem. It is quite vigorous and ours often competes toe to toe for our Cape Gooseberry for space and light. Both are tough as nails and survive a moderate drought. One of our neighbours down the road has several self seeded Ashwagandha plants along the side of their driveway. I can’t remember if they were there before our garden was established…we may have inadvertently contributed to them being there. Those plants only receive rain and are never watered but are ticking along nicely!
Flowers are small green/white and is 5 petalled in the star shape that is common in Solanums. Small fruit are orange/red when ripe and are held in fine dry cases reminiscent of Cape Gooseberry (which is also in this family).
Medicinal use
Keywords – tonic, supportive, immunity, muscle tone, virility, HPA axis, flighty, spends a lot of time in their head, weakness, exhaustion
I like to think of Ashwagandha as having the ability to settle and ground the mind while energising and restoring the body. Viewing it this, way, we can see how it can affect both excitable mental states while nourishing the body. In this way, I perceive Ashwagandha as bringing the mind down to earth so that it can receive nourishment from the bottom up, from the Earth to Heaven.
This amazing herb has been used for millennia to protect and settle the mind, relieving anxiety, sleeplessness, restlessness and excitability. Settling things in this way, it helps with mental cognition and memory issues that may be due to other things going on in the mind.
Ashwagandha’s restorative powers are legendary, whether it is for the young (kids who fail to thrive) or the elderly, or anywhere in between, it seems to have been used to, not only boos energy but to restore body and mind after anxiety and stress.
This nourishing herb is also known for another thing, one that sits halfway between body and mind – our libido and sexual function. They suffer through any kind of exhaustion, especially of kidney energy in TCM, which is the seat of the Qi we receive at birth and grow through food and breathing. Nourishes this energy which is sapped when we are tired and sometimes almost diminished when we are silly enough to keep working when we are buggered. This energy goes quickly when folks have sex when they are tired. I used to find sex energising when I was tired but years alter realised that I was converting precious ancestral Qi into a quick boost. Withiana also helps our libido by easing anxiety, which can be a major block, whether it comes through past trauma, performance anxiety or anxiety about conceiving (especially if other methods haven’t worked).
Ashwagandha works on our HPA (hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal) axis which, to boil it all down, basically is a combination of glands that makes all of our hormones that relate to stress and inflammation as well as regulating mood, energy and so much ore. By helping with this combination of glands, Ashwagandha helps our adrenaline and related hormone levels balance, improving blood sugar levels, helping with low blood pressure, and also reducing cholesterol. It can also improve the number of white blood cells in our blood, especially if they’ve been knocked down by chemotherapy or other cancer treatments. This is why Ashwagandha, even though it is a great restorative, should be used with caution if one is on any immunosuppressant medications.
As for its traditional use as an anti-venom…I’m still not sure on how that works yet but you can be assured that, like anything else I learn, it makes its way to this website eventually.
Another thing that I haven’t worked out yet is why it is indicated for pregnancy and breastfeeding in Asia but contraindicated during pregnancy in the West. Hmmm…more research…
Preparing and using
The part of Ashwagandha we use is the root, in powdered form. You can leave it in larger chunks for decoctions an food but powdered is much more convenient. I’ve heard of folks using the leaves but what is most surprising on a surface level is that folks don’t generally eat the bright red berries. But when you consider it, Ashwagandha is one of the Solanaceae family and, like many members of that family (e.g. Tomatoes or Potatoes), only certain parts get used.
Synergies – Ashwagandha combines well with other herbs for improved function. It can be added to Vervain and / or Skullcap as a general nervine. It is used traditionally with Ginseng for restoration of energy after long term fatigue. You could try exploring combining it with Wild Oats and /or Nettles for this purpose if you want to take it as a remedy. I would recommend considering adding it to food instead.
It has been combined with Damiana (Turnera diffusa) for sexual dysfunction in men
Ashwagandha root is traditionally used in a decoction with milk and honey, as you would use Turmeric. They combine well together too.
It has been used as a fresh plant liquid extract but I have tried it and its not great tasting. At least the root powder can be disguised in many things.
Ashwagandha has also been used as a tincture, an essential oil and as a component of a medicinal cream.
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