Ashwagandha: An Indian Superherb That Does Everything
Writer: Ryan Willms
Ashwagandha has become one of the better-known adaptogens in the western world, largely for it’s catchy name but also for its effectiveness for helping many of our modern ails. In Ayurvedic traditions it dates back thousands of years, as one of the staples in natural holistic medicine practices, also known as ‘Indian ginseng’. In my own experience; and what I’ve seen in friends, peers and clients, chronic stress has become the standard experience. It usually comes on slowly over a number of years and experiences in a way that we often aren’t even aware of. We arrive subtly in a depleted state after years of walking up to the edge. This preps us for trouble as any significant event that we should be able to handle, might push us into a mental or physical crisis. Fortunately we can do something about it, and we can use the medicine that Mother Earth provides.
Recently I’ve found that I’ve had a harder time sleeping deeply and shifting into my parasympathetic nervous system, stuck in a low-level of stress and unable to turn it off. I know there are many factors that create these issues, and it can be challenging to become aware of them all, and make different choices. But in the meantime since I’ve re-introduced a regular dose of ashwagandha I’ve noticed better sleep, regulated blood sugar and a deeper sense of calm.
The ashwagandha root acts on all three stages of the stress response: the alarm phase, the state of resistance, and the exhaustion phase. This dulls the stress response which benefits us because chronic stress harms the body, and in modern life, it’s rare that we are in real danger. In addition to stress management, ashwagandha’s benefits include reducing anxiety, immune support, weight management, neurological support and much more.
The alarm phase correlates to the ‘fight or flight’ reaction, the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a burst of stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline which are great for surviving a short term event, but when we wake up in this state or trigger it daily while we’re sit comfortably at our desk or on the couch, it’s a real problem. When our body is on guard like this it directs energy and focus away from many of our natural rhythms and functions, affecting digestion and sleep specifically. This is when stress can be detrimental to the second phase, the state of resistance. Our bodies are trying to recover and yet we’re still on high alert. I like to use the metaphor of shifting car gears here. After driving as fast as we can, we are trying to down shift, one gear at a time but we might get stuck in 3rd. It’s less draining than going all-out in 6th as fast as we can, but it’s still drawing a lot of energy from the body. We can step on the gas at any moment to blast off again, usually unnecessarily.
For years I’ve been trying to down shift all the way to neutral. Imagine being at total peace, calm and relaxed. That’s neutral. And it can feel foreign to a lot of us who have been chronically stressed for years. Fortunately this planet is filled with magical herbs, plants and nurturing medicines that can help our minds expand and our nervous systems relax. Adaptogens like ashwagandha can play a role here, and give us a hand in down-shifting a little more easily.
This ‘Indian ginseng’ contains a full spectrum of healing properties and has been said to aide in a variety of benefits such as; tonify the immune system, inspire vigor and strength, increase the body's levels of super oxide dismutase, harmonize mind, body, and spirit, and reduce the effects of mental, emotional, and physical stress.
Whether you’re looking to improve your sexual function, live longer, sleep deeper or balance hormones—ashwagandha can help. It seems hard to believe that one simple plant, ground up and extracted naturally, can benefit a human being in so many ways. But is it more unbelievable than existing right now on a huge ball of dirt and water flying around the sun, while the moon spins around us, all providing the perfect geometry and environment to bring life to this planet?
Footnotes
Pronounced, “osh-wah-GONE-duh”
Safe for long-term use
Elevates levels of GABA, a calming neurotransmitter that has complementary effects to acetylcholine
“Swiss Army knife of the herbal kingdom”
Tags: Nutrition