Ashwagandha Buyer's Guide

STRONG EVIDENCE | BUY WITH CAUTION

Ashwagandha has reliable evidence but usage should be intermittent to avoid unwanted side effects.

• Ashwagandha has STRONG EVIDENCE for stress & anxiety at 600 mg/day (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)
• Ashwagandha has STRONG EVIDENCE for anaerobic performance and aerobic performance at 500 mg/day (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)
• Ashwagandha has MODERATE EVIDENCE for sleep & insomnia (PubMed)
• Ashwagandha has WEAK EVIDENCE for increasing testosterone (PubMed)

SuppsCheck Recommended Products

USP Approved Supplements

There are no USP approved Ashwagandha supplements.

NSF Approved Supplements

• Klean Athlete Ashwagandha
• Momentous Ashwagandha

Informed Sport Approved Supplements

• Momentous Ashwagandha
• Nutriburst Ashwagandha KSM-66
• Puresport Ultra Ashwagandha KSM-66

Informed Choice Approved Supplements

• Transparent Labs KSM-66 Ashwagandha

Other Good Options

• Jarrow Formulas Ashwagandha (KSM 66, 300 mg, 120 capsules)
• Life Extension Ashwagandha (Sensoril, 125 mg, 60 capsules)
• NOW Foods Ashwagandha (Standardised, 450 mg, 180 capsules)
• NOW Foods Ashwagandha (Standardised, 450 mg, 90 capsules)

Other Options for those with dietary limitations

• Zahler Ashwagandha (Kosher, KSM-66, 600 mg, 60 capsules)
• NOW Foods, Certified Organic Ashwagandha Extract Liquid (Standardised, Organic, 59 mL)

For Athletes

Verdict: Worth the money | Buy with Caution

Ashwagandha will produce a reliable benefit for athletes. Buy with caution, whilst ashwagandha is effective for athletes, it also has very powerful side effects. Use should be limited to times of moderate to extreme stress. Use should be limited to no longer than 2 weeks. Studies largely examine KSM-66 Ashwagandha although newer forms including Noogandha and Sensoril are similarly effective.

Best Product for Athletes

Momentous Ashwagandha is approved for athletes, contains KSM-66 Ashwagandha and is NSF Certified for Sport certified. This means it has been tested for label accuracy and 280+ banned substances. We can’t guarantee a product’s effectiveness unless it has been lab-tested for active ingredients. Other products on the market lack these criteria.

How to take

Take 300-600 mg in the evening, at dinner or before sleeptime. Avoid taking ashwagandha in the morning to maintain your natural cortisol cycle. Use should be limited to no longer than 2 weeks.

Warnings

The common side effect of ashwagandha, anhedonia, can be unpredictable in who it affects, possibly due to individual variances in HPA axis function.

---

For Healthcare Practitioners

Mechanism of Action

Ashwagandha root contains bioactive compounds including alkaloids, steroidal lactones, flavonoids, glycosides and steroids. Withanolides, a steroidal lactone are responsible for most marketed effects, specifically a reduction in stress levels that may have benefits for other factors including anxiety, sleep and life satisfaction (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed). The current theory for the effects of ashwagandha involve the HPA axis (PubMed). 

Interactions

Drug Interactions

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Ashwagandha may increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
Clinical evidence indicates that ashwagandha may lower blood glucose levels (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed).

ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS
May increase the risk of hypotension when taken concomitantly with antihypertensive drugs.
Study 1: Ashwagandha may reduce systolic blood pressure.

BENZODIAZEPINES
Ashwagandha may increase the sedative effects of benzodiazepines.

CNS DEPRESSANTS
The sedative effects of CNS depressants may be enhanced with ashwagandha supplementation.

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS
Ashwagandha use has been associated with autoimmune hepatitis, liver transplantation, fatal liver failure, liver failure, acute hepatitis and hepatic encephalopathy (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed).

IMMUNOSUPRESSANTS
Ashwagandha may decrease the effectiveness of immunosuppressants.
Review: Ashwagandha has anti-inflammatory, antitumor and immunomodulatory properties (PubMed).
Study 1: Enhances Immunity (PubMed)

THYROID HORMONE
Ashwagandha may increase the effects of thyroid hormone T3 and T4.