If you’ve been browsing the aisles of your local pharmacy or swiping on TikTok, you’re probably familiar with ashwagandha or have seen celebrities and influencers touting the supplement’s stress-relieving benefits.
Ashwagandha is a “very powerful herb that has its origins in Ayurveda, which is the ancient form of medicine from India [that is] 5,000 years old,” says Dr. Meena Makhijani, an integrative medicine physician at UCLA Health and board-certified Ayurveda practitioner.
“So, ashwagandha has been used and described through all of these years within Ayurveda. And now of course, [it’s] gaining popularity throughout the world.”
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“Traditionally, ashwagandha is used in a tea form or powder form,” Makhijani notes, but now, ashwagandha is also available in capsules, gummies and even beverages. A 30-day supply of the supplements is usually around $20 to $30.
Some of the health benefits that people associate with the herb are stress management, reduced inflammation and improved reproductive health. But just how true are these claims, and is ashwagandha even safe?
A few of the common side effects of taking ashwagandha can include stomach problems like irritation of the gastrointestinal lining, diarrhea, and in rare cases, vomiting and nausea.
Here’s what experts say, and research shows, about ashwagandha’s effects on health.
Ashwagandha is ‘very effective’ at reducing levels of stress and anxiety
The great news is ashwagandha seems to live up to the hype as it relates to lowering stress.
“It is very effective, especially when we’re talking about stress and anxiety. There’s thousands of years of anecdotal evidence, but also there’s research that’s being done,” Makhijani tells CNBC Make It.
The strongest evidence for use of ashwagandha as a supplement is that it seems to reduce cortisol levels and perceived stress levels, says Andy De Santis, a…
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