Can taking ashwagandha supplements improve health?

“There are a lot of scientific research studies on it,” says Yufang Lin, an integrative medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. But “studies have limited data.”

People often take ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in the form of powders, capsules, tablets, liquid drops or gummies that contain extracts of the plant’s roots to help with stress or sleep. And research shows that the supplement can ease perceived stress and anxiety, as well as reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, compared to placebo treatments. In one study, subjects rated their stress 44 percent lower, on average, after taking ashwagandha for 60 days. Some studies also suggest it can help people fall asleep minutes faster, sleep up to 25 minutes longer, and wake up during the night up to 12 minutes less, with greater benefits for insomnia.

Experts say this could make the herb useful for those experiencing types of anxious stress, such as a student dreading an exam. Margaret Harris, a nutrition researcher at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, studied the effects of ashwagandha supplementation on college students and took the supplement herself.

“After about nine to 10 days, people in the intervention group started saying, ‘You know, I feel like I can … accomplish everything I want to accomplish today,'” Harris says, recalling one of her studies.

In addition to studies of ashwagandha’s effects on stress and anxiety, a small body of research reports other benefits in humans such as lowering blood sugar, increasing physical performance and muscle strength, increasing cognitive functions such as memory and focus, and increasing testosterone, sperm count and sperm health in men. Ashwagandha may derive some beneficial properties in part from compounds called withanolides, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

And as far as experts know, ashwagandha doesn’t dull emotions or make oral birth control less effective, as some TikTok creators have said — though experts note there are occasional cases of users feeling too sedated, or in pain. stomach or loose stools.

But the limited number of randomized, controlled studies investigating each protected use—and the limited number of subjects in each study—leave ashwagandha’s confirmed benefits unclear.

“You will see with many studies that there are dozens of people [studied] as opposed to hundreds or thousands of people,” says Denise Millstine, an integrative medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. Making more definitive statements about what ashwagandha can do, she says, would require more studies with ” sufficient subjects involved in demonstrate power and not just chance.”

Even the largest studies on ashwagandha’s stress and sleep benefits have had small samples and lasted no more than three months, meaning experts don’t know the effects of consistent dosing over longer periods. Experimental setups have also varied widely in the dose and type of preparation given to participants, making it difficult to know which amounts of extract are best.

Most studies have also examined ashwagandha in the context of Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient Indian practice based on holistic healing. Millstine notes that while traditional botanical medicine practices like Ayurveda combine ashwagandha with other relaxants like chamomile, lemon balm, and rhodiola, many people today take the herb on its own, so future research could benefit from comparing the two approaches.

None of this necessarily means the plant isn’t useful, Millstine says—just that more research is needed. “There’s a lot of wisdom in tradition, so it shouldn’t be thrown out the window just because it’s there [is] lack of randomized controlled trials.”

That’s especially true given that ashwagandha is generally safe, she adds. While certain groups should stay calm — especially pregnant people, since high doses can lead to miscarriage — for most people, “a lot of studies are showing that it really doesn’t have many side effects,” says Harris.

Just keep in mind that the plant is not a miracle cure, experts say. It may take more than one supplement to ease your mind if you have severe anxiety, or to help you sleep if you’re scrolling through social media late at night. In Lin’s practice, she works with patients to develop better sleep habits, diet, mental health, and exercise to manage stress and fatigue (SN: 21/2/23). “Ashwagandha may be one piece of the puzzle,” says Lin. But “you have to use it in [the] the context of how a patient is doing in general.”

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