As one of the most popular and effective medicinal herbs in the world, ashwagandha is revered for its seemingly endless uses for a variety of health issues, while also containing many properties that make it ideal as a general supplement as well.
Although ashwagandha has been used for centuries, modern medicine has recently taken a profound interest in the potent herb, conducting numerous trials and research into pinpointing what its exact health benefits are — and aren’t.
You’ll encounter a host of claims regarding ashwagandha’s abilities, but not all of them have been proven true in a controlled environment, and remain anecdotes in the meantime.
With that said, research has confirmed a number of ashwagandha effects and benefits, which we’ll cover below. Read on to see some of the many health benefits of ashwagandha, both proactive and preventative.
Reduces Blood Sugar Levels
One of the most promising and well documented benefits of ashwagandha is its effects on blood sugar levels. This applies to both healthy people, and those dealing with diabetes and other health issues that can stem from problems with blood sugar.
For instance, studies have indicated that ashwagandha can cause an uptick in the secretion of insulin, and also increase sensitivity to insulin in muscle cells.
There has been extensive research on blood sugar reduction on a number of different people groups, and each time, ashwagandha was shown to reduce levels each time.
As for people suffering from type-2 diabetes, a trial concluded that ashwagandha reduced fasting blood sugar levels for every person involved, just as effectively as certain diabetes medications.
All of this research suggests that ashwagandha can play a large role in combating problems with blood sugar levels, possibly helping diabetics avoid the need for certain prescription medications, thus saving them money, and sidestepping synthetic medicines in the process.
Anti-Cancer Properties
The search for cancer-fighting agents is an ongoing one, and scientists have found a lot of optimism using ashwagandha on a variety of levels. While not meant to be used as a sole method, ashwagandha certainly contains a number of effects that can be included with other types of cancer treatments.
Ashwagandha has been shown to help bring about apoptosis, which is the programmed death of cancer cells. Using ashwagandha as a supplement will not only cause the death of certain cancer cells, it can also prevent or hinder the growth of new cells in some cases.
When taken in larger and more sustain doses, multiple trials conducted with ashwagandha show that it can treat a number of cancer types, such as lung, brain, ovarian, and breast cancer.
Recent studies using ashwagandha with cancer patients have generated a lot of excitement, so don’t be surprised to see even more beneficial instances of ashwagandha in regards to cancer in the future.
Reduces Inflammation And Boosts Immunity
Inflammation is a common problem for many, and it manifests itself in several forms depending on the person who’s dealing with it. There are a number of different causes of inflammation, but ashwagandha can help with some of them.
Ashwagandha has shown an ability to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines, and also indicated the potential to minimize effects of inflammatory disorders.
Beyond that, it can also give your immune system a much needed boost, which can carry over into problems with inflammation as well, since inflammation is often caused by a grouping of white blood cells swarming together to fight off an infection.
Either way, it can enhance immune function by increasing immunoglobulin production, a property that makes it more effective than most when it comes to providing your body with aid to its overworked immune system.
Controls Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is one of your body’s most important hormones, and also one of the busiest. It’s responsible for a number of different processes, including controlling your sleep cycle, controlling inflammation, regulating blood pressure, and also your energy levels.
Cortisol is produced within your body, and is supposed to stay around a certain level when things are normal, but life events can trigger fluctuations in cortisol production. This includes prolonged stress, tiredness, and sickness.
If your cortisol levels get out of whack (which is often in the form of being too high,) you may experience a number of issues, including lack of sleep, depression, weight gain, and more.
Taking ashwagandha can naturally regulate your cortisol levels in a more effective way, and often reduce levels when they have remained too high for an extended period. This can create a chain effect that leads to feeling better in a lot of different areas.
Reduces Stress, Anxiety, And Depression
This kind of piggybacks off the previous point, but takes things a bit further.
One of ashwagandha most celebrated benefits is its ability to help people deal with stress, depression, anxiety, and other related issues. Some of this does indeed revolve around cortisol levels, but it goes beyond just that.
Ashwagandha has been shown in numerous trials to actually black the stress pathways in your brain, which is done by achieving a better regulation of the nervous system’s chemical signals. This carries over into removing the root causes of insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Of course, there are a number of other aspects that can trigger these problems, but ashwagandha is a great help to any chemical causes, and can always help to at least ease a lot of these issues overall, as proven by research.
Conclusion
Ashwagandha remains one of the most sought-after medicinal herbs for a reason, and research continues to show its effectiveness in treating scores of problems millions of people deal with on a daily basis.
If you’re looking for a natural way to address the issues listed above, perhaps it’s time to give ashwagandha a try for yourself. You may be surprised as to what this potent herb can do for the quality of your own life.