For thousands of years, Ashwagandha root has been used to help with multiple mental and physical conditions. This powerful herb has its history steeped in India, where Ashwagandha has been used in Ayurvedic medicinal practices for generations.
Today, this amazing plant has made its way well into western culture, and Ashwagandha is making headlines in the US in particular for its claimed success in helping Americans deal with daily stress, among other things.
One Herb, Many Potential Benefits
It’d be one thing if Ashwagandha root only did a single thing to improve life. As it turns out, this amazing root is much more than just a one-trick pony. Many of the purported benefits of Ashwagandha include:
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Better cognitive functioning (increased focus and concentration)
- Improved sexual health
- Increase in testosterone production
- Increase in lean muscle mass
Regardless of your age, gender, or dietary preferences, Ashwagandha root could hold many benefits for you. So, how do you take it?
Ashwagandha Dosages and Formats
The tricky thing about using an herb like Ashwagandha is to make sure you understand whether or not you’re taking a direct powder form, or a root extract.
Direct powder is simply a result of grinding up the root so that it can be mixed into water or some other substance suitable for drinking. An extract, on the other hand, is a condensed form of the substance, which often requires a distillation method to produce. Extracts are much more potent than direct powders. So, if you’re going to try Ashwagandha, be sure you know which of these you’re getting.
Ashwagandha and herbs like it can also be taken in pill format. Pill dosing can be much more convenient and dose-correct when compared with direct powder dosing. Before starting any new herbal supplement regimen, be sure to check with your doctor to make sure that the substance in question won’t pose any risk to your health.
As a final precaution about Ashwagandha or any other herbal supplement, remember that heavy metal contamination is a real problem with cheaper, lower-budget manufacturers. Try to source your herbs from companies that do thorough testing for heavy metals, eliminating things like lead and mercury from the substance you’re buying.
If you do end up trying Ashwagandha, be sure to report back to us here at the Constant Buzz and let us know how it went! In the meantime, stay tuned for more informative articles and blogs from the leader in buzz-worthy news.
