Referring to my previously posted monograph on Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), I’d like to add a few notes. One is that most of the side effects I referred to in that piece, specifically hot flashes and sweating, seem to vary a great deal based on where the herb comes from. The herb I have used from Pacific Botanicals, Zack Woods Herb Farm and my own garden has yet to cause any of these problems in anyone, including myself, even in larger doses. The taste of this high quality, American grown root is also very different than anything I’ve gotten from India, even through normally good suppliers. And since the taste from the root harvested from my garden is nearly identical to that of the two farms referred to above, I tend to think this indicates how very good the quality is.
One significant characteristic of long term use of Ashwagandha I previously glossed over, is it’s amazing ability to stabilize blood sugar. This has been confirmed in studies and passes over well into actual practice. I’ve personally found it so effective that I no longer get low blood sugar and pressure EVER, even when I make the less than perfect food choices that usually throw me off (you know how brownies can just beg to be eaten.….).
This from Todd Caldecott:
“Diabetes: The hypoglycemic, diuretic and hypocholesterolemic effects of roots of Ashvagandha were assessed in six patients with mild NIDDM and six patients with mild hypercholesterolemia. The treatment consisted of the powder of roots over a 30 day period. At the end of the study, researchers noted a decrease in blood glucose comparable to that of an oral hypoglycemic drug, and a significant increase in urine sodium and urine volume, coupled with a decrease in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL (low density lipoproteins) and VLDL (very low density lipoproteins) cholesterol, with no adverse effects noted (Andallu and Radhika 2000)”
Now, notice that it says it caused a significant increase in urine volume, which would make you think that it would make low blood pressure worse, right? Well, I haven’t experienced any increase in urine volume and as I said above, it has definitely helped my low blood pressure and my blood sugar levels. I notice that some plants may work simply by lowering blood sugar while other plants, such as Ashwagandha, seem to rebalance the HPA axis and thus effect the insulin process however needed. I have certainly used Ashwagandha with clients with varying states of blood pressure and hypo or hyperglycemia, all with good results as long as the general indications for the herb are present.
Another interesting note is that due to it’s nourishing effect on the endocrine system it can help to balance overly long menstrual cycles. For example, I have consistently had rather long cycles (averaging about 30 to 31 days) ever since my 1 year experience on birth control pills many years ago, but after using a low dose of Ashwagandha (3 drops of dry plant tincture, 2x per day) for a couple of months my cycle steadily shortened and is holding strong now at 28 days for the last several months. It has also reduced my previous one to two week long bouts of PMS (thanks also to the pill, along with some really great ovarian cysts) to less than 24 hours, and only noticeable in an annoying way for about 8 hours. It seems to get better every month too. I’ve also observed this pattern in a few of my clients as well. I’ve wondered if it could possibly shorten the cycle too much, but so far this hasn’t been a problem, so perhaps modulates the cycle rather than simply shortening it, which would be consistent with Ashwagandha’s nourishing, balancing tendencies.
And did I mention that it’s been proven to (both in studies and clinical practice) be immunomodulatory? A very useful herb, even (or especially) in many cases of autoimmune disorders like lupus, where it is especially helpful with its anti-inflammatory properties. I do tend to recommend that clients back off of their dosage or stop it completely during a flareup though.
Refer to Caldecott’s online article or the books, Adaptogens or Herbal Therapy & Supplements, both by David Winston for more info on the studies that have been done on Ashwagandha.