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Ashwagandha and Stress

In the modern day and age, it seems like everyone is dealing with stress of some sort. While technology is intended to make our lives easier and more stress-free, in many instances it does the exact opposite, leading to many people seeking ways to find a release.

Ashwagandha is highly regarded for its ability to manage and reduce stress levels, mainly due to the potent adaptogenic properties it is known to possess. Adaptogens are substances that help the body adapt to stress and restore balance in times of either physical or emotional strain, so they are an ideal tonic when you are feeling stressed, and ashwagandha is one of the very best.

However, despite being a supplement which has boomed in popularity in the last few years, most people still have very little idea of what it actually is or does. As a result, many people avoid using ashwagandha, as they feel it is nothing more than a placebo and a waste of money.

In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. That is why, in this article, we are going to explain to you exactly what ashwagandha is and how it goes about combatting stress. That way, next time you are feeling stressed, you will understand why it may be the best thing to try.

Table of Contents

What Is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that is extracted from the roots of an evergreen shrub best known as the winter cherry. Also called withania somnifera and Indian ginseng, it has long been used in ayurvedic medicine and many other types of traditional medicine around the world, especially in Asia.

Check out our main article on Ashwagandha and its surprising benefits here

In recent years, clinical trials have conclusively proven that it can provide a number of beneficial functions for the body. This includes combatting anxiety, depression, stress, and inflammation, improving energy and testosterone production and levels, brain and heart health and functions, exercise performance, and your mood, sleep cycle and quality, and blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and combatting diseases, infections, and health issues, like arthritis (1).

Taking ashwagandha in any way, shape or form will normally be able to help you enjoy the full range of these beneficial effects to some degree. That said, the exact degree to which you experience them will depend heavily on both the quality and quantity of ashwagandha extract that you use, so it is important to choose a good supplement if you want to see the best results.

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Ashwagandha and Stress: How it Helps

Lowers Cortisol Levels

Cortisol is a hormone often referred to as the “stress hormone”, as it is released during times of stress. Chronically high cortisol levels can lead to feelings of significant anxiety and stress, as well as weight gain and disrupted sleep, both of which can cause stress in their own right.

As ashwagandha has been conclusively shown to reduce cortisol levels, supplementing with it will directly help to lower the body’s stress response and make it easier for both you and your body to cope with stress (2).

Regulates The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is what controls the body’s stress response. In times of great stress, the HPA axis signals the release of cortisol and other hormones to try and help with the situation. However, it often goes way too far and actually makes the issue worse.

Ashwagandha supplementation helps to regulate the function of the HPA axis, preventing the body from overreacting to stressors and reducing the intensity of the stress response, enabling you to feel less stressed and react more calmly to any challenges that you face (3).

Promotes Calmness & Relaxation

Ashwagandha is believed to have a calming effect on the human nervous system, due largely to its ability to balance neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and GABA.

As these play an important role in both mood regulation and relaxation, their management through the use of ashwagandha supplementation can produce a calming effect that reduces feelings of anxiety, irritability, stress, and nervousness (4)(5).

Reduces Anxiety

Research has shown that ashwagandha supplementation can help to reduce anxiety symptoms by influencing the central nervous system (6). It may promote a sense of calm in a similar way to the point we just looked at, while also helping the body respond more effectively to stressful situations. This can be especially helpful for people who suffer from chronic anxiety and stress.

Supports Overall Vitality & Resilience

Ashwagandha is known to offer many physical benefits, including improved energy levels and stamina, and it enhances the body’s ability to handle physical and mental stressors, leading to enhanced overall vitality.

This can make the body much more resilient to stress and the many factors that cause it, while also reducing the feelings of exhaustion that often accompany prolonged periods of stress (7).

Improves Your Sleep Cycle & Quality

Stress often prevents people from getting a good night’s sleep, while poor sleep can, in turn, worsen stress levels, leading to a vicious cycle of stress and fatigue.

Perhaps more than any of its other benefits, ashwagandha is extremely well known for its ability to improve the quality of sleep that a person gets. As a result, supplementing with it will help people rest better, improve their mood, and feel more rejuvenated, all of which are crucial to help manage stress effectively (8).

Boosts Brain Health & Functions

Another of ashwagandha’s most well-known benefits is its ability to boost a person’s overall mental health and function in a great number of different ways.

Among other things, it can prevent or treat memory loss, mental decline, damage to the brain cells, and issues like Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, and improve memory recall, mental clarity, focus, and blood flow to the brain.

As mental deterioration is one of the main causes of stress, keeping it working at an optimal, healthy level from a huge range of different angles like ashwagandha does makes it a fantastic option for people who are dealing with stress to relieve their issues and stop them returning (9).