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Five (More) Surprising Benefits of Ashwagandha

We recently published an article detailing some of the surprising benefits of ashwagandha. In a turn of events that, given the current popularity of ashwagandha extract, perhaps should not have been too surprising, the general feedback that we have gotten on the piece is that it has encouraged many people to give ashwagandha supplements a go. This is great news.

However, there was also a common question that popped up again and again in the feedback we received, and that was “can it do anything else?”. Well, as luck would have it, yes, it can. Our previous list was by no means exhaustive and was more designed as an introduction to ashwagandha supplements for people who were not yet familiar with it.

So, if you enjoyed that article, you are going to love this one, as today we are going to go over 5 more surprising benefits of ashwagandha extract, to help give you the full picture of exactly what the daily use of ashwagandha supplements can do for you and your health.

Table of Contents

A Quick Recap

Ashwagandha is a plant extract that is also known as withania somnifera and Indian ginseng which comes from the roots of the evergreen winter cherry shrub. An adaptogenic herbal supplement, ashwagandha extract has long been used in ayurvedic and other forms of traditional medicine in Asia and various other parts of the world.

Able to offer an incredible range of beneficial effects for the human body, the most famous health benefits that it offers (and those which we covered in the previous article) are the ability to improve testosterone production and levels, prevent or treat anxiety and stress, boost brain health and functions, relieve inflammation and arthritis, and promote a healthy sleep cycle.

Five (More) Surprising Benefits Of Ashwagandha

Reduces Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Levels

Ashwagandha root extract is particularly effective at improving the human body’s natural synthesis of the hormone insulin, as well as its sensitivity to it. As a result, it can greatly help to reduce blood sugar levels, making it a very useful supplement for people who suffer from high blood glucose levels and even more severe conditions, such as diabetes (1).

Ashwagandha extract’s effect on insulin, as well as its effect on the production of stress hormones like cortisol, also give it the ability to notably lower blood pressure levels and help combat conditions such as hypertension.

Similarly, the effect of ashwagandha extract on blood sugar, blood pressure and cortisol levels will help to prevent fat storage, reducing your LDL cholesterol level, and helping to regulate your overall cholesterol levels, making it very useful for people with high cholesterol (2).

Boosts Mood & Combats Depression

In the previous article, we touched on the ability of ashwagandha extract to help relieve stress and anxiety. However, its effect on your stress hormone levels and mood regulation go much deeper than that.

By combining these effects with some of the other benefits of ashwagandha extract that we previously looked at, such as improved sleep quality, circadian rhythm, and energy levels and a reduction in fatigue, it can also help to significantly improve a person’s mood.

This makes taking an ashwagandha supplement a great idea, no matter if you are suffering from severe depression or simply feeling a little down in the dumps (3).

Learn more about Ashwagandha and depression here

Improves Athletic Performance & Energy Levels

One of the earliest known uses of ashwagandha extract was for its believed benefits on a person’s energy levels. While it was originally thought that this may not be the case, clinical trials have since produced scientific evidence that ashwagandha extract stimulates the production of the thyroid hormone thyroxine.

Higher thyroxine levels are well known to make people far more energetic and make it much harder to become fatigued, while raising thyroxine levels high enough can even help to treat issues like chronic fatigue syndrome as well (4).

These facts, combined with the notably improved muscle strength and focus that we have already established ashwagandha extract can help you enjoy, therefore also enabling its use to lead to greatly improved athletic performance too.

Helps Combat Infections & Diseases

As we mentioned above, the use of ashwagandha extract is great for helping to regulate thyroid function. While we previously only focused on how this affects a person’s energy levels and athletic performance, it also has a very positive impact on their immune system as well.

By boosting your immune response, ashwagandha extract not only makes it far easier for your body to fight off diseases and infections, but it can also help to combat any that you may already be suffering from.

A 30-day study conducted in 2018 on healthy men and women aged between 45 and 72 years of age found that doses of ashwagandha extract as low as 60 mg per day produced a significantly improved immune profile while causing absolutely no side effects at all (5).

Better Heart Health

One of the least mentioned benefits produced by using ashwagandha extract, and one which is largely generated due to a combination of the other beneficial effects that it offers, is a healthier, better-functioning heart and cardiovascular system as a whole.

Many of the benefits that we have already looked at, such as reduced fat storage and stress, blood pressure, cortisol, and cholesterol levels will play a major role in making your heart healthier, improving its performance, and reducing the risk of issues like cardiovascular disease.

However, ashwagandha extract can also offer a number of other benefits in this area. This includes clearing arteries, reducing your heart rate, and improving your blood flow and cardiovascular endurance.

You put all of this together, and taking ashwagandha supplements is a great way to achieve a stronger, healthier, better-functioning heart and cardiovascular system (6).

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

How Much Ashwagandha Extract Should You Take?

Studies show that dosages of ashwagandha extract ranging from just 250 mg all the way up to 1,000 mg are capable of producing notable health benefits, without putting the vast majority of people at risk of experiencing any unpleasant side effects.

That said, the optimal daily dosage of ashwagandha extract is believed to be between 500 mg and 600 mg, as this is capable of producing the maximum benefits that the compound can offer, with the use of higher doses than this largely thought to be pointless.

Do Ashwagandha Supplements Cause Side Effects?

The vast majority of people will be able to use ashwagandha supplements without experiencing any adverse reactions. That said, in rare cases it is possible that some people may get an upset stomach or feel nauseous the first time they use ashwagandha extract, and it is also recommended that pregnant women do not use it, as there is not enough research on how it will affect them.

How Long Does Ashwagandha Take To Start Working?

Many people will start to feel the effects of ashwagandha extract within 2 to 3 days of their first dose, provided they take enough and use it consistently, with increased feelings of calmness and relaxation, improved focus, and an easier time getting to sleep usually being the first things that people notice.

The vast majority of people will have started to feel the effects of ashwagandha extract within a few weeks of their first dose, and if you have not then you may want to consider either increasing the dose that you are taking or changing supplements.

Are All Ashwagandha Supplements The Same?

Ashwagandha supplements can, unfortunately, vary wildly in terms of both their efficacy and value. When selecting the ashwagandha supplement that is right for you, it is essential that you find one which uses a suitable dosage of a good quality ashwagandha extract, while also being priced in a way that provides good value for money.

What Is The Best Ashwagandha Supplement On Sale In 2025?

In our personal opinion, Prime Male Ashwagandha is comfortably the best ashwagandha supplement on the market in 2025. Featuring the perfect dose of a high-quality ashwagandha extract, free from any fillers, and very reasonably priced, it ticks all of the boxes that you could ask when it comes to this kind of supplement.