Ashwagandha Has Potential Effects On Cognitive And Psychomotor Performance

(Newswire.net — December 5, 2016) Winnetka, IL — Ashwagandha is one of the medicinal herbs that an increasing number of people are using nowadays. It has long been thought to offer a range of health benefits and fight a range of medical conditions.

Ashwagandha has potential effects on cognitive and psychomotor performance. This ancient, medicinal herb has been thought to be effective for delivering therapeutic properties.

In a double-blind, prospective, multi-dose, crossover, and placebo-controlled study, the participants were divided into two groups, namely Withania somnifera or the ashwagandha group and the placebo in Run I.

The researchers provided a washout period of 14 days between Run I and Run II. It is also worth remembering that for pre and post-treatment for Run I and Run II, all test procedures were repeated.

The participants were 26 healthy males who belonged to the age of 20 to 35 years old. They were screened and those with evidence of drug abuse, physical illness, or aberrant laboratory findings were excluded.

Overall, twenty participants have completed the research study. The ashwagandha group received 2 capsules, which were taken in the morning and evening. The placebo group, on the other hand, contained lactose, cellulose, and magnesium stearate.

The participants were assessed based on a psychomotor performance testing. The tests included were the finger tapping test (FTT), simple reaction test (SRT), choice discrimination test (CDT), digit symbol substitution test (DSST), digit vigilance task (DVT), and card sorting test (CST).

The goal of the study is to see the effects of ashwagandha on cognitive and psychomotor performance among healthy human participants. After 14 days of ashwagandha treatment, it was found that there was a significant improvement in the reaction time.

The improvement was observed in 5 out of the 6 psychomotor performance tests. The researchers also found that there was no sedative effects.

The researchers suggest that this therapeutic herb could provide significant changes in the neurological baseline functions. It could also be clinically applied as a preventive measure and repair treatment on central nervous system disorders.

In various studies, ashwagandha has demonstrated its ability to improve all aspects of cognitive function. As a matter of fact, another placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study was conducted about it.

The study used ashwagandha, ginseng, and placebo to see psychomotor performance in 30 participants who were health. It was found that ashwagandha did better in sensorimotor function, mental arithmetic ability, and auditory reaction time than placebo and ginseng.

Ashwagandha supplements are widely available in the market today. Consumers are advised to choose ashwagandha supplements with black pepper, which is a bioavailability-enhancing ingredient. (www.amazon.com/organic-ashwagandha-root-powder/dp/B01GZALWGO)