(Newswire.net — July 16, 2019) — Are you a stickler for holistic health? 

Traditional wellness practices such as Ayurveda are no longer just a fad. More and more people are attesting to the powerful and wholesome healing effects of herbs, roots, and natural dietary supplements.

Ashwagandha is one such herb that has gained the attention of holistic health buffs. If you’ve been on the lookout for a solid way to balance your energy and improve overall wellbeing, Ashwagandha is worth checking out.  

What Is Ashwagandha?

Associated with vitality, memory, and peace of mind, Ashwagandha is one of the most potent ingredients used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. This plant belongs to the Solanaceae family and its scientific name is withania somnifera. 

The plant’s benefits, which include strengthening of cognitive functions, boosting immunity, and alleviating stress, are tapped from the roots. The fruit and leaves of the plant certainly do have therapeutic benefits of their own but the magic lies in the roots. 

Like the tomato plant, Ashwagandha blossoms into yellow flowers and yields red fruit. This plant also shares some resemblance with the Siberian Ginseng and the Ginseng plant itself. Many people refer to the Ashwagandha as Indian Ginseng even though it is unrelated to Ginseng. 

This ayurvedic plant also goes by other common names such as Winter Cherry and Poison Gooseberry. A sure way to distinguish Ashwagandha from these other plants is by its distinct ‘horse sweat’ smell—yup, if you know how a horse smells, you know what to expect from Ashwagandha in terms of the plant’s aroma.

It Has Quite Some History 

Ancient communities in India, the Middle East, and North Africa have been using Ashwagandha for more than 2000 years! The first mention of this plant was in the Sushruta Samhitas and Charaka, popular ancient Ayurvedic texts.

Ayurveda itself, a traditional wellness practice that can be traced back to India, dates as far back as 6000 BC and is still in use today not just in India but also in the Western world! Talk about a healing tradition that has withstood the test of time.

Working as the king’s physician in ancient India, Hindu sage, Punarvasu Atreya was among the first to discover and document the therapeutic and restorative effects of Ashwagandha. His discoveries contributed a lot to the teachings contained in the Charaka. 

The origins of the name Ashwagandha are traceable to the words ashva, which means horse and gandha, which means smell. When these words are combined, the name Ashwagandha translates to ‘horse smell’. It isn’t any wonder that this plant is associated with the vitality and strength of a horse. 

While Ashwagandha is native to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, North Africa, and the Middle East, the plant is also now grown in parts of the United States such as North and South Carolina where the climate is drier and temperate.

Relieve Stress and Heal Your Body With Ashwagandha 

Few would argue with the fact that Ashwagandha is truly a miracle plant. From alleviating depression and stress to fighting cancerous cells, this plant’s healing power is unmatched. 

How is Ashwagandha able to deliver these amazing health benefits?

For starters, the plant belongs to the nightshade family alongside other plants such as potatoes and tomatoes. Nightshades are rich in glycoalkaloids, a compound that helps the plants to fight against invaders such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses. 

Ashwagandha also contains withanolides, amino acids, fatty acids, alkaloids, and other beneficial chemicals with powerful medicinal value. 

Fight Stress and Gain Greater Clarity 

Ashwagandha is best known for its ability to relax the body and alleviate any tension hiding deep in the muscles. For this reason, it is referred to as an adaptogen, a compound that helps the body cope better with internal and external sources of stress.

When it is administered as a tonic, Ashwagandha works to not only alleviate physical stress but it also helps to open up a person’s mental and emotional constitution. Those who have used this plant whether in powder form or as an essential oil report feeling balanced, rooted, and having a stronger sense of clarity. 

In particular, Ashwagandha balances cortisol, the stress-related hormone and suppresses the production of stress hormones by the adrenal gland. By regulating the stress hormone, other hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone are also kept in check, which in turn boosts libido and fertility. 

Enjoy Better Memory and Increased Happiness 

In the context of Ayurveda medicine, Ashwagandha goes by the name Medhya rasayana. Rasayanas are plants, herbs, amino acids, and substances that work to boost mental strength, increase physical stamina, and slow down the aging process. Isn’t this what we all want—youth, smarts, and prowess?

Want to experience more Zen in your everyday life? Supplementing with Ashwagandha might just help. Ancient societies used this herb to restore the vata energy, which is associated with air and space. Restoration of vata energy can lead to experiencing deeper happiness and long-term wellbeing.

Say Goodbye To Pain and Hello To More Energy 

Do you suffer from stiff joints, inflammation, and body pain? Ashwagandha is a powerful pain reliever and works to restore and calm the body, in turn, promoting optimal rest. 

Other than that, Ashwagandha aids muscle recovery, especially if you are looking to improve performance in resistance training at the gym. Regular consumption of Ashwagandha a powder promotes the production of an amino acid known as creatinine, which helps with muscle recovery and protects muscle during intense exercise. 

Down With Cancer 

More and more cancer patients and survivors are looking to traditional healing practices such as Ayurveda to cope with the effects of the diseases. Studies continue to show that Ashwagandha promotes the death of cancer cells and prevents the growth of new ones. 

In particular, the herb supports the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are unstable oxygen molecules that can destroy cancer cells but leave healthy, normal cells unscathed. 

Researchers are increasingly finding Ashwagandha to be effective at treating ovarian cancer as well as cancer of the lung, brain, and breast. Used alone or together with anti-cancer medicine, it can reduce tumor growth by up to 80 percent.

Interesting Ways To Use Ashwagandha

What’s really cool about Ashwagandha is that you can use it in many different ways depending on your needs. If your taste buds are not feeling it, you can diffuse and inhale Ashwagandha Essential Oil, for example. For buying advice, take a look at a review of some of the best Ashwagandha brands.

So, a few ways to get the most from this powerful medicinal plant: 

Use As An Essential Oil 

Is pain, muscle tension, or mental exhaustion keeping you from enjoying restful sleep? Diffusing and inhaling Ashwagandha essential oil can help calm the body and mind, allowing you to sleep better at night. Just burn the undiluted essential oil in a diffuser and spray it around your home or office. 

You can also use Ashwagandha essential oil to massage and relax tense muscles. Just be sure to first dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil such as coconut or olive before applying to the skin. A simple and safe remedy would be to dilute 30 drops of the essential oil with a tablespoon of carrier oil. 

Pop the Pills 

Another way to benefit from Ashwagandha is making your own herbal tablets to consume just like your daily dose of vitamins. A really nice way to enhance the medicinal benefits of this already powerful herb is mixing it with other adaptogenic herbs and plants such as turmeric, licorice, ginseng, thyme, and eucalyptus,  just to mention a few. 

Here is a recipe you can put together really quick: 

In a large bowl, place two tablespoons of Ashwagandha root powder. To make a paste, add a ½ cup of honey, ghee, and any nut butter such as peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter. Before mixing, add some earthy flavorings such as ginger or cinnamon. 

Next, use a tablespoon to scoop small quantities of the paste, place on wax paper and roll into balls. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Take one ball or pill every day, preferably before bedtime.

Drink It Up 

Adding Ashwagandha powder to water, juice or tea is probably the most common way to enjoy this plant. To drink with water or juice, just add the recommended amount of powder into your beverage of choice, stir, and enjoy with meals or a snack. 

Try brewing some Ashwagandha tea and drinking a cup just before bedtime to enjoy better sleep. You can enjoy the tea with or without milk but, if you go the milk way, try using raw organic milk. 

So, in a small pan, add a cup of milk, two teaspoons of Ashwagandha powder, honey to sweeten the tea, and a cup of water. Cover the pan and allow the tea to simmer under low heat. Remove the tea from the heat, strain into a cup and drink while warm. 

Wrapping Up 

Ashwagandha has many amazing health benefits. Whether you are looking to calm your nerves ahead of a high stakes presentation or you are managing a chronic disease, supplementing with this medicinal plant can help to promote long lasting mental and physical wellbeing.