How Does Ashwagandha Support the Mind and Body?

Everyone gets stressed and anxious from time to time. From situations such as public speaking, financial worries, or even relationships. And currently our world is changing very rapidly with a fear of many unknowns increasing these burdens. When we cannot escape a stressor, and the pressure is constant, chronic stress is created. 

A herb known as ashwagandha can help. Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb and is classified as an adaptogen. Adaptogens are herbal pharmaceuticals that counteract the effects of stress in the body. Chronic stress has been found to cause and or worsen headaches, stomach disorders, skin disorders such dermatitis and eczema, asthma, feelings of depression, and the list could go on. Stress causes health problems that in turn cause more stress on our body, and the cycle repeats. This takes a toll on our body and can lead to many harmful, physiological changes to the body. These changes are often involved in our endocrine and immune systems. Adaptogens such as ashwagandha have stimulant properties that can help counteract these harmful effects. 

Luckily, the most popular and well researched use for ashwagandha is relief from feelings of stress, and that is specifically, chronic long term stress. Ashwagandha supports the body in several ways, including a healthy stress or frustration response, otherwise boosting your resilience without even trying! The easing of stress directly and indirectly leads to secondary benefits that have other positive effects on the body involving: 

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is currently not considered a medically diagnosable condition and according to many, people seeking treatment for adrenal fatigue may have underlying causes of other health problems such as anemia, infections, hormonal impairments or imbalances, and mental illnesses. Due to the nature of adrenal fatigue and a lack of understanding as to whether it is a valid condition can make addressing concerns difficult. But there are some suggestions for helping to deal with symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue such as that with ashwagandha.

Female Health

Hormones are drastically altered out of their proper balanced state when induced with chronic stress. We often don’t realize how mighty our hormones are. Just to name some of the direct roles they play are healthy menstruation, libido, and even mood and behavior. Ashwagandha’s role in stress reduction is closely tied to its support and enhancement of women’s hormonal health. The mineral-dense ashwagandha enhances communication within the endocrine system. This strengthens the adrenal glands, reduces cortisol, and increases  the production of blood.

Inflammation & Immune System

Inflammation, as we know, is just about related to everything in the body. From the red zit you may have just popped all the way to digestive sensitivities. The immune system uses inflammation as a tool to protect and heal cells from damage. This natural immune response can cause a negative outcome on health, and even result in long term tissue damage. Ashwagandha is there to help to reduce proinflammatory cytokines.

Moral of the story is that stress is a huge hindrance to overall health. If you’d like to try ashwagandha for yourself, try some from Jarrow Formulas or Pure Encapsulations.