Ashwagandha is an ancient adaptogen – a medicinal herb to help you manage stress. While this is its main “job,” there are many other great benefits to taking ashwagandha supplements including giving your brain function a boost, lowering blood sugar and cortisol levels, reducing inflammation throughout the body, and helping you ward off the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Let’s take a look at some of those benefits here.
Reduce Blood Sugar Levels
There are several studies showing that ashwagandha supplements reduce blood sugar levels – even in people who have diabetes. This is because it increases insulin secretion and improves insulin sensitivity within your muscle’s cells.
Anticancer Properties
There have been some studies conducted that show that ashwagandha contains a compound that induces apoptosis – the programmed death of cancer cells. The same study also shows that it’ll impede the growth of new cancer cells in several ways. Ashwagandha supplements also contain withaferin which is believed to help form reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside of cancer cells that will then disrupt the functioning of these cells. According to studies, this works for several types of cancer, including breast, lung, colon, brain, and ovarian cancer.
Reduce Cortisol Levels
Anyone who suffers from chronic stress may benefit from taking these supplements. This is because ashwagandha can greatly reduce your cortisol levels by as much as 30%. To understand the way this works you must first understand that cortisol is a stress hormone that your adrenal glands release. Sometimes these levels become chronically elevated resulting in diabetes.
Reduce Stress and Anxiety
This is one of the things that this herb is best known for. It works by blocking the stress pathway in your brain which results in your nervous system’s chemical signaling being regulated. Some studies will even go so far as to suggest that it can reduce both anxiety and insomnia by as much as 69%.
Reduce Depression’s Symptoms
There are only a few studies to back up the idea that this herb may play a helpful role when it comes to alleviating depression. Some patients who take 600 mg of high-concentration ashwagandha extract daily do report feeling as though their depression has decreased by as much as 79%.
The Bottom Line
Regardless of why you’re considering taking ashwagandha supplements this really easy an easy and effective way to improve your health. This is great because it means your overall quality of life will also improve.
