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10 Ashwagandha Benefits For Women

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Also referred to as the Indian ginseng, Ashwagandha is a medicinal plant that is used as a common ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines.

Besides being one of the most crucial herbs in Ayurveda, ashwagandha is also popular today as an alternative form of medicine.

This herb has been used for more than 3000 years in different ways like as a stimulant, thermogenic compound, and an aphrodisiac.

The term ashwagandha is a Sanskrit word that means “Smell of the horse.” The meaning of this term is based on both the scent of the herb as well as its alleged ability to amplify the strength in the people.

Other than this, Ashwagandha’s botanical name is Withania Somnifera and it may even be called “winter cherry” or “Amukkara.”

In this article, we will talk about the health benefits of this natural herb, especially for women, including relieving stress or sexual health benefits.

It might have certain positive effects on both the mental as well as physical health of women.

Let’s have a look!

Ashwagandha Benefits For Women

  1. Truncating Anxiety And Stress

    One of the most popular benefits of Ashwagandha might be to reduce stress and anxiety in females.

    Ashwagandha is classified[1] as an adaptogen that could help to cope with the body’s stress.

    The primary reason Ashwagandha helps to control stress may be because it helps regulate the activity of the HPA axis.

    The HPA axis, or the Hypothalamic pituitary axis, is a system that could regulate the body’s stress response.

    Hence, this medicinal herb may help curtail and regulate the stress and anxiety levels in females and males.

    What is more, Ashwagandha may help females by truncating their chronic stress symptoms like insomnia, fatigue, etc.

    Other than this, Ashwagandha supplements could even help to improve the sleep quality of the people, which in turn might lower their anxiety and stress levels even more. 

  2. Facilitating Weight Loss

    If, as a woman, one of your primary issues is weight gain, then ashwagandha may be the right medicinal herb for you.
    This benefit of Ashwagandha could relate to the earlier benefit of truncating anxiety and stress.

    Ashwagandha manages the stresses in the female body by reducing the psychological and physiological markers of stress, which can manifest with food cravings.

    Thus, this medicinal herb might further help to improve your eating habits by helping you manage your hunger and avoid overeating on caloric foods.

    So no doubt Ashwagandha can help facilitate[2] your weight loss journey. 

  3. Reducing Inflammation

    The major reason behind inflammation is the body’s standard response to certain situations like allergies or infections.
    However, in general circumstances, your body could produce anti-inflammatory reactions to restore balance.

    But sometimes, the body fails to produce enough of these anti-inflammatory responses that could result in severe inflammation.
    In such situations, you could use Ashwagandha as it may help to reduce inflammation in your body.

    One study[3] shows how Ashwagandha has traces of Withanolide phytochemicals.
    These phytochemicals could considerably help to reduce inflammation, although more research is required to confirm these benefits.

  4. Resolving Hair Problems

    As mentioned above, regular ashwagandha consumption could help ameliorate your stress and anxiety levels. One of the primary reasons behind hair loss could be stress and anxiety.

    So the regular consumption of Ashwagandha could potentially help you to say goodbye to hair loss because of your improved stress and anxiety[4]  conditions.

    Furthermore, various ashwagandha oil and shampoos are available for dry scalp and dandruff treatments. 

  5. Regulating Blood Sugar Levels

    Men and women are both prone to type 2 diabetes when they have low physical activity and high energy intake with caloric foods.
    Type 2 diabetes occurs due to insulin resistance, which is a factor that can lead to hormonal imbalances and conditions such as PCOS.

    In all such situations, the females could consume Ashwagandha regularly as it may help to control[5] their blood sugar levels and support their insulin sensitivity. 

  6. Improve Your Memory And Focus Levels

    Ashwagandha may help your body use oxygen more effectively and thus may help improve your focus and concentration levels.

    Regular consumption of Ashwagandha could improve your cognitive function,  enhancing[6] your attention level, cognitive performance, and memory.

     

  7. To Help Against PMS

    The females often suffer from a plethora of during their menstrual periods including cramps, irritability, pain and fatigue.

    The prime reason behind these are the changes in the hormonal levels which occur during menstruation.

    When consumed regularly by the females, Ashwagandha could help reduce some of the negative effects of menstruation.

    It might stimulate[7] the blood flow, support the function of the adrenal glands and the hormonal balance in the female human body. 

  8. Acts As A Sexual Stimulant

    Ashwagandha may even be beneficial for females with sexual dysfunction because it could improve[8] their sexual arousal and ability to orgasm.

    For example,  Ashwagandha might curtail the mental stress of the females, as mentioned above, which could help them to be in a good mood.

    Apart from this, Ashwagandha has the benefit of stimulating the blood flow and hence enhancing the sexual arousal of the females. 

  9. To Potentially Combat Vaginal Infection

    Ashwagandha has been studied regarding its potential  antimicrobial properties,[9] and so far it shows promising results.

    Moreover, Ayurvedic practitioners even suggest the usage of this medicinal herb to aid certain infections.
    While there is still not enough evidence to suggest this with certainty, using water extracts of Ashwagandha locally may have potential for easing problems such as yeast infections.

  10. Benefits For The Skin

    Ashwagandha may also contribute to achieving glowing and flawless skin because of the presence of high antioxidants in it.

    These antioxidants could further help you fight skin issues[10] like fine lines, acne, dark spots, and wrinkles.

    Apart from this, as said earlier, this medicinal herb could even abridge your stress and anxiety levels, which further directly impacts your skin’s health and texture.

    Thus, these are some of the benefits which Ashwagandha could provide to ameliorate the health of the females.

Is Ashwagandha Safe For Women?

If you are interested in the consumption of ashwagandha, then besides knowing its health benefits, you should also have an insight into whether it is safe for women.

Besides its several benefits, Ashwagandha might be harmful[11] to women because it could be related to rare but serious complications.

Ashwagandha might even be regarded as unsafe for pregnant ladies because it has certain side effects, and may even induce abortions.

The compounds present in this herbal might be related to inducing a premature birth, uterine contractions, or even miscarriages.

In case you exceed the typical doses of ashwagandha, you may face side effects. These typical doses[10] could include 500 milligrams to 1500 milligrams of root extract and 1000MG to 6000 milligrams of root powder.

Once you exceed these limits, you could face specific side effects. Some of the ashwagandha’s most common side effects could include gastrointestinal issues like an upset stomach and nausea.

Moreover, drowsiness could even be an unwelcome side effect of Ashwagandha that may evade you from performing your regular errands.

If you already have an autoimmune condition, you may want to avoid consuming Ashwagandha because it is immunostimulating and hence could boost your immune system.

When To Take Ashwagandha?

Generally, you may consume Ashwagandha at any time of the day or even during the night.

You could consume it in the morning or evening according to your tolerance level and your body goals.

If you are consuming Ashwagandha as part of your supplement routine, you may consume it in the morning with other supplements.

However, it’s a good idea to consume it after eating a small snack or breakfast because it could lead to mild discomfort in some people.

Alternatively, you could add ashwagandha to your morning drinks, like smoothies or other meals.

On the other hand, if your primary purpose in consuming Ashwagandha is to promote sleep,[12] you may take it before bedtime to help you relax.

Consuming ashwagandha at night may be preferable for people who face stomach discomfort when taking it in the morning.

Let's Sum It Up!

So these are the different benefits and risks of this plant-based adaptogen that has been used in traditional medicine since time immemorial.

Keep in mind that you should always aim at consuming the right quantity of Ashwagandha so that it may not feign any side effects on your body.

Hopefully, this article has given you a great insight into Ashwagandha and how and when to consume this amazing herb.

12 References/Sources

Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.

  1. Jaysing Salve, Sucheta Pate, Khokan Debnath, et al. Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study Cureus. 2019 Dec; 11(12): e6466. Published online 2019 Dec 25. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6466
  2. Dnyanraj Choudhary, Sauvik Bhattacharyya, and Kedar Joshi. Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through Treatment With Ashwagandha Root Extract J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Jan; 22(1): 96–106. Published online 2016 Apr 6. doi: 10.1177/2156587216641830
  3. Emilie Logie, Wim Vanden Berghe Tackling Chronic Inflammation with Withanolide Phytochemicals-A Withaferin a Perspective Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Nov 10;9(11):1107. doi: 10.3390/antiox9111107. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33182809/
  4. Amir Kalani, Gul Bahtiyar, and Alan Sacerdote Ashwagandha root in the treatment of non-classical adrenal hyperplasia BMJ Case Rep. 2012; 2012: bcr2012006989. Published online 2012 Sep 17. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2012-006989
  5. Rajangam Udayakumar, Sampath Kasthurirengan, Thankaraj Salammal Mariashibu, et al. Hypoglycaemic and Hypolipidaemic Effects of Withania somnifera Root and Leaf Extracts on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Int J Mol Sci. 2009 May; 10(5): 2367–2382. Published online 2009 May 20. doi: 10.3390/ijms10052367
  6. Dnyanraj Choudhary, Sauvik Bhattacharyya, Sekhar Bose Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions J Diet Suppl. 2017 Nov 2;14(6):599-612. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2017.1284970. Epub 2017 Feb 21. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28471731/
  7. Adrian L. Lopresti, Peter D. Drummond, and Stephen J. Smith. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males Am J Mens Health. 2019 Mar-Apr; 13(2): 1557988319835985. Published online 2019 Mar 10. doi: 10.1177/1557988319835985
  8. Swati Dongre, Deepak Langade, and Sauvik Bhattacharyya Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study Biomed Res Int. 2015; 2015: 284154. Published online 2015 Oct 4. doi: 10.1155/2015/284154
  9. G. Singh and P. Kumar Evaluation of Antimicrobial Efficacy of Flavonoids of Withania Somnifera L. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2011 Jul-Aug; 73(4): 473–478. doi: 10.4103/0250-474X.95656
  10. Narendra Singh, Mohit Bhalla, Prashanti de Jager, et al. An Overview on Ashwagandha: A Rasayana (Rejuvenator) of Ayurveda Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2011; 8(5 Suppl): 208–213. Published online 2011 Jul 3. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5S.9
  11. Ashwagandha Last reviewed – 12/10/2021 Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/953.html
  12. Deepak Langade, Subodh Kanchi, Jaising Salve, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study Cureus. 2019 Sep; 11(9): e5797. Published online 2019 Sep 28. doi: 10.7759/cureus.5797

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