Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a Hindi adjective that is used to describe the horse-like smell of the roots of the ashwagandha herb. It is one of the many Ayurvedic herbal medicines that are immensely popular among the masses and extensively used in traditional medicines like Ayurveda.
Commonly known as Indian ginseng, ashwagandha has great adaptogenic properties that help to manage external factors like toxins in the environment. It helps to manage the internal stress and anxiety that result from dietary and lifestyle problems. It is also known to rejuvenate the body and impart a sense of well-being.
It is a great modulator that stabilizes the body’s immunity and restores its natural healing power to fight various diseases.
Reduces Premature Aging Due To Stress
Ashwagandha is absolutely safe for consumption and can be taken for a variable period of time depending upon the patient’s requirements.
- Ashwagandha helps improve memory in people suffering from dementia by helping to delay the damage to the brain cells responsible for memory and learning.
- It is great for people who are under stress mentally or have problems managing their high anxiety levels. It mimics certain neurotransmitters (acetylcholine) secreted in the brain that are responsible for elevating the mood and relaxing the mind and body.
- Patients of Alzheimer’s disease also feel relieved after consuming ashwagandha on a regular basis. It is found to show anti-convulsant properties that help control seizures.
- Ashwagandha is also used widely for patients who are depressed and find it difficult to maintain a positive frame of mind. The herb has a relaxing and calming effect on the mind.
Protects The Body From Free Radical Damage
Ashwagandha contains various biochemical and alkaloids which serve as very strong antioxidants in the body.
- It helps in rapid cell regeneration and rejuvenation, which in turn helps in delaying signs of aging, especially pertaining to the skin. It helps in keeping the skin smooth, moisturized, and free from wrinkling.
- Ashwagandha root powder is a tremendous herbal supplement that binds the free radicals that are produced as byproducts of metabolism in the body. It thus protects the body from the rapid oxidative damage that occurs due to harmful UV exposure or toxic food consumption.
Suppresses Inflammation And Pain
- Ashwagandha helps manage swelling and inflammation in any part of the body by controlling the release of histamines that stimulate an inflammatory response in the body.
- Even in case of severe conditions like cancer, where rapid cell growth results in excessive inflammation of the nearby organs, ashwagandha helps to contain the growth of the malignant cancer cells, prohibiting them from spreading any further.
- Patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy should take this herb for rapid regeneration of the cells that get damaged as a side effect of these treatment procedures.
- In case of an injury or conditions that have an excessive production of pain in the body, it acts as a great relieving agent.
- The plant sterols present in the ashwagandha plant have a steroid-like action on the inflammatory conditions in the body.
- It also helpful in case of arthritic pain, which results in reduced mobility of the joint involved and may result in permanent damage to the joints as a result of fibrosis.