Ashwagandha
Withania somnifera As Adaptogen & Anti-Stress Herbal Supplement
Ashwagandha or Withania somnifera is an adaptogenic
herb at par. WS is able to penetrate the vitiating cycle of stress in which we
find ourselves.
Withania somnifera energizes our system to help us fight with stress in
easier and better way i.e. we are less susceptible to stressful conditions. Our
threshold to withstand stress is raised.
Our immune system, nerves and hormones are better reset to healthier state so
that we get truly great adaptogenic effect.
Adaptogenic:
Adaptogenic effect causes us to adapt better to the physical and
psychological stressful conditions. These can be diseases or daily conditions
that we face. With Ashwagandha, we find ourselves in empowered condition to deal
with various kind of stress.
Adaptogenic Herbs Are Amphoteric:
The word adaptogen was first defined by Russian scientist Brekhman who was
researching extensively on Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). He
defined adaptogen as:
- Safety of adaptogen on the organism.
- A wide range of regulatory activity that acts only against the actual
challenge to the system.
- One that has a normalizing action irrespective of the direction of the
underlying pathological changes.
- One that acts through a nonspecific mechanism to increase non-specific
resistance (NSR) against harmful influences by wide spectrum of stress causing
physical, chemical and biological factors.
WS exert its medicinal effect due to steroidal lactones and alkaloids. These act
as hormonal precursors that can be used by body to convert into human
physiological hormones as and when required.
When some hormone is in excess, the precursor binds to hormone receptor site in
the cells without being converted to actual hormone and it blocks the absorption
of the actual hormone and saves our body.
When some hormone is deficient, the precursors are converted to actual hormones
and exert their effect. In this way, these adaptogenic herbs are thus amphoteric
i.e. they help us by regulating important physiological conditions by either
increasing or decreasing them as and when required.
Adaptogenic & Cardio-protective Ashwagandha:
Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. Pune, India, based Toxicology & Pharmacology
Research Center based scientists found adaptogenic and cardioprotective action
of Ashwagandha in frogs and rats.
Stress:
Adaptogenic activity of Withania somnifera root extract was evaluated in
Chronic Stress rat models against adaptogens like Panax ginseng.
CS induced
significant hyperglycaemia, glucose intolerance, increase in plasma
corticosterone levels, gastric ulcerations, male sexual dysfunction, cognitive
deficits, immunosuppression and mental depression.
The results indicate significant anti-stress activity in WS extracts
comparable to Panax ginseng.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003
Jun;75(3):547-55.
Bhattacharya SK,
Muruganandam AV.
Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences,
Calcutta University, 244 B Acharya JC Bose Road, Calcutta 700 020, India.
Ashwagandha Beneficial In Stress Induced Neuronal Degeneration:
Shukla et al reported the protective effect of Withania somnifera and
Semecarpus anacardium in Hippocampus of Swiss albino rats in stress induced
neuronal degeneration.
Interestingly,
after the treatment with S. ancardium cells demonstrating degenerating
characteristics was significantly reduced (80%) as compared to treatment with W.
somnifera. Study suggests that probably both the herbal drugs have
cytoprotective properties.
Shukla SD,
Jain S,
Sharma K, Bhatnagar M.
Department of Zoology, M.L.S. University, Udaipur 313 001, India.
Adrenocorticosterone Alterations In Albino Rats Treated With Adaptogens:
The levels of
corticosterone were estimated by the HPLC method in the adrenal glands of
stressed (5 h constant swimming) male albino mice treated with Trichopus
zeylanicus, Withania somnifera and Panax ginseng preparations and compared with
non-treated stressed and normal controls.
The treatments increased the corticosterone levels in all the groups. The physical endurance (increased
survival time) of swimming mice also increased in all the treated groups, except
in the group treated with Withania somnifera powder (500 mg/kg, p.o.).
The results indicate that we are in a better state to fight stress.
Singh A,
Saxena E,
Bhutani KK.
Department of Natural Products, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education
and Research (NIPER), Sector 67, S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Near Chandigarh -
160062, India.
WS & Chronic Stress:
The antioxidant
activity of Withania somnifera (WS) glycowithanolides was assessed in chronic footshock stress induced changes in rat brain frontal cortex and striatum.
The results
indicate that, at least part of chronic stress-induced pathology may be due to
oxidative stress, which is benefited by WSG, lending support to the clinical use
of the plant as an antistress adaptogen.
Bhattacharya A, Ghosal S, Bhattacharya SK.
Drug Research and Development Centre, Calcutta, India.
Preventing Stress Related Ulcer:
A recent double blind study revealed that Ashwagandha prevented stress
related ulcers and Vitamin C deficiency and increased energy and endurance under
stress.
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Ashwagandha
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Use Ashwagandha For:
- Anxiety, Depression, Panic Disorder.
- As Antioxidant & Free Radical Scavenger.
- As Body building Aid.
- For Weakness, Fatigue, Herbal Rejuvenation, Aphrodisiac.
- As Nervine tonic, calming and antistress agent and adaptogenic herb.
- Visit Ashwagandha related pages on Holistic-Herbalist to get more
information.
- Take one vegiacap twice or thrice a day. Eahc vegicap contains
Ashwagandha (5:1) 500 mg i.e. equivalent to 2.5 gm of crude WS.
Buying Information:
We recommend the interested visitors to get Ashwagandha
supplements from this place.This is a good store, with reputable quality and one of the most
reasonable price. Get a pack of 60 Vegicaps.
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Overview Of
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha In Ayurvedic Medicine
Ashwagandha Dosage & Phytochemicals
Ashwagandha Side Effects, Safety & Drug Interactions
Ashwagandha Affecting Brain & Neurochemicals
Ashwagandha Enhancing The Immunity
Ashwagandha With Its Versatile Benefits
The
Adaptogenic Ashwagandha Energizing To Keep Away Stress
Ashwagandha As
Herbal Rejuvenative & Fertility Herb
Ashwagandha
Showing Potential In Cancer Treatment (1)
Withania
somnifera Showing Potential In Cancer Treatment (2)
Ashwagandha
Beneficial In Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Disease
Withania
somnifera As Anti-anxiety & Anti-depressant Herb
Ashwagandha As
Herbal Antioxidant & Free Radical Scavenger
Cardiovascular &
Diabetic Protection With Withania somnifera
Withania
somnifera - About The Plant & Pictures
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