Ashwagandha, one of the most powerful herbs in Ayurvedic healing, has been used since ancient times for a wide variety of conditions, and is most well-known for its restorative benefits. In Sanskrit Ashwagandha means “the smell of a horse,” indicating that the herb imparts the vigor and strength of a stallion, and has traditionally been prescribed to help people strengthen their immune system after an illness.
Health Benefits
For Depression
It is widely used in treating anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenaline fatigue.
For Sleep
Because Ashwagandha is useful in relieving anxiety and depression and because of its nerve calming effect, it is used in treating sleep disorders.
For Weight Loss
Usually for weight loss, it is administered in capsule or powder form along with milk and water. it improves muscle strength, hence enables one to be more physically active, hence useful in weight loss.
For Weight Gain
Because it improves muscle strength and has nutritive value, when it is used along with other high nutrition foods like large quantities of ghee, milk and sugar candy, Withania somnifera is very useful to put on weight.
For Heart Care
Ashwagandha is a very good good anti oxidant and acts as a heart tonic. It improves strength of muscles of heart (cardiac muscles). It can also be useful in high BP and to relieve stress.
For Muscle pain, Strength and Wound healing
Its external application in the form of root paste or in the form of oil (prepared in sesame oil base) is useful to relieve pain, inflammation, useful in skin diseases and in chronic non healing wounds.
For Immunity
Research studies have shown that the consumption of Ashwagandha led to significant modulation of immune system reactivity and prevented myelosuppression in mice induced by immunosuppressive drugs. It was also observed that Ashwagandha increased the red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelets count.
For Sexual Disorders
Ashwagandha also helps you in increasing the semen quality. A recent scientific study indicated that Ashwagandha plays an important role as an aphrodisiac as well as a way to improve semen quality by increasing the sperm count and sperm mobility. This has been the reason why, for many centuries, people have been using it as a medication to please their partner in bed.
For Strees
Our modern lifestyle results in an increase in stress which most of us are unable to tackle. Ashwagandha is believed to possess anti-stress properties. Traditionally, it had been administered to induce a soothing and calming effect on a person.