The Benefits Ashawagandha for Women's Hormonal Health
If you are looking to increase your energy, look and feel younger as well as reverse disease then Ashwagandha may just be your answer. The benefits of ashawaganda are absolutely remarkable.
Ashwagandha, is popular in Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogenic herb that has shown incredible results for balancing thyroid hormones and lowering cortisol.
In India, ashwagandha is known as the “strength of the stallion” since it has traditionally been used to strengthen the immune system after illness.
Ashwagandha has also been referred to as Indian ginseng because of its ability to enhance stamina and has extraordinary stress relieving properties.
There have been over 200 studies on Ashwagandha’s ability to:
Improve thyroid function
Treat adrenal fatigue
Reduce anxiety and depression
Combat effects of stress
Increase stamina and endurance
Prevent and treat cancer
Reduce brain cell degeneration
Stabilize blood sugar
Lower cholesterol
Boost immunity
Balance Hormones
In this article we will to get into some more detail about how Ashawagandha can help with the above, If it is right for you and how to incorporate it into our busy lifestyle.
Ashwagandha Thyroid Benefits
Ashwagandha is a power house herb when it comes to improving the health of your thyroid. Since it is an adaptogen it is extremely effective especially at balancing hormones. One of the most incredible aspects about adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha is that it can help people with both hypo and hyper thyroid issues. It has been shown to support a sluggish thyroid for people diagnosed with Hashimotos, and has been shown to improve the health of those with an overactive thyroid or Graves disease.
Animal studies have revealed that ashwagandha has a thyroid hormone balancing effect. In a 20 day study mice were given ashwagandha and their T3 and T4 levels were analyzed along with lipid peroxidation (anti-oxidant protection). Significant increases in serum T4 were found which indicates this herb has a stimulatory effect on a sluggish thyroid.
Also, ashwagandha may benefit thyroid function because it reduced free radicals that cause cellular damage. There are currently millions of people who struggle with thyroid problems (many who don’t even know it) and ashwagandha may just be the solution they are searching for.
Ashwagandha for Adrenal Fatigue
Ashwagandha has also been proven to support your adrenal glands helping to lower your bodies stress levels. Your adrenal glands are part of your endocrine system these glands are responsible for releasing cortisol and adrenaline hormones in response to stress on your body.
If your adrenals are overworked due to an excess of emotional, physical and mental stress, it can lead to adrenal fatigue, which can disrupt your other hormones, including progesterone, which can cause infertility and lower DHEA — which can cause you to age faster.
Medical studies have shown that ashwagandha improves cortisol levels, improves insulin sensitivity and naturally balances hormones. A case study reported a case of a 57-year-old woman with non-classical adrenal hyperplasia. She was treated with ashwagandha for six months, and after her treatment she saw improvements in four adrenal hormone markers, including corticoosterone and 11-deoxycortisol, which decreased by 69 percent and 55 percent respectively — a major improvement!
This hormonal improvement was also accompanied by a noticeable reduction in hair loss.
Benefits Brain Health
Emotional, physical, and chemical stress can all have damaging effects to the brain and nervous system. Recent research has proven ashwagandha is more than a stress reliever, it also protects the brain from degeneration and improves symptoms of alzheimer’s, depression, and anxiety.
One of the main reasons ashwagandha is so effective at healing the brain has to do with its powerful antioxidants that destroy free radicals that cause aging. A study published in Phytotherapy Research explains these benefits:
“Several studies have revealed that natural antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene, may help in scavenging free radicals generated during the initiation and progression of this [Alzheimer’s] disease. But we found Ashwagandha afforded lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects more potent than commercial antioxidants.”
Researchers at the National Brain Research Centre found that mice with Alzheimer’s were unable to retain what they learned, but after 20 days of supplementing with ashwagandha, this improved significantly. The results of the study found a reduction in amyloid plaques (these cause degradation of the brain).
Improves Mood
There is also now evidence that ashwagandha is effective at treating both anxiety and depression. In fact, in a recent study its results were comparable to common pharmaceutical drugs lorazepam and imipramine without the side effects.
In the 12-week controlled study, 87 participants with anxiety were given 300mg of ashwagandha two times a day or two placebo pills two times per day. The group treated with ashwagandha resulted in much greater improvements in anxiety as well as focus, reduced stress, and decreased fatigue than the placebo group.
The other major benefit of ashwagandha is that there are no adverse reactions by taking it compared to anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications which can have terrible side effects.
Prevents and Treats Cancer
Ashwagandha extract has been shown in studies to have very promising benefits when it comes to helping with preventing and treating cancer. In certain studies, researchers have found that ashwagandha extract has a powerful anti-tumor effect. (1)
The extract has been shown to help inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells – specifically breast, lung, stomach, and colon cancer cells which are among some of the leading types of cancers in the world. It’s believed that ashwagandha helps to prevent the growth of cancer cells mostly due to its immune boosting and antioxidant abilities. Supplementing with ashwagandha is correlated with an increase in white blood cells within the body, which indicate that the immune system is better able to protect the body from disease and harmful invaders (2). Another way that ashwagnadha helps prevent cancer is due to its ability to stop blood vessels around cancer cells from feeding into the growth of cancerous tumors.
In addition to preventing cancer cells from growing, studies have shown that ashwagandha can be a very useful addition to chemotherapy in treating existing cancer. Taking the extract seems to be effective in halting the immune system from becoming suppressed during chemotherapy.
Ashawagandha is able to counteract one of the biggest concerns with chemotherapy- the count of white blood cells in the body becoming lowered, which puts cancer patients as much higher risk for things like infection. Many cancer experts are now recommending ashwagandha extract be both a cancer prevention method as well as an addition to typical cancer treatments. In fact some studies have shown that some patients are even able to reverse signs of cancer using ashwagandha alone over other standard treatment methods (3).
Increases Stamina and Endurance
Studies have shown that ahswagandha can boost endurance during physical activity by sharpening brain function and reducing bodily pain. Due to its positive calming, yet energizing, effects on the brain and ability to lower stress hormones, ashwaganha showed improvements in concentration, motivation, and stamina in conducted studies.
One particular study found that when lab rats were given ashwagandha, they actually were able to swim twice as long compared to the same type of rats that were not given the supplements (4). Researchers believe that similar effects take place in humans due to the extract’s ability to balance adrenal hormones that are involved in physical activity. The extract was also shown to reduce bodily pain in the muscles and joints while at the same time keeping energy levels more steady, which is another reason why it could be a promising supplement for athletes, or for those who find it difficult to be physically active due to pain.
Ashwagandha Dosage
As you can see, ashwagandha is an adaptogenic superstar that can have some tremendous health benefits. This is the reason it is one of the key ingrediants in our Women's Blend Extract. we recommend supplementing with 10 to 20 drops 1-3x daily along with following a diet high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber as well as removing grains and sugars from your diet.
These dietary changes along with supplementing with our Women's Blend can help you see great results in aging slower, reducing stress, balancing hormones, boosting energy, and improving neurological health. Our Women's Blend Extract is also formulated to alleviate menstrual cramps, symptoms of menopause, PMS, Hot flashes and more.
