Withania somnifera
Ashwagandha has recently became a househeld name for its association with good sleep and good sex; however it has over 3000 years of documented medicinal use, citing many applications. Today Ashwagandha root is considered a powerful immune boosting adaptogen.
Plant Talk will be an exhaustive review on select plants, highlighting their uses to health and daily life while presenting relevant horticultural information to encourage independent cultivation and harvest.
This passage will serve as the introduction to a series of detailed reviews on Ashwagandha.
In the Garden
A member of the Solanacea family, this nightshade produces small, red, seed filled berries that offer a bitter taste. The strong perennial is complemented by soft, hairy leaves, that display antimicrobial activity and more - they also carry the same bitter taste of the winter cherry.
In cultivation, there are two common ecotypes of Ashwagandha; African and Indian. The African subspecies displays a more vigorous growth habit and reports more warming and stimulating activity than the Ayurvedic type; the Indian ecotype is traditionally referenced in herbal medicine. The plant is an easy growing herbaceous perennial zones 8-12, preferring full sun and dry conditions in fast draining, alkaline soil.
All portions of the plant are useful for medicine. Ashwangandha leaves are often ignored for the roots, however the leaves hold particular usefulness and, unlike the roots - do not require total plant sacrifice upon harvest. While the bitter taste of the leaves limit its popularity as a tea, the leaves boast distinct neuroregenerative and neuroprotective activity. To access the nootropic potentials of Ashwagandha leaves, capsules may be the serve as a simple solution. In production, the roots are generally harvested at the end of the second year. In cooler growing zones it may be grown as an annual.
A plant with well documented traditional usage, the root of its name describes the broad yet specific impact Ashwagandha has upon the human body. In Sanskrit Ashwagandha donates the smell and strength of a horse, originating from the odor of its roots. The latin species, somnifera, translates to “sleep-inducer’. The proven adaptogenic is affirmed in its name with the increased physical performance association attributed to its anti-stress properties and its current function as a quality sleep aid.
| Plant Part | Traditional Uses |
| Roots |
Treatment of asthma, bronchitis, leucoderma, tuberculosis, liver problems, heart disorders, and arthritis. Acts as an antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and neurotic regenerator Show adaptogenic activity, nootropic effect, hypothyroid activity, herbicidal potential, abortifacient astringent, aphrodisiac, and emmenagogue |
| Leaves |
Treatment of ulcers, painful swelling, external pains, syphilis, hemorrhoids, eyesores, boils, and edema Act as aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, hepatoprotective, anti-arthritic, anti-cancerous, and pesticidal |
| Seeds |
Act as a diuretic, narcotic, and hypnotic |
| Fruits |
Treatment of ulcer and tuberculosis Act as antihelmintic |
|
Leaves, roots, & stem |
Act as antibacterial, antitumor, and herbicidal |
| Whole Plant |
Act as an antidote, insecticidal, larvicidal, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, neurotic regenerator, adaptogenic hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective. |
Phytoactivity
The novel alkaloids (plant compounds) found in Ashwagandha are referred to as withanolides. Only 6 of the 40+ identified withanolides have been confirmed to specific health action; leaving much healthful data to be mined. Those six alkaloids have displayed a combination of the following biological activities: immuno-modulatory, anti-cancerous, anti-arthritic, bactericidal, fungicidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, neurite growth promoter, treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, anti-proliferative.
Next week we’ll look at studies that tested and revealed the enduring and versatile medicinal value of Ashwagandha, Withania somnifera.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26361721/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7811807/table/T1/?report=objectonly