Organic Ashwagandha

Packed in a light, air and moisture-tight standup pouch, 1/2 pound.

Ashwagandha is a Sanskrit word translated both as "strength of a horse" and "smell of a horse." After doing some checking, I believe the literal translation should be "smell." But the general idea is of a muscular (perhaps a sweaty) horse.

Like turmeric and ginger, ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine. Its botanical name is Withania somnifera. It's also known as Indian ginseng. The roots do look a bit similar to ginseng, with long "arms" and "legs."

Another name for Ashwagandha is Winter Cherry, but be careful, as at least one other plant is also known by that name.The juice of the fresh leaves is said to aid in wound healing, and also to relieve joint pain. Unless you grow the plants yourself or live where they're available, you're most likely to find it as powdered root. That's the form in which we carry it.

Folk medicine ascribes many qualities to ashwagandha --"adaptogen," "body balancing," and so forth. We're a bit leery of such non-specific descriptions, but there is some research to suggest that it affects dopamine receptors and that it increases the production of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. See the Product Details page for more on that, and for links to what studies we could find.

You can encapsulate ashwagandha (see the Accessories page for capsule fillers and capsules). But you can also whisk 1/4 to 1/2 tsp powder into warm milk, or make a tea with hot water. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of ashwagandha powder and a squeeze of lemon juice, and enjoy! You'll find many recommendations on the internet to add honey to ashwagandha preparations--we suggest you leave out the sweeteners and enjoy the taste of the food.

Consumption suggestions for ashwagandha are typically in the range of 500-650mg twice a day. Our 00 capsules hold about 600mg (a bit more if the contents are tamped down hard). This is about 1/4 tsp., so 1/2 tsp in warm milk, or as a hot tea, would be close to the recommended amount for one day.