Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
a. What is
ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha
is an ancient medicinal herb.
The earliest historical records of herbs are found from the Sumerian
civilization, where hundreds of medicinal
plants including opium are listed on clay tablets. The Ebers
Papyrus from ancient Egypt,
c. 1550 BC, describes over 850 plant medicines.
It’s classified as an adaptive, meaning that it can help your body manage stress.
b. How to identify ASHWAGANDHA is organic or fake product.
Ashwagandha is a perfume like animal (horse) .
c.Meaning of ASHWAGANDHA ?
Ashwa = animal gandha = perfume.
1.Brain Positivity & Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha benefits the brain
and some of the neurochemicals
positively.It is used in India to
treat mental deficits in geriatric patients,
including amnesia.
It also benefits by helping to
de-addict from morphine. Additionally it
possesses nootropic like effect
on brain and nerves.
A study at Department of
Pharmacology, University of Texas, found
GABA like activity in Withania
somnifera. The results suggested that the W.
somnifera extract contains an
ingredient which has a GABA-mimetic
activity. This activity was
correlated with Anti-anxiolytic effect (Mehta,
1991)
Researchers in Pakistan isolated
six withanolides from Ashwagandha.
Out of six, four withanolides
displayed inhibitory potential against
butyrylcholinesterase, while
three were active against acetylcholinesterase.
This activity helps to retain
Acetylcholine for longer time by slowing down
its breakdown. (Choudhary et al.,
2005)
Studies showed that treatment
with Ashwagandha slowed the
development of tolerance to
analgesic effect of morphine.WS (100 mg/kg)
also suppressed
morphine-withdrawal jumps, a sign of the development of
dependence to opiate. (Kulkarni
et el., 1997)
Ashwagandha (50, 100 and 200
mg/kg; orally) also reversed the
scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg)-induced disruption of acquisition and retention and
attenuated the amnesia produced by acute treatment with electroconvulsive
2. Ashwagandha: potential in cancer
Ashwagandha or
Withania is one such herb whose role as anticancer
herb is widely
studied. It doesn't possess properties like chemotherapy but
showed anti-
proliferate and preventive properties against many chemicals
that possess
carcinogenic effect.
In Ayurveda, the
extracts from W. somnifera are distinctively
employed for the
treatment of arthritis and menstrual disorders. Because
these conditions
involve angiogenic processes it was hypothesized that the
W. somnifera extracts
might contain angiogenesis inhibitors.
The applicability of
this drug as a radio sensitizer in cancer therapy needs to
be explored. (Devi et
al., 1996).
Twelve Withanolides
from the leaves of withania somnifera were
tested for anti-proliferative
activity in lungs, colon, breast, central nervous
system human tumor
cell lines. Withaferine A showed inhibitory activity.
Thus it was concluded
that Adding WS as dietary supplement might prevent
the growth of tumor in human. (Jayaprakasam et al., 2003)
3. Cardiovascular
& Diabetic protection with Withania somnifera
Ashwagandha or Withania somnifera
has in its arsenal the weapons
for cardiac and diabetic
disorders as well. This botanical is truly versatile in
the beneficial effects for us.
The cardiac protective action is exerted by
helping in ischemic and
reperfusion injury. It supports focal ischemia as
well. (Gupta, 2004)
A study showed Cardio-protection
against Ischemic & reperfusion
Injury by Ashwagandha (Manikandan,
2004).In yet another study
effectiveness of WS was reported
in focal ischemia. Pretreatment with its
extract for 30 days prevented
motor impairment and significantly decreased
the raised levels of MDA
(Malondialdehyde), the marker of oxidative
stress).
(Chaudhary et al., 2003)
Six mild NIDDM and
hypercholesterolemic persons were treated with
Withania somnifera for one month.
At the end of one month, the blood
glucose level was lower
comparable with oral hypoglycemic drug. There
was significant increase in urine
volume, urine Na+
while
serum cholesterol,
triglycerides, LDL & VLDL
cholesterol were reduced. This reflected
hypoglycemic, diuretic and
anti-hypercholesterolemic effects of
Ashwagandha (Andallu, 2000)
4.Ashwagandha:ImmunityBoosting Herbal Remedy
Withania somnifera enhances body’s
immunity and safeguards against
various diseases and infections.
Strengthening of immunity is done in
various ways i.e. by promoting
the bodily defense mechanisms
like increasing the White blood
cells count.
Methanolic extract of Withania
somnifera root was investigated for its
immunostimulant effect on Nitric
oxide (NO) production in J774
macrophages. Ashwagandha caused
dose dependent rise in nitric oxide
production. Induction of nitric
oxide production in macrophages explains its
immune boosting effects.
(Esposito and Iuvone, 2003).
Another study suggested that
administration of an extract from the
powdered root of Ashwagandha
stimulates immunological activity in mice.
( www.holistic-herbalist.com)
Aggarwal et al studied
immunomodulatory activity of Ashwagandha
extract in experimental immune
inflammation. A protective effect in
cyclophosphamide-induced
myelosuppression was observed in animals
treated with its extract,
revealing a significant increase in white blood cell
counts and platelet counts.
(Agarwal, 1999)
Ashwagandha
& Alzeimer’s disease
Ashwagandha is found to support
Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's
disease. Both of these affect the
senior citizens most and are incapacitating
in one way or the other. With
Parkinson's disease, the patient is left to greatmental trauma because of the
tremors and with Alzheimer's disease, the
person experiences dementia.
5. Antibacterial Activity of
Ashwagandha:
Researchers evaluated
alcoholic and aqueous extract of Ashwagandha
against experimental
murine salmonellosis. It was found to possess strong
anti-bacterial
activity against a range of bacteria including Salmonella
typhimurium. WS
didn't induce the lysis of erythrocytes like
Chloramphenicol.
Treated animals revealed better survival rate and lesser
bacterial load in
vital organs. (Owais et al., 2005)
Another study also
found potent antibacterial activity against S.
typhimurium and E.
coli. In Ashwagandha. Additionally it exerted
synergistic effect
with Isoniazid and Rifampicin. ( Okunade ,
2004 )
The methanolic and
ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of the plant
showed significant
antimicrobial activity against gram positive bacteria.
However none of these
extract were effective against gram negative bacteria.
(Jaffer et al 1988)
Withanolides from WS
could also be used in curing the side effects of
anti-fungal drug
carbendazim. The drug affects renal tubules and
hepatocytes advesely.
Treatment of carbendazim-treated rats with the
powder of tuberous
root of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) for 48 days
resulted in complete
cure of these organs. The results indicate that
Ashwagandha would be
an effective curative for carbendazim-induced
histopathological changes in the liver
and kidney. (Akbarsha , 2007).
6.
Anti inflammatory properties
The anti inflammatory activity
and protective effect against ccl4
induced hepato- toxicity of the
alcoholic extract of leaves of W. somnifera
has also been assessed.
The leaves were found to possess
marked effects in sub acute
inflammation and hepato toxicity.
A comparison of the anti – inflammatory
properties revealed the extract
(at 1 g/kg dose) to be as active as 50 mg / kg
of phenylbutzoneand 10 mg/kg of
hydrocortisone (Sudhir et al., 1986).
Ashwagandha and
Arthiritis
Ashwagandha is a good natural
remedy for Arthritis. Most of the
joints pain in arthritis is a
result of degenerative disease in body due to
wrong posture, wear and tear of
tissues and aging.
In clinical studies Ashwagandha
root powder has been found to be
useful in cases of acute
rheumatoid arthiritis especially of recent onset & to
some extent in cases of acute
exacerbations of chronic rheumatoid arthiritis.
(Bector, 1968).
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