What is Ashwagandha?
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is a plant primarily known as a herb that has been used for thousands of years in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, which originates from India. However, this herb also grows in various other parts of the world, such as Africa and the Mediterranean region. Ashwagandha comes from Sanskrit, derived from "ashva" meaning horse and "gandha" meaning smell, referring to the root that supposedly has a horse-like scent. Ashwagandha is also known as "Indian Ginseng" or Winter Cherry. As the name suggests, red berry-like fruits grow on its long sturdy branches, which can reach up to 1.5 metres in height.
Active Compounds in Ashwagandha
As previously mentioned, Ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine. The roots and leaves of Ashwagandha are used for their active compounds. The main active compound is withanolide, a flavonoid. Flavonoids, antioxidants, are found not only in herbs but also in vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen and has a relaxing effect. It supports your body during busy and stressful periods. (Provisional) approved health claims:*
- has an adaptogenic effect
- beneficial for maintaining mental balance
- has a calming/soothing effect
* Health claim pending approval by the European Commission.
What to Consider When Supplementing with Ashwagandha
In addition to the active compound withanolide, the leaves of the Ashwagandha herb also contain another compound called withaferin A. However, you would prefer not to ingest this compound as it does not have a positive effect on the body and can even negatively influence the effectiveness of withanolide. Therefore, pay close attention to this when choosing an Ashwagandha supplement. Additionally, it is important that there is enough active compound (withanolide) per dosage in the supplement. You can easily check this by looking for the KSM-66® quality mark. KSM-66® represents a high-quality Ashwagandha extract where the entire spectrum of active compounds is extracted from the root. The patented KSM-66® extract is sourced from organically grown Ashwagandha and contains a guaranteed 15 mg of withanolide per capsule. A high-quality Ashwagandha supplement with the KSM-66® quality mark is, for example, the Ashwagandha KSM-66® from Vitaminstore.
Author: Noëlle van Seggelen
