Ashwagandha Side Effects and
Health Benefits



Studies indicate ashwagandha possesses anti-inflammatory,
antitumor, antistress, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hemopoietic,
and rejuvenating properties. It also appears to exert a positive
influence on the endocrine, cardiopulmonary, and central nervous
systems. Some researchers suggest ashwagandha exhibits a variety
of therapeutic effects with limited side effects or toxicity. [22]

Ashwagandha, used in traditional Indian and Ayurvedic medicine,
grows in India and Africa. The roots of ashwagandha are believed to
have health benefits on various conditions including inflammation
(including arthritis), and a wide range of infectious diseases. [1,2]
Ashwagandha contains withanolides as its major active ingredients to
account for most of its medicinal benefits. [4]

Basic studies have shown its ability to simulate the immune system
cells, inhibit inflammation and improve memory in animal studies. [5-7]
Thus, it is not a surprise that herbalists claim ashwagandha as a tonic
or adaptogen [8].  Adaptogen is an herb counteract the effects of
stress and promote general wellness. Usually, marketers suggest 3-6
grams of the dried root a day. [9]

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ASHWAGANDHA

Ashwagandha may have benefits of anti-microbial activities.

Oral administration of the aqueous extracts successfully obliterated
salmonella infection in Balb/C mice as revealed by increased survival
rate as well as less bacterial load in various vital organs of the
treated animals. [18] In another study, ashwagandha given orally
once daily for 7 consecutive days in a dose of 100 mg/kg after
intravenous infection of Aspergillus fumigatus prolonged the survival
period of infected mice. [27]

Ashwagandha may have benefits of anti-oxidant activities.

Withania somnifera inhibited both the lipid peroxidation and protein
oxidative modification induced by copper in Wistar rats. These effects
were similar to those of superoxide dismutase and mannitol. [19] In
another study of mice,15 days treatment with Ashwagandha root
powder did not produce any significant change, 30 days treatment
produced a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation, and an increase
in both superoxide dismutase and catalase in mice. Thus,
Ashwagandha root powder possesses free radical scavenging
activity. [24]

Ashwagandha may have effects on neuronal activities and memory.
Japanese researchers reported that the methanol extract of
Ashwagandha (roots of Dunal) induced dendrite extension in a human
neuroblastoma cell line.  The compounds responsible for this activity
are found to be withanosides IV and VI. [20, 22]

Chronic treatment with electroconvulsive shock in mice, for 6
successive days at 24 h intervals, disrupted memory consolidation on
day 7. Daily administration of ashwagandha for 6 days significantly
improved memory consolidation in mice receiving chronic
electroconvulsive shock treatment.  [21]

Ashwagandha may have benefits of immunomodulatory activities.

In a study of mice, Indian researchers found ashwagandha prevented
myelosuppression in mice treated with all three immunosuppressive
drugs cyclophosphamide, azathioprin, or prednisolone. They also
noticed a significant increase in hemoglobin concentration (P < 0.01),
red blood cell count (P < 0.01), white blood cell count (P < 0.05),
platelet count (P < 0.01), and body weight (P < 0.05) in
Ashwagandha-treated mice as compared with untreated (control)
mice. [25] In another study of mice, researchers also found a
significant increase in white blood cell and platelet counts in animals
treated with extracts of Ashwagandha. [26]

Ashwaganha may have anti-stress activities.

Ashwagandha was shown to increase swimming time in rats in
physical working capacity test, i.e. rats swimming endurance test.
Significant increase in relative heart weight and glycogen content in
myocardium and liver was also observed in ashwagandha treated
group. [23]

Grandhi A and co-workers from Indian Drugs Research Association,
Pune, prepared aqueous suspensions of roots of an Indian drug
Ashwagandha and the Korean drug Ginseng. And, they supplemented
mice with either one of these suspensions. They found that a
significant increase in mice swimming time after intake either one of
these preparations. [15]

Ashwagandha extracts may have benefits of anti-cancer effects.

Japanese researchers found that the leaf extract of Ashwagandha
has a significant anti-proliferative activity in human tumorigenic cells.
However, it did not impart any protection against the oxidative
damage caused by high glucose and hydrogen peroxide to human
tumor cells suggesting that it can be used as an anti-tumor, but not
as an anti-oxidant, substance. [14]

Devi PU, an Indian researchers, noticed a significant antitumor and
radiosensitizing effects in experimental tumors from the alcoholic
extract of the dried roots of the W. somnifera (Ashwagandha).
Withaferin A gave a sensitizer enhancement ratio of 1.5 for in vitro
cell killing of V79 Chinese hamster cells at a non-toxic concentration of
approximately 2 microM. [12] This group also injected alcoholic extract
of ashwagandha at daily doses of 200 to 1000 mg/kg body wt for 15
days starting from 24 hr after intradermal inoculation of 5 x 10(5) cells
of S-180 to BALB/c mice. They observed a significant increase in the
volume doubling time and growth delay was seen when the
ashwagandha dose was increased from 500 to 750 mg/kg body wt.
[10] They further obtained similar results in a study of Sarcoma-180
grown on the dorsum of adult BALB/c mouse using alcoholic root
extract of W. somnifera and their modification by heat. [11]

SIDE EFFECTS OF ASHWAGANDHA

In a study of rats for intake of ginseng and ashwagandha for 90
days, researchers found significant increase in body weight, food
consumption and liver weight, and improved hematopoiesis. They did
not reveal any toxicity of brain, heart, lung, liver, spleen, kidneys,
stomach, testis and ovaries. [17] Thus, ashwagandha probably is
safe without serious side effects.

However, there is a case about the toxicity or side effect of
ashwagandha. The reporter speculated that ashwagandha could
increase serum concentrations of thyroid hormones causing
thyrotoxicosis of a 32-year-oild healthy woman in the case. Chronic
fatigue is the one of the main symptoms of thyrotoxicosis. The
symptoms resolved spontaneously after discontinuation of the
ashwagandha capsules. [13]

Panda S and Kar A from D.A. University, Indore, India noticed that
ashwagandha root extracts could regulate thyroid function with
special reference to type-I iodothyronine 5'-monodeiodinase activity
in mice liver. Furthermore, ashwagandha root extract significantly
reduced hepatic lipid peroxidation, whereas the activity of antioxidant
enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase were increased.
These findings reveal that the ashwagandha root extract stimulates
thyroidal activity and also enhances the antiperoxidation of hepatic
tissue. [16]

WARNINGS

People with thyroid or liver issues should not use this herb or related
products without doctors' recommendation.


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Chinese Herbs. Queensland, Australia: Phytotherapy Press, 1996, 137–41. 4.
Wagner H, Nörr H, Winterhoff H. Plant adaptogens. Phytomed 1994;1:63–
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Ghosal S. Effects of glycowithanolides from Withania somnifera on an animal
model of AlzheimerÂ’s disease and perturbed central cholinergic markers of
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Applications of Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbs. Queensland, Australia:
Phytotherapy Press, 1996, 137–41. 9. Bone K. Clinical Applications of
Ayurvedic and Chinese Herbs. Queensland, Australia: Phytotherapy Press,
1996, 137–41. [10] Devi PU, et al, In vivo growth inhibitory effect of Withania
somnifera (Ashwagandha) on a transplantable mouse tumor, Sarcoma 180.
Indian J Exp Biol. 1992 Mar;30(3):169-72. [11] Devi PU, et al, Antitumor and
radiosensitizing effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on a
transplantable mouse tumor, Sarcoma-180. Indian J Exp Biol. 1993 Jul;31(7):
607-11. [12] Devi PU. Withania somnifera Dunal (Ashwagandha): potential
plant source of a promising drug for cancer chemotherapy and
radiosensitization. Indian J Exp Biol. 1996 Oct;34(10):927-32. [13] van der
Hooft CS, et al, Thyrotoxicosis following the use of ashwagandha. Ned Tijdschr
Geneeskd. 2005 Nov 19;149(47):2637-8. [14] Kaur K, et al, Evaluation of the
anti-proliferative and anti-oxidative activities of leaf extract from in vivo and in
vitro raised Ashwagandha. Food Chem Toxicol. 2004 Dec;42(12):2015-20.
[15] A comparative pharmacological investigation of Ashwagandha and
Ginseng. J Ethnopharmacol. 1994 Dec;44(3):131-5. [16] Panda S, Kar A.
Changes in thyroid hormone concentrations after administration of
ashwagandha root extract to adult male mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1998 Sep;
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murine salmonellosis. Phytomedicine. 2005 Mar;12(3):229-35. [19] Gupta SK,
et al, Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) attenuates antioxidant defense in
aged spinal cord and inhibits copper induced lipid peroxidation and protein
oxidative modifications. Drug Metabol Drug Interact. 2003;19(3):211-22. [20]
Kuboyama T, et al, Axon- or dendrite-predominant outgrowth induced by
constituents from Ashwagandha. Neuroreport. 2002 Oct 7;13(14):1715-20.
[21] Dhuley JN. Nootropic-like effect of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L.)
in mice. Phytother Res. 2001 Sep;15(6):524-8. [22] Mishra LC, Singh BB,
Dagenais S. Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Withania somnifera
(ashwagandha): a review. Altern Med Rev. 2000 Aug;5(4):334-46. [22] Tohda
C, Kuboyama T, Komatsu K. Dendrite extension by methanol extract of
Ashwagandha (roots of Withania somnifera) in SK-N-SH cells. Neuroreport.
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