Have you tried or heard of Ashwagandha?
If not, you’ll definitely want to keep reading.
It has gotten a lot of attention lately as a well known of the adaptogens that helps the body adapt to and recover from stress.
As popular as it is, it does have a few drawbacks.
What does ashwagandha do
Commonly used in Ayuverdic medicine, ashwagandha is used for many conditions related to stress. Adaptogens are believed to help the body resist or balance physical, mental, and emotional stresses.
People take ashwagandha to help with a myriad of condition including insomnia, aging, anxiety and many others, but there is no hard core scientific evidence to support most of these uses.
Taking Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha comes in many forms. There are gummies, capsules, liquids and even powders. So no matter your preference, you should be able to find one that suits you.
The important thing is that you take the recommended dosage which on average is about 500mg twice a day.
Dangers of Ashwagandha
Some uncommon side effects include upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness in large doses.
Even though it is considered a natural supplement and considered generally safe, ashwagandha is not for everyone. If you have a borderline hyperactive thyroid,.are pregnant or breast feeding, you should definitely tread carefully.
Ashwaganda is also considered a NO-NO supplement for those with autoimmune diseases. Why? This herb may stimulate the immune system too much resulting in a flare up.
I’m not saying not to take it, just to tread carefully and maybe consult your doctor. At the end of the day, you have to make the best decision for you and your body.
Brands to Try
When looking for a good supplement brand my major concerns are what are the ingredients and the manufacturing standards. I like to look for supplements that have been independently tested and verified by outside entities.
Here are a few brands of ashwagandha to try
Ashwagandha is not a miracle supplement
It’s important to remember that ashwagandha is not a magic wand. It’s not like you take it and boom all of the stress just melts away. However, when used in conjunction with other coping tools, you will begin to manage your stressors better moving forward.
My Experience with Ashwagandha
Full transparency, I started taking Ashwagandha in January after my last crisis. I was so on edge and all over the place I wanted some stress relief.
It wasn’t until I started doing research for this post that I learned it was not advised for people with autoimmune illnesses. Oops.
What I will say is that I definitely feel like Ashwagandha helped me calm down a bit during a very stressful and anxious time. Even though things were in disarray according to my standards, I feel more at peace and able to handle them. I was more objective.
I personally did not have any negative effects such as an increase in symptoms during this time but once I stopped taking it, I noticed an increase in my anxiety.
My desire is to get a baseline on my symptoms, and then start taking the ashwagandha again to see if I notice a flare. But it is hard to do that until I’m stable.
I’ll keep you all updated.
Have you tried ashwagandha? What was your experience?
