An NHS GP has said there is no hard evidence that the popular supplement ashwagandha can reduce stress levels. Dr Amir Khan, a regular on ITV shows Lorraine and This Morning, spoke about the supplement on the No Appointment podcast.
Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub (Withania somnifera) used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to help the body manage stress. Modern wellness consumers widely use it as an adaptogen to manage stress, lower cortisol, and improve sleep.
What the doctor said
Dr Khan said: “Ashwagandha is another plant-based supplement that has been used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine to help with stress particularly. We don’t have the evidence to say ashwagandha can help with stress.”
Podcast host Cherry Healey said: “I’m really surprised. I thought you were going to say that there was because it’s done so many things. Lots of people with perimenopause swear by it.”
But Dr Khan replied: “If it works for you, continue to take it. A lot of ancient traditional medicine, you know, we don’t have the large randomized control trials that give us the evidence, but that if it works for you, then it works for you. But we don’t have any hard evidence that ashwagandha can reduce your stress levels. But if you like it and you enjoy it, take it.”
Research and side effects
Cherry asked: “Is it that because it’s ancient and it’s kind of already on the shelves, big pharma companies or people funding the research, I just can’t be bothered with that particular one because it doesn’t have that star quality?”
Dr Khan said: “I think that’s a possibility. I certainly do. But I do think there has been some studies in to Ashwagandha to look into it and they just haven’t produced the results that we were hoping for. Um, and with any supplement like like Ashwagandha or anything there is a chance it can interact with medication. It can cause side effects. So, you’ve got to be really careful about these things too.”
Harvard Health said: “Some evidence suggests that ashwagandha affects levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This may help regulate the body’s cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems. Ashwagandha’s effects are thought to come from withanolides, compounds that seem to affect pathways that regulate inflammation, interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine (hormone-producing) system, and the body’s response to stress.”
In terms of stress, Harvard said some research suggests that ashwagandha might help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. In a randomized trial lasting one month, people who took ashwagandha capsules daily reported better well-being. Many said that they had more energy and focus. They reported sleeping better, too.
Sleep and safety
For sleep, Harvard said: “There’s less research on ashwagandha and sleep. But a handful of small trials suggest that the remedy could be beneficial. In one study, participants who took 120 mg of ashwagandha extract daily for six weeks had greater improvements in sleep compared with those who took a placebo.
“Another trial looking at adults with insomnia showed similar results: compared with those who got a placebo, the ashwagandha users fell asleep faster, had better sleep quality, and felt more alert when they woke up.”
In terms of side effects, Harvard said data for use beyond 3 months was ‘limited’. It said: “Some people who take ashwagandha may have mild side effects. These can include loose stools, nausea, or drowsiness. In rare instances, ashwagandha has also been reported to cause liver injury, impaired liver function, or both.”
Ashwagandha may also interact with medications used to treat anxiety, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure, seizures, sleep, and thyroid disease.
