Superpowers Herb ~ Ashwagandha

A Natural Remedy to Reduce Everyday Stress

Lately I have been dreaming of having superpowers to conquer a few challenges I’ve had to endure. Well I can’t exactly fly over buildings yet, however taking ashwagandha has been pretty powerful. This is the best herb to take when going through a stressful situation. I take it on a daily basis just to maintain my immune system. Ashwagandha, a vital herb in Ayurvedic medicine is an adaptogen so it will adjust to what your body needs. In sanskrit it means smell of a horse, because it is supposed to give one the vigor and stamina of a stallion. You can also find it in powdered form to be taken as a tea.

For more herb and natural remedies see The Local Rose.

Ashwagandha contains many useful medicinal chemicals, including withanolides, (steroidal lactones), alkaloids, choline, fatty acids, amino acids, and a variety of sugars. While the leaves and fruit have valuable therapeutic properties, the root of the ashwagandha plant is the part most commonly used in Western herbal remedies.

Medical researchers have been studying ashwagandha with great interest and as of this date have carried out 216 studies of its healing benefits, summarized below:

confers immune system protection
combats the effects of stress
improves learning, memory, and reaction time
reduces anxiety and depression without causing drowsiness
stabilizes blood sugar
lowers cholesterol
reduces brain-cell degeneration
contains anti-malarial properties
offers anti-inflammatory benefits
Some studies have also found that ashwagandha inhibits the growth of cancer cells in small animals, but further research is needed to determine whether the herb prevents the development of tumors in human beings.