An important herb in ancient Indian medicine, Ashwagandha is also known as the Indian winter cherry or Indian ginseng. In Sanskrit, Ashwa means horse and Gandha means smell. The root of this herb resembles the smell of a horse and that’s where the name ashwagandha originates. People have used this herb for thousands of years for its benefits on mental and physical health. We will deep dive into these benefits later in this blog.
Before that, let’s learn some interesting facts about Ashwagandha:
- Ashwagandha is a shrub that grows across seasons in India and Southeast Asia. From its roots to leaves, every part of this shrub has some other health benefits.
- According to Ayurvedic scriptures, ashwagandha has been classified as a Rasayana – which means it has rejuvenating properties and increases lifespan.
- Here’s what an Ayurvedic scholar, Charaka (100 BC), said about ashwagandha, “One obtains longevity, attains youthful energy, develops sharp memory and intellect, and gets rid of all diseases, gets a glowing complexion, and strength like a horse.”
- In modern medicine, ashwagandha is looked at as an adaptogen, a substance that’s used in herbal medicine that helps the body deal with stress.
These facts about ashwagandha explain its importance in Ayurveda. And before you start looking around for the best ashwagandha powder, let’s also take a look at a few scientifically-proven benefits of ashwagandha.
Helps relieve stress and anxiety
Ashwagandha is perhaps best known for its ability to lower stress. It’s classified as an adaptogen, which helps your body cope with stress. Whenever you are faced with discomforting situations, there is a release of cortisol in your body, which is also known as the stress hormone. And the properties of ashwagandha are such that it nullifies the effect of cortisol and alleviates stress.
Several studies have observed ashwagandha’s ability to reduce stress and anxiety levels amongst participants. If you encounter stress in your everyday life, you can use nutrition supplements that have ashwagandha as one of their key ingredients. Terra Origin Greens Superfoods is one such supplement that’s rich in ashwagandha.
Increases muscle and strength
Research says that ashwagandha may improve athletic performance and it could be one of the worthy nutrition supplements for sportspersons. One study found that both male and female athletes who took ashwagandha doses ranging from 120 mg to 1250 mg per day exhibited improved performance, increased strength and oxygen while performing exercises.
Another research conducted with solely male participants reassured the benefits of ashwagandha. These men experienced a significant increase in muscle strength (evaluated using exercises like bench press and leg exertions) and muscle size in their chest and arms. Even better, these people also recorded a noteworthy reduction in body-fat percentages and post-workout soreness in muscles.
When it comes to fitness, you might have heard of people having protein powder for weight gain or weight loss, but now you know of one more potent supplement that can aid immensely with your strength and performance. Apart from whey protein supplements, make sure you add ashwagandha to your fitness diet.
Reduces blood sugar and fat
There’s some evidence that shows ashwagandha may have some health benefits for people with high blood sugar levels or diabetes. A consolidated review of 24 cases, including 5 clinical studies with diabetic people, observed that ashwagandha indeed lowers blood sugar and triglycerides – the most common type of fat found in the blood.
Improves focus and memory
Consumption of ashwagandha may help with cognitive functions. A review of five clinical studies found that this ayurvedic herb could enhance brain functioning in certain groups like older adults and those with schizophrenia. The benefits that were noted are – executive functioning, improved reaction time, attention, and improved performance on cognitive tasks. While more studies need to take place to substantiate these findings, the results so far have only been positive.
These are some of the most significant benefits of ashwagandha. This powerful herb can help you boost your performance and fitness. It’s one of the best natural immunity boosters that reduce stress as well as anxiety levels. Considering all these enormous benefits of this powerful herb - we created Greens Superfoods by using the best ashwagandha powder as one of its key ingredients. While formulating Terra Origin Greens Superfoods, we looked at how people would benefit from the combination of over 35 organic greens along with organic ashwagandha.
Terra Origin Greens Superfoods has many powerful ingredients that have proven their efficacy over time. Along with ashwagandha, it has apple fruit powder, organic spirulina powder, barley powder, alfalfa herb powder, wheat germ, barley malt powder, and so on. All these ingredients offer a range of vitamins, antioxidants, and enzymes that provide you with a plethora of health benefits. Because of the presence of ashwagandha, it becomes one of the most effective daily nutrition supplements. It's a perfect choice for anyone looking to gain more stamina, foster their immune system, and feel high on energy as you go by your day.
To sum it all up, ashwagandha has been one of the most crucial elements of Ayurveda and modern science has also realized its benefits after numerous studies. If you’re on a journey to be the healthiest version of yourself, you can consider adding ashwagandha or supplements like Terra Origin Greens Superfoods to your everyday diet.