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The name of ashwaganda, one of the most universal herbs used for more than four thousand years and generally known for its tranquillizing and rejuvenating abilities, comes from its peculiar odor that resembles the sweaty horse. Well, not all the herbs are meant to be aromatic - especially when it is hard to find the one that would be so generally applied for such a number of medical conditions. In particular, ashwagandha has been used for the handling of such conditions as alcoholism, insomnia, memory loss, stress, sexual debility, infertility, builds semen, immune system problems, breathing difficulty, anemia, rheumatism, rheumatic swellings, muscle energy loss, Alzheimer’s disease, as HIV and AIDS support, for general strength during and after cancer chemotherapy. It is widely known in traditional Indian medicine (ayurveda) as the remedy for various inflammations, infectious diseases and tumors, possessing tranquillizing and rejuvenating abilities. Taken altogether, the actions of the herb made ashwagandha generally known as adaptogen or tonic. Its main active components, alkaloids and withanoloids enable multiple applications of ashwagandha, these steroidal molecules inhibit inflammation, improve memory and stimulates the immune system. Flavonoids and other active ingredients of the withanolide class produce the properties of the herb’s anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-stress, antioxidant, mind-boosting, and rejuvenating effect. Ashwagandha is native for India, Pakistan and Shri Lanka, where it favored sandy, loamy and clayed soils. The plant requires well-drained ground and grows best in the moist soils where the good sun disposure is provided. Ashwagandha is frost tender and does not stand low temperatures. The herb is propagated from herbaceous stem cuttings, by direct sow of seeds outdoors in fall (indoors before last frost), or by direct seeds sow after last frost. Ashwagandha can be grown annualy, with flowering and fruiting in its first year from the seed. For the seed collection the unblemished fruit should be ripe. The seeds are then collected and dried, and can be successfully stored. One can recognize ashwagandha by the erect branched shrub with a lurid yellow or greenish flowers. The root is the major part of the herb that is used for various remedy preparations. Being narcotic, it possesses diuretic and deobstruent, tonic, alterative and aphrodisiac features. Seeds are used to coagulate milk, though they also contain poisonous properties. The herb’s leaves are usually used as anthelmintic remedy and are applied to carbuncles. Ashwagandha fruit is rich in saponins, so can be used as a soap substitute. So that is the universal ashwagandha. You can learn more about how it is used in ayurvedic medicine browsing our site further.
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Ashwagandha extract, 500 mg, $10.95