Ashwagandha is a herb that belongs to the night shade family of plants. The nightshade family of plants is a very interesting one and includes a lot of vegetables that make up large parts of many diets. Notable nightshade members are potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, goji berries and even tobacco! Another name for the nightshade family is Solanaceae. This is where Ashwagandha gets its Latin name from; Withania somnifera. Ashwagandha is a short perennial shrub, with a large root system that develops small deep orange fruits. The fruits resemble a small cherry and the leaves look frosty due to the many tiny hairs that are on them. This one of the reasons why Ashwagandha is also referred to as ‘winter cherry’. Traditionally, the Ashwagandha root is used, however new research has found high concentrations of key components in the leaves too. Various manufacturers have taken notice of this. One of the most notable being Natreon who produce a specialized extract of Ashwagandha called Sensoril. Sensoril is made from the leaves of Ashwagandha, giving it a unique chemical composition, which produces noticeable calming effects.

Ashwagandha is a herb that belongs to the Nightshade family of plants. The Nightshade family of plants is a very interesting one and includes a lot of vegetables that make up large parts of many diets. Notable nightshade members are potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, goji berries and even tobacco! Another name for the Nightshade family is Solanaceae. This is where Ashwagandha gets its Latin name from: Withania somnifera. Ashwagandha is a short perennial shrub with a large root system that develops small deep orange fruits. The fruits resemble a small cherry and the leaves look frosty due to the many tiny hairs that are on them. This is one of the reasons why Ashwagandha is also referred to as "winter cherry." Traditionally, the Ashwagandha root is used; however, new research has found high concentrations of key components in the leaves too. Various ingredient manufacturers have taken notice of this. One of the most notable being Natreon who produce a specialized extract of Ashwagandha called Sensoril. Sensoril is made from the leaves of Ashwagandha, giving it a unique chemical composition, which produces noticeable calming effects.

As mentioned above, Ashwagandha supplements can be made from various parts of the plant. The motivation behind using different parts of the plant comes down to which compounds an ingredient manufacturer is interested in extracting. As mentioned earlier, Sensoril is made from the leaves of Ashwagandha, which yields very high levels of glycowithanolides. However, glycowithanolides only make up a small portion of the chemical composition of Ashwagandha. Below is an extensive list of the main active constituents in Ashwagandha:

• Withanone
• Withaferin A
• Withanolide A-D
• Withanoside IV and VI
• Withanolide Z
• Glycowithanolides
• Physagulin
• Ashwagandhanolide
• Withanolide sulfoxide
• Viscosa lactone B
• Kaempferol
• Naringenin
• (+)-Catechin
• β-sitosterol
• Stigmaterol
• Trigonelline

Together, all of these compounds create significant health-boosting, stress-lowering and cognition-boosting effects. However, there are a few key players that produce the majority of the effects and these are usually referred to as the withanolides and glycowithanolides. Due to this, you will often see products that are standardized to withanolides such as our basic Ashwagandha which is standardized to 12% withanolides. That being said, even though the other compounds present in Ashwagandha aren’t being standardized for, they still exist in Ashwagandha extracts and help boost the effectiveness of withanolides. As a very general rule of thumb, extracts that are standardized for the glycowithanolides are going to be very calming because they have significant effects on our GABA system. Extracts that more generally standardize for withanolides are going to be more balanced and more adaptogenic. Keep this in mind when picking a Ashwagandha supplement. Below are some brief description of each Ashwagandha supplement we carry:

• Sensoril Ashwagandha: Sensoril Ashwagandha is high in glycowithanolides making it a potent and calming extract. Sensoril is made from a blend of Ashwagandha root and leaf extracts, which is part of the reason why it is so potent. Sensoril is best taken during periods of high stress, or to help enhance sleep quality.
• KSM-66 Ashwagandha: KSM-66 is extracted using milk. Traditionally, Ashwagandha root powder is mixed with milk to enhance absorption, and so Ixoreal Bioscience decided to use milk as its extraction solvent. The end result is an Ashwagandha root only extract that is very well balanced. Effect-wise, KSM-66 is very uplifting and can help support healthy stress levels.
• Shoden Ashwagandha: Shoden is a full spectrum Ashwagandha extract made using roots and leaves. Standardized to 35% withanolides, Shoden carries high levels of 8 key Withanolide Glycosides and high levels of Withanoside X, a bioactive glycowithanolide. These elements, along with high bioavailability, makes Shoden® a full spectrum Ashwagandha extract with a well-rounded Ashwagandha effect profile.
• Basic Ashwagandha: Nootropics Depot's basic Ashwagandha is made from both Ashwagandha root and leaves and is standardized to 12% withanolides. This Ashwagandha extract is uplifting and calming without being too calming or too energizing. Many people tend to prefer this Ashwagandha extract because it is so well balanced.

As mentioned earlier, Ashwagandha root has been used for centuries. So, what makes it so attractive and why has it been used for so long? Traditionally, before we could determine via scientific studies what effects Ashwagandha had on the body, Ashwagandha was already being used for many of the same applications as it currently is. It was mainly used in India, in Ayurva as a rejuvenator, supporting the body from fatigue and stress. Other potential Ashwagandha benefits include:

• Promoting relaxation
• Promoting balanced inflammation levels
• Promoting healthy cognitive function
• Promoting physical strength

As mentioned earlier, traditional preparation of Ashwagandha root involved the use of milk. This is due to the fact that Ashwagandha contains both water and fat-soluble compounds. Milk, being a mixture of both water and fat, allows for efficient extraction and absorption of the bioactive molecules contained within Ashwagandha. This allows for the highest amount of Ashwagandha benefits.

One of the biggest limiting factors to our overall cognitive health is the physiological effects of elevated stress. Besides feeling "stressed," which can manifest itself as feelings of uncontrollable energy contrasted by paradoxical mental exhaustion, there is a lot going on in our bodies and brains when we are exposed to abnormal levels of stress. One of the main biochemical responses to stress is a rapid elevation in the levels of various stress hormones called corticosteroids. One of the most well known corticosteroids is cortisol which is produced by our adrenal cortex. Cortisol plays a role in a large variety of processes in our bodies, which under normal condition are very beneficial to our overall health. In fact, cortisol becomes elevated at certain points in the day. For example, cortisol is highly elevated in the mornings. Under normal circumstances, this will help us feel alert and motivated while also ramping up our metabolism. Cortisol levels drop later in the day, which will decrease alertness and make it easier to relax and go to sleep. Under elevated stress, these normal fluctuations in cortisol levels (which are collectively referred to as the diurnal cortisol curve) can become dis-regulated. This can manifest itself in a variety of different ways, such as a flat plateau, where cortisol levels increase in the morning and remain elevated. It can also completely flip around, resulting in low morning cortisol levels and high evening cortisol levels. In a real world interpretation, this may cause excessive stimulation during the day, excessive tiredness in the morning or excessive stimulation at night. Bare in mind, these are just the effects of disregulated cortisol that we can perceive. There is a whole lot more going on under the hood.

Elevated cortisol levels may have a negative effect on the cells contained in a part of our brains called the hippocampus. It is thought that a large portion of memory processing, especially the acquisition stage of memory, occurs in the hippocampus. Thus, it is no surprise that elevated cortisol levels in response to stress, can hamper memory function. Furthermore, elevated corticosteroid levels in response to stress can also significantly dampen our natural immune response. A combination of hampered cognitive and immune function can be very detrimental to productivity and can be a big blow to our general quality of life. So how do we minimize the physiological impact of stress in such a high stress world? One of the best options is identifying your main sources of stress and attempting to manage them on a behavioral level. However, sometimes this is not possible and we need a little extra help. Luckily, Ashwagandha has some powerful stress management benefits.

Withanolide A, one of the major bioactive molecules in Ashwagandha, has been reported to normalize elevated corticosteroid levels during elevated stress. Through this mechanism of action, Ashwagandha can help protect us from the potential negative effects of elevated cortisol levels. This mechanism of action, can also help support our memory, help promote overall cognitive function and help promote immune system strength.

The withanolides have also been shown to promote overall brain health. They can achieve this by providing robust neuroprotective effects through normalizing elevated glutamate levels. Glutamate is an important excitatory neurotransmitter. In normal levels, glutamate helps us form and store memories. However, in abnormally high levels, it can cause damage to our brain cells. By normalizing glutamate levels, Ashwagandha can help promote overall brain health.

The glycowithanolides in contrast to the withanolides are not as stress reducing. Rather, they appear to be very neuroprotective and calming. Various studies have shown that glycowithanolides can help promote relaxation and a positive mood. One of the mechanisms by which glycowithanolides appear to achieve this is by normalizing the levels of tribulin. Levels of tribulin increase when stress levels are elevated and may cause feelings of restlessness and a gloomy mood. Via reducing tribulin levels, Ashwagandha may help regulate these feelings of restlessness and instead may promote relaxation and a positive mood. Ashwagandha benefits also appear to extend to the GABA system. Ashwagandha does this by enhancing signaling through the GABA _A receptor, which is one of the primary inhibitory receptors in the brain. By enhancing signaling through the GABA _A receptor, Ashwagandha may be able to promote significant feelings of relaxation, which may even translate to improved sleep quality!

Withanolide A has been shown to help normalize our immune system during periods of stress. It does this through a few mechanisms. The first is normalizing elevated corticosteroid levels which will result in a general normalizing effect on our immune system. However, Withanolide A goes a step further and appears to increases the expression of the Th1 cytokines, interferon gamma, and interleukin-2 while decreasing the Th2 cytokine, interleukin-4. These compounds are all important regulators of our immune system, and the specific shift that withanolide A is able to induce may help promote stronger immune function.

Read our comprehensive blog on our other patented ashwagandha extracts: KSM-66, Sensoril, and Shoden. Our in-house Nootropics Depot ashwagandha is awesome, but not every extract is right for every person. We offer a huge selection of different ashwagandha extracts to suit everyone's unique body and brain chemistry. Choosing the right ashwagandha can seem complex. Let us simplify it for you!