What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha, also known as Withania somnifera and “Indian Ginseng” is a small woody herb with yellow flowers originating in India and North Africa. Today, Ashwagandha is also grown in the United States in more mild climates. It’s used in traditional practices in India known as Ayurveda. The Ashwagandha root has a “horsey smell” (Ashva in Sanskrit translates to “horse” and gandha means “smell”). The Ashwagandha root contains several bioactive compounds, one of which is Withanolides. Withanolides are a group of flavonoids that help promote energy and focus, healthy stress levels and cognitive function.
The use of Ashwagandha root dates back to almost 3000 years to the Indian and Middle East regions and has been highly researched over the years for its beneficial effects on stress.
Ashwagandha Benefits and Uses
Clinical trials and research studies have found that Ashwagandha has properties that can regulate stress and promote cardiovascular health. The effects Ashwagandha has on cortisol levels may also promote restful sleep. Data from smaller studies suggests that Ashwagandha may also promote healthy growth and development and support joint health due to the iron content.
Ashwagandha Benefits may include:
- May help support healthy stress levels
- May help promote energy and focus
- May help support cognitive function
- May help Neuroprotection
- May help promote restful sleep
What is Ashwagandha Used For?
Ashwagandha is also classified as an Adaptogen. Adaptogens are substances that are able to reduce the effects of stressors. In Ayurvedic practices, Ashwagandha root benefits have the ability to support immune health, healthy stress levels, and skin health. Ayurvedic practices are based on the belief that the things we consume are used as fuel to create and maintain our cells and organs. It’s also considered a Rasayana, a term referring to the highest tier of Ayurvedic herbs that promote vitality, longevity, and happiness. Ashwagandha is traditionally used as a tonic for hormonal function, sleep quality, memory and relaxation.
Is This Ashwagandha Extract Standardized to Withanolides?
Yes, Nootropics Depot’s Ashwagandha Extract is standardized to 12% Withanolides.
Withanolides exist in plants belonging to the Solanaceae family. Of the plants in this category, Ashwagandha has the highest concentrations of withanolides. Withanolides are known for their properties supporting pain management and promoting feelings of restfulness. This formulation of Ashwagandha has a balanced blend of withanolides at 12%.
Withanolides are primarily responsible for Ashwagandha’s adaptogenic properties. Withanolide A, which is one of the most abundant withanolides in Ashwaghanda, has been reported to fully regulate elevated cortisol levels in animal studies.
The Sourcing And Testing Of Nootropics Depot's Ashwagandha Extract With 12% Withanolides
Ashwagandha is a traditional Indian botanical, so why is it sourced so often from China? For years, Nootropics Depot sourced its generic ashwagandha from China. This is where most ashwagandha is often sourced these days, due to China's extensive supply chain. However, the main issue was consistent quality. We were just not getting ashwgandha with the specific withanolide profile that we desired. This made us ask the question: If ashwagandha is a traditional Indian Ayurvedic product, why not go direct to its ancient source? That's actually easier than it sounds. Why is that? Well India doesn't have as sophisticated of a supply chain as modern China does. It's much harder to find a quality supplier in India than it is in China, which is partly why it took us so long. However, once we found the right farm and extraction partner in India, we discovered that we could much more closely control the product quality and consistency. It appears that the long history of production and use of ashwagandha in India has left it uniquely suited to produce high-quality and unique modern extracts. Let's discuss the details of our new extract!
Besides the difficulties in sourcing quality Ashwagandha, proper lab testing has also been a struggle throughout the supplement industry. This is another challenging problem that took us years to solve, but we finally have state-of-the-art Ashwagandha testing methods which has greatly contributed to the creation of this high potency Ashwagandha extract!
One of the biggest difficulties with Ashwagandha is knowing exactly what to test for. Our response to this challenge was to develop a highly comprehensive profile of withanolides that we specifically standardize to. With many of the Ashwagandha extracts sourced from China that we were testing in the lab, we found that they were quite high in Withaferin A while being low in other withanolides. Since Withaferin A is a withanolide, it can be grouped under "total withanolides." What this means is that sometimes extracts that contain 5% total withanolides actually contain pretty much only Withaferin A. While Withaferin A is a very beneficial compound, it does not produce the classic calming effects associated with Ashwagandha. With this in mind, it is important that we test for Withaferin A independently of the other withanolides so that we can ensure that we are standardizing for a balanced withanolide profile. All of the withanolides each have very unique and distinct effects, so simply grouping it all under "total withanolides" is a direct path to a lackluster and unbalanced Ashwagandha extract.
This is where our new testing methods came to the rescue. Since our new testing methods allow us to distinguish accurately between different withanolides, it allows us to pursue specific withanolide profiles in the extracts we source. By doing this, we can achieve a few things such as:
1. More consistent Ashwagandha extracts
2. Higher potency
3. Balanced withanolide profile
4. Extracts that are not just made up of only withaferin A
How To Take Ashwagandha and Ashwagandha Dosage
As a dietary supplement, take 1 Ashwagandha Extract tablet daily.
Where to Buy Ashwagandha Tablets
Nootropics Depot offers 90ct. or 180ct. jars of Ashwagandha Extract tablets (12% Withanolides). Nootropics Depot's Ashwagandha extract has been lab-tested and verified for both product purity and identity. You may also like our Ashwagandha extract powder.
Attention: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
