The Unique Benefits of ASHWAGANDHA (How and When to Take it) - Dr. Berg Explains

Let's talk about this amazing herb called ashwagandha .

I wanna talk about the dosage , when to take it , when not to take it , there's certain precautions , but also some benefits that you probably have never heard before .

This is an amazing herb .

Ashwagandha , comes from the derivation of a Hindi name , ashgan , which refers to horse's odor , as in horse's urine .

Apparently , this herb does have a scent of horse's urine .

But that being said , this herb is quite magical what it does .

So let's dive right in .

As far as the amounts that are recommended based on , randomized controlled trials , you'd want to consume between 250 milligrams to 500 milligrams twice per day .

If you're doing a tincture , like a 1 to 5 ratio , it's recommended that you take between 2 and 4 milliliters .

That's roughly between 40 80 drops , 3 times a day .

Now , personally , I don't like the drops in alcohol because I just don't like alcohol .

So , I like the capsules , but a lot of people like the , tinctures , and it seems to work just fine .

Now , the most profound effect that this herb has on people is if you feel nervous , this is the best herb to take .

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen .

Okay .

Now what is an adaptogen ?

A safe substance that helps you adapt to stress states .

Adaptogens help you resist stress , tolerate and cope with stress better , and also help bring the body back to a normal state .

Apparently , it's really good for any problems related to the autonomic nervous system because the sympathetic nervous system is the system that adapts the body to stress .

And then the parasympathetic , which is the other branch of the autonomic nervous system , helps recover the person from going through stress .

So apparently this herb helps both parts of that puzzle .

And since we're talking about stress , there's 2 main mechanisms that the body uses to deal with stress .

1 is through the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis .

Okay ?

And that mainly has to do with the hormone aspects of stress , specifically cortisol , which is released by the outer part of the adrenal glands called the cortex .

Whereas the other mechanism which is also controlled by the hypothalamus , okay , has mainly to do with the inner part of the adrenal gland called the medulla , and specifically adrenaline .

Okay ?

So we have cortisol and adrenaline .

Adrenaline is a neurotransmitter , cortisol is a hormone .

Both of these systems are involved with stress , and ashwagandha can help both mechanisms .

So ashwagandha has been known to significantly lower cortisol , which is very cool .

Which is going to then help you potentially lose weight as well and improve insulin resistance because too much cortisol can cause insulin resistance , and that can create all sorts of problems from a metabolic syndrome issue , which affects your lipids , to blood sugar , to fatty liver , to being a prediabetic .

And also , cortisol is involved with , stress induced insomnia .

Not to mention , adrenaline is also involved .

So this herb can help you sleep better , especially if the cause of that sleep problem occurred from stress .

And because the lowering of cortisol is occurring , you're going to feel calmer , you're going to have less anxiety , you'll have better brain function , less brain fog , and overall better cognitive function .

Ashwagandha has been known to improve stamina , which is endurance , strength while exercising .

It's a good anti inflammatory .

It's also been known to help stimulate the thyroid .

So it's really good for hypothyroid type situations , but not necessarily if you have a hyperthyroid , which we'll get to in a bit .

And because ashwagandha helps regulate cortisol , it's gonna help your immune system .

Anything related to dysregulation with cortisol is going to affect your immune system .

Ashwagandha has also been known to improve male hormones , specifically testosterone , which can improve sex drive .

Also sperm count , as well as sperm mobility .

So it's involved with improving male fertility .

Ashwagandha is also good for pain , helping people with low back pain , improving , spasm , muscle spasm , and it's good for fluid retention .

Now at the cellular level , ashwagandha can help increase something called heat shock proteins , which is involved in the hermetic effect , which basically has to do with getting the benefits from a moderate intermittent stress causing the body to adapt and become stronger .

So those are some really cool effects that can occur when you take ashwagandha .

Now when wouldn't you wanna take ashwagandha ?

If you have a sensitivity to the nightshades , okay , you probably don't wanna take it .

Ashwagandha is high in iron .

So if you have a genetic problem where you accumulate iron and you can't get rid of it easily , ashwagandha is not good for you .

Ashwagandha is good if someone is iron deficient because it's loaded with iron .

But you don't wanna take it if you have too much iron .

And like I mentioned before , ashwagandha is good for hypothyroid situations , but not a hyper thyroid situation .

And so if your thyroid gland is working too much , as in you have , what's Graves' disease , don't take ashwagandha .

Ashwagandha also enhances the effect of barbiturates and the thyroid hormone .

So if you're taking those 2 medications , you might not wanna take ashwagandha .

Now as far as pregnancy goes , there's some interesting data on this .

It's been used in India for a long time , even with women that are pregnant .

It's been used like as a a tonic , and sometimes they put it in milk .

However , there are no safety studies that look at pregnant women taking this herb .

There's some animal studies that shows that taking large amounts , does not have a bad effect , but there is no studies with humans .

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I will see you on the other side .