Ashwagandha: The Wonder Herb

Since childhood, I have been hearing this name but nobody explained what it is exactly. In my late teens, I saw this herb on the footpaths of Mumbai, being sold by self-proclaimed Ayurvedic practitioners. They would sell it primarily for sexual weakness and energy and knew nothing else about it. Yes, it is very good for sexual weakness and stimulates sexual desire in both men and women but that’s just one aspect of this wonder herb.

The botanical name for Ashwagandha is Withania Somnifera. It is a small shrub with yellow flowers and native to India and North Africa. It has been used in Ayurveda for more than 6000 years, according to the Charak Samhita in Sanskrit Ashwagandha literally means “smell of a horse” referring to its unique smell and ability to increase strength. Let’s find out what this wonder herb can actually do.

1. Adaptogenic

Its best quality according to me is that it is an adaptogenic herb, which basically means that it doesn’t especially do one or two things, it balances out the issues in the body. For example, it can regulate the Thyroid hormone in Hypothyroidism, where the gland is producing less of the Thyroid hormone by boosting its levels …read more