Ashwagandha tea -Indian ginseng

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Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera), also known as Ginseng of India, is known in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, as a general tonic and adaptogen, and quite often referred as equivalent of ginseng.

The ashwagandha herb grows in South Asian regions of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it bears yellow flowers and red fruits and grows up to a height of 170cm.

Bitter and astringent, light and oily, ashwagandha is considered as excellent tonic to correct impotency, as a stress-free herb and as a great aphrodisiac. According to Indian beliefs, ashwagandha is one of the main herbs for rejuvenating the body. Even though considered to be the primarily tonic for men, women can safely consume this herb.

Ashwagandha benefits

The Aswagandha is known to have anti-bacterial properties, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial properties and antibiotic properties. It contains beneficial compounds such as: alkaloids, glycosides and withanolides. The withanolides molecules are steroidal and are very similar to the active constituents of Asian ginseng known as ginsenosides. That is why this herb is also called Indian Ginseng.

It is believed that tea made of this herb calms the nerves and may aid in clearing the mind, improving memory and it slows down aging.

Ashwagandha has strong nourishing and protective effect on the nervous system.

It has been used to maintain vital energy especially increasing libido in both men and women. When it comes to stress, ashwagandha is good for both physical stress and mental stress.

In a study men and women were given root powder of W. somnifera for 3 months. Results showed decrease in stress, improved the level of anti-oxidants and improved overall semen quality in a significant number of individuals. The treatment resulted in pregnancy in the partners of 14% of the patients.

Ashwagandha Main Uses

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Immune system problems (harmonizes immune function)
• Insomnia
• Memory loss (good for people with brain fog condition)
• Mental clarity – has positive effect on the central nervous system (good for people with fibromyalgia
• Nerve exhaustion, overwork
• Sexual improvement, infertility, builds semen (ashwagandha is the most famous for men when it comes to rejuvenation of the male sexual organs)
• Treats infertility and impotence
• Stress
• Women’s health – regenerates hormones
• Used in prevention of necrosis of liver tissue
• The intestinal anti-inflammatory actions

Ashwagandha can be bought as tea, as an extract, as tincture and in capsule form. The good news is that according to some tests it has been shown that ashwagandha can be safe for long-term consumption.

Source: Medical Elementology and Free Radical Biology Lab, Department of Biochemistry, C.S.M. Medical University, (Formerly King George’s Medical University), Lucknow 226003, India