Ashwagandha: Scientific Evidence

Randomized Clinical Trials are considered the highest form of scientific evidence.  A group of people with the same condition are divided into two groups, and randomly assigned to receive the medicine or a placebo.  Neither the patient nor the doctors know which group they are in until the results are assessed.

When you search “Ashwagandha Double Blind” on the National Library of Medicine database, you get 34 results.

Sleep Med. Mar 2020:  Results: A total of 144 subjects completed the study, with no dropouts due to adverse events.  A 72% increase in self-reported sleep quality was found for the treatment group, compared with 29% in the placebo group.  Based on activity monitoring data, the treatment group showed significant improvement in sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and wake after sleep onset versus placebo after six weeks. In the Ashwagandha group quality of life scores showed significant improvement in physical, psychological, and environment domains. (1)

Curr. Clin. Pharmacol. Ap 13, 2020. Results: Comparison of the Anxiety scores during the course of the trial revealed a significant amelioration of Anxiety score in the treatment group versus placebo. Moreover, there was a significant difference in the reduction of General Anxiety score between the second and sixth week in the treatment group.  Ashwagandha was safe and no adverse effect was observed during the trial. (2)

Cureus Feb 23, 2020.  Conclusion: The study outcomes suggest that Ashwagandha root extract was efficient in improving the Quality of Life, sleep quality, and mental alertness as self-assessed by the elderly participants. (3)

Pharmaceuticals Mar 2020. Results: Ashwagandha (and Andrographis) significantly improved cognitive performance in the d2-Test for attention and the concentration performance test after four weeks’ treatment. (4)

Cureus Dec 25, 2019  Results: Compared to the placebo group participants, the participants receiving Ashwagandha had significant improvement in sleep quality. Conclusion Ashwagandha root aqueous extract was beneficial in reducing stress and anxiety. (5)

Phytotherapy Res. Mar 2020.  Results: Ashwagandha extract improved performance on cognitive tasks, executive function, attention, and reaction time. It also appears to be well tolerated, with good adherence and minimal side effects. (6)

Cureus Sept 28 2019. Conclusion: Ashwagandha root extract is a natural compound with sleep-inducing potential, well tolerated and improves sleep quality and sleep onset latency in patients with insomnia. (7)

Medicine Sept 2019.  Results: All participants completed the trial with no adverse events reported. In comparison with the placebo, ashwagandha supplementation was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the Anxiety.  Ashwagandha intake was also associated with greater reductions in morning cortisol, and DHEA-S compared with the placebo. (8)

Ann. Clin. Psychiatry May 2019. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Ashwagandha may hold promise in the treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in schizophrenia. (9)

Am J Mens Health Mar-Ap 2019.  Conclusion: Ashwagandha intake was associated with an 18% greater increase in DHEA-S and 14.7% greater increase in testosterone compared to the placebo. (10)

Nutrients Nov 2018.  Conclusions: A 500 mg dose of an aqueous extract of Ashwagandha improves upper and lower-body strength, supports a favorable distribution of body mass, and was well tolerated clinically in recreationally active men over a 12-week resistance training and supplementation period. (11)

J Clin Psychiatry July 2018. Conclusions: This early study suggests that adjunctive treatment with a standardized extract of Ashwagandha provides significant benefits, with minimal side effects, for negative, general, and total symptoms and stress in patients with recent exacerbation of schizophrenia. (12)

Indian J Tuberc. July 2018.  Conclusion: Use of W. somnifera as an adjuvant in conjunction with anti-TB drugs used as DOTS showed a favorable effect on symptoms and immunological parameters in patients with pulmonary TB. (13)

J Altern Complement Med Mar 2018.  Results: Ashwagandha treatment effectively normalized the serum thyroid indices during the 8-week treatment period in a significant manner. (14)

Thats how Real Doctors treat a thyroid problem.  Give thyroid hormone until the “numbers are right.”  You can do that with Ashwagandha, according to this study!

J Diet Suppl. 2017 Nov. Results: Results: After eight weeks of study, the Ashwagandha treatment group demonstrated significant improvements compared with the placebo group in both immediate and general memory, and demonstrated significantly greater improvement in executive function, sustained attention, and information-processing speed. (in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment). (15)

J Ayurveda Integ. Med Jul-Sep 2016.  Results: At the end of 12 weeks, compared to baseline and placebo, significant reductions were observed in mean knee pain in the Ashwagandha groups. VAS scores for pain, stiffness and disability were significantly reduced with Ashwagandha. (16)

Complement Ther Med. Aug 2016. Conclusion: Aswagandha extract may be beneficial as a safe and effective adjunct to SSRIs in the treatment of OCD. (17)

J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. Jan 2017. Results: The outcome of this study suggests that Ashwagandha root extract can be used for body weight management in adults under chronic stress.  The treatment group significantly improved in perceived stress and happiness, food cravings, cortisol levels, and body composition. (18)

Ayu Jan-Mar 2015. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Ashwagandha root extract enhances the cardiorespiratory endurance and improves Quality Of Life in healthy athletic adults. (19)

J Int Soc Sports Nut. Nov 2015. Conclusion: This study reports that Ashwagandha supplementation is associated with significant increases in muscle mass and strength and suggests that Ashwagandha supplementation may be useful in conjunction with a resistance training program. (20)

Biomed Res Int 2015. Results: The analysis indicates that treatment with Ashwagandha leads to significantly higher improvement, relative to placebo, in the Female Sexual Function Index Total score for “arousal”, “lubrication”, “orgasm”, and “satisfaction”, and also Female Sexual Distress Scale score and the number of successful sexual encounters at the end of the treatment. (21)

Pharmacognosy Res. Jan 2014. Conclusion: These results suggest that Ashwagandha extract can improve cognitive and psychomotor performance and may, therefore, be a valuable adjunct in the treatment of diseases associated with cognitive impairment. (22)

J Clin Psychiatry Nov 2013. Conclusions: Although results are preliminary, Ashwagandha appears to improve auditory-verbal working memory (digit span backward), a measure of reaction time, and a measure of social cognition in bipolar disorder.  Given the paucity of data for improving cognitive capacity in bipolar disorder, Ashwagandha offers promise, appears to have a benign side-effects profile, and merits further study. (23)

Indian J of Pharmacol. July-Aug 2013.  Summary: Antipsychotics meds, used in Schizophrenia, are associated with significant increases in blood sugar abnormalities.  Ashwagandha significantly improved blood sugar metabolism in Schizophrenic patients prescribed antipsychotics in 30 days. (24)

Indian J of Psychol Med July 2012.  Results: The treatment group that was given the high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract exhibited a significant reduction in scores on all the stress-assessment scales on Day 60, relative to the placebo group. The serum cortisol levels were substantially reduced in the Ashwagandha group, relative to the placebo group. The adverse effects were mild in nature and were comparable in both the groups. AKA no more harmful than a placebo.  (25)

Int J Ayurveda Res Oct 2010. Conclusions: Livwin (a chinese herbal medicine that includes Ashwagandha) is found effective in uncomplicated patients of acute viral hepatitis. (26)

J Atten Disorder Nov 2010. Conclusions: The well-tolerated Chinese herbal medicine (including Ashwagandha) demonstrated improved attention, cognition, and impulse control in the intervention group, indicating promise for ADHD treatment in children.  (27)

J Clin Rheumatol. Oct 2004. Conclusion: This controlled drug trial demonstrates the potential efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha, Turmeric, Ginger and Frankincense in the symptomatic treatment of OsteoArthritic knees over 32 weeks of therapy. (28)

Indian J Psychiatry July 2000. It is concluded that this ethanolic extract of Withania somnifera has useful anxiolytic potential and merits further investigation. (29)

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