May Increase Thyroid Function
This may sound like welcome news for some, especially those suffering from conditions characterized by low thyroid function, such as hypothyroidism and Hashimotos thyroiditis. Still, it can be dangerous for people with already elevated thyroid function or hyperthyroidism.
One study looked at people with subclinical hypothyroidism . In those who took ashwagandha root extract, the two main thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine and thyroxine , returned to normal levels. Researchers believe this effect may happen due to ashwagandhas cortisol-lowering effect, but more work must be done to confirm that .
This study sparks hope that Withania somnifera may prove helpful in treating people with thyroid function that isnt low enough to meet the blood level cutoffs of true hypothyroidism but can still cause lethargy, weight gain, and hair loss.
Why You Should Not Take Ashwagandha
Large doses can cause upset stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting. Risks. Talk to a doctor before using ashwagandha if you have any health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, thyroid problems, bleeding disorders, ulcers, lupus, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Ashwagandha might interfere with thyroid tests.
Best Hair Care Products With Ashwagandha
In most cases, hair problems such as hair loss are due to a simple imbalance. To correct this, a good and healthy lifestyle, good and nutritious food and chemical-free hair care products are good to start with. There are some well-formulated hair care products with ashwagandha that you can try to boost health and beauty to your hair and prevent you from hair loss-
- Intense hair mask
The intense hair mask is one of the most soothing ways to take care of your hair fall issues and promote hair growth. Look for a drastic hair mask that has ashwagandha for hair as an active ingredient. It will help you detoxify the scalp and promote new hair growth. You can use this hair mask once a week or as suggested in the user leaflet.
- Hair tatva
To rejuvenate the hair quality and prevent hair loss, you must control the pitta dosha. Hair Tatva by Traya is one unique medicine that helps your body absorb nutrients, detoxify your scalp, and improve your hair quality. This powerful medicine has ashwagandha for hair as an active ingredient that effectively controls blood sugar and keeps your health in check.
As we have already discussed, stress can be devastating to your body and hair health. To have beautiful and healthy hair, you must improve blood circulation. Hair Ras by Traya has bhringaraj, amla, and ashwagandha in it that helps in reducing hair fall and delays greying of hair. It also promotes hair growth and improves hair quality.
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Is Drinking Ashwagandha Tea Beneficial
Ayurveda suggests ashwagandha tea to wipe off fatigue, stress, and anxiety. This also increases your energy level and boost libido. Ashwagandha tea is suggested for people suffering from sexual incapability. This herb is known for boosting sex drives. Ashwagandha tea is made from the root and leaves of the plant. The dried root or leaves is boiled for a quarter of an hour and strain it to make the tea. This tea is consumed for several health benefits. Three grams of the root is enough to make 3-4 cups of tea. Daily morning intake of ashwagandha tea is beneficial to be energetic and stress-free.
Ashwagandha tea is prescribed to expectant mothers and it may purify the blood and strengthen the immune system. The antioxidant elements in this herb are believed to be capable of lowering the risk of heart disease. Another benefit of drinking ashwagandha tea is that it may calm your mind and body. It boosts your energy levels and rejuvenates the immune system.
Other Benefits Of Ashwagandha For Hair
Apart from the benefits of ashwagandha for hair loss, the constituents of ashwagandha may exhibit some anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory properties as well. These may be helpful when ashwagandha is a part of the hair care routine. For herbs and plant extracts to work and show effects, one must consider using them consistently over a long period of time.
- AntioxidantAshwagandha has free radical scavenging properties and can work as an antioxidant that supports scalp health and may help to regulate inflammatory actions related to the scalp.
- Strengthen the hairAdditionally, it can also help strengthen the hair. The amino acids and antioxidants in ashwagandha can help in strengthening hair and reduce hair breakage.
- Might help with grey hairAshwagandha might stimulate the production of melanin. Melanin is a pigment that is the colour of hair. It may help reduce further greying of hair.
- Anti-inflammatoryThe natural anti-inflammatory properties of ashwagandha can help reduce inflammation caused by dry scalp or wrong use of hair care products. The scalp skin consists of less sensitive sensory nerves. Since the sensory nerves are less sensitive, the chances of experiencing a worsening of scalp conditions increases.
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How Is Ashwagandha Powder Used
Generally, ashwagandha is used as a powder. Traditionally, this medicine is used with honey or ghee. But it also can be used with water or warm milk. Ashwagandha extract is made from either the roots or leaves. The powder is made from dried roots. The roots are dried in sunlight for one day and then ground into powder. Normal ashwagandha powder is of a light tan color with a slightly nutty fragrance. Today, ashwagandha is available to buy as powder capsules. Many experts are of the opinion that ashwagandha is to be taken as the powder as it is the natural source than the capsulated form. Also, the powder form has more surface area so it will give better results.
How To Use Ashwagandha Hair Loss Products
The leaves, roots and red berries of ashwagandha are used for different purposes. However, for hair loss, usually, youll find an ashwagandha powder or capsule form. Many hair supplements are available in the market that either has ashwagandha as their main ingredient or in combination with other ingredients.
You can take these capsules or gummies orally. However, you can use the ashwagandha hair loss powder in different ways. For instance, you can mix it in your tea, milk, coffee, or smoothies. You can even add it to your water for drinking.
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Does Ashwagandha Reverse Grey Hair
If youre looking for a herbal supplement that can help stall premature greying, Ashwagandha could be the ticket.
One study found that it may be capable of stimulating melanin production and restoring lost melanin. If youre not sure what melanin is, the simplest way to describe it is as the pigment that gives our hair its natural colour.
It isnt an immediate solution to greying hair, though. In a clinical trial conducted in India, a 300mg daily dose of Ashwagandha was given to a group of men with grey hair.
Eventually, they started showing signs of increased melanin production, but it took 12 months to happen.
May Nourish Your Scalp
Ashwagandha extracts possess antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that soothe an irritated and itchy scalp . Topically applying the herb can boost scalp blood circulation and promote the delivery of vital nutrients to your hair follicles. Consistent use of ashwagandha may help treat dandruff, psoriasis, incessant scalp itch, eczema, and other conditions caused by inflammation. However, more research is warranted in this regard.
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Do Experts Recommend It
We spoke to several healthcare professionals to get their take on this product.
Greta Yadav, MD, dermatologist and medical director at Skin Science Dermatology, explains that Viviscals studies show that the product can be useful, but that more research would be required to find out whether or not the product is really exceptional.
There is some evidence for it working, but the evidence is hardly robust, and I would say that this isnt exactly a game-changer when it comes to hair loss and finding a meaningful way to decrease hair shedding for women and men, she says.
In other words, its not guaranteed to work. Still, unless you have any allergies to seafood, its unlikely to do any harm.
Giulia Guerrini, lead pharmacist at digital pharmacy Medino, says that Viviscal is a good option, but only for certain people.
This supplement looks like a good option if your hair loss is thought to be caused by iron, biotin, and zinc deficiency, she says. It contains iron in the form of ferrous fumarate, which is gentler on the stomach, but still provides a good amount of iron.
On top of that, Guerrini notes that the vitamin C in Viviscal will help increase the absorption of iron.
Warning
Dont take Viviscal if you have a shellfish allergy, as it contains both shark cartilage and mollusk powder.
Viviscals claim to fame is the brands specialized blend, known as AminoMar C.
However, other hair supplements may also help with hair loss or hair thinning.
When To See A Healthcare Provider
Unfortunately, theres a low barrier to entry for some herbal supplements looking to hit the marketand quality may be the cost. It seems benign enough to buy any supplement, especially if it has good reviews from other buyers, but it can be quite dangerous.
Ashwagandha specifically isnt free from incidents of poor quality products harming people, either. Several cases of liver injury have been reported about ashwagandha. When they investigated the products in question, it turned out that many contained contaminants . Avoid these safety concerns by buying from a company you can trust.
Seek medical advice from your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of the above side effects, especially if they are getting worse or do not improve after stopping ashwagandha. Speak with your healthcare provider before starting a new supplement like ashwagandha.
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May Reverse Premature Hair Graying
Anecdotal evidence suggests that ashwagandha may stimulate melanin production. Melanin is the pigment that gives hair a dark color, and the restoration of lost melanin may reverse premature hair graying .
More research is warranted to further understand these benefits of ashwagandha. But you may still use it as it is generally considered safe. We discuss its ways of use in the next section.
Individual Components Or Pure Alkaloid Extracts May Be Toxic But The Whole Herb Is Not
However, it has been found that very high doses of pure alkaloid extract is toxic. Water extract, on the other hand, did not induce any toxicity, even at levels as high as 2000 mg/kg which is about 50 times the recommended dosage for humans.1
While individual components of ashwagandha, such as withaferin A, might be toxic even at low doses, the whole herb is not toxic even at high doses. Staying within the recommended dosage of 312 g root or leaf powder or extract should not ideally have any side effects.
Consuming isolated active constituent of ashwagandha, such as withaferin A, instead of the whole herb or herb extract may also cause toxicity. Radiation biologists studying the effect of ashwagandha on cancer demonstrated that the cumulative doses of ashwagandha extract did not show any toxicity, while pure withaferin A was toxic even at a low dose.
This is probably because the components of the crude extracts interact to create a synergy of cancer cell-killing effects or neutralize each others toxicity.2
In simple words, the whole herb may be much more safe and effective than its isolated active constituents. This is in line with modern medical research, which, influenced by advances in systems biology and functional genomics perspective, is moving away from mono-molecular or single-target approach to combinations and multiple-target strategies.
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Is Ashwagandha A Testosterone Booster
Take Some of These Natural Testosterone Boosters The herb with the most research behind it is called ashwagandha. One study tested the effects of this herb on infertile men and found a 17% increase in testosterone levels and a 167% increase in sperm count . In healthy men, ashwagandha increased levels by 15%.
Always Check With Your Doctor Before Taking A New Supplement
Whenever you’re considering adding a new supplement to your regimen, be sure to talk to your doctor to ensure it doesn’t interfere with any health conditions or medications.
As with any herb, start with a small test first to make sure you tolerate it and if pregnant, nursing, or using any pharmaceutical medications make sure to check with your doctor or herbalist for safety, advised Ms. Robinett.
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Side Effects Of Ashwagandha
Following are the side effects commonly observed in people consuming moderate doses of ashwagandha.
How about a naturally-derived hair loss solution that doesn’t have these risks?
Does Ashwagandha Work Immediately
You cannot take ashwagandha overnight and expect it to start working right away. Most of the time, it takes a while for herbs and natural ingredients to synergistically work with your body before feeling any benefit. Depending on your health already, it may take several months to experience or even notice big changes.
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Benefits Of Ashwagandha For Hair Loss
Ashwagandha has a high level of antioxidants, which can slow down the ageing process. This can lead to fewer greys and reduce hair loss.
It also reduces inflammation in various parts of the body which in turn, leads to less hair loss and promotes hair growth in the process.
These are some of the general benefits of consuming Ashwagandha:
- Alleviates anxiety and chronic stress by acting as a mood-booster
- Helps with thyroid function which can help to stabilise hormones
- Can improve the quality of your sleep by providing relaxation
- Provides you with increased energy
- Reduces blood sugar and blood pressure which can greatly improve heart health
- Provides anti-aging benefits and can lead to clearer skin
- Increases overall strength
- Improves memory function
There are so many more benefits to using this plant and the results will vary from person to person, depending on the health of the individual and the ailments they are looking to treat.
Of course, it might not necessarily be a miracle cure for some, but it can certainly help improve your overall health which will lead to fewer illnesses.
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Medicinal Benefits Of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is believed to be a wonder-working medicinal herb. Indian alternative medical literature describes a large number of medical benefits of Ashwagandha. Because of the capability to cure various health conditions, this plant is considered as the most important herb in Ayurveda. The leaves, root, seeds, and fruit are used to treat various ailments. Ashwagandha is an herb that helps to cure multiple ailments, it is a plant that is useful as a beauty enhancement supplement and this plant is a powerful source of sexual rejuvenation.
Relieves stress
Ashwagandha is believed to have stress-relieving effects. Under stress, the body generates cortisol. Cortisol is the bodys natural alarm system. When the amount of cortisol in your blood is high it results in muscle weakness and stress. Ashwagandha reduces the secretion of Cortisol, thereby helping to relieve stress.
Cognition enhancement
Ashwagandha is said to have brain enhancement capabilities. It protects the brain from oxidative stress and improves memory. This medicinal herb has been used for calming the nerves and stimulating brain energy. Ashwagandha is used in Ayurveda to help the body to use oxygen more effectively, as a result enhancing the cognitive functions like focus concentration and memory.
Better immunity
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