Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Adaptogenic herb studied for cortisol and stress. Standardised by withanolide content.
Supplements
Research records
Historical source snapshot. Not freshly verified, not a recommendation. Study findings, community accounts and app defaults are not interchangeable.
Publication suitability · 2026-10-15: Historical reference only; not a clinical verification. Clinical, regulatory, efficacy, safety and dose claims are not independently established by this review.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Adaptogenic herb studied for cortisol and stress. Standardised by withanolide content.
Evidence category: Systematic review. This describes the source category, not approval or certainty.
Regulatory statement in source: Not separately recorded; do not infer approval from the evidence category.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a herb studied for stress and anxiety. A meta-analysis of nine randomised controlled trials with 558 people found lower perceived stress scores, lower Hamilton anxiety scores and lower serum cortisol than placebo, with mild to moderate side effects in four trials. A second systematic review of nine trials found cortisol fell without significant harm, but no study looked at what lowering cortisol does to adrenal function or at long-term use. Trials are short and use different preparations.
Benefits reported in the imported source
- A meta-analysis of nine randomised trials found lower perceived stress and anxiety scores than placebo.
- Pooled trials also found serum cortisol fell.
Risks and limits
- Four trials reported mild to moderate side effects.
- No study examined what the cortisol drop does to adrenal function, or what long-term use does.
- Trials are short and use different preparations, so results may not transfer between products.
Source bottom line: Ashwagandha lowered stress, anxiety scores and cortisol in pooled trials; long-term effects are unstudied.
Uncertainty: Reference information only. Not medical advice.
Study protocols — reports, not instructions
Stressed adults across nine clinical trials
- Reported regimen
- Withania somnifera preparations from 60 mg to 5,000 mg daily, most as extracts standardised to 5% withanolides
- Duration
- 30 to 112 days, most 56 to 90 days
- Reported outcome
- Cortisol secretion fell with no significant adverse effects; no study examined what the cortisol drop does to adrenal function or what long-term use does.
- Source
- Effects of Withania somnifera on Cortisol Levels in Stressed Human Subjects: A Systematic Review (Della et al. 2023)
Claim provenance
evidence.json#/catalog:supplement:ashwagandha/protocols/0
Community and practice descriptions
Accounts of a practice are not evidence of safety or effectiveness. Words such as “standard”, “safe” or “recommended” describe the source account, not verified consensus or this wiki’s advice. Commercial and self-published citations are retained for traceability, not vendor endorsement or independent clinical corroboration.
Limited historical practice account — Ashwagandha: Usefulness and Safety - NCCIH
An imported authored paraphrase, not a quotation or a recommended protocol.
Review: bounded description supported. The earlier live reading supports only the bounded diary/traditional-use description; it does not establish effectiveness or a medical regimen. Unvalidated source account; no validated human dosing population or animal-to-human equivalence is inferred.
Imported wording: NCCIH describes ashwagandha as a medicinal plant historically used in traditional Ayurvedic practice.
Historical research outcome: verified-description · 2026-10-06
The independently retrieved full NIH page contains a traditional-use report, not just navigation. Like the berberine description, this records a historical medicinal tradition without repeating indications, recommendations or claimed benefits.
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ashwagandha: verified-description — The background section explicitly records longstanding medicinal-plant use, especially in Ayurvedic medicine. Current promotional indications and trial results were not repurposed.
Pharmacokinetic context
Historical half-life estimate: 6 hours. Withanolide PK; limited data Population/route context and estimates may differ. This is not a schedule or a verified human dosing rule.
Source references
- Effects of Ashwagandha Supplements on Cortisol, Stress, and Anxiety Levels in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on stress and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Arumugam et al. 2024)
- Effects of Withania somnifera on Cortisol Levels in Stressed Human Subjects: A Systematic Review (Della et al. 2023)
- PubMed: ashwagandha cortisol (availability check 2026-10-15: possible access barrier; not independently inspected; HTTP 200)
Snapshot provenance
Source ID: catalog:supplement:ashwagandha. Commit: adc7684614f9439b41d91a3312b62e7982c7e20e. Review state: historical-not-reverified. Authored links are retained separately from the canonical evidence links in the public data. App templates/defaults and rejected drafts are archived, not deployed.
Related entries and components
None listed.