Do you want to sleep better, look younger and live longer? Your answer may lie in a wonder herb thats been used in Indian traditional medicine, or Ayurveda, for thousands of years: Withania somnifera, or ashwagandha.

Also called Indian ginseng or winter cherry, its name is derived from the Sanskrit words ashwa, meaning horse, and gandha, meaning smell, referring both to the unique musky smell of its roots, reminiscent of a stallion, and its ability to give horse-like strength and vitality.

Ashwagandha is a small shrub with yellow flowers, a member of the night shade family. While every part of the plant is useful, its the stout, fleshy roots that are sought after as a supplement, either powdered or added to a tincture, and available as powder or in capsules.

Now popular the world over American celebrities Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Meghan Markle have this wonder herb in their repertoire it has been found to aid in curing ailments from weakness to infertility.

In Ayurveda, ashwagandha was identified as a rasayana thousands of years ago a herb that improves tissue health and rejuvenates you in the process, says Sheela Rani Chunkath, retired chief secretary of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and a columnist who writes about Ayurveda.

Ashwagandha is one of the most commonly used herbs in Ayurveda, for the vata constitution, which is associated with air and space. Balanced vata energy helps maintain supple skin and joints, a healthy body weight, healthy cognitive function and a healthy nervous system.

Commonly available as a churna , a finely sieved powder that can be mixed with ghee (clarified butter) or milk, ashwagandha is traditionally taken with ghee and honey. The powder can also be mixed into energy balls, smoothies and lattes.

Dhananjay Sharma, president of one of Indias oldest Ayurvedic companies, Shree Baidyanath Ayurveda Bhawan, describes the herb as an adaptogen, a combination of amino acids and vitamins, that gives it the ability to adapt to both physical and mental stress in the environment by reducing cortisol levels.

According to the Kama Sutra , the Indian treatise on sex, ashwagandha is a potent sexual stimulant. Studies show the herb may increase testosterone production and boost sperm health.

Ashwagandha has long been a favourite with athletes for helping build strength and endurance and aid recovery, and studies suggest it can improve the brains memory functions including attention and concentration. It appears to slow the degeneration of brain function in people with diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinson, according to a 2011 report in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine .

The herb can energise and calm at the same time. Chyawanprash, a nerve tonic thats been used by Indians for years as a health booster, contains ashwagandha. A study published in the journal Phytomedicine in 2000 showed that the herb had the ability to reduce anxiety levels, as did another in 2012 published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine .

The second part of its botanical name, Withania somnifera, translates as sleep-inducing, and reflects its relaxing and calming properties. It can be used at bedtime and has been shown to induce restful sleep , without the drowsiness associated with sleep medications.

Ashwagandha may help prolong youth, and preserve beauty. It is used as a hair mask, to strengthen the roots of the hair, and as a paste with dried ginger and lemon peel to cure acne. It has high levels of antioxidants that stave off free radicals to fight signs of ageing such as wrinkles, dark spots, fine lines and blemishes. A liquid mixture of ashwagandha can be applied as an ointment to treat cuts, bruises and skin inflammation.

The herb also has a high concentration of withanolides, naturally occurring steroids that studies suggest fight inflammation and tumour growth. While it is used as a complementary treatment to ease the fatigue and pain from chemotherapy, scientists are keenly exploring whether it might aid directly in the fight against cancer .

Now research shows this powerful herb also has the potential to help stop the coronavirus pandemic .

The Indian Institute of Technology at Delhi and Japans National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, in a collaborative study, discovered that an efficient natural compound found within ashwagandha may be effective in developing a drug to fight the coronavirus.

The study, published online in the Journal of Biomolecular Structure Dynamics in June, concluded: Ashwagandha stem may provide preventive and therapeutic benefits in the current pandemic.

Another study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, published in the same journal in July, came to similar conclusions: The status of Withania somnifera as an immunity enhancer, anti-diabetic agent and blood pressure and hormonal regulation is well known. The present study suggests that additionally, the Ayurveda herb ashwagandha could prove to be an alternative to available treatments of Covid-19.

Despite its myriad benefits, ashwagandha is not for everyone. Pregnant women should not take it. It may aggravate autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Having too much of this herb may irritate the gastrointestinal tract.

This article was first published in South China Morning Post.

View original post here:

Ashwagandha, Ayurvedic super herb that helps you look younger and live longer just ask Meghan, Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow - AsiaOne