What will you learn in this guide?

1. Origin and history of the nightshade plant

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) belongs to the nightshade family and has been one of the most important medicinal plants in Ayurveda for over 3000 years [1]. The plant substance is also known as Indian ginseng because, like ginseng in China, Ashwagandha is used in India to treat a wide range of ailments, such as stress-related sleep disorders .

The name Ashwagandha originally comes from Sanskrit (ancient Indian). In Europe, the nutrient is also known as winter cherry or sleeping berry . Ashwagandha is widespread in Asia, southern Europe and almost all of Africa. The small, bushy plant bears red berries that are very reminiscent of physalis in appearance.

However, the berries of the medicinal plant are not used in medicine and should not be eaten. It is not without reason that the plant is also called poison gooseberry.

Traditionally , the roots are mainly used in Ayurveda. This is because the main active ingredient, withanolides , is most highly concentrated there. In addition, unlike the leaves, the roots do not contain any undesirable substances [2,3].

2. Adaptogens for body-wide balance

An adaptogen is the name given to a secondary plant substance that helps people adapt to increased physical and emotional stress situations . Such adaptogens were first specifically researched in 1947 by the Soviet pharmacologist Nikolai Vasilyevich Lazarev [4,5]. Adaptogens can increase resistance to strain and stress against various factors .

These include extreme environmental factors such as extreme cold or heat, as well as biological and chemical pollutants. Psychological influences such as stress, anxiety and depression as well as physical exertion through sport are regulated. And not only that: adaptogens even help to counteract long-term damage from chronic stress [6,7,8,9].

3. The effects of Ashwagandha

The effect of the plant substance is not based on sedating the body. Rather, it is about restoring the lost balance.

Ashwagandha against stress

Ashwagandha is the most popular adaptogen used to treat stress and sleep problems and has already been tested in numerous studies. The active ingredient can bring about improvement, particularly in cases of serious and long-term sleep problems, and can also provide positive support in cases of depression . In cases of acute stress, the plant substance has been proven to reduce the level of the stress hormone cortisol [10].

Ashwagandha and sports

Athletes can also benefit from taking it. Ashwagandha increases strength, but also the male sex hormone testosterone . This in turn promotes muscle building. Increased stress usually causes the testosterone level in the body to drop.

Ashwagandha and Thyroid

In addition, Ashwagandha has a positive effect on thyroid problems because the plant substance restores the balance of thyroid hormones [11].

4. What is stress?

But let us first clarify what stress means:

"Stress (...) is a physical and psychological reaction of a person to a situation that is perceived as unmanageable. This stress reaction can be triggered by a variety of factors, such as time pressure or lack of time, social conflicts, a disturbed working atmosphere, inadequate leadership behavior of superiors, but also personal or family problems." [12]

From an evolutionary perspective, stress is an important survival mechanism , namely the so-called fight-or-flight response. In dangerous situations, stress floods the body with stress hormones such as adrenaline to prepare it for flight. In the past, it was a matter of life and death when our ancestors had to escape from wild animals or other dangers. However, this former advantage, which ensured our survival, is usually a disadvantage in the modern world.

Today, stress is caused by time pressure, busy schedules, deadlines, traffic chaos and many other causes that we cannot escape in everyday life. Often, constant stress occurs, which throws our hormonal system out of balance. The level of the stress hormone cortisol rises , which reduces the function of our immune system, meaning we are more susceptible to illness.

A long-term increase in cortisol, or stress, levels can, among other things, lower the sex hormone testosterone in men and cause a drop in estrogen in women. It also promotes obesity and can even lead to sleep problems . Too little sleep, in turn, weakens the immune system and promotes depression. It is no wonder that stress is the main cause of most sick days in companies [13,14,15,16].

5. Studies show: Ashwagandha as a remedy for stress and depression

In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, Ashwagandha extract was tested for its effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. A test group consisting of 64 healthy adults received a dose of 300 mg of the plant substance twice a day. The comparison group was given a placebo. Both groups were tested over a period of eight weeks . The results are astonishing!

The Ashwagandha group had a significant reduction on the stress assessment scales.

The level of the stress hormone cortisol fell by an average of over 27% . The PSS score (Perceived Stress Scale) was reduced by 44%.

In addition, the study participants were asked to fill out a self-report questionnaire that was used as a screening instrument for psychological well-being. Aspects such as physical symptoms, severe depression, social dysfunction, anxiety and insomnia were measured. Conclusion: all influencing factors were reduced by 73% . The item severe depression recorded the greatest reduction at 79.3%. A reduction of over 70% was also recorded for the DASS values ​​(depression-anxiety-stress).

The results of this study show that Ashwagandha extract increases stress resistance and thus improves self-assessed quality of life [17].

Liposomal Ashwagandha

ActiNovo Ashwagandha is extracted exclusively from the high-quality Ashwagandha root. It is vegan, suitable for allergy sufferers and the perfect supporter for more balance in everyday life

6. The sleeping berry for restful nights

As mentioned above, the calming plant substance has a great influence on nighttime rest. Clinical research also confirms this!

In an 8-week Ashwagandha study, sleep parameters were significantly improved in subjects taking Ashwagandha. Improved rest time was measured in both healthy individuals and those with existing sleep problems.

In study participants who previously suffered from insomnia, both sleep quality and associated mental alertness were significantly improved [18].

7. Mental performance enhancement through Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has long been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to improve memory and cognitive abilities . Since cognitive decline is often associated with the aging process, a pilot study investigated the effects of Ashwagandha.

The study examined the improvement of memory in adults with mild cognitive impairment. 50 adults were given either an Ashwagandha root extract (300 mg twice daily) or a placebo for 8 weeks.

At the end of the study, the Ashwagandha test group showed significant improvement in both immediate and general memory. In addition , improvements in mental functions , sustained attention and information processing speed were also measured [19].

8. Natural doping for muscle building

Another study examined the influence of the plant substance on muscle mass , muscle strength , recovery from muscle injuries , and testosterone levels . For this, 57 male subjects (18 to 50 years old) who had little to no previous experience in resistance training were divided into treatment and placebo groups. The subjects in the treatment group took 300 mg of the root extract twice a day.

After the baseline measurements (status quo), both test groups completed resistance training for 8 weeks.

Muscle strength was assessed based on the maximum load during one repetition of bench presses and leg extension exercises. The test group that took Ashwagandha showed a significantly greater increase in muscle strength in all exercises. In the bench press exercise, the increase in strength in the placebo group was on average 26.4 kg. In the Ashwagandha group it was 46.0 kg! The difference was also clear in the leg extension exercise: the placebo group was able to exert 9.8 kg more force than in the initial measurement. The test subjects who took the plant substance were able to lift around 14.5 kg more.

The increase in muscle size was also significantly higher in the Ashwagandha group. The placebo group had an increase of 5.3 cm2 in the arms, while the Ashwagandha group had an increase of 8.6 cm2.

Muscle recovery was assessed using serum creatine kinase levels as a marker of muscle injury from the effects of exercise. Compared to placebo participants, participants receiving ashwagandha had a significant reduction in exercise-induced muscle damage .

The increase in testosterone levels was also five times higher in the Ashwagandha group.

The study also showed a reduction in body fat percentage . The Ashwagandha group lost 3.5% body fat, whereas the placebo group only lost 1.5% [20].

9. Medicinal plant promotes the balance of the thyroid

In the case of hypothyroidism , the levels of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 in the body are reduced, while the level of the hormone TSH is increased. This reduces the metabolism in all cells of the body . Currently, around 1% of the population is affected! However, a thyroid disorder without obvious symptoms of hypothyroidism (subclinical hypothyroidism) occurs in around 3 to 8% of the world's population. In both cases, the hormones are not in balance !

The effects of Ashwagandha root extract on the thyroid were tested in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. 50 subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism between the ages of 18 and 50 were examined for 8 weeks. One test group took 600 mg of the root extract daily, the other group only took a placebo.

Conclusion: There was a significant decrease in TSH levels in the blood serum of the Ashwagandha group after both 4 and 8 weeks. In addition, the levels of the hormones T3 and T4 increased by 18.6% and 9.3% after just 4 weeks. After 8 weeks, the increase was already at 41.5% and 19.6% [21].

10. Liposomal Ashwagandha in liquid form

As with all ActiNovo products , the production process of this plant substance is completely vegan.

In addition , only high-quality root extracts are used in the ActiNovo product to ensure the high product quality. This means that the spectrum of effects cannot be distorted, as the leaves containing undesirable substances are not used.

The withanolide content , i.e. the active ingredient of the plant, is around 5% in most conventional Ashwagandha products. However, the extract used by ActiNovo contains around 10% withanolides and can achieve a much more effective positive effect in the liposomal form.

11. Ashwagandha: Intake

Experts recommend not exceeding the recommended dosage of Ashwagandha products. We recommend that first-time users take Ashwagandha in the afternoon or evening, as the relaxing effect can sometimes be very strong. Please remember that every person reacts differently!

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