Withania somnifera Common Name

Ashwagandha | Indian ginseng

Top Benefits of Withania somnifera

• Supports a healthy stress response*
• Supports exercise performance and energy*
• Supports healthy weight* 
• Supports mitochondrial efficiency* 
• Supports brain function and mental cognition* 
• Supports sleep*

What is Withania somnifera?

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb with adaptogenic properties—it’s often referred to as “Indian ginseng.” Ashwagandha has a long history of use and has been reported to have several health-promoting effects, supporting healthy energy, metabolism, stress response, physical performance, sleep, joint health, and cognitive performance. The novel active constituents are a group of plant compounds called withanolide glycosides. Sensoril® root and lead extract is standardized for withanolide glycoside content.

Neurohacker’s Withania somnifera Sourcing

Sensoril® has been clinically tested in 10 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials.

Created by Natreon Inc., a leader in scientifically studied and tested Ayurvedic ingredients.

Leaf and root extract triple standardized to contain a minimum of 10% withanolide glycosides, the main bioactive; a minimum of 32% oligosaccharides, which increase the bioavailability of the withanolide glycosides; and a maximum of 0.5% free withanolides (as Withaferin A).

Protected by multiple U.S. patents with self-affirmed generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status). 

Vegetarian ● Organic compliant or certified organic ● Non-GMO Allergen & Gluten-free ● Kosher & Halal certified

Withania somnifera Dosing Principles and Rationale

We consider Ashwagandha to be an herbal adaptogen, so expect it to follow hormetic dosing principles (see Neurohacker Dosing Principles). Herbal adaptogens tend to have a hormetic zone (or range) where there’s a favorable biological response. It’s important to be in this zone; it’s just as important not to be above it. So, it’s important to identify the lowest dose that can produce the desired response. Sensoril®—the standardized extract we use—produced a threshold  response in a study that gave different daily dosages—125 mg, 250 mg, 500 mg. Effect size was slightly greater for the higher doses, but most of the change was evident with the lowest dose.[1] We opted for this lower dose to be consistent with a core hormetic principle—only do or use as much as something as would be needed to stimulate the desired response.

Withania somnifera Key Mechanisms 

Mitochondrial structure and function

• Supports mitochondrial membrane potential and structural integrity [2]
• Protects from mitochondrial damage [2]
• Protects from mitochondrial membrane permeabilization [3]
• Protects from complex I-V Inhibition (protects electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation performance) [2,4–6]
• Upregulates citric acid cycle enzymes [6]

Exercise performance (ergogenic effect)

• Supports endurance performance [7,8]
• Supports muscle strength [9,10]
• Supports post-exercise recovery [10]

Metabolism

• Supports healthy insulin sensitivity [11–15]
• Supports healthy blood glucose levels [12–16]
• Supports healthy leptin signaling [11,15]

Body weight 

• Supports healthy body weight [11,15]
• Supports healthy feeding behaviors [11,17]
• Upregulates lean mass [10]

Antioxidant defenses

• Upregulates antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) [2,4,5,16,18]
• Replenishes glutathione (GSH) levels [2,4,16]
• Downregulates oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species levels [2–4,19]

Cellular signaling 

• Downregulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines – tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and IL-6 [11–13]

Brain function

• Supports cognitive and psychomotor performance [20,21]
• Supports memory, executive function, attention, and information processing speed [22]
• Modulates GABAergic neurotransmission [23,24]
• GABA receptor agonism [25–27] 
• Upregulates dopamine levels [4]
• Downregulates the basal activity levels of acetylcholine esterase [4]
• Neuroprotective – protects from neuronal mitochondrial swelling and apoptosis; protects cognitive function (ischemia, oxidative stress) [2]
• Protects from neurotoxicity [4,5]
• Regulates neural cytokine signaling [11]

Sleep

• Shortens sleep onset latency [23,28]
• Supports sleep efficiency [28]
• Supports quality of sleep [9,28]
• Extends the duration of slow wave sleep [23]
• Extends total sleep time [23]

Mood and stress response

• Supports a calm mood [11,28]
• Supports stress management [1,17,29]
• Downregulates serum cortisol levels [1,17,29]

Thyroid function

• Supports thyroid function [30–32]

Healthy aging and longevity 

• Lifespan extension effects (Caenorhabditis elegans) [19,33]
• Upregulates insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway [19,33]
• Downregulates α-synuclein and amyloid-β aggregation [19]
• Upregulates FOXO3A and SIRT3 [34]

REFERENCES

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