Do you feel tired, stressed, and achey? If you experience any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue.
While there is a lot debate over the classification of adrenal fatigue as an official disease, it is possible to use ashwagandha as a form of relief. This is because ashwagandha can help to support your adrenal glands, which often experience common symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue.
The herb ashwagandha has been known for its medicinal qualities for many years. It can help the body to cope with stress and other conditions.
It has a long history of medicinal use, dating back thousands of years. ashwagandha is a small, evergreen shrub that comes from India, but can also be found growing in the Middle East and Africa. It has a long history of being used medicinally, dating back thousands of years. The ashwagandha root is known for its potent, horse-like smell.
The root of the plant is harvested, dried, and ground up into a powder. This powder can be made into pills, which makes the root edible. This herbal remedy contains a blend of amino acids and vitamins that help the body cope with stress. There are many benefits to taking this supplement, including helping improve sleep, increasing energy levels, and improving cognitive function.
Adrenal Fatigue
The adrenal glands are two small glands located on top of the kidneys. They are responsible for producing many hormones, three important hormones that are released when the body experiences stress: cortisol, aldosterone, and adrenaline.
The adrenal glands produce over 50 different hormones, including cortisol (your most important stress fighter)
If you are suffering from adrenal fatigue, your body is not able to produce these hormones properly.
This condition is caused by chronic stress and is thought to be because the adrenal glands cannot keep up with the demands of the body’s fight-or-flight response.
Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha has been used for over 3000 years in the form of extracts and root powder. It helps the immune system to reduce the amount of chronic inflammation, which reduces the negative effects of stress.
There are many benefits to taking ashwagandha, including reducing stress and anxiety, reducing blood sugar levels, increased muscle mass and strength, reduced inflammation, lower cholesterol, lower cortisol levels, improved cognitive function, and slowing the effects of certain types of cancer.
Ashwagandha Supplement Safety
Most people consider Ashwagandha safe to use, but as with taking any new supplement, it is important to consult your doctor before using it.
You can find products that contains extracts from the leaves, roots, or both. The potency will depend on where the product is sourced.
Ashwagandha root extract is the most commonly used form and is generally considered to be safe. Make sure that it has a certificate of analysis.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have an autoimmune disease, arthritis, or type 1 diabetes, you should not take ashwagandha as it could interact with your medications.
Ashwagandha Daily Usage
The general consensus is that doses of 250mg to 500mg are safe based on research studies.
The suggested dose for each person may vary depending on the person’s unique circumstances. You should start with a lower dose of ashwagandha and see how your body reacts to it, after talking to a doctor.
You should start off by taking 1/3 or a half dose of the medicine, and then gradually increase the amount you take based on how your body reacts, and on what your doctor recommends.
Avoiding Negative Ashwagandha Side Effects
Though uncommon, side effects may occur when first taking ashwagandha.
Although there have not been extensive long-term studies on the effects of this herb, it is still important to be aware of the potential implications of taking it over a long period of time.
Large doses of ashwagandha might cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting. Pregnancy: It is likely unsafe to use ashwagandha when pregnant.
Despite the low rates of individuals experiencing side effects in clinical trials, there is always a possibility that someone will experience them. You should start with a low dose and increase gradually.
The side effects of Ashwagandha are quite mild and only happen rarely. They include…
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Lethargy
- Upset stomach
Before you start taking any supplements, it’s important to talk to your doctor about any potential side effects.
Make sure you’re taking Ashwagandha correctly.
Make sure to always read the dosage and advice on the product you’re buying! This will give you an accurate measure of how much you need to consume to get the desired outcome. In addition, discuss dosage amounts with your doctor.
Ashwagandha and the NEM Response
An adaptogen is an herb that helps the body cope with stress. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that is known to help boost adrenal function. The HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) hormone axis) is responsible for the release of stress hormones, and is a part of the body’s stress response system.
The NEM (NeuroEndoMetabolic) perspective stress response consists of six component responses that help regulate stress in the body. Rather than a traditional approach to solving the effects of stress on individual organs or symptoms the NEM approach involving multiple organs, systems, pathways, and chemical reactions all working in unison on a functional level to combat stress.
Chronic stress can lead to an imbalance of the body’s six responses, which may cause symptoms like anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, brain fog, low thyroid function, salt cravings, reduced libido, etc.
Some people believe that taking Ashwagandha may help to regulate mood, balance hormones, and boost the immune system.
Benefits of Ashwagandha for Adrenal Fatigue
The Ashwagandha plant has been used in medicine for thousands of years and has been linked to hundreds of different health benefits.
Some of the health benefits are definitely true and have been proven by scientific research. Others, however, may still need further investigating before we can say for sure.
1. Lowers Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is the hormone that is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress. It is also released when your blood sugar levels get too low.
When someone has adrenal fatigue, they may have constantly high levels of cortisol, which can eventually lead to high blood sugar levels.
Research has demonstrated that Ashwagandha extract decreases cortisol levels by approximately 30%.
There is no one definitive level of cortisol that people suffering from adrenal fatigue can have. Depending on the time of day and other factors, people suffering from adrenal fatigue can have varying levels of cortisol. Ashwagandha seems to help the body keep more of its cortisol, leading to more energy for the person.
However, Ashwagandha is only typically seen to help maintain cortisol levels in the early stages of adrenal fatigue. At this point, the adrenal glands are able to react to the herb and produce the necessary hormones to keep the body in balance.
At later stages, some people find that Ashwagandha increases their energy levels too much, making them feel excited. The adapotgenic property is more likely to stimulate than anything else, but the reasons for this are unknown.
2. Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and in healthy people without any underlying conditions.
3. Ashwagandha Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Some reports say that the ashwagandha can help reduce stress by affecting the way chemicals work in the nervous system. Studies have found that an extract from the plant can reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress by up to 69%.
Another study conducted with human participants who took anxiety-reducing supplements found that 88% of them reported feeling less anxious than those given a placebo.