Managing Stress with Ashwagandha


Positive stress, also known as eustress, helps sharpen our edge and expand our comfort zones. It can provide increased energy and focus to accomplish our goals. An acute stress response raises our blood pressure, increases our heart rate, and supercharges our muscles with glucose for fuel—potentially saving our lives. However, when stress becomes a persistent, lingering, chronic, low-grade response to everyday living, it can negatively affect our health. Stress and poor sleep often create a vicious cycle, with one feeding into the other. Over the long term, this type of stress is associated with numerous mental and physical health issues. It can also lead to a self-perpetuating cycle of “stressing about stress.”

Getting 7–8 hours of quality sleep each night, exercising, practising yoga, meditating, and engaging in breathing exercises are foundational lifestyle habits that can help manage chronic stress. Additionally, certain herbs known as adaptogens can support our ability to adapt to heightened, chronic stress responses. A true adaptogen must increase the body’s ability to resist physical, chemical, or biological stressors, have a normalizing influence on stress responses, and be safe and free from side effects at typical doses.

Ashwagandha is one of the most valued herbs in Ayurvedic medicine. As an adaptogen, it can be safely used long-term to fortify and support the body and mind against life’s daily stressors, which seem plentiful in our current era! It’s hard to think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from using ashwagandha at some point in their life.

Not all ashwagandha root and powder extracts are created equal. Flora uses KSM-66 Ashwagandha®, a product of a family-owned business in Rajasthan, India, with over 15 years of research and development. It is made exclusively from grade A roots and extracted using ‘green chemistry,’ which avoids alcohol and chemical solvents. The KSM-66 extract Flora sources is vegan (no milk is used in the extraction process) and gluten-free.

Human, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated significant benefits of KSM-66 Ashwagandha® in the following areas:

  • Stress and anxiety:9% reduction in cortisol and a 71.6–77% reduction in stress and anxiety test scores¹.
  • Testosterone and male sexual health: 167% increase in sperm count, 53% increase in semen volume, 57% increase in sperm motility, and a 17% increase in testosterone levels².
  • Female sexual health: Significant improvements in arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and sexual satisfaction³.
  • Cardiovascular endurance:7% increase in VO₂ max and a 9.5% increase in Quality of Life (QoL) measurements⁴.
  • Muscle strength and recovery: Significant increases in muscle strength and size, decreases in exercise-induced damage, a 3.5% reduction in body fat, and an 81% increase in testosterone levels compared to placebo⁵.
  • Stress and weight management: 22% decrease in cortisol levels, 3% reduction in body weight, and significantly greater reductions in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) scores⁶.
  • Memory and cognition: Significant improvements in working and general memory, executive function, sustained attention, and information processing speed⁷.
  • Sleep quality: Significant improvements in sleep quality, time to fall asleep, and reductions in nervousness⁸.

These studies typically lasted 8–12 weeks, with participants in the ashwagandha group receiving 600 mg per day. Since stress can negatively impact sleep quality, libido, and cognitive health, it’s logical that by reducing stress responses, ashwagandha also supports these aspects of well-being.

Our ability to increase resilience, expand comfort zones, and adapt to new environments, situations, and experiences is one of our greatest strengths. A little stress can often serve as the spice needed to push us to greater heights and personal growth. On the flip side, chronic stress that becomes a constant, uninvited guest in our daily lives can sap our mood, energy, and motivation. Many of our physiological systems strive for homeostasis, and chronic stress indicates that the pendulum has swung too far towards being on edge. Flora’s KSM-66 Ashwagandha® has been clinically proven to help take the edge off and restore balance and well-being to our lives.

References:
1. Chandrasekhar, K., et al. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of Ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 34(3), 255, 2012.
2. Ambiye, V. R., et al. Clinical Evaluation of the Spermatogenic Activity of the Root Extract of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in Oligospermic Males: A Pilot Study Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013.
3. Dongre, S., et al. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study. BioMed research international, 2015.
4. Choudhary, B., et al. Efficacy of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults. Ayu, 36(1), 63, 2015.
5. Wankhede, S., et al. Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12(1), 43, 2015.
6. Choudhary, D., et al. Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through Treatment With Ashwagandha Root Extract: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine, 22(1), 96-106, 2017.
7. Choudhary, D., et al. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions Journal of Dietary Supplements, 1-14, 2017.
8. Langade, D., et al. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double – blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled study. (2019). Cureus, 11(9), e5797, 2019.
Flora Ashwagandha KSM-66®

About the Author: Flora Health

“Flora

A privately-owned nutraceutical manufacturer and distributor established in 1965, Flora is known for high quality whole food supplements, full-spectrum botanical extracts, unrefined seed oils, and liquid health tonics. In addition to its Flora brand, Flora also distributes Alaffia, Auromère, BiologicVET, Efamol, Gandalf, and Udo’s Choice.