Titus Perry
5/29/2024
Ashwagandha in my opinion, is one of the greatest herbs men have ever discovered. I’d say it’s one of my personal favorites, which is why I feel inclined to make it the topic of the very first post on this blog!
Ashwagandha, a small shrub with yellow flowers (also known as winter cherry or Chinese ginseng) found its roots in traditional Eastern medicine. It’s been known as an adaptogen as well as for its ayurvedic healing abilities. I’m sure you’re excited to learn a thing or two about this fascinating herb. Therefore, I hope this article answers any questions and clears up any doubt or suspicion you may have about introducing it into your daily routine.
CORTISOL
Stress, anxiety, insomnia... cortisol plays an integral part in all of these conditions. It goes without saying, these conditions are best avoided, ideally, at all times. That may be a bit unrealistic, but I digress; minimizing chronic stress and anxiety, and overcoming insomnia is crucial to mental health and longevity.
The stress response of the body can act in beneficial ways when released in a pulsatile fashion where there are short bursts of adaptive forms of stress and a long recovery period thereafter, (think exercise, competition, or even an ice bath for example). These are adaptive stressors. This quick increase in mental and physiological stress is also called acute stress and Ashwagandha can help enhance recovery here as well through directly lowering harmful inflammation. This is done by increasing antioxidant activity in the body, and as an added bonus it’ll also increase testosterone (in men), muscle mass, and strength as well. As you’ll learn further into this article.
What about its effects on chronic stress though? As an adaptogen, Ashwagandha works to maintain homeostasis in the body, allowing for adaptation to the stressors of the environment. Chronic stress can induce irreversible health complications. If left unchecked for too long, it may result in things such as metabolic syndrome, hypertension, general anxiety disorder (GAD), and even visceral obesity as can be seen here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6979308/ and here https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/
TESTOSTERONE
The all-mighty testosterone molecule! That thing that helps turn boys to men and is responsible for such a wide range of benefits to male (and female) health. For men it plays an extremely important role in everything from deepening of the voice, increasing muscle mass, strength, recovery, spatial reasoning, bone mineral density, nitric oxide production, facial hair growth, lowering body fat, libido, stabilizing blood pressure, and even drive/motivation (to name a few).
But this mighty molecule is under attack in our modern world, and everything from high sugar diets; low-fat diets; sedentary living; excess use of technology; xenoestrogens; etc. definitely doesn’t help.... There are many things you can do to help protect yourself from declining T levels that many would have you believe is a natural decline that results with age. This is somewhat true but greatly exaggerated as it has only been a problem of sorts for men in the modern world but not necessarily in generations prior. Common sense leads me to point the finger at lifestyle factors and not some sudden change in genetics.
Here’s where Ashwagandha can help! This almost magical herb can be a powerful tool in ensuring T levels stay optimal even into old age, and here’s how.
Lowered cortisol (the hormone in direct competition with the big T)
Increasing HDL cholesterol (building block of testosterone)
Decreasing LDL cholesterol
Improved sleep quality (each additional hour equates to a ~15% boost in T)
Reduced inflammation
There have also been studies done -- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24371462/ -- showing that supplementing with 675mg/day of KSM-66 Ashwagandha for 3 months led to a ~17% boost in T, and a ~36% increase in luteinizing hormone. This indicates Ashwagandha stimulates testosterone production through the brain. There was another study that pointed out that KSM-66 Ashwagandha provides a substantial boost to strength and recovery in 57 young healthy male subjects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26609282/. Ashwagandha is a bit of a Swiss army knife with its many uses and benefits, and helping to give declining T levels a natural and sustainable boost is just one of them.
BLOOD PRESSURE
Ashwagandha seems to have benefits when it comes to stabilizing blood pressure as well, it is an adaptogen after all. Animal studies provide proof that Ashwagandha lowers blood pressure and is believed to do the same in humans. While this may be beneficial to those with high blood pressure or unstable blood pressure levels, individuals with low blood pressure should probably avoid using it. At least consult with your primary health care provider before trying it out. Most people can safely use it otherwise. I know every time I’ve used it there is always a calming effect from it, and while I am yet to test it for definitive proof, I’m sure it comes partially from stabilizing blood pressure.
CONCLUSION ON ASHWAGANDHA FOR CORTISOL, TESTOSTERONE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE
Ashwagandha is in my opinion, one of the very best herbs to have in the supplement cabinet. It isn’t super popular, but it has a plethora of research and evidence to support it.
Any brand that uses KSM-66 and also has minimal fillers and preservatives is good to go in my book. Though the very best form is Shoden extract, which yields a 35% absorption rate of the herb's active compounds... 7 times higher than even the KSM-66 form. Even if Ashwagandha didn’t benefit these 3 areas I’d still use it, the extra energy, focus, and consistently higher quality of sleep I get with it is next to none when compared to other herbs I’ve tried. It just can’t be beat!
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