Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, is a medicinal and vital plant that is used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine system. The sleepberry is said to have many positive and health-promoting properties, especially with regard to its calming ingredients. Today, the various components of Ashwagandha are used worldwide in the field of complementary and alternative medicine. A scientific look at the plant highlights its botanical specifications, the ingredients of individual parts of the plant and the possibilities of use in the field of traditional Indian medicine.
Ashwagandha as an important medicinal plant in Ayurveda
Ayurveda, the “knowledge of life”, is closely linked to the broad study of vital substances, their effect on the body and the physical processes that can be stimulated by various vital substances. As a natural healing method, Ayurveda is based on the profound knowledge of plants, their components and ingredients and the possibilities of health-promoting and health-preserving use.
A plant used in Ayurveda due to their diverse areas of impact Ashwagandha plays a prominent role. The plant, which has the botanical name Withania somnifera, is a plant from the nightshade family. In German botany and in the field of natural medicine, Ashwagandha is known not only as Indian ginseng, but also as sleeping berry or winter cherry.
The part of the name “Withania” stands for the plant genus. All plants in this genus belong to the nightshade family. Depending on how narrowly or broadly the generic term is defined, between around 10 and 20 different plants belong to the Withania. The Latin epithet “somnifera” can be translated as “sleeping”. This is also where Ashwagandha's more colloquially used nickname, the sleeping berry, comes from. The name Ashwagandha, used in traditional Indian medicine, comes from Sanskrit and can be translated as “smell of the horse”. The name is due to the fact that the roots of the plant used in Ayurveda have a smell strongly reminiscent of that of horses.
Ashwagandha grows as an evergreen shrub in warm locations. The plant's original homeland is therefore in India, North Africa and the Middle East. Today, Indian ginseng is more widespread and can also be found in tropical and subtropical areas such as Africa, Spain, Greece, the Canary Islands and the Arabian Peninsula.
At first glance, Ashwagandha can easily be confused with Physalis. The Physalis peruviana is also a plant from the nightshade genus. Just like Physalis, Ashwagandha's fruity berries are encased in dried petals that look and feel almost like paper. While the ripe berries of the Physalis taste pleasantly sweet and are therefore often eaten, the Ashwagandha berries are not edible.
Plant components and their use
Even though the epithet Sleepberry, which is colloquially used in German botany, focuses on the fruits of ashwagandha, the berries that the plant produces are of little importance in Ayurvedic medicine. They taste very bitter and thus draw attention to the fact that eating them in large quantities is poisonous to humans. The reason for this is the alkaloids contained in the berries.
On the other hand, the roots and leaves are mainly used. In addition to alkaloids, tannins, saponins and flavonoids, both parts of the plant contain, above all, withanolides. These belong to the lactone group of substances. To date, more than 40 different withanolides have been identified in the Withania plant genus. The secondary plant substances apply due to their biochemical structure as anti-inflammatory, bacteriostatic, anti-tumor and, to a limited extent, insecticidal.
The use of Ashwagandha in Ayurvedic medicine
In Ayurvedic medicine, Ashwagandha is used in a variety of areas due to the active ingredients it contains. The focus is on health problems such as insomnia, anxiety and stress. If the stress hormone cortisol is elevated over the long term or repeatedly, this can lead to chronic stress, which can have a negative impact on physical and mental health. Common health consequences that can be attributed to a permanently elevated cortisol level include sleep and concentration problems, irritable bowel symptoms, depressive moods, severe anxiety disorders or increased sensitivity to pain. Patients who already suffer from diabetes often complain of increased symptoms and blood sugar levels that are more difficult to regulate in connection with stress. Chronic stress can also promote the development of diabetes.
Ashwagandha, an adaptogenic plant ingredient, is often used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce stress. A study from 2012 suggests that regular intake could reduce elevated cortisol levels and thus reduce chronic stress and prevent corresponding long-term consequences. According to the study, side effects such as feelings of stress, concentration and sleep disorders or anxiety could also be reduced.
In 2000, another study with rats suggested that the root extract could have a positive effect on anxiety disorders. After just five days of treatment, a measurably lower level of anxiety was found in the test animals. According to the scientists, the effect was comparable to that of drugs such as lorazepam. Also in 2000, a study with human subjects confirmed the anti-anxiety and stress-reducing effects of regular intake of ashwagandha extract. Measurements showed a significantly reduced cortisol level with a simultaneous increase in the hormone DHEA, which is known as an anti-stress and anti-aging hormone. Due to its adaptogenic effects, ashwagandha is also used to improve brain performance and improve mood. The proven stress-reducing effect also makes the plant extract a popular active ingredient to improve the body's resilience and to strengthen the immune system, which can be negatively influenced by stress.
In Ayurvedic medicine, Ashwagandha is often used as a dietary supplement and as a complementary therapy as part of holistic natural healing methods. Patients should seek comprehensive advice from their treating doctor or certified alternative practitioner regarding tolerability and possible contraindications.
Ayurveda, traditional complementary medicine
As a traditional complementary medicine, Ayurveda offers a wide range of possible applications for promoting health and well-being. What was long considered a wellness trend has now become a recognized spectrum of healing procedures based on sound scientific findings. Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine, is now considered a holistic diagnosis and therapy concept. The knowledge in the field of naturopathy, which is more than 2,000 years old, comes from South Asia and impresses with a wide range of empirically proven healing knowledge.
In Germany, too, Ayurvedic medicine is often used as an alternative or supplement to traditional medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Ayurveda as a medical science more than ten years ago, just like traditional Chinese medicine. In the document published in 2023 “WHO international standard terminologies on AyurvedaThe WHO defines officially recognized standards for traditional Indian medicine as the basis for scientific research on Ayurveda as a natural healing method. For this purpose, the organization founded a center for alternative medicine in the Indian city of Jamnagar in April 2022, where research into the alternative methods of Ayurveda will be carried out. The Indian government is supporting the large-scale research project on traditional medicine with a total of 250 million US dollars. The aim of the new research location will be to further strengthen traditional medicine as alternative and complementary medicine, to produce scientific evidence for the effects of natural healing methods and to make the close network between traditional medicine and conventional medicine an innovation engine for scientific progress.
This followed in August 2023 as part of the G20 health ministers' meeting the first world summit for traditional medicine, to which the WHO together with the Government of India invited. On the occasion of this milestone for the recognition of traditional medicine and alternative natural healing methods, the WHO once again officially points out the importance of traditional medicine on a scientific level. According to the organization, around 40 percent of currently approved medicines are based on the health-promoting effects of natural products. With this, the WHO once again underlined the importance of traditional medicine for modern science and advances in modern medicine.
Due to the World Health Organization's current focus on Ayurveda, traditional Indian medicine is moving to just as prominent a position as traditional Chinese medicine and can be viewed as one of the most important approaches in complementary and alternative medicine.
February 29, 2023