1 2 Letter from the Publisher Amanda Klenner Ashwagandha is one of the best-known Ayurvedic herbs used in Western herbalism, and has thousands of years of traditional use in India as a rasāyana (rejuvenative) and an adaptogen. Its name means “smell of the stallion” or “strength of a stallion,” depending on the translator. Some say it is because Ashwagandha tea smells like horse sweat. I disagree. I choose to believe it is because ashwagandha is brilliant at helping us gain strength, stamina, and vigor. As an adaptogen, ashwagandha can moderate stress and immune responses by supporting healthy function of the Hypothalamus- Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. In other words, it helps reduce our stress hormones, balance our hormones, and nourish the body in a generally safe and effective way. Because of its popularity, it has been studied extensively and is being incorporated into medical treatments for people recovering both from basic illness and from damage done to the body by chemotherapy and radiation. I myself have just come out of having a nasty flu, and am still suffering side effects from it. I am taking ashwagandha and some other adaptogens to help me recover my vitality and nourish my body after a long and debilitating illness. Traditionally, ashwagandha is used in Ayurveda to help balance those with Kapha and Vata leanings, who both tend toward a cold constitution. Kapha people, when imbalanced, are stagnant, damp, and slow. Vata people are scattered, thin, cold, dry, and always busy, but not often in a functional way, when they’re out of balance. Ashwagandha is warming, nourishing, slightly drying, and helps to balance those doshas. It is known to exacerbate symptoms in 3 people who have excess Pitta (a constitution with an imbalanced state of heat, quickness to anger, and “excess fire”). So, if ashwagandha is indicated for a more Pitta person, the herb can be cooled down by adding milk and honey. Ashwagandha is high in nutrients like vitamin C, calcium, iron, flavonoids, antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. These are all health-promoting factors that contribute to its overall balancing and nourishing function. I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about this wonderful herb. As always, join us in our Facebook group: Natural Herbal Living "Herb of the Month Club". Green Blessings, Amanda 4 Table of Contents Ashwagandha Herbal Monograph 6 Ashwagandha Coloring Page 11 Ashwagandha Traditional Uses and Recipes 12 Aśvagandhā (वराहकर्णी) 22 More Ashwagandha Recipes 26 References 33 Glossary of Herbalism 38 Disclaimer 47 5 Ashwagandha Monograph Nina Judith Katz Common names: Ashwagandha, winter cherry, ashgandh Latin name: Withania somnifera Family: Solanaceae Part used: root Actions: adaptogen, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac, astringent, immunomodulant, nervine, neuroprotective, rejuvenative, reproductive tonic, sedative, tonic 6 Energetics: astringent, bitter, sweet, hot, lowers Vata and Kapha, raises Pitta Affinities/tropism: Kidney, Lung, and Spleen meridians; nervous system, reproductive system, brain, lungs, kidneys, muscle, fat, bone, mucus membranes, skin Ashwagandha is the quintessential adaptogen. As defined in 1960 by N.V. Lazarev, an adaptogen is an agent causing a “condition of non-specific increase in resistance” to any external stress.1 (Also discussed & cited in Sejfulla and Kondrashin). This definition corresponds to the traditional understanding of ashwagandha in Ayurveda, where it has a broad range of use as a general tonic. Modern research has confirmed many of the traditional Ayurvedic uses of ashwagandha. For example, a 2012 double-blind study concluded that it is effective at improving resistance to stress.2 In traditional Ayurveda understandings, there are three basic energetic doshas, corresponding very roughly to the elements of western energetics and of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The doshas are Vata (air); Pitta (fire), and Kapha (water). Vata characteristics include a tall, thin, and bony physique; dryness in the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, and elsewhere; small features; anxiety, excitability, quick intellect, and indecisiveness. Pitta tends to have a medium build and medium to fine features, piercing eyes, a tendency towards inflammation, a fiery temper, strong will, ambition, and logical mind. Kapha tends to have a large physique, 7 thick hair and brows, oily skin and lush-to-oily hair, a slow and steady activity level, and great loyalty. People often embody two or three doshas, although not usually to equal degrees. Ayurveda considers an excess of any one dosha a likely cause of illness. Ashwagandha reduces Vata (and kapha to a lesser extent), while increasing Pitta. In Ayurveda, ashwagandha is specific for anxiety, as we would expect from a remedy that reduces Vata.3 Ayurvedic tradition also uses ashwagandha to build up ojas, or vitality, a concept that corresponds fairly precisely to jing in Traditional Chinese Medicine. This corresponds to its use as a general tonic and to increase energy, as well as to its more specific application in convalescence, exhaustion, and depletion from any cause. Building up ojas would also improve the reproductive system, and ashwagandha is traditionally used for men as an aphrodisiac and to improve the quality and quantity of semen, as well as for women to “stabilize” the fetus.4 Studies done in 2009 and 2013 confirm that ashwagandha improves the count, motility, and quality of sperm.5,11 Ayurvedic practitioners use ashwagandha to enhance immune function. Numerous studies have investigated and, for the most part, confirm the use of ashwagandha as an immunostimulant, anti- inflammatory, and immunomodulant. Most of these studies were done in India; but some of those done in the West look at the intersections between the immunostimulation and anti-cancer effects of this herb. For example, a 2009 study reported in the European Journal of Cancer explores the ways in which 8 ashwagandha causes the death of cancer cells in vitro, and then in mice, where it inhibits the growth of tumors and increases the activity of certain cells in the immune system (T cells and Th1, a T helper cell).6 Similarly, a 2015 study showed that ashwagandha slowed the progression of tumors in ovarian cancer and decreased one of the mechanisms of immunosuppression associated with that progression.7 Another traditional use of ashwagandha is to improve brain function and aid the nervous system. Recent studies support these uses as well. For example, a 2017 double-blind study showed that ashwagandha improved both short-term and general memory in adults with mild cognitive impairment.8 Other studies have concluded that ashwagandha is useful in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and is generally neuroprotective.9 Ashwagandha also improves tissue repair; for example, traditional Ayurvedic formulas for mending broken bones include ashwagandha; this corresponds to its designation as a Kidney meridian remedy, as the Kidney meridian is associated with the bones. Similarly, Ayurvedic practice uses ashwagandha to help with muscle tone, weight loss, and skin problems. Excessive weight loss is a Vata problem, so it makes sense that a remedy that reduces Vata would help correct weight loss. Building up the muscle tone is characteristic of Spleen meridian remedies, as is strengthening the mucus membranes, another traditional use for ashwagandha. Ashwaganda is also traditionally used to strengthen the lungs in asthma, and its use for skin problems is also characteristic of a remedy associated with the Lung meridian. 9 Ashwagandha also promotes better sleep, both by helping people fall asleep and by improving the duration and quality of sleep. Traditional Ayurvedic practice also relies on ashwagandha to strengthen the kidneys, as one might expect from the comparison of ojas to jing (TCM associates jing with the Kidney meridian). Stephen Buhner recommends ashwagandha as an addition to his core protocol for Lyme disease and coinfections; its use as a general restorative, immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotector fit the symptoms of Lyme. He recommends taking it at night, at least initially, because it promotes sleep and in some people, it may cause drowsiness during the day.10 Traditionally, ashwagandha is used in decoctions, or as a powder (¼ – 3 tsp) in wine or ghee.4 Many western herbalists use it in tincture form, which is also effective. Dosage ranges from 2 to 75 drops. Ashwagandha is generally considered extremely safe, as its use in pregnancy suggests. Buhner suggests choosing doses at the lower end of the range in pregnancy. People with sensitivities to the Solanaceae (nightshade family) will probably still find it more helpful than harmful, because its anti-inflammatory characteristics usually outweigh any aggravation. 10 11 Ashwagandha Traditional Uses & Recipes Gina Gibbons In a world with endless tantalizing options at our fingertips—so many colors and textures and active constituents—how is an herbalist to narrow down the playing field? There seems to be a trend in the herbal community to focus on the herbs that have multiple actions. Though they may be less exotic than other plants, these multifaceted plants shine in their own way by being so incredibly versatile. They are true multitaskers that, because of their extreme adaptability, can be viewed as some of our most cherished medicines. Calendula (Calendula officinalis), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), among 12 many others, come to mind as beings who share with us their gifts in many, many ways, sometimes with opposing functions, but nonetheless they do their jobs and they do them well. These medicines are so useful that we only need a handful of them in our medicine cabinet to feel confident that we can handle most issues that may arise. Among this list of adaptable all-stars, let us consider ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Ashwagandha isn’t a plant that many of us have seen before, as it doesn’t grow wild here in the USA. It prefers the dry climates of Southern India, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia.