Have you never heard of Ashwagandha before? Then it’s time to get to know the benefits of the super plant. Because it is extremely versatile in its benefits, especially for men.
But what are the benefits of Ashwagandha for Men?
In many cultures, Ashwagandha is attributed to great benefits. Sounds good? Then you will learn more about Ashwagandha’s benefits for men in this article.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is a plant of the nightshade family, which grows mainly in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and has been used there for more than 3,000 years in natural medicine.
In ancient Indian writings, Ashwagandha is even referred to as a miracle cure.
In this country, it is better known as winter cherry, and the name Indian ginseng occurs more often. Her botanical name is Withania somnifera. In Ayurveda Ashwagandha is a very popular plant with many positive qualities.
One of its greatest benefits is the calming effect. Ashwagandha supports a good night’s sleep.
In addition, it is attributed to an increase in energy. However, there are no generally valid health-related statements.
Meanwhile, Ashwagandha has also found its way into the western world and still enjoys the reputation of an insider tip. If you have not known Ashwagandha yet: Welcome to the club of the few who know the benefits of the super berry!
Take-home message # 1: Ashwagandha is also known as winter cherry and has been used in Ayurveda for decades. The botanical name is Withania somnifera.
3 Ashwagandha Benefits for Men
Some people claim that the berry has a calming effect and could have a positive effect on brain performance. Due to its versatility, the super plant is used very often in Ayurveda.
According to the Huntington College of Health Sciences survey, Ashwagandha is used to
- give inner peace and strength
- increase the energy
- increase the efficiency
Responsible these benefits are the following ingredients,
- withanolides
- alkaloids
- Choline
- fatty acids
- amino acids
Both leaves, flowers, stems, seeds, berries, bark and root are used. No wonder that Ashwagandha is so versatile because every plant part has its special benefits.
Take-home message # 2: Ashwagandha is said to have many positive qualities in Ayurveda.
Studies about Ashwagandha Benefits for Men
Although successfully used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, the effect of the winter cherry only grabbed the attention of researchers in recent years.
So far, many indications of potential impact areas of Ashwagandha have been confirmed. Nevertheless, many other clinical studies are missing in order to be able to make general health-related statements. But in this short overview, you will find a summary of some of these studies.
For example, a study by the Department of Neuropsychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry in India investigated the impact of Ashwagandha on stress perception.
In fact, the test group was better at dealing with stressful situations and thus an overall increase in quality of life than the placebo group, which did not take highly concentrated ashwagandha over the 60-day period. The cortisol level of the Ashwagandha group was significantly reduced.
However, further studies have to follow urgently in order to achieve a reliable result.
The beneficial effect on memory performance was tested in another Indian study. It turned out that the winter cherry was able to increase the cognitive abilities of children with learning disabilities. In addition, it was beneficial for the mitochondria.
Persistence under the influence of Ashwagandha was also scientifically tested on laboratory rats.
They were able to swim twice as long as the rats of the control group after the administration of the extract. The researchers attributed this mainly to the analgesic effect of Ashwagandha in the muscles and joints, but also to its energizing effect.
Sounds exactly like what you’ve always been looking for? You can then include Ashwagandha as a nutritional supplement in your diet and take it in the form of powder or capsules to support a balanced diet.
Take Home Message # 3: Numerous studies are already providing some clues to the many ways in which Ashwagandha works. But for general health-related statements, many more clinical studies are needed.
Ashwagandha Benefits for Biohackers
A plant with versatile effectiveness seems impossible at first glance. And yet the winter cherry combines the opposite effects in itself and is therefore extremely interesting for organic hackers.
A high energy level and good sleep quality are of great importance for anyone who wants to optimize their brain performance.
Energy: As a biohacker, is any high-quality natural resource right to push your performance? A physically as well as mentally desired energy boost helps you to get off to a good start. In biohacking, you also want to reduce stress as much as possible. It all comes down to good energy and high performance.
Revitalization: In order to achieve lasting performance, body and mind have to recover after the performance unit. A balance of antioxidants and free radicals is very important. After all, the better your cells are protected against oxidative stress, the faster you’ll be fit again and ready for the next challenge.
Sleep quality: You are often stressed and therefore can not sleep at night? You’re thinking too much about falling asleep and just cannot put your thoughts aside because you’re too energized?
You’re not alone with that. And the good news is you can work on it and even solve it! If you become more resilient and can handle the stress better, it will also affect your sleep quality.
And if you can sleep more restorative at night, that naturally affects your performance. Actually a normal process of the body, which gets out of balance by chronic stress and finds its way back to normality through hacks like Ashwagandha.
Take-home message # 4: Ashwagandha is interesting for biohackers. Biohacking is about optimizing your body for maximum performance.
Dosage of Ashwagandha
The dosage depends entirely on the application target, as well as the dosage form. The easiest way is the intake of capsules, they are easy to dose and are tasteless. Because Ashwagandha has a bitter note that not everyone likes.
A general dosage recommendation is about 3 to 6 grams of dry root or 300 to 500 milligrams of the extract daily.
It’s best to try it yourself and sample your individual dosage for your needs. Ashwagandha preparations should be taken for a few days to several months until you can expect any results.
As great as the properties of the plant sound: You should not overdose. Ashwagandha has no side effects and is non-toxic up to the maximum recommended dose.
However, too much can cause abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea. In addition, the plant contains intoxicating substances.
If you do not have any experience with Ashwagandha, you should not experiment with it on your own, but seek the advice of the right dosage and administration from an expert.
Incidentally, a high-quality nutritional supplement also has a high content of withanolides. In addition, no preservatives or chemical additives should be included.
Take Home Message # 5: Properly dosed, Ashwagandha is a helpful dietary supplement. However, overdose should be avoided. Try it yourself and find your individual dosage!
Conclusion: Ashwagandha Benefits for Men
Ashwagandha has many benefits for men. If can boost your energy and simultaneously support a good night sleep.
Still, scientific evidence for most of these effects is lacking. But if you are into biohacking and that stuff, Ashwagandha is worth a try for sure.
Cheers,
Sam
