Supporting women’s health through all life stages with ashwagandha
July 2020
View the full infographic to learn how supplement use for women continues to grow and the benefits from ashwagandha root to support health through all life stages.
According to a consumer survey conducted by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, 79% of U.S. women are regularly using nutritional supplements. Across all life stages, hormone balance, sexual vitality, and stress factors are closely tied. Modern clinical science, validating traditional wisdom, is helping us understand why ashwagandha, one of the great Rasāyana herbs within Ayurveda, is able to support health and balance for women across all life stages.
Ashwagandha for Women’s Health
What Women Want: Supplements
- 79% Women using dietary supplements[1]
- 10.72% Increase in women’s supplements listings between Natural Products xpos East and West 2016 and 2018[2]
All ages are interested[3]
Sales of pre- and post-natal health supplements have increased from
- $602 million in 2014 to
- $724 million in 2018
- Representing a 3.76% CAGR
Sales of menopause supplements increased from
- $484 million in 2014 to
- $541 million in 2018
- Representing a 2.25% CAGR
It All Starts with Stress: The human stress engine
- Sympathetic Nervous System – Accelerates cortisol
- Parasympathetic Nervous System – Decelerates cortisol
Health problems can occur when prolonged stress causes a sustained release of cortisol. Chronic stress can:
Ashwagandha: A Chill Pill for Cortisol Release
Ashwagandha: an adaptogenic plant known to help people adapt to various stressors. One 2015 study using KSM-66 ashwagandha showed marked results in both objective and subjective measures of stress. Researchers found:[8]
- Nearly 30% of subjects experienced a significant decrease in cortisol levels over eight weeks
- 44% reported a reduction on the Perceived Stress Scale
- Overall, subjects experienced a 77% reduction in depression, 75.6% reduction in anxiety, and 64.2% reduction in stress in 60 days
STRESS REDUCTION- homeostasis when it comes to multiple areas REDUCTION of women’s health
What the Science Says
Studies support the ingredient’s role in battling the effect of stress
Ashwagandha Supports Thyroid Health
Women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to have thyroid problems, with 1 in 8 developing a thyroid disorder in her lifetime.[9] One double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study using KSM-66 ashwagandha showed that 600 mg of ashwagandha daily for eight weeks yielded significant benefits for thyroid health. Subjects demonstrated:[10]
- 47.16% increase in T3 levels
- 23.19% increase in T4 levels
Another study showed aWomenusingdietarysupplesments1 ashwagandha has a stronger effect than anti-hypothyroidism drugs in animal models:[11]
• Researchers said the ingredient improved thyroid function by ameliorating thyroid hormones and preventing oxidative stress
Increases Libido—One randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study using KSM-66 ashwagandha found that 600 mg ashwagandha daily can:[12]
• Significantly improve sexual arousal, lubrication, quality of orgasm and overall satisfaction
• Produce a 75% increase in Female Sexual Function Index scores
• Increase the number of successful sexual encounters by 126.1%
Minimizes Menopausal Symptoms
Researchers paired ashwagandha with ashokarishta, an Ayurvedic formulation that includes ashoka bark and a host of other medicinal plants, and praval pishti (or coral calcium powder), and found the combined treatment resulted in “significant” improvements in both somatic and psychological complaints in women with mild to moderate symptoms of menopausal syndrome.[13]
Supports General Health and Longevity
Chronic stress, anxiety and depression can accelerate premature aging by shortening DNA telomeres.[14] New research shows ashwagandha may act as a sort of “cap” to prevent such shortening.[15]
Contributes to Weight Loss
Researchers running a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial using KSM-66 ashwagandha found that supplementation with 300 mg two times daily can yield both subjective and objective reductions in stress and weight. Subjects reported:[16]
- 7% reduction in Perceived Stress Scale, confirmed with a 22.2% decrease in cortisol levels
- Fewer food cravings
- 03% reduction in body weight
- 9% reduction in BMI
Boosts Cognitive Health
Studies have found ashwagandha can improve memory when measured in a variety of standardized tests. Researchers reported that supplementation enhanced both immediate and general memory, and improved executive function, a higher-order cognitive process that facilitates the coordination, selection and execution of willful action.[17]
KSM-66: The most clinically studied ashwagandha on the market
- 22 Gold Standard human clinical trials
- 700 finished products and 550 Brands
- The highest concentration, most bioavailable, full-spectrum ashwagandha root extract on the market.
Reference
1. CRN 2019 Consumer Survey
2. New Hope Network’s NEXT Trend Database
3. Nutrition Business Journal data (https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/womens-health/what-women-want-supplement-aisle)
4. Segerstrom, SC et al. “Psychological Stress and the Human Immune System: A Meta-Analytic Study of 30 Years of Inquiry.” Psychol Bill. 2004; 130(4): 601-630.
5. https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress/effects-gastrointestinal
6. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/stress-and-insomnia
7. Hamilton, LD et al. “Chronic stress and sexual function in women.” J Sex Med. 2014; 10(10):2443-2454.
8. Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. “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 J Psychol Med. 2012;34:255-62. DOI: 10.4103/0253-7176.106022.
9. American Thyroid Association
10. Sharma AK, Basu I, Singh S. “Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.” J Altern Complement Med. 2018 MaR;24(3):243-248. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2017.0183.
11. Abdel-Wahhab KG et al. “Role of ashwagandha methanolic extract in the regulation of thyroid profile in hypothyroidism modeled rats.”
Mol Biol Rep. 2019 Aug;46(4):3637-3649. DOI: 10.1007/s11033-019-04721-x.
12. Dongre S, Langade D, Bhattacharyya S. “Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in improving sexual function in women: a pilot study.” Biomed Res Int. Oct 2015;2015:284154.
13. Modi MB, Donga SB, Dei L. “Clinical evaluation of Ashokarishta, Ashwagandha Churna and Praval Pishti in the management of menopausal syndrome.”
Ayu. 2012 Oct-Dec. DOI: 10.4103/0974-8520.110529
14. Bergland, C. “Emotional Distress Can Speed Up Cellular Aging.” Psychology Today. Apr 7, 2014.
15. Raguraman V and Subramaniam JR. “Withania somnifera Root Extract Enhances Telomerase Activity in the Human HeLa Cell Line.”
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology. 2016 April. DOI: 10.4236/abb.2016.74018.
16. Choudhary D, Bhattacharyya S, Joshi K. “Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through Treatment With Ashwagandha Root Extract: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.” J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Jan;22(1):96-106.
17. Choudhary D, Bhattacharyya S and Bose S. “Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) Root Extract in Improving Memory and Cognitive Functions.” J Diet Suppl. 2017 Nov 2;14(6):599-612. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2017.1284970.