Featured herb: Ashwagandha

Author: Gaia Herbs

Ashwagandha, our February herb of the month, is one of our very favorite adaptogens – plants that help the body resist stressors of all kinds, whether physical, chemical or biological.*

About:

• This plant is a member of the Solanaceae family and has over 4,000 years of traditional use in its native India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

• It is a Medharasayan which is the Ayurvedic category of foods and nutrients that promote learning and memory retrieval.

• It is sometimes referred to as “Indian Ginseng” as it is traditionally used in conditions of debility, emaciation, impotence and premature aging. It is also sometimes referred to as Winter Cherry.

• The translation of Ashwagandha is roughly, “the smell and strength of a horse”, alluding to its aphrodisiac properties.

• This plant is a Tonic and an Adaptogen. In the Middle East it is used to help promote normal sleep patterns and encourage a healthy inflammatory response.*

Function:

Adaptogens support the ability of an organism to cope with stress and thereby conserve energy. Ashwagandha rejuvenates and tonifies the entire system, especially the endocrine and immune systems.*

The root and leaf contain the highest amount of Steroidal compounds which include the lactones Withaferin A, and carbon-27-glycowithanolides, known collectively as Withanolides. It also contains a fair amount of alkaloids; tropine, pseudotropine isopelletrine, and anaferine, and saponins.

Uses

 Brain Function* Endocrine Function – Adrenal*  Energy*  Immune System*  Nervous System*  Sleep*  Stress*