Ashwagandha is a powerful herb packed with a punch.
Ashwagandha is also sometimes known as winter cherry or Indian ginseng, although it does not belong to the ginseng family. It is called ashwagandha because the plant’s roots smell like a wet horse (“ashwa” for horse and “gandha” for smell).
It is a perennial shrub that has been used for thousands of years as a narcotic, intoxicant and aphrodisiac. It grows up to two feet tall with felt-like branches. The leaves are grey-green, hairy, and give off a very unpleasant smell when touched. It has green-yellow flowers and red berries.
The leaves, fruits and roots of ashwagandha are all used in herbal medicine. Most commonly, the dried roots are processed into powder and consumed as tea, tincture, or in capsules.
Ashwagandha root is an adaptogen, which is loosely defined as a compound or product that increases the ability of a person to resist, adapt, or become resilient in nonspecific ways to biological, physical, or chemical stressors. That is just a fancy way of saying it helps with stress. It can also help with anxiety, sleep, adrenal glands, memory and cognition, and the thyroid.
If you want to purchase this herb, please consider using this affiliate link to purchase them. I highly recommend this link because of how they process and store herbs. You can’t always trust who you purchase from online, but with this company, I truly do feel it is top of the line and high quality. Just go to this link and type in the herb. I also have a limited supply of herbs listed on my website at www.theweeddoc.net.
If you would like to find out more about the author, learn about other herbs on her blog, or sign up for a wellness advice membership please consider visiting this link.
Stay natural!
~Dr. Amanda P. Cartwright