Ashwagandha

Written By Rachel Dawson

Botanical Name : Withania somnifera

Part Used: Roots.

Energetics/Taste Neutral Taste and Slightly Warming

Botany : In the Solanaceae or nightshade family which also contains tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and my favourite - Cape gooseberries!

HISTORY

Its history can be traced back to around 6,000 BCE which is around when horses were first domesticated which is interesting as its Bengali name means “ashwa” horse and “gandha”, smells like.  Now, it certainly does have quite a distinctive smell and taste, maybe a tad like a wet horse?! Ashwagandha is considered to be a rasayana herb in Ayurveda — a herb that purportedly promotes youth and longevity and alleviates suffering.   Powdered ashwagandha root is traditionally mixed with ghee, honey, or water and either ingested or applied topically to inflamed joints or as part of an Ayurvedic skincare routine.

ACTIONS

Adaptogen, stamina enhancer, immune modulator, mild sedative, anti-anaemic and thyroid modulator and aphrodisiac

USES

  • Ashwagandha is popular for a reason – it is a heavy hitter for stress. It’s a true and potent adaptogen is so it’s great for helping the body to be resilient in the face of stress.

  • It has a slight sedative effect so great for sleep,

  • It calms anxiety - in fact I heard someone say that the ashwagandha prayer is “May the traumas of life turn to a fine dust and blow away in a warm breeze.”

  • Helps to regulate the stress system which in turn allows better hormonal regulation ,

  • It has anti-inflammatory benefits for aches and pains

  • Supports to enhance energy and reduce brain fog,

  • It is anabolic so it is thought to support lean muscle growth

  • Thyroid tonic

  • Aids iron absorption

  • Ashwagandha is a good bet for a lot of people as its grounding for the anxious but also uplifting for the sad. It’s a bit of an allrounder and is neutral in nature.

CONTRAINDICATIONS  

Ashwagandha is from the nightshade family so if you have a sensitivity to nightshades it may be best to avoid

GROWING CONDITIONS   Ashwagandha is so easy to grow. Its In the Solanaeceae family, like tomatoes and has a similar growing habit. It easily grows from seed, it doesn’t mind most soils but doesn’t like to have wet feet, in fact, it thrives in hot sunny, dry weather.  It does self seed if the weather is warm enough.   In hot and dry regions, ashwagandha is a perennial and many people in NZ grow as a perennial. I have found that the wet weather in Auckland means that the plant often succumbs to root rot when left in over winter.  As its so easy to grow from seed I usually grow as many as I can as annuals.

HARVESTING AND PROCESSING  The root is dug in Autumn and cut up into small pieces to dry properly.

Rachel Dawson
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