Winter Cherry (ashwagandha)

[SAS]

Winter cherry (withania somnifera), also known as ashwagandha or Indian ginseng, has traditionally been used as part of a holistic system of medicine in India known as ayurveda. The herbal supplement is produced from the root of the plant and is known as an adaptogen, meaning that it increases resistance to physical and emotional stress. In terms of emotional health, winter cherry has been used to promote emotional balance in cases of mild anxiety, depression and mental or physical fatigue. The supplement is also known to have many preventative qualities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

More Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withania_somnifera

[Narcissistic Pundit]

This study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/ppmc/articles/PMC2729375/

Found:

Employees with moderate to severe anxiety of longer than 6 weeks duration were randomized based on age and gender to receive naturopathic care...over a period of 12 weeks...

...Significant differences between groups were also observed in mental health, concentration, fatigue, social functioning, vitality, and overall quality of life with the NC group exhibiting greater clinical benefit.

The NC group referring to the group that was given withania somnifera (winter cherry). Sounds promising!

[popeet]

I'm getting ready to add this to what I'm taking, as I have low cortisol and it helps with either high or low cortisol.

[popeet]

K. I got mine in the mail today. I'm finna take it.

[Narcissistic Pundit]

Originally Posted by popeet

K. I got mine in the mail today. I'm finna take it.

I'm considering getting a bottle next time I order vitamins. Let us know how it works for you.

[sarahweedon1]

hi I am new here.
I have had socail anxiety for about a year now it all started when my son was born. it has gotten alittle bit better. I dont have trouble talking on the phone anymore just i cant go to the mall or park or walk out of sight from my home or else i start panicing or school. its a pain in the A@#. but anyways if anyone has some good insight for me on natural supplements because i refuse to take any prescriptions for the side affects part.
i was thinking of ordering this ashwagandha it sound really good but not sure

[Xande]

Originally Posted by sarahweedon1

hi I am new here.
I have had socail anxiety for about a year now it all started when my son was born. it has gotten alittle bit better. I dont have trouble talking on the phone anymore just i cant go to the mall or park or walk out of sight from my home or else i start panicing or school. its a pain in the A@#. but anyways if anyone has some good insight for me on natural supplements because i refuse to take any prescriptions for the side affects part.
i was thinking of ordering this ashwagandha it sound really good but not sure

Not sure about this supplement, but Phenibut seems to have helped out some members here (check out the reviews or run a search for reviews).

Also note, just because something is a supplement, it doesn't mean that it won't have any side effects. Supplements could have side effects, just like prescription meds. But before trying anything, always do research on the supplement/med to see if the potential benefits outweigh the risk.

Good luck!

[sarahweedon1]

ok thanks xande

[candiedsky]

I took ashwagandha for a while, and did feel calmer and more stable! But I didn't really notice this until I ran out. After it was gone, about a week or so without it, I felt irritable, snappy, tired... the works. It is definitely on my to do list to get some more of this!

[tyleote]

Originally Posted by candiedsky

I took ashwagandha for a while, and did feel calmer and more stable! But I didn't really notice this until I ran out. After it was gone, about a week or so without it, I felt irritable, snappy, tired... the works. It is definitely on my to do list to get some more of this!

This post interested me in finding out if there was anything to this experience. Wikipedia states:

The main active constituents [in ashwagandha] are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. These include tropine and cuscohygrine. The leaves contain the steroidal lactones.

So are tropine and cuscohygrine going to tell us anything about the above candy's experience? Let's look if cuscohygrine tells us anything first:

Cuscohygrine is a pyrrolidine alkaloid found in coca. It can be extracted from plants of the family Solanaceae... ...Cuscohygrine usually comes with other, more potent alkaloids like atropine or cocaine.

wiki
Interesting!

Pyrrolidine is found naturally in the leaves of tobacco and carrot. The pyrrolidine ring structure is present in numerous natural alkaloids such as nicotine and hygrine. It is found in many pharmaceutical drugs such as procyclidine and bepridil. It also forms the basis for the racetam compounds (e.g. piracetam, aniracetam)."

- wiki

So there is probably something going on there; but what about tropine?

also a antichlogeric agent -

Anticholinergics are a class of medications that inhibit parasympathetic nerve impulses by selectively blocking the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to its receptor in nerve cells. The nerve fibers of the parasympathetic system are responsible for the involuntary movements of smooth muscles present in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, lungs, etc

wiki
I'm not sure what effect this has on choline supplements... does anyone know?

I think the majority of the health benefits likely come from the withaferin A, or steroidal lactones. The anxylotic effects probably come from the tropine and cuscohygrine. Does long-term ingestion of tropine and cuscohygrine cause withdrawal symptoms following discontinuation of use?

[simpleindian]

its good to know that so many of u trust ayuvedic remedies.ayurveda originated in Indian but i do think that we indians dont value it is as much as europeans and americans do just like yoga..but i have heard that ayurvedic remedies r great and has no side effects

[Narcissistic Pundit]

Ashwagandha works well for me. My first time taking it was shortly before a night class. I normally don't talk to anybody, or even the teacher, but from the first night I took ashwagandha I was starting conversations with people around me and answering the teacher. It doesn't have a strong effect like cocaine, but an effect is definitely their (socially, not stimulatory).

It helps me to ease anxiety of the mind, as well as to loosen up socially. The easing of the mind is probably why it is said to help against gray hairs.

Originally Posted by simpleindian

its good to know that so many of u trust ayuvedic remedies

Ashwagandha is my first experience with ayurvedic medicine, but I now have much more respect for it.

Originally Posted by simpleindian

i have heard that ayurvedic remedies...has no side effects

This is not entirely true. While it may not be unreasonable to say that ayurvedic medicine has fewer side effects than conventional medicine, there still are some potential side effects. For instance, ashwagandha can be somewhat difficult for some people to digest. Also, in high doses it slows down breathing. I haven't had any problems with it though.

[mastercowboy]

I only remember an UP feeling the first day i took 2x250mg pills.Nothing else later,no matter the dose...Also had a tiny edema on forehead under skin this period,but maybe was due to something else like Reishi.I took these together that period.I quit them both after this though.The edema subsided after months.Almost has dissapeared now!

[peter62]

Treatment with herbs is very old way of medical treatment,Its better than allopathy I also use witer chary for removing stress elements its effective and have no side effects, My Grand pa also use it.

[jonny neurotic]

Originally Posted by peter62

Treatment with herbs is very old way of medical treatment,Its better than allopathy I also use witer chary for removing stress elements its effective and have no side effects, My Grand pa also use it.

Whilst I agree that many herbs can be of enormous medicinal effect, I have to point out that "Allopathy" is a nonsense word cooked up by the same person who gave the world Homoeopathy. Mainstream medicine has always used plant extracts, either as medicines themselves or as precursors. Homoeopathy has never been shown to have any real effect beyond placebo.

Mainstream medicine FTW...

[dismiss]

Have been taking ashwagandha for well over a year now, probably two or longer after sitting down and giving it some thought.
It helped a little at 450 mgs... Helps a lot at 900 mgs. (Am apprx 140- 150 lbs 5'6")
I do stack with other supplements. Back when I started taking it, I took it by itself. Since then, I have added 5htp, & suntheanine...
More recently added picamilon... Plus other beneficial supplements like vit D and fish oil...

Bottom line, the ashwagandha makes a contribution that cannot be replaced. It has helped me to work in a high stress hospital atmosphere. I take it everyday.
Sometimes I'll take a booster dose (450 mgs)in the evenings if I'm worried about something.

[MrQuiet76]

Originally Posted by dismiss

Have been taking ashwagandha for well over a year now, probably two or longer after sitting down and giving it some thought.
It helped a little at 450 mgs... Helps a lot at 900 mgs. (Am apprx 140- 150 lbs 5'6")
I do stack with other supplements. Back when I started taking it, I took it by itself. Since then, I have added 5htp, & suntheanine...
More recently added picamilon... Plus other beneficial supplements like vit D and fish oil...

Bottom line, the ashwagandha makes a contribution that cannot be replaced. It has helped me to work in a high stress hospital atmosphere. I take it everyday.
Sometimes I'll take a booster dose (450 mgs)in the evenings if I'm worried about something.

dismiss, just wanted to ask you... is this combination very effective for you? I've tried taking theanine and ashwaganda (450 mg) separately and didn't really notice much... I've taken 5-htp and noticed that it helps a lot... would u recommend this combo of all three? are there any side effects?

[dismiss]

I've been able to have a riot on the psychiatric unit I work on going on around me... I was very calm. & I handled it well.
I find it very effective.
But, a 25 year old male might need a higher dose. I take 400-500 mgs of theanine, & 100 mgs of 5htp, along with the 900 mgs of ashwagandha.
I have not noticed any side effects.

[MrQuiet76]

Originally Posted by dismiss

I've been able to have a riot on the psychiatric unit I work on going on around me... I was very calm. & I handled it well.
I find it very effective.
But, a 25 year old male might need a higher dose. I take 400-500 mgs of theanine, & 100 mgs of 5htp, along with the 900 mgs of ashwagandha.
I have not noticed any side effects.

cool I'll have to try that out sometime. thanks!!

[corvus1972]

The reason I took ashwagandha before was because I read it helps with vivid dreams. RESULTS: no vivid dreams and I didn't notice that it helped my anxiety.