If we had to choose one plant to boost and support your entrepreneurial spirit, it would be ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha is a plant that has been used in traditional herbal medicine for over 5000 years. There is also an impressive body of scientific literature backing the multitude of benefits this herb has to offer.
Studies suggest that ashwagandha may have properties that reduce stress and anxiety, improve cognitive and physical performance, balance hormones, enhance fertility, and fight inflammation and oxidative stress to stave off aging and chronic diseases.
If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, you know the extent to which professional life can take a toll on your well-being. As an entrepreneur, you have more at stake than anyone else involved in your business. It is you who must take on the pressure of multiple operational roles, risky decision-making, and longer work hours.
That’s why stress management for entrepreneurs is essential for not only your long-term health but also to improve work performance.
Ashwagandha is most famous for its role as an adaptogen. That means that it can support the body’s ability to respond to stress. But it isn’t just that – ashwagandha may also have properties that enhance cognitive and physical performance to help keep you on your toes, especially in a competitive business environment.
In this article, we’re looking at the various ways this ancient, traditional herb can improve entrepreneurship. We’ll look at meta-analyses and systematic reviews - which are the highest quality of evidence - to understand the true benefits of this seemingly fantastical plant.
Ashwagandha Benefits
Stress and anxiety
Chronic stress not only decreases quality of life, it is the gateway to a multitude of other health issues. Ashwagandha is often touted for its ability to support the body under stressful conditions. But is there research to support the traditional usage?
A 2022 meta-analysis and systematic review analyzed the current research on ashwagandha for stress and anxiety. Based on data pooled from 12 randomized controlled trials, the authors found that ashwagandha supplementation can decrease stress and anxiety. These randomized controlled trials used questionnaires to assess the perceived stress of the subjects, but as we’ll see coming up, ashwagandha has also been shown to reduce cortisol levels.
Cognitive function
Entrepreneurs will undoubtedly be interested in the research on ashwagandha for focus and mental function. A 2019 systematic review looked at just that. The authors included randomized controlled trials from a variety of different groups, ranging from adults with mood disorders, to adults with mild cognitive impairment, as well as healthy individuals.
The reviewers found that ashwagandha was able to improve cognitive performance and focus based on simple experimental tasks.
Physical performance
Although entrepreneurship may feel like a primarily mental exercise, let’s not underestimate the physical demands on your body. What do we know about ashwagandha for energy and recovery? How might this translate to the use of ashwagandha for productivity?
A 2021 meta-analysis found that ashwagandha could improve physical performance in terms of strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, recovery, and fatigue. Although the mechanisms behind these results are not clear, it is likely that the physical benefits of ashwagandha would also be useful for improving daily energy and recovery for business owners.
How would that work? It is thought that the performance boosting properties of ashwagandha could be thanks to the presence of antioxidants. Over-training, under-sleeping, and inadequate energy intake all contribute to detrimental oxidation pathways in the body, known as oxidative stress. It is reasonable to surmise that the same sports-related benefits would carry over to daily physical demands. You might find that taking ashwagandha can improve work ethic just by virtue of giving you more energy.
Sleep quality
The Latin for ashwagandha, withania somnifera, actually means sleep-inducing. Here’s yet another case where ancient tradition got it right. A 2021 meta-analysis found that ashwagandha extract may have a beneficial effect on overall sleep, which encompassed sleep quality, duration, as well as mental alertness upon waking, and anxiety level.
This is such an important property of ashwagandha, since sleep quality is closely tied to many other health benefits.
Hormonal balance
The multiple benefits of ashwagandha are clearly interconnected. That is because ashwagandha contains potent bioactives, such as phenolic compounds and withanolides. These compounds contribute to anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, and immunomodulatory effects.
One central property of ashwagandha is its ability to regulate hormones. Hormones are central to a multitude of health conditions like mood and anxiety disorders, infertility, menstrual disorders, high blood pressure, and chronic fatigue.
A recent 2023 review article described how ashwagandha can keep hormones in a healthy balance, even under stressful circumstances. Bioactive compounds in ashwagandha can act on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The result is a decrease in cortisol and an increase in fertility-related hormones, which translates to a decrease in stress and improved reproductive function. This insight corroborates evidence from other studies, which showed that ashwagandha may have a positive effect on several aspects of fertility.
Ashwagandha side effects
Multiple animal and human studies have investigated the safety and toxicity of ashwagandha for various health conditions. Ashwagandha was found to be safe across different age groups, sexes, and even in pregnancy. If you have a special condition, we recommend you check with your doctor before supplementing with ashwagandha.
How to incorporate ashwagandha into your daily routine
Soma Naturals sells high quality ashwagandha extracts to suit your lifestyle. Our product line features an ashwagandha tincture that can easily be added to beverages. You can seamlessly integrate ashwagandha into your daily coffee, tea, or matcha ritual – without adding any extra steps or hassle to your day.
Not all ashwagandha is created equal. Growing conditions and extraction parameters can influence the concentrations of bioactive compounds, and therefore affect the health benefits of your ashwagandha tincture. That’s why we’ve done the work for you to ensure you’re getting a product you can trust.
See our product line for additional dosing instructions and recommendations on how to incorporate ashwagandha into your routine.
The ancient uses of this herbal supplement are supported by a growing body of scientific literature. Ashwagandha may be a powerful tool to help you optimize your own health and performance, so that you can ultimately boost your business success.
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