Botanical Index No. 59

Ashwagandha

withania somnifera

Medicinal Actions

Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antistress, Antitumor, Antiulcer, Antiviral, Bradycardic, Cerebrotonic, Chemopreventive, CNS-Depressant, Contraceptive, Cytotoxic, Diuretic, Ecbolic, Emmenagogue, Fungicide, GABA-nergic, Hemopoietic, Hepatoprotective, Hypnotic, Hypotensive, Immunodepressant, Immunostimulant, Insecticide, Interferonogenic, Lactagogue, Memorigenic, Narcotic, Pediculicide, Phagocytotic, Proteolytic, Respirastimulant, Sedative, Staminagenic, Tonic, Alterative, Amebicide, Anabolic, Analgesic, Antiaging, Antianemic, Antiarthritic, Antibacterial, Antiedemic, Antiendotoxin, Antiepileptic, Antifertility, Antiherpetic, Antiinflammatory, Antimitotic, Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, Antipyretic, Antisarcomic

Primary Conditions Treated

Adenopathy Addiction Aging Alcoholism Alzheimer’s Ameba Amenorrhea Anemia Anorexia Anthrax Aphrodisiac Arthrosis Asthma Backache Bacteria Boil Bronchosis Cancer lung Carbuncle Childbirth Chill Cholecystosis Cold Conjunctivosis Convulsion Cough Cramp Cystosis Debility Decubitis Deobstruent Dermatosis Diarrhea Dropsy Dyspepsia Emaciation Emphysema Epilepsy Eruption Erysipelas Fertility Fever Frigidity Fungus Furuncle Gangrene Gray Hair Hemorrhoid Hepatosis Herpes Hiccup High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Immunodepression Immunomodulator Impotence Infection Infertility Inflammation Insomnia Leukocytosis Leukoderma Leukopenia Lice Lumbago Marasmus Milk Deficiency Miscarriage Morphinism MS Mycosis Nausea Nervine Nervousness Neurasthenia Neurosis Neutropenia Pain Parasite Pediculosis Poison Proctosis Psoriasis Pulmonosis Rheumatism Ringworm Sarcoma Scabies Senility Smallpox Sore Stress Swelling Syphilis Tranquilizer Tuberculosis Tumor Typhoid Ulcer Uterosis VD Vermifuge Virus Water Retention Worm Wound Yeast Abortifacient Adaptogen Poison (f;

General Dosage

150–300 mg StX; 2–3 g powdered root, 3 ×/day; capsule StX at 2–5 mg with anolides; 3–6 g dry root/day; 6–12 ml/day fluid extract; 1 tablet 2 ×/day.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 2b, 2d; may potentiate barbiturates. Berries may cause severe gastrointestinal pain, should not be eaten. While many herbalists praise this, even attributing ginseng like magic to it, I think of it as a poorly known nightshade relative with a few toxic medicinal compounds. Strange that it did not make it into the Herbal PDR or Commission E, negatively or positively.

!