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Clinical Practice Pearls
P R O B E
• V o l . L I I I • N o . 3 • A p r – J u n 2 0 1 4
Herbal Note
Withania somnifera
Sanskrit/Indian name:
Ashvagandha
English name:
Winter cherry
Safety and Efficacy of a High-concentration
Full-spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in
Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults
Chandrasekhar K, et al
Indian J Psychol Med
. 2012;34(3):255–262.
The aim of the study was to
evaluate the safety and efficacy
of a high-concentration full-
spectrum extract of
Withania
somnifera
roots in reducing stress and
anxiety and in improving the general well-being of adults
who were under stress.
A total of 64 individuals with a history of chronic stress
were enrolled into the study. They were randomized
to either the placebo control group or drug treatment
group, and were asked to take 1 capsule BID for 60 days.
Each capsule contained 300 mg of high-concentration
full-spectrum root extract of
W somnifera
. During the
treatment period, a follow-up telephone call was made to all
individuals to check for treatment compliance and to note
any adverse reactions.
The treatment group exhibited a significant reduction
(
P
< .0001) in scores on all the stress-assessment scales on
day 60, relative to the placebo group. The serum cortisol
levels were also substantially reduced (
P
= .0006).
The findings of this study suggest that a high-concentration
full-spectrum
W somnifera
root extract safely and effectively
improves an individual’s resistance to stress and thereby
improves self-assessed quality of life.
Withania somnifera Improves Semen Quality in
Stress-related Male Fertility
Mahdi A, et al
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
. June 18, 2011
(doi:10.1093/ecam/nep138).
Stress has been reported to be a causative factor for male
infertility.
Withania somnifera
has been documented in
Ayurveda and Unani system of medicine for its stress-
combating properties. However, limited scientific literature
is available on this aspect of
W somnifera
.
This study was conducted to understand the role of stress in
male infertility and to test the ability of
W somnifera
to combat stress and treat male infertility.
The researchers selected normozoospermic but infertile
individuals (N = 60), further categorized in to 3
groups EM normozoospermic heavy smokers (n = 20),
normozoospermics under psychological stress (n = 20), and
normozoospermics with infertility of unknown etiology (n
= 20). Normozoospermic fertile men (n = 60) were recruited
as controls. The subjects were given root powder of
W somnifera
at a dosage of 5 g/day for 3 months. Measuring
various biochemical and stress parameters before and
after treatment suggested a definite role of stress in male
infertility and the ability of
W somnifera
to treat stress-
related infertility.
Treatment resulted in a decrease in stress, improved
the level of antioxidants and overall semen quality in a
significant number of individuals. The treatment resulted in
pregnancy in the partners of 14% of the patients.
