What is ashwagandha? Ashwagandha is a wonder-herb with so many incredible health benefits. The root extract has been used for centuries by eastern Ayurvedic practitioners to help with conditions ranging from stress to insomnia, and from depression to diabetes. Ashwagandha’s botanical name is withania somnifera, latin for sleep-inducing, and it’s also known as Indian ginseng and winter cherry.

Ashwagandha helps to foster and reinforce good health by acting as a protector of the immune system. Ashwagandha’s benefits are numerous and wide-ranging, and it is commonly taken in supplement form in the west to help mitigate symptoms associated with the menopause .

LYMA contains a patented form of this potent and powerful adaptogen: Sensoril® Ashwagandha the world’s number one adaptogen, backed by the most extensive research studies and clinical trials ever conducted. LYMA’s formula contains a highly bioavailable, non-toxic, full spectrum strain of the root extract, retaining all the natural constituents of the herb in the original balance.

LYMA founder Lucy Goff explains why LYMA Supplement contains ashwagandha and 9 other wonder ingredients.

Read on to find out how Sensoril® Ashwagandha can support your health and boost your wellbeing:

Ashwagandha has been used for over 3000 years to help relieve stress, anxiety and depression. Sensoril® Ashwagandha has been shown to block neural pathways in the brain responsible for stress, thereby regulating chemical signalling.

Furthermore, ashwagandha helps to regulates cortisol levels associated with elevated stress which, if left unchecked, can lead to further health complications. When cortisol levels become extremely high for a prolonged period, you may develop chronic elevation, leading to weight gain and increased blood sugar levels. Ashwagandha helps to regulate cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, resulting in reduced adrenaline, decreased heart rate, a decline in stress-related aches and pains, and a lesser likelihood of succumbing to adrenal fatigue or burnout.

Studies have demonstrated huge reductions in anxiety as a result of supplementing with ashwagandha. In one 6-week study, 88% of people who took ashwagandha reported a reduction in anxiety, compared with 50% of those who took a placebo.

Sensoril® Ashwagandha is the most bioavailable form of ashwagandha on the market, and it has been formulated in LYMA at a clinically-backed daily dose of 250mg.

In Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha is often prescribed to revive and rejuvenate the immune system after a period of illness. This may or may not be related to ashwagandha’s effect on stress: stress is known to weaken the immune system and put your body into ‘fight or flight’ mode, shutting down all but the most basic of survival needs, immune system and digestive system included.

Ayurvedic practitioners maintain that ashwagandha can help balance the two different types of white blood cell that exist within your immune system, and which work together to keep illness and infection at bay. This balance is fundamental to keeping your immune system strong, and your health protected.

Ashwagandha also acts as an antioxidant and increases cytokine levels, both of which stimulate immune response.

Stress and cortisol both play fundamental roles in blood sugar regulation. When cortisol is out of control, your blood sugar levels will be too. This can lead to trouble sleeping, irritability, low mood, trouble concentrating and compromised immunity.

When cortisol is produced and the fight or flight response kicks in, glucose is the first place your body turns to for energy (so that it can run away from its perceived predator). Constant drawing on glucose for energy can destroy your metabolism and insulin resistance can eventually lead to diabetes. So, as with other systems in the body, blood sugar needs to be kept in perfect balance if you are to feel your best and perform optimally. Ashwagandha has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and decrease blood sugar levels, both of which reduce overall stress on the body and result in lower levels of inflammation. Supplementing with ashwagandha may also help you maintain a healthy weight.

Ashwagandha's anti-stress and anti-cortisol properties can mitigate these effects and can wind back the clock on pre-diabetes.

Studies have shown that ashwagandha can potentially be used to support memory and cognitive function.

Ashwagandha has neuroprotective qualities which could help to slow the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as some studies on mice have shown Ashwagandha could reverse Alzheimer.

Ashwagandha has extremely potent neuroprotective properties and has been proven to augment cognitive functions ranging from memory and attention, to productivity and focus. Its antioxidant properties also mean that it has the potential to defend the brain against cognitive decline caused by the oxidative stress and free radical damage that happen throughout the course of one’s life.

In addition, scientists have demonstrated ashwagandha’s ability to encourage and promote the formation of dendrites, allowing for more efficient communication between different cells in the body. An increased number and greater concentration of dendrites in the brain has been linked to improved brain health.

An underactive thyroid can leave you feeling tired, cold, constipated, depressed, achy and weak. It is a surprisingly common condition, particularly among women. Typically caused by an underlying autoimmune disorder, hypothyroidism can be exacerbated by stress because elevated cortisol levels inhibit the production of thyroid hormones.

Ashwagandha, though, supports the production of thyroid hormones, increasing the amount that are circulating in the blood. Supplementing with Sensoril® Ashwagandha, as formulated in LYMA, could potentially restore thyroid hormone levels to normal in just eight weeks.

Although animal studies into the anti-cancer properties of ashwagandha are promising, there is not yet sufficient evidence to suggest that it may have the same effect on humans. It is encouraging to note, however, that mice with ovarian tumours, and who were treated with ashwagandha, showed a 70–80% reduction in tumour size. Furthermore, tumours were seemingly prevented from spreading to other organs of the mice’s bodies.

Further animal studies suggest that ashwagandha may help to bring about apoptosis (the death of cancer cells), as well as preventing the growth of new cancer cells.

Animal studies suggest that ashwagandha may prove to be an effective treatment for a number of different types of cancer, including breast, lung, colon, brain, and ovarian.

Ashwagandha has been shown to have a significant impact on fertility in men; both boosting testosterone levels and improving sperm count.

In one study of men in couples who had been trying, unsuccessfully, to get pregnant, 14% of female partners became pregnant within three months, leading researchers to conclude that ashwagandha improves sperm quality in instances of stress-related male infertility.

Read this journal for more info on the benefits of ashwagandha for men.

Inflammation can be caused by any number of things; from diet and exercise, to environmental stressors and over-working. Inflammation basically occurs whenever your body falls out of balance or harmony. High levels of inflammation can make you more susceptible to disease.

Regular supplementation with ashwagandha can reduce inflammatory markers by up to 70% in otherwise healthy adults and encourage your body to revert to homeostasis, or its natural, harmonious state.. In particular, ashwagandha has been linked with lowering the inflammatory markers specifically linked to heart disease and poor cardiovascular health.

Ashwagandha can also help to prevent and alleviate other issues rooted in inflammation, including arthritis, fatigue, skin diseases, compromised immunity and hormonal imbalances.

Further heart health benefits come from ashwagandha’s ability to reduce cholesterol and lower triglycerides in the blood.

One study found that daily supplementation with the adaptogen was able to reduce total cholesterol by 53% and slash triglyceride levels by 45%. Results were particularly notable in adults who had reported feeling stressed prior to taking part.

Menopause is triggered when a woman’s ovaries cease production of oestrogen, throwing the female body out of balance. Ashwagandha has been used by Ayurvedic practitioners for centuries to restore hormonal balance in perimenopausal women.

Ashwagandha is thought to mitigate the mental stress and anxiety often associated with this chapter of a woman’s life, and can help to regulate levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain and body, thereby providing a welcome boost to a woman’s mental health.

One of the most common symptoms of the menopause is menopause insomnia . Ashwagandha contains ‘triethylene glycol’, a compound responsible for transporting sleep signals around the body and brain. Ashwagandha can support women’s sleep-wake cycles during this transition period by giving a boost to the endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for the production of hormones that regulate reproductive cycles, sleep and mood.

Ashwagandha is also thought to help to alleviate brain fog and reduce cognitive fatigue; both of which are commonly experienced by perimenopausal women.

Sensoril® Ashwagandha is patented and its efficacy is 100% backed by science. It has been shown time and time again to help reduce stress, enhance sleep and lower inflammation in the body and brain . LYMA only uses the best ingredients, and the most effective and efficient delivery systems, to support your health and wellbeing: Sensoril® Ashwagandha is absolutely unrivalled by anything you’ll find on the generic supplement market.