The Mental Health Benefits of Ashwagandha on Anxiety, Stress & Depression

What is ashwagandha? Ashwagandha is an ancient Ayurvedic medicinal herb that has been used for over 3000 years to support stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Ashwagandha supplements have been shown to lower anxiety, relieve stress and contribute towards reduced depression.

Ashwagandha has a whole host of benefits for your body and brain beyond mood regulation: enhanced libido, boosted fertility and increased testosterone in men are also associated with ashwagandha supplements. Ashwagandha is classified as an adaptogen, meaning that it can help your body to better deal with stress and can return you to a state of balance and homeostasis when things get out of whack. Ashwagandha has also been shown to have powerful immune-boosting properties.

LYMA contains Sensoril® ashwagandha, an industry-leading, full spectrum adaptogen that is backed for efficacy by more peer-reviewed studies than any other. It is, quite simply, the world’s leading adaptogen. Sensoril® ashwagandha is the highest concentration, most bioavailable full spectrum extract on the market. Moreover, Sensoril® ashwagandha is extracted using a special ‘green-chemistry’ extraction process that does not involve the use of alcohol or synthetic solvents.

Depression is a clinical condition and one that needs to be formally diagnosed by a registered medical professional. What the research does suggest, however, is that while supplements alone can in no way cure depression, taking ashwagandha could help to alleviate some of the symptoms.

Sensoril® ashwagandha is a potent antioxidant and can help to encourage a reduction in oxidative build-up and degradation of mood-regulating chemical neurotransmitters in the brain. By targeting free radicals in the brain, Sensoril® ashwagandha can help to protect against cellular tissue damage in the thyroid, thus nourishing the parts of the brain associated with depression and elevating mood.

In one randomised, peer-reviewed, double-blind study that followed 64 depressed adults over six weeks, those who supplemented with a daily dose of 600mg of pure root extract ashwagandha reported a 79% reduction in depression symptoms. This is in stark contrast to the 10% that reported reduced depression in the placebo group.

A number of controlled clinical studies have been able to demonstrate ashwagandha supplements’ ability to reduce symptoms in people with anxiety and panic disorders.

In one nine-week study of 64 people who had reported anxiety, 69% of participants reported reduced anxiety and improved sleep. This was compared with a mere 11% of people in the placebo group claiming to have experienced reduced anxiety.

Anxiety can cause insomnia, and - by way of vicious cycle - vice versa. By nourishing the nervous system and reducing anxiety, it has been shown that ashwagandha can actually improve both the time it takes to fall asleep and quality of sleep. The results of sleep surveys have time and again demonstrated a positive and powerful correlation between anxiety levels and insomnia.

Ashwagandha can be a very effective treatment for insomnia. This is down to the fact that the leaves of the plant contain something called ‘triethylene glycol’; a compound that is responsible for sending sleep signals from the brain to the body and back again.

Anxiety is actually deemed by some experts to be the number one leading cause of insomnia and disruptive sleep cycles in otherwise healthy adults: anxiety-related exhaustion is real.

Sensoril® ashwagandha has been shown to be the most effective form of ashwagandha for human consumption, and thus is an absolute game-changer for those of us suffering from chronic anxiety, insomnia, or both.

Ashwagandha supplements have been shown to reduce cortisol levels in people suffering from chronic stress.

Cortisol, along with adrenaline, is the main hormone responsible for your body's stress response. Cortisol is released by your adrenal glands in response to environmental stressors. Environmental stressors can be anything from being chased by a predator to your blood sugar falling too low.

Supplementing with ashwagandha can help to reduce cortisol levels. Ashwagandha works by soothing the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) glands that excrete hormones including stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Whilst a certain amount of stress can actually be good for you, by calming the HPA, excessive cortisol is reduced and your ability to handle stress improves.

In one study of adults who’d been diagnosed as being chronically stressed, those who supplemented with ashwagandha reported reduced feelings of stress, and demonstrated significantly reduced levels of blood cortisol after just 30 days. The control group saw no such change.

KSM-66® Ashwagandha is backed by 15 peer-reviewed clinical trials that suggest an optimal daily dose of 600mg, as formulated in LYMA.

There are a number of steps you can take towards improving your mental health, including cleaning up your diet, upping the amount of exercise you do, prioritising sleep, trying out regular breath work, and taking time for yourself.

If you’re looking for a new way to combat stress, anxiety and depression then Sensoril® ashwagandha as formulated in LYMA is a mood-booster like no other: it is fully patented, backed by the most extensive research studies and clinical trials, and is the most bioavailable form of ashwagandha on the market. Sensoril® ashwagandha has been scientifically shown to improve resistance to stress and anxiety, to promote relaxation, and to improve sleep quality. Furthermore, regular intake has been shown to modulate serotonin, cortisol and melatonin levels in the body and brain.