Re: Ashwaghanda question +edit +edit again--- Re: Got out first piece of Mucoid Plaque :)

The 'most bestest' link-info I had on Ashwagandha has totally disappeared.  I've tried everything to find it (or an archived copy on the Wayback Machine) but I've never been able to find it :(

It was written by an MD in India that had used it clinically for decades, and commonly used it to wean people off of glandulars & hydrocortisone safely.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb with a huge array of benefits.  This is the best explanation of an adaptogenic herb I've found:

http://www.slinxtra.com/adaptogens.html

THE POWER OF ADAPTOGENIC HERBS

What are "Adaptogens"? How do they work?

Adaptogenic herbs and their medical properties are well known since ancient times.
Most of us will have unknowingly consumed one or the other (Ginseng), but the term" adaptogenic herbs" is not widely known.

In 1947 a Russian scientist, D. Nikolai V.Lazarev, was the first to come up with the term "adaptogen" as a natural plant substance which helps the body to adapt to all kinds of stress caused by the environment, by ourselves (mental stress), infection and diseases.
Plants contain primary metabolites (enzymes, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and chlorophyll) and secondary metabolites, both needed to maintain metabolism, the plant's energy production.
Secondary Metabolites are substances which can have important medical value to humans. Only about 1 in 300 herbs is an adaptogenic herb.

Adaptogens can consist of combination of substances of a particular adaptogenic herb and studies are not yet able to conclusively define  which compounds of an adaptogenic plant are responsible for its adaptogenic properties.
Only roughly one in 300 herbs is an adaptogenic herb.

Since then scientists have been taken a closer look at how adaptogens benefit the body to cope with internal and external stress factors by strengthening the immune, nervous and glandular system.

Adaptogens enhance the organisms' resistance to stress, infection and disease as well as normalize metabolic functions by increasing metabolic efficiency.

They are described adaptogens as non toxic substances that increase the resistance of an organism to a wide range of harmful influences and normalize functions
(Weil 2006).

Adaptogens are strengthening substances that bring back the balance to the body no matter what's the direction of imbalance....Even so Adaptogens work in very similar ways, they are very unique. They produce changes in the body by stimulating and balancing several systems (neuroendcrine and immune). They not only help the body to cope with stress, they are also powerful antioxidants.

Their ability of having a normalizing effect by supporting and strengthening hypofunctioning systems or calming down hyperfunctioning systems which leads some researchers to believe that adaptogens have "intelligence"
(from the book "Adaptogens" by David Winston and Steven Maimes).

The underlined part is SO important.  Far, far, FAR too many people & practioners believe the adrenals 'control' everything and can be treated as an isolated 'system/organ'.  I have never seen a case of AF where there hasn't been evidence of previously malfunctioning systems (even if the symptoms were vague or not identified, like constipation, etc).  No one system of the body EVER "crashes" into a state where it can't repair itself unless the supporting systems are also compromised [edit]...or the person refuses to refuse to deal with the underlying cause of the issue/s (such as eliminating wifi/cell phone usage, stopping stimulants, pharmaceuticals & isolated/fractionated supplements that 'force an action' - hence stopping the bodies natural healing schematics from working.

Here are a few links with excellent information; notice how many times you see it used to replace a corticosteroid (but with NONE of the side-effects or damage to the adrenals of steroids/glandulars).

There a few links that are selling products where you'll need to scroll down past the 'sales hype' to get to the information/documentation.  The last one is for an 'standardized isolate product'...but the scientific documentation and results are phenomenal (just imagine how much more phenomenal they might have been had they used the entire natural root, rather than just fractionating & isolating!).

In India (where there is the most knowledge & clinical experience), a typical daily dose is from 1-3T of the powder.

Ashwagandha: Wonder Herb of India - East West School of Herbology - Come study with Michael Tierra

(General) Ashwagandha Research Article

Ashwagandha, Withania Somnifera, Natural Stress Reliever, Ashwagandha Supplements

This one initially seems to be focused Ashwagandha/arthritis, but be sure to scan through it all Various Scientific Studies About Ashwagandha

herb data, Ashwagandha, Withania Somnifera, Physalis flexuosa, winter cherry, Ashgandh, holisticonline.com

LE Magazine, June 2006 - Report: Ashwagandha

Stress and Cortisol Ashwagandha (Sensoril, extract of Ashwagandha)

At 1-3 T daily, you need 300-700 grams (454 grams in a pound).  The word Ashwagandha translates to 'strength or sweat of a horse'...and you'll know that's true the first time you taste it!  (ACK! I mix mine in apple cider, but nothing really helps much).  If you're body is needing it, once you've had a dose or two, the taste will not matter a bit...it's worth it a million times over.  

Pacific Botanicals grows their own and should be a much higher quality than either Starwest Botanicals or Mountain Rose....BUT ***see edit below - the Ashwagandha from PB is much darker (brown) whereas that from SW or MR is very light cream/fawn in color.  I've asked PB about this, and never received much in the way of an answer.  SO, I ordered all three to test them 'side by side'...and that from PB was so incredibly strong I almost threw up.  I tried it again, same results.  It's officially the only thing I've never been able to ingest...and most on the forum agree.  BUT, there are two people on the forum that report that they much prefer it from PB.    The difference in all of our taste-buddies is truly amazing. ***Edit 5/9/11 - Willowley has ordered/received C/S Ashwagandha root from PB and says hers is now light fawn/cream in color.  I've just ordered 2 pounds of powder and C/S for tincturing, so perhps the 2 batches I got was from totally 'different stock'.  I'll post a report on it as soon as I receive it (and try to remember to update this post).  Uny

Ashwagandha's benefits are very "dose dependent".  Just like we would feel/sense nothing by taking 1/8 of an aspirin (or eating an inch of a carrot), the same goes for Ashwagandha.  I've never known anyone to experience any benefits with less than 1T daily.  So although you may 'start small' to test for reactions, you're not likely to get much of a benefit until you take at least 1T per day.  Or at least, that's what the typical experience has been.

Healing hugs & blessings

Unyquity