Evidence supporting the use of: Ashwagandha
For the health condition: Mood Swings

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 3

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has a long history in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, where it has been used to support mental health and emotional balance. Modern scientific research provides a moderate level of evidence supporting its use for mood-related concerns, including mood swings. Several randomized controlled trials have investigated ashwagandha’s effects on stress, anxiety, and mild depressive symptoms—factors often associated with mood swings. For example, studies published in journals such as Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and Phytomedicine have shown that ashwagandha supplementation can reduce cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and improve scores on standardized mood and anxiety scales versus placebo.

The proposed mechanisms for ashwagandha's effects include modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, antioxidant properties, and GABA-mimetic activity, all of which can influence mood regulation. However, most studies have focused on stress and anxiety rather than mood swings specifically, and sample sizes are often small. While ashwagandha appears generally safe for most people, more large-scale, high-quality research is needed to directly confirm its efficacy for mood swings as a distinct condition. In summary, there is scientific evidence—though moderate in strength—supporting the use of ashwagandha for mood-related symptoms, which may include mood swings.

More about ashwagandha
More about Mood Swings

Other health conditions supported by ashwagandha

Addictions (drugs)
Addictions (general remedies for)
Adrenal Fatigue
Afterbirth Pain
Aging (prevention)
Alcoholism
Allergies (respiratory)
Alzheimer's Disease
Amenorrhea
Anemia
Angina
Anorexia
Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders
Appetite (deficient)
Anger (excessive)
Arthritis
Asthma
Athletic and Exercise Aids
Attention Deficit Disorder
Autoimmune Disorders
Backache
Bedwetting
Body Building
Cancer (natural therapy for)
Cancer (prevention)
Cancer Treatment (reducing side effects)
Cholesterol (high)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder
Circulation (poor)
Concentration (poor)
Depression
Diabetes
Digestion (poor)
Emotional Sensitivity
Endurance (lack of)
Energy (lack of)
Epilepsy
Erectile Dysfunction
Exercise
Fatigue
Fear (excessive)
Fibromyalgia Syndrome
Goiter
Grief and Sadness
Hair (graying)
Hair (loss or thinning)
Hair Care (general)
Headache (general)
Headache (tension)
Heart (weakness)
Hot Flashes
Hypertension
Hypothyroid
Hysteria
Infertility
Inflammation
Insomnia
Irritability
Leucorrhea
Lyme Disease
Memory and Brain Function
Menopause
Menorrhagia
Menstrual Irregularity
Menstruation (scant)
Mental Illness
Migraine
Miscarriage (prevention)
Mood Swings
Muscle Tone (lack of)
Nervous Exhaustion
Nervousness
Neurosis
Nightmares
Nocturnal Emission
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Osteoporosis
Pain (general remedies for)
Parkinson's Disease
Peripheral Neuropathy
Pets (supplements for)
PMS (general)
PMS Type C
PMS Type D
Post Partum Depression
Post Partum Weakness
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Premature Ejaculation
Prolapsed Uterus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sex Drive (low)
Sleep (restless and disturbed)
Stress
Syphilis
Tension
Testosterone (low)
Thinking (cloudy)
TMJ
Tremors
Triglycerides (high)
Tuberculosis
Vitiligo
Weight Gain
Weight Loss
Worry
Wounds and Sores