Evidence supporting the use of: Ashwagandha
For the health condition: Muscle Tone (lack of)

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Synopsis

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

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine as a rasayana—an herb believed to promote vitality and strength. In recent years, scientific research has explored its effects on muscle strength, recovery, and tone, particularly in the context of athletic performance and aging populations. Several randomized, placebo-controlled studies have found that ashwagandha supplementation can significantly improve muscle strength and mass in healthy adults undergoing resistance training. For example, a 2015 study in the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition" found that participants who took ashwagandha root extract (600 mg/day) for 8 weeks experienced greater increases in muscle strength and size compared to placebo. Other studies have reported favorable effects on muscle recovery, reduction of exercise-induced muscle damage, and improved body composition. The proposed mechanisms include ashwagandha’s adaptogenic effects (modulating stress hormones like cortisol), its antioxidant properties, and possible influence on testosterone levels, all of which may contribute to improved muscle tone and function. However, while the evidence is promising, most studies are small, of short duration, and often conducted in healthy young men. More research is needed to confirm these findings in broader populations, including those with clinically significant muscle tone loss (such as sarcopenia or neuromuscular disorders). Overall, ashwagandha has moderate scientific support for aiding muscle tone, particularly in conjunction with exercise.

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Other health conditions supported by ashwagandha

Addictions (drugs)
Addictions (general remedies for)
Afterbirth Pain
Aging (prevention)
Alcoholism
Allergies (respiratory)
Alzheimer's Disease
Amenorrhea
Anemia
Anger (excessive)
Angina
Anorexia
Anxiety
Anxiety Disorders
Appetite (deficient)
Arthritis
Asthma
Athletic and Exercise Aids
Attention Deficit Disorder
Autoimmune Disorders
Backache
Bedwetting
Body Building
Cancer (prevention)
Cancer Treatment (reducing side effects)
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
Miscarriage (prevention)
Mood Swings
Muscle Tone (lack of)
Nervous Exhaustion
Nervousness
Neurosis
Nightmares
Nocturnal Emission
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
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
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
Adrenal Fatigue
Cancer (natural therapy for)
Cholesterol (high)
Circulation (poor)
Concentration (poor)
Depression
Diabetes
Digestion (poor)
Migraine
Osteoporosis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Wounds and Sores
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder