Evidence supporting the use of: Ashwagandha
For the health condition: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 2

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogen intended to help the body manage stress and anxiety. In recent years, some scientific studies have explored its potential to alleviate symptoms of stress-related disorders, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While ashwagandha is not a standard or primary treatment for PTSD, its possible benefits stem from its anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) and anti-stress effects, which have been demonstrated in animal studies and a limited number of human trials. There is some evidence that ashwagandha root extract can modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and reduce cortisol levels, thereby potentially mitigating some symptoms associated with chronic stress and anxiety disorders.

However, direct studies on ashwagandha in individuals with diagnosed PTSD are scarce. Most research focuses on general stress, anxiety, and depression, not PTSD specifically. Some small-scale clinical trials have shown improvements in anxiety scales and stress resilience among participants using ashwagandha extract, but these results cannot be automatically extrapolated to PTSD populations. Therefore, while there is emerging scientific interest and some preliminary evidence supporting its use for stress and anxiety, robust clinical data for PTSD are lacking, justifying a moderate evidence rating of 2. Ashwagandha should not replace standard PTSD treatments but may be considered as a complementary approach under medical supervision.

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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