Ashwagandha has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years as an ayurvedic herb to treat a number of conditions. Ashwagandha has been documented in Ayurvedic texts from hundreds of years ago and grows wild in different forms in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In Asia in particular it grows in Afghanistan, China, India, Pakistan, Yemen and Sri Lanka.
The origins of the word Ashwagandha come from two descriptive Sanskrit words that translate to “Horse Smell” – for any riders out there this could be a comforting smell or if you haven’t been out to a stable or paddock recently it may smell like a combination of hay, grass, and light sweat. An ashva is a horse and gandha means smell, so when we combine the two, we get “Horse Smell”! Ashwagandha is also known by its latin name Withania somnifera and the name "Winter Cherry". The latin root contains the word somnifera which means “sleep-inducing”, a hint to one of its potential properties.
While the smell of ashwagandha is absolutely reminiscent of a horse the translation also carries greater meaning – some interpret the history of the word to include the understanding of what a horse meant in the more ancient times of use. A horse was not only a companion but a symbol of strength and endurance. When interpreted in a less direct way we can understand why people would have associated ashwagandha with horses as well, some of the benefits of using ashwagandha can include a feeling of strength or vigor and increased emotional and physical endurance!
The number of different traditional medicine archetypes that have incorporated ashwagandha into practice include Ayurveda, traditional Folk Medicines, Homeopathic practices, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa. The concentration of traditional use in the India and Asian subcontinents point us to ashwagandha’s potential area of origin. Ayurveda is believed to be a practice that has deep traditional medicine roots from over 5,000 years ago! Ashwagandha has been incorporated in Ayurvedic texts from the beginning, so we can gather that this plant has been used in Asian and Indian regions for at least roughly the same amount of time as a natural remedy to many different ailments. The first written reference to ashwagandha is in the ancient ayurvedic text known as Charaka Samhita and was described some time between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.
Ashwagandha has a large natural growing area spanning several countries and geographies and while the oldest texts and folklore that describe its many natural benefits are concentrated in Asia and India there are additional ancient texts that describe its benefits in Western nations such as Greece.
In Western nations the plant is known both as Ashwagandha and by its Latin name Withania somnifera. Unani is a medical practice that evolved in what we consider to be Greece today where it was noted to help treat the ailments associated with old age, used to help increase fertility and also as a stress reliever.
In more modern times ashwagandha has been noted in the standardization of herbal medicines by the Indian government. In 1984 the Indian government created the National Formulary of Unani Medicines as a way to standardize folk and traditional medicines for wider use as healing herbs. Ashwagandha was included in the National Formulary of Unani Medicines.
Sharngadhara Samhita is an ancient text from the 14th century (the 1300’s) which contains detailed recipes on many different formulations that utilize ashwagandha!
Bhava Prakash Nighantu is an ancient text written by Bhavamishra in the 16th century (the 1700s). In this text ashwagandha is described as being an astringent or bitter tasting herb that helps two out of the three doshas. In the ayurvedic practice doshas are what constitute our person - the two doshas addressed by ashwagandha are our Vata and our Kapha.
Increased Research in the 21st Century
Research into ashwagandha has been accelerating greatly over the past decades and this research has hit its stride in the modern 21st century. Leading studies from multiple countries are beginning to confirm the traditional medicinal aspects of the ancient herb, while also unlocking secrets we couldn’t have imagined hundreds of years ago! Laboratories on the cutting edge of research science in Japan and India have revealed some astounding new facts about ashwagandha that ensure it will continue to be studied in greater depth for years to come!
Leading Research from Japan: AIST
The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Tsubuka Science City, Japan, offers some of the most cutting edge research on this ancient plant.
Withanolides were discovered to be highly concentrated in the leaves of the ashwagandha plant by a team of scientists working in Japan. Dr. Sunil Kaul led a team of researchers and scientists on a mission to uncover the hidden properties of the ancient plant. Dr. Kaul specializes in research that betters our understanding of the actual molecular mechanisms involved in aging, cancers, and stress and more importantly how natural compounds interact with these mechanisms. In the team's findings, co-authored by Dr. Kaul, they determined that ashwagandha had potential as a botanical drug. In Science of Ashwagandha: Preventive and Therapeutic Potentials Dr. Kaul presents exciting findings. “We generated a variety of extracts and reported that the alcoholic extract of ashwagandha leaves possessed selective cancer cell-killing activity. We also saw in our studies that its ingredients could protect normal cells against a variety of stresses. Such effects may account for its side benefits in contrast to the side effects of conventional chemotherapeutic drugs”, determined Dr. Kaul after analyzing the leaves, stems and roots of the ashwagandha plant.
To add excitement to the research scene AIST has recently partnered with the Indian Government in order to expand research capabilities for ashwagandha’s incredible potential areas of impact in the treatment of ailments such as cancer, stress, sleep and even tackling neurological disorders and enhancing the general quality of life.
Specific Chemicals that have been isolated
Withanolides are the main constituent group of withanolides that have been isolated. These include alkaloids, cuscohygrine, withaferin A, steroidal lactones, and tropine. In all 40 different withanolides, 12 alkaloids and many sitoindosides have been isolated. The chemical structure of Withanolides is similar to Panax Ginseng - which has led to Ashwagandha receiving another name as “Indian Ginseng”.
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