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Ashwagandha
CautionAshwagandha (Schlafbeere) · (Withania somnifera)
Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Description
Withania somnifera is a low-growing, evergreen shrub native to India, parts of Africa and the Middle East. The part mainly used is the root, used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Compounds from the withanolide group are considered the likely active constituents. In modern use, standardized root extracts are promoted mainly for stress and sleep. The evidence is mixed: there are signals for stress and sleep, while evidence for other uses remains unclear.
🌿 Risk of confusion — read before wild-harvesting!
There are case reports of liver injury, some severe (cholestatic pattern, onset usually 2–12 weeks after starting; mostly reversible, isolated fatal cases described).
CONTRAINDICATED during pregnancy
To be avoided in pregnancy. At higher doses an increased risk of miscarriage is described; in Ayurvedic tradition the root was regarded as abortifacient.
Critical drug interactions with:
Beruhigungs- und Schlafmittel, Antiepileptika (Benzodiazepine, Barbiturate)
Standardized root extracts are used for stress-related complaints; meta-analyses show a measurable effect on perceived stress. The strength of evidence is limited by small samples and short durations.
A meta-analysis of randomized trials found a small but significant effect on sleep, more pronounced in diagnosed insomnia and use for at least 8 weeks.
Traditionally, the root has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries as a tonic. This use rests on traditional knowledge rather than robust clinical evidence.
Not a cure. To be avoided in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, because ashwagandha can raise testosterone levels. The commonest side effects are transient drowsiness, upper abdominal discomfort and loose stools. There are case reports of liver injury, some severe (cholestatic pattern, onset usually 2–12 weeks after starting; mostly reversible, isolated fatal cases described). Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Not recommended for thyroid or autoimmune disorders. Possible interactions with sedatives, immunosuppressants, thyroid hormones, and blood-pressure, diabetes and anti-seizure medications. Consult a clinician before use.
To be avoided in pregnancy. At higher doses an increased risk of miscarriage is described; in Ayurvedic tradition the root was regarded as abortifacient.
There are no data on passage into breast milk or on effects in breastfed infants.
Not sufficiently studied in children and adolescents.
Drug interactions
Beruhigungs- und Schlafmittel, Antiepileptika (Benzodiazepine, Barbiturate)
In preclinical studies ashwagandha has sedative properties and acts on the GABA system. Additive effects are to be expected together with such medicines; anyone taking them should avoid ashwagandha.
Schilddrüsenhormone
Cases of thyrotoxicosis have been described after taking ashwagandha preparations; symptoms resolved after stopping. With thyroid disease or ongoing hormone treatment, clear it medically.
Immunsuppressiva
Ashwagandha is credited with immune-stimulating activity and can thus counteract a deliberate suppression of the immune system.
Arzneimittel mit Abbau über Cytochrom P450 (CYP3A4, CYP2B6)
In vitro, ashwagandha acted as a moderate inducer of CYP3A4 and inhibited CYP2B6. The levels of drugs handled by these enzymes could change; the clinical relevance is unclear.
Harvested part: Root
- Time of day:
- The root is dug in autumn, as the top growth dies back and the berries turn red — in the growing regions roughly 150 to 180 days after sowing. The withanolide content is highest at that point. The whole plant is lifted; it is grown as an annual.
- Drying:
- Wash the roots, remove the fine side roots and cut into pieces of two to three centimetres. Dry in the shade, not in the sun — the withanolides are light-sensitive.
- Storage:
- 24 months — Dry, dark and airtight. Grind to powder only shortly before use.
- WithanolideOther
- Withaferin AOther
- AlkaloideAlkaloid
- [1]MonographAshwagandha: Usefulness and Safety — NCCIH (NIH)(accessed: 2026-06-23)
- [2]MonographAshwagandha — LiverTox, NCBI Bookshelf (NIH)(accessed: 2026-06-23)
- [4]MonographEffects of Ashwagandha on stress and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis (PubMed)(accessed: 2026-06-23)
- [5]MonographEffect of Ashwagandha extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis (PMC8462692)(accessed: 2026-06-23)
- [7]MonographAshwagandha — About Herbs, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center(accessed: 2026-08-22)
- [3]WikipediaWithania somnifera — Wikipedia(accessed: 2026-06-23)
- [6]CommonsFile:Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).jpg — Wikimedia Commons(accessed: 2026-06-23)