Ashwagandha roots are pungent and have a musky smell. They can be incredibly beneficial for your health.

Ashwagandha's medicinal benefits can be a blessing if you are experiencing overwhelm, whether it is from anxiety, insomnia or burning the candle both ends. Ashwagandha soothes and heals the nervous system. It also refreshes sleep patterns, boosts immunity, and gives you strength.

This charismatic herb hails from India and the Middle East. It is also found in Northern Africa. Ashwagandha is used medicinally in the West thanks to traditional healers from these regions who use its root to treat a wide range of ailments.

This article will discuss (Click to advance ).

• Ashwagandha - How to identify it
• Ashwagandha: A culinary & edible herb
• The Medical Benefits of Ashwagandha
• Ashwagandha: How to grow it in your home garden

Only a few herbs are revered as true rasayana restoratives. Ashwagandha, whose name literally means "essence of horse", is one of them. Its medicine is revered by ancient Indian healing traditions such as Ayurveda and Siddha.

Western herbalists have been embracing its adaptogenic properties for years. Its roots are pungent and emit a musky smell. Ashwagandha is a powerful rejuvenator for your health when taken regularly.

Ashwagandha is calming and centered. It also strengthens.

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The papery husks of Ashwagandha are peeled away to reveal the fruit.

Ashwagandha - How to identify it

Scientific name: Withania sinifera

Botanical family name: Solanaceae (nightshade family)

Other common names: Indian Ginseng, Winter Cherry, Asgandh (Hindi).

Range Native in the drier areas of India, Sri Lanka and the Middle East and Northern Africa, Ashwagandha is now naturalized across southern Eurasia, including many parts of Africa. Ashwagandha is now grown in temperate climates and subtropical regions around the globe.

Botanical Features: Ashwagandha, in its native range is a small evergreen shrub-like perennial with woody twigs. It is an annual herb in temperate climates. The silver-green leaves are alternate and elliptic with smooth surfaces on the upper surface and hairy underneath. Ashwagandha's star-shaped flowers have a soft yellow-green color and are followed by bright scarlet berries which ripen later in the year.

The fruit is covered in a papery brown husk (remains of the calyx), and looks like a small tomatillo. Ashwagandha roots are creamy-colored, fleshy and emit a sour scent when crushed or chopped.

The developing fruit on an Ashwagandha plant.

Ashwagandha - Culinary and edible uses

Ashwagandha roots have a unique flavor. They're pungent and nutty. Some people say they taste like malted milkballs. Their scent is often compared to that of horse sweat. It's not a flattering comparison, but it shouldn't stop you from trying the ashwagandha. You can prepare it in many delicious ways.

Ashwagandha powder is traditionally used in Ayurveda and combined with healthy fats such as ghee, or warm whole milk mixed with honey. It is delicious to add cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum), vanilla powder ( Vanilla planifolia), or cardamom. This Ashwagandha Lavender and Vanilla-Infused Ghee is a great medicinal treat.

Ashwagandha is also great in hot cocoa or blended into smoothies. It can be steeped along with chai herb. When combined with ghee and other ingredients like ground sesame seeds or nut butters and/or shatavari and eleuthero, the powdered roots make adaptogenic snacks.

Even cookies can be made, such as these adaptogenic Snickerdoodles by Asia Suler from One Willow Apothecaries. Simply substitute ashwagandha for ginseng in the recipe.

Ghee with Lavender and Vanilla Herbal Infusion. Try this recipe. Photo courtesy Goddess Ghee.

The developing fruit on an Ashwagandha plant.

Ashwagandha, an ancient rasayana herb, is adaptogenic and repairs the body after stress, anxiety and insomnia.

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, rasayana and Ayurvedic medicine that rejuvenates and nourishes the body on all levels. The roots of the plant are musky and have a scent that is similar to the sweat of a horse racing across the plains.

This vital energetic makes ashwagandha especially useful for states of weakness or fatigue, such as depletion from stress, anxiety, overwork, poor sleep, or chronic illness.^1,2 The roots work to repair the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and are esteemed for their ability to aid recovery and convalescence--they're indicated for debility of almost any kind.³ For this reason, ashwagandha is supreme across the arc of our lives: it's safe for children, revitalizing for adults, and maintains health for elders. Ashwagandha, unlike most adaptogens which are stimulating, is calming and nourishing. It restores health to weakened states.

Ashwagandha, also known as somnifera, is an herb that has been used for centuries to treat insomnia. The herb is not overtly sedate but helps to restore healthy sleep cycles, as well as replenishing tired nervous systems.

Ashwagandha is a powerful immune modulator . It nourishes and revitalizes immune systems that are depleted and, on the other hand, calms down overactive immune responses which trigger allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune conditions.

Ashwagandha, also known as withanolides, is a steroidal lactone found in the roots of ashwagandha. According to preliminary research, the antitumor properties are due to the steroidal lactones (also known as withanolides) found in the roots.

The aphrodisiac benefits of ashwagandha are not mentioned in any materia medica. The root, taken over time, can balance hormones, increase circulation to reproductive organs, improve motility and sperm counts and increase sexual desire.

Ashwagandha is traditionally consumed in fat-based preparations such as medicated milk or ghee.

Ashwagandha is best absorbed in milk- or gheebased preparations.

Ashwagandha is traditionally consumed in fat-based products, such as medicated dairy milk, nut or seedmilk, or medicated ghee. Many of ashwagandha’s medicinal compounds require a fatty medium to extract. Some of the ashwagandha medicine is water-soluble. Therefore, decoctions made from a mixture of water and milk, such as this Ashwagandha Latte Recipe by Banyan Botanicals are appropriate.

Surface sowing ashwagandha seeds.

How to Grow Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a cousin of tomatoes and prefers similar conditions to grow in your garden. Ashwagandha is a fan of heat, semi-arid conditions, and an indoor start early in the season.

Zones : 3-7, 8-13.

Soil Ashwagandha will tolerate drought and prefers warm, well-drained, dry soils. It grows best in garden soil, so no need to add compost.

Propagation Ashwagandha seeds need direct sunlight in order to germinate. Sow the seeds on top of the soil, and lightly tamp in. It is important to warm the soil before sowing seeds. You can do this by starting them indoors, or in a greenhouse. You'll also get an early start on the growing season. This can lead to larger roots that you can harvest in the autumn.

Garden Care and Siting: Ashwagandha is a native of warm-weather climates that loves the sun. Choose a spot that gets full sun or the brightest part of your garden to plant. You can grow lavender ( Lavandula species). If you grow rosemary ( Salviarosmarinus), Ashwagandha is likely to enjoy a home in your neighborhood.

Consider planting companion plants with flowers and herbs that repel pests. Marigolds are a good choice. Nasturtiums, calendula, thyme and peppermint are all good choices. Plant mint in pots if you don't want it to take over your garden.

Try to grow at least one plant in areas where Ashwagandha is an annual. This includes most of the temperate regions. I grow at least a dozen (or more) plants to ensure a good harvest and not worry if one or two plants are lost during the season.

Ashwagandha is eaten by flea-beetles.

Insects that can be a problem and diseases: If they are a nuisance, the flea beetles may be a threat to your ashwagandha. The flea beetles will eat the leaves with gusto and cause plants to die. Row cover is a great way to protect the plants until they reach maturity. Wait until the ashwagandha plants are bigger and more hardy before you transplant them into your garden.

Harvesting ashwagandha roots: Dig the roots in the fall, before the first frost. The roots should be washed and chopped immediately, then spread on screens or loose weave baskets to air dry. Dry them in a warm and ventilated area, away from direct sunlight.

The roots can then be stored, tinctured or powdered. The powder will degrade faster than the chopped, whole roots. You may want to powder the ashwagandha as you need it.

Asia Suler shows a newly harvested ashwagandha.

References

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