Possible ashwagandha benefits for men and women are diverse; this herbal supplement demonstrates various medicinal properties in clinical trials.

Also known as Withania somnifera, ashwagandha is sometimes referred to as Indian ginseng because it resembles the ginseng plant roots.

However, it is not a relative of either Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) or Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). It is a distant relative of tomatoes and potatoes; all are members of the nightshade (solanaceae) plant family.

Like Asian and American ginseng, ashwagandha exhibits rejuvenating, normalizing health effects. It is an adaptogen that is clinically showing anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, hormone balancing and other properties.

Specific ashwagandha benefits for men include improving cognitive abilities, decreasing cholesterol, improving infertility symptoms, combating chronic fatigue and various others.

Ashwagandha has been safely used in African, Middle Eastern and Indian medicine systems for many centuries. It is now distributed worldwide and is one of the most demanded alternative health products in the world.

Ashwagandha Benefits for Men

Infertility: Ashwagandha supplementation has been shown to improve symptoms of infertility in both men and women.

Men with infertility show improvements in sperm quality and quantity, but not necessarily motility.

Women with infertility symptoms show conception improvements as well as decreases in miscarriage probabilities.

Both genders experience increases in libido. Also, ashwagandha is being researched for its capacities to upregulate energy levels, possibly heightening sexual and/or athletic performance and endurance.

Stress: As a rare adaptogenic plant, ashwagandha helps users to avoid damages from environmental, social, emotional and other types of stress. In ayurvedic (Indian) medicine, the body is looked at as a combination of elements.

These substances are woven together intricately, and proper balance between them is necessary for optimal health. Adaptogenic agents like ashwagandha are believed to modulate the body’s tissues, organs and cells in ways that encourage this balancing.

Diabetes: Ashwagandha benefits for men and women include naturally lowering blood glucose levels, especially after eating meals.

By increasing the absorption of glucose into the cells, less insulin is required from the pancreas; leading to decreased pancreatic workloads, increased insulin sensitivity and overall decreases in diabetic symptoms.

Caution must be used if using ashwagandha in conjunction with antidiabetic prescription medications, or other botanicals that lower blood sugar. Hypoglycemia and diabetic coma may result in extreme cases.

Additional Positive Effects of Ashwagandha

In addition to the purported benefits for male sexual health, Ashwagandha is also said to improve cardiovascular health. By improving the balance between LDL, HDL and total cholesterol levels, ashwagandha lessens the formation of arterial plaque.

Research shows that supplementing three grams of ashwagandha powder daily for thirty days improves several important factors for developing atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and heart disease. Serum triglycerides were significantly reduced, along with low density lipoproteins and very low density lipoproteins.

Further, ashwagandha contains phytonutrient constituents which induce endothelial vasodilation. The heart, lungs and blood vessels relax and expand to accommodate increased blood and nutrient delivery throughout the entire circulatory system. This also lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels.

Be careful if stacking ashwagandha supplements with antihypertensive medications. Also, use with caution if you have any disorder which causes you to experience drops in blood pressure.

The cardioprotective benefits of ashwagandha for men may also help to reduce risk factors for developing other lipid-related diseases and conditions; including hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperlipidemia, stroke, diabetes, obesity and numerous others. Clinical research continues widely to determine its complete cardiovascular benefits.

Ashwagandha also is showing actions against the development and progression of various cancer cell lines. Phytonutrients called withanolides exhibit selective cytotoxic targeting of tumor cells. Withanolides are the same plant chemicals that protect certain plants from consumption from herbivores.

Withanolide-A and withanolide-N have both demonstrated binding abilities; attaching to tumor cells and then delivering cytotoxic effects to destroy them.

Ashwagandha Benefits for Thyroid Function

Although often neglected in men’s health protocols, thyroid functioning is very important to ensure appropriate energy levels and weight management. The thyroid acts as a controlling center for other hormones.

It works in direct association with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to control hormonal balancing throughout the body. Ashwagandha is believed to upregulate the action of the thyroid, increasing levels of T3 and T4 hormones.

Interestingly, the effects of Ashwagandha on the thyroid appear to be different for men and women. In studies, this natural supplement increases T3 and T4 levels in men, but only T4 levels in women.

Conclusions about Ashwagandha for Men

The benefits of ashwagandha for men, and women, are continuing to be explored in research trials. Ashwagandha demonstrates multiple medicinal properties which work together to improve health on various levels.

Adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antioxidant, immune-strengthening and other traits make ashwagandha one of the most versatile botanicals in known existence.

Ashwagandha has been implicated for numerous possible health benefits besides those listed above. It is also being tested for its capacities to prevent or heal menstrual disorders, mental diseases, bronchitis, insomnia, anxiety, leukoderma, asthma, fibromyalgia and numerous other health maladies. It has also been associated with the reduction of signs of aging in general.

Please discuss the possible ashwagandha benefits for men with your doctor before beginning home-based supplementation. Although it is accepted as generally safe for healthy individuals, ashwagandha does have the potential to cause side effects and/or negative interactions with other medicinal substances.

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Article last updated on:by Nootriment