In Focus: Ashwagandha & Holy Basil for Stress and Sleep

How to Manage Stress and Aid in Sleep

Sleep issues and stress are at an all-time high presently, so we wanted to focus on two well-established and researched adaptogenic traditional plant medicines: ashwagandha and holy basil. Both have been used in Ayurveda for millennia, but here in the West, they have steadily been gaining popularity in the last few decades.

What Are Adaptogens?

Although the term adaptogen has been used within alternative and integrative medicine for decades, it has become more of a household name within the general population in recent years. Simply put, adaptogens are specific plant medicines that help you effectively adapt to the effects of stress. A more comprehensive definition is as follows: Adaptogens comprise a pharmacotherapeutic group of herbal preparations used to: increase attention and endurance in fatigue and prevent/mitigate/reduce stress‐induced impairments and disorders related to neuro‐endocrine and immune systems.¹

Adaptogens have remarkable, diverse impacts on the human organism as seen in both historical evidence and clinical studies, in turn promoting the resolution of many symptoms, while increasing overall vitality and longevity.

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal), commonly referred to as Indian Ginseng, is a small shrub that grows throughout the Asian and African continents. Ashwagandha is also wrapped in animal lore, seeing as it translates loosely to “horse smell” in Sanskrit, which explains why the ancients believed that consuming it would give one the strength of a horse. Because ashwagandha is one of the most broadly studied adaptogens, 50 of its active chemical constituents are comprised of steroidal alkaloids and lactones have been identified.

These are collectively known as withanolides. As a principal botanical plant medicine within Ayurveda, ashwagandha has been traditionally used as a rejuvenating tonic (Rasayana) that enhances muscle strength and overall stamina and endurance, offering a “youthful vigour” to its recipients. That said, ashwagandha is accompanied by solid clinical research in humans as well. Pharmacological studies have confirmed that plant preparation of ashwagandha has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, anxiolytic, and immunomodulatory effects. It has also been shown to influence neurological, endocrine, and cardiovascular activity.²

Because of its impacts on the neuroendocrine system, ashwagandha’s role in stress and anxiety has been well documented, which is why it has been the focal point of many human clinical trials.

In an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study ashwagandha was associated with greater reductions in anxiety, morning cortisol, c-reactive protein, pulse rate, and blood pressure in chronically stressed adults.²

Ashwagandha’s Impacts on Cortisol, Stress and Anxiety

Ashwagandha at 600mg has been used in previous studies, but a recent study that used 240mg standardized to 35% withanolide glycosides, offering 84mg per dose, had very notable results. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial sought to further evaluate the impact and tolerability of ashwagandha on stress, anxiety and hormone production in 60 healthy, mildly anxious adults (23 females and 37 males) over two months. Remarkably, there was a 41% reduction in generalized anxiety reflected by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) scores and a 23% reduction in morning cortisol production.

Testosterone increased by 11.4% in the male group, while no significant increases were shown in females. Although not considered statistically significant, there was a 30% reduction in the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) scores reported. The findings on DHEA-S are also noteworthy because there was an 8.2% decrease in those in the ashwagandha group. Although higher DHEA is often associated with increased health and longevity, within the context of stress its elevation may be an indicator of an increased stress response (or HPA activity). For example, increased DHEA-S secretion has been demonstrated in adults following acute stress exposure, and is higher in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder, as confirmed by a recent meta-analysis.²