Supporting your mental health is just as important as everything you do for your physical health. Chronic stress has been linked to negative impacts on heart health, weight (hello, stress eating), your reproductive system, and more.

That’s why our unique probiotic formula contains ashwagandha, a powerful herb with roots in India’s ayurvedic wellness tradition. Also called Withania somnifera, ashwagandha is an adaptogen, an herb that can help make you more resilient (adapt!) to stress¹ . It’s also loved as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anxiety fighter. 

Ashwagandha contains potent chemical compounds, including sitoindosides and acyl steryl glucosides, that are confirmed anti-stressors¹. One of the most comprehensive scientific reviews of ashwagandha, published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine², analyzed all of the studies done on the centuries-old herb and found that history rings true: ashwagandha has the ability to significantly improve your well-being.

A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study³, for example, found that people with chronic stress who took 300 mg of high-concentration full-spectrum ashwagandha extract showed “a significant reduction” in stress and cortisol levels compared to a placebo group. Even at lower doses, the effects are substantial. A study showed that people who consumed just 125 mg of ashwagandha had reduced cortisol levels and overall feelings of stress and anxiety.⁴

Beyond fighting stress, science has confirmed how useful ashwagandha can be in improving memory and attention⁵, shedding pounds thanks in part to less emotional and uncontrolled eating (3% compared to 1.4% in the placebo group⁶), as well as in sexual function. In a study of heterosexual women in relationships of 1 year or longer, those who took 300 mg of ashwaghandha twice a day experienced improvements in arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction⁷.

Now that’s some serious plant power.

1 Singh N, Bhalla M, De Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a rasayana (rejuvenator) of ayurveda. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines. 2011;8(5S). doi:10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5s.9

2 Pratte M, Nanavati K, Young V, Morley C. An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2014;20(12):901-908. doi:10.1089/acm.2014.0177

3 Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of Ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.106022

4 Auddy B, Hazra J, Mitra A, Abedon B, Ghosal S. A standardized Withania somnifera extract significantly reduces stress-related parameters in chronically stressed humans: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. JANA. 2008;11(1).

5 Pingali U, Pilli R, Fatima N. Effect of standardized aqueous extract of Withania somnifera on tests of cognitive and psychomotor performance in healthy human participants. Pharmacognosy Res. 2014;6(1):12. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.122912

6 Choudhary D, Bhattacharyya S, Joshi K. Body weight management in adults under chronic stress through treatment with ashwagandha root extract: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017;22(1):96-106. doi:10.1177/2156587216641830

7 Dongre S, Langade D, Bhattacharyya S. Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in improving sexual function in women: a pilot study. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:1-9. doi:10.1155/2015/284154