If you're one of the millions of adults dealing with everyday stress or anxiety, you might have wondered about natural supplements like ashwagandha. A new study brings reassuring news: a daily dose of ashwagandha root extract appears to be safe and easy to tolerate.
Researchers gave 1,002 healthy adults with stress and anxiety either 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract per day (split into two doses) or a placebo pill. Over 8 weeks, they tracked side effects and how well people tolerated the supplement.
The results were encouraging. Overall, about 7.4% of participants reported side effects, but they were more common in the placebo group (9.2%) than in the ashwagandha group (5.6%). Specifically, nausea occurred in 3.2% of placebo users versus 2.0% of ashwagandha users, and headache was reported by 2.2% of placebo users versus just 0.2% of ashwagandha users. Dry mouth was the same in both groups at 1.4%. No serious side effects were reported.
Blood tests checking liver, kidney, and blood health showed no significant changes between the groups, and all values stayed within normal ranges. When asked to rate how well they tolerated the treatment, most people in both groups said "Good" or "Excellent," with no meaningful difference between them.
It's important to note that this study only lasted 8 weeks, so we don't know about long-term safety. But for short-term use, ashwagandha seems to be a gentle option for stress and anxiety relief.
