The It-Herb for Stress & Stress Eating
You have an undoable to-do list, the whole world is making demands on your emotional labor, and the news alerts read like an apocalypse movie.
Is it any wonder you’re seeking refuge in the pantry or wine glass?
Stress hits differently during perimenopause, and unfortunately the world is set up to ask more and more of women at this stage. Stress eating is a normal coping mechanism these days, especially for women, but it is not insurmountable.
Enter ashwagandha, a stress-reducing adaptogen from traditional Indian medicine with loads of benefits for women over 40. Ashwagandha has long been an all-star herb in Ayurveda. Now the world is waking up to all the incredible ways that it can decrease stress and stress eating, balance hormones, enhance mood and more.
Why We Love Ashwagandha
- We could all use a bit more calm in our hectic lives. Because ashwagandha can counteract cortisol, it is an excellent herb for everyone looking to feel centered and serene.
- Many people turn to ashwagandha because it is known for its ability to mitigate stress-related weight gain. Let’s be clear. No one’s claiming that ashwagandha will suddenly and magically make you shed every pound of overwhelm. But ashwagandha is clinically proven to reduce stress, which reduces stress eating in turn. On top of all the benefits of decreasing stress, improving your ability to listen to your body's hunger and fullness cues is the icing on the self-care cake.
- Ashwagandha promotes hormonal health and is an amazing adaptogen. Read more about ashwagandha and adaptogens here!
Key Benefits
Relieves stress - Ashwagandha is shown to reduce cortisol and increase calm. We’re yet to meet someone who doesn’t want more calm in their life!
Reduces stress eating - lowered stress means less stress eating and potential weight loss. Along with reduced stress eating, the mental and emotional balance that ashwagandha promotes can help curb other stress impulses like shopping and drinking. Because while it’s good to treat yourself, life’s little pleasures feel better when you’re the one choosing them, not your stress.
Increases stress resilience - A stress trigger kicks a big chain reaction inside your body as well as your mind. Ashwagandha mitigates the inner swings that can come with both acute and ongoing stress, so you react less dramatically in body and mind. A less reactive, less taxed system can lead to better sleep, a bolstered immune system, increased energy levels, and even help to lower your risk of heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Decreases inflammation - ashwagandha is rich in antioxidants, which can lighten inflammation and reduce the risk of disease.
Traditional Uses
Ashwagandha is an important ingredient in Ayurveda, a widespread form of traditional Indian medicine that is still in practice today. Since 6,000 BCE, ashwagandha roots have been dried and crushed before being used as an aphrodisiac, for pain relief, as a diuretic, a stimulant, and much more. With so many uses, it’s no wonder that Ashwagandha features in so many Wile products and has become a hot ingredient in the wellness space.
About the Plant
Ashwagandha is a leafy green plant in the nightshade family (like tomatoes & potatoes) with red berries in a papery covering. It is native to India, northern Africa, and the Middle East.
Wile Products Featuring Ashwagandha:
Things to Know About Ashwagandha:
Along with ashwagandha’s rich medicinal pedigree comes historical and cultural significance. It is mentioned in ancient Indian texts and has been described folklorically as giving users the strength of a horse. Incidentally, the ashwagandha root has a distinctive horse-like smell, and the word ashwagandha means “smell of the horse” in Sanskrit.
Ashwagandha may interact with sedatives, thyroid medication, and drugs for diabetes and hypertension, so check with your healthcare provider before use if you take these medications.
Ashwagandha is not recommended for use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Clinical Research on Ashwagandha
- 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 - PMC
- An Overview on Ashwagandha: A Rasayana (Rejuvenator) of Ayurveda - PMC
- Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through Treatment With Ashwagandha Root Extract
- Occupational burnout, eating behavior, and weight among working women | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic
- Effects of Withania somnifera on Reproductive System: A Systematic Review of the Available Evidence
- Effect of an ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) root extract on climacteric symptoms in women during perimenopause: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
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An Overview on Ashwagandha: A Rasayana (Rejuvenator) of Ayurveda - PMC.
This article is intended for informational purposes and is not intended to replace a one-on-one medical consultation with a professional. Wile, Inc researches and shares information and advice from our own research and advisors. We encourage every woman to research, ask questions and speak to a trusted health care professional to make her own best decisions.
