Shatavari to Center Your Pleasure
When it comes to low sex drive in women, we’re pretty used to hearing about dryness and “putting in the work.” But women’s sexual wellness is about more than a bottle of lube can offer.
If we’re really wondering how to increase libido in women, we need a holistic approach that addresses our bodies, minds and hormones. That’s why we love shatavari in our Wile Libido tincture. This Ayurvedic root relieves stress and balances hormones to help you feel turned on in more ways than one.
Why We Love Shatavari
- Shatavari has been referred to as a plant for all seasons of women’s lives. Because it has adaptogenic and hormone-regulating properties it’s great for everything from puberty to conceiving children to breastfeeding to perimenopause and beyond.
- Shatavari’s wide range of benefits is a great reminder of how herbal medicine works. Plants are complex and have nuance. Expert naturopaths create synergy to be more powerful together than any one plant or compound on its own. Combined with the other ingredients in our Libido tincture, shatavari really shines.
Key Benefits:
Libido - Shatavari has been used as an aphrodisiac in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Now there’s clinical data to show that in addition to relieving stress and regulating hormones (which are definitely part of the arousal puzzle), shatavari can also increase blood flow to the genitals. Shatavari ups your arousal and sensitivity for more enjoyable sex that’s centered on your pleasure.
Women’s Stress Relief - There’s nothing quite like stress to get you out of the mood for love. After all, your brain is your biggest sex organ! Shatavari can help with stress, too. Shatavari is an adaptogen, which means that it works with your hormones to keep you at a nice intersection of energized and calm. It’s also a nervine, which means that it supports your nervous system. Clinical trials have shown that it may even reduce occasional symptoms of depression that come from being overly stressed out.
“Juiciness” - While only 50% of midlife women experience vaginal dryness, it takes up a LOT of the cultural narrative around sexuality after 40. That’s one of the reasons why we’re obsessed with shatavari. It’s used in Ayurveda to create that critical internal juiciness that we read so much about during this life phase, but that’s not all. Shatavari is great for internal lubrication, but it also addresses your sexual health as a whole. With all of shatavari’s libido-enhancing, stress-relieving, hormone-balancing prowess, no one could accuse it of being a one trick pony.
Natural Hormone Balance - Shatavari contains phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that act like estrogen in your body and provide gentle, effective and natural hormone balance during perimenopause. The phytoestrogenic compounds in shatavari can decrease vaginal dryness, minimize hot flashes and make your period more regular.
Promotes Gut Health - You’ve heard the phrase “gut health” tossed around, but how does it relate to perimenopause? It turns out that your hormone levels and your gut microbiome directly affect each other. When one is out of balance, it can wreak havoc on the other. On top of balancing hormones for a healthier microbiome, shatavari can also help regulate digestion by boosting digestive enzymes. Health and balance all around!
Antioxidant Rich - Shatavari is full of antioxidants, which can help protect against some chronic diseases that occur when free radicals build up in your body. These include heart disease (the #1 killer of women!) and some cancers.
Traditional Uses:
Ayurvedic shatavari use goes back at least to 1500 BCE, when it was recorded in the Rig Veda. Shatavari’s ayurvedic uses include:
- To increase libido in women
- General women’s health support
- To increase fertility
- Stress reduction
About the Plant:
The original hypesquad of Shatavari did great work. Amongst its many nicknames, our favorite is “she who has a hundred husbands,” reflecting its power to fight low sex drive in women. It is also called “curer of a hundred diseases,” which makes sense given its long list of benefits.
Though it doesn’t look much like the vegetable you know, shatavari is part of the asparagus family of plants. It has feathery green leaves, little white flowers and big clusters of tan roots that look a bit like long, thin potatoes. The roots, which are typically dried and powdered before use, are where all the active components come from.
Shatavari is native to India, parts of Africa and Australia.
Wile Products with Shatavari:
Things to Know About Shatavari:
Avoid shatavari if you’re allergic to asparagus, as the two plants are closely related.
Like most plants that contain phytoestrogens, shatavari may not be for you if you have a hormone-sensitive condition. Check with your doctor before using phytoestrogens.
Shatavari has been traditionally used during pregnancy, but you should still check in with your doctor before taking shatavari if you’re pregnant.
Clinical Research
- McGuire, Treasure. “Drugs Affecting Milk Supply during Lactation.” Australian Prescriber 41, no. 1 (February 1, 2018): 7–9. https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2018.002.
- Mortel, Mylove, and Supriya D. Mehta. “Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Herbal Galactogogues.” Journal of Human Lactation 29, no. 2 (March 6, 2013): 154–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334413477243.
- Singh, Gireesh Kumar, Debapriya Garabadu, A. V. Muruganandam, Vinod Joshi, and Sairam Krishnamurthy. “Antidepressant Activity of Asparagus Racemosus in Rodent Models.” Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 91, no. 3 (January 1, 2009): 283–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2008.07.010.
- Tabares, Felipe Osorio, Juliana Jaramillo, and Zulma Tatiana Ruiz-Cortés. “Pharmacological Overview of Galactogogues.” Veterinary Medicine International 2014 (August 31, 2014): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/602894.
Sources
- Binu, Sowmya. “Shatavari: This Wonder Herb Boosts Hormones, Libido.” Netmeds, October 7, 2022. https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/shatavari-this-wonder-herb-boosts-hormones-libido#:~:text=Shatavari%20often%20referred%20as%20Queen,infertility%20and%20promoting%20gut%20health.
- Bodyandsoul. “Apparently, This Little-Known Ancient Herb Can Get Anyone Horny,” March 2, 2022. https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/apparently-this-littleknown-ancient-herb-can-get-anyone-horny/news-story/3a25c275c2d48c9efd918b4d77cb61a3.
- Brighten, Jolene. “Connection Between Gut Health, Menopause, and Perimenopause.” Dr. Jolene Brighten, September 27, 2022. https://drbrighten.com/gut-health-menopause-and-perimenopause/.
- Chauhan, Meenakshi. “Is Shatavari a Female Aphrodisiac to Improve Female Libido?” Planet Ayurveda, December 10, 2019. https://www.planetayurveda.com/library/is-shatavari-a-female-aphrodisiac-to-improve-female-libido/.
- Indigo Herbs. “Shatavari Benefits,” August 7, 2020. https://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/natural-health-guide/benefits/shatavari.
- Magner, Erin, and Erin Magner. “Is This Herb Basically All-Natural Viagra for Women?” Well+Good, November 8, 2022. https://www.wellandgood.com/shatavari-sex-drive-health-benefits-explained/.
- The Nutrition Source. “Antioxidants,” March 3, 2021. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/.
- WebMD. “Are There Health Benefits of Shatavari Powder?,” May 28, 2021. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/are-there-health-benefits-of-shatavari-powder.
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.
