Ashwagandha to Lower Cortisol Levels for Stress & Weight Loss

Taking an ashwagandha supplement to regulate cortisol levels may be effective, as demonstrated in human research trials.

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid steroid hormone that works in the body to metabolize nutrients, slow down the formation of bone tissue, and increase blood-sugar levels via upregulated gluconeogenesis (glucose biosynthesis).

It also serves various other important biologic purposes. However, high levels of cortisol for long periods of time can have negative effects on health.

Cortisol inhibits the release of inflammatory substances to aid in healing processes. Further, it increases the availability of copper that’s needed for various immune system actions.

The use of Ashwagandha for lowering cortisol may be able to help, improving sleep patterns, mood, immunity and more. Ashwagandha is a plant indigenous to parts of the Middle East, Africa and India. It has been used for centuries as a food and as a medicine for numerous ailments and diseases.

It is considered to be an adaptogen that restores balance to the body by preventing the negative effects of stress. Using ashwagandha as a cortisol blocker is believed to be safe and has a long history of traditional use in the Ayurvedic medicine practice

Ashwagandha

Adaptogen

Stress

Mood

Sleep

How It Works:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves concentration, fatigue & sleep
• Protects against oxidative stress

Dosage:

Between 300 - 1000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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Ashwagandha for Cortisol: Decreasing Stress and Anxiety

Cortisol synthesis and secretion is increased in times of stress, fear, worry and other fight-or-flight responses.

This is necessary for being able to respond when the body experiences stress, but can cause health issues when it remains chronically excessive.

When cortisol levels remain too high for too long, the following symptoms may develop:

• Breakdown of healthy muscle and/or bone tissue (catabolic effects);
• Impeded cellular healing and/or regeneration;
• Impaired mental functioning;
• Digestive problems;
• Weakened immune system functioning;
• Sluggish endocrine system functioning;
• Adrenal fatigue

Ashwagandha has been shown to lower cortisol levels, helping to prevent these negative outcomes. In one placebo-controlled, double-blind human trial, a full-spectrum, highly concentrated ashwagandha supplement was given to 64 subjects. Subjects were of both genders and assessed as highly stressed.

300 mg of ashwagandha was administered to each treatment group subject for 60 days. Considering all subjects combined, serum cortisol levels dropped significantly, and there was a 27.9% improvement in all stress and anxiety parameters tested.

In a different clinical trial, 98 mixed gender subjects were administered either two or four 125 mg doses of ashwagandha daily. This study lasted sixteen months and yielded a 14.5% reduction in stress and anxiety variables. Also, LDL cholesterol was reduced, on average, by 17.3%.

Benefits of Regulating Cortisol Levels

Cortisol is the body’s response to stress. When we experience stress, cortisol is released to tell our bodies to prioritize short-term increased energy over functions related to long-term health.

For example, if you have an allergic reaction, it is common to be given a corticosteroid or an oral cortisol pill such as Prednisone to overcome the stress. This temporarily shuts off your immune system response so that you can overcome the allergy.

But if your immune function is diminished for long periods of time, it can cause other health problems.

Elevated cortisol levels are being seen more and more commonly due to increased external sources of stress, poor sleep patterns and environmental toxins. This has been linked to weight gain and increased risk of many diseases and infections.

Taking ashwagandha to counteract the effects of high levels of cortisol may promote many secondary benefits like weight loss and improve immunity.

Cortisol counteracts the effects of insulin and reduces its strength. Too much cortisol can cause hyperglycemia via excessive hepatic gluconeogenesis. Cortisol signals your liver to start releasing glucose so that your cells can use it as a fast source of energy.

But if cortisol levels remain high for an extended period of time, the liver continues to over-produce glucose and release it. This means that there is too much glucose (sugar) in your blood and insulin is not able to perform its function to transport this glucose into your cells. Cortisol may also hinder the utilization of peripheral glucose and cause insulin resistance.

Research Results of Ashwagandha

Using ashwagandha for cortisol balancing may help to enhance glucose utilization, thereby preventing excess blood sugar levels brought on by high cortisol levels. In mice with type 1 diabetes, fasting blood-sugar (glucose) levels was reduced because of ashwagandha dietary supplementation.

In rats with type 2 diabetes, a water extract of ashwagandha root normalized blood-glucose levels by 76% to 89% after five weeks. 300 mg per kg of bodyweight doses were used in this study.

In patients with metabolic syndrome (prediabetes), 400 mg doses of ashwagandha were administered for 30 days. Fasting blood sugar levels were reduced by roughly 13%. In a similar study, three daily doses of ashwagandha at 400 mg per reduced serum triglycerides by roughly 14%.

This can have an important impact on weight loss. High cortisol levels contribute to obesity: by increasing blood sugar levels and desensitizing the body to insulin, the result is increased storage of glucose as fat.

Insulin resistance can result in weight gain because the body continues to release more and more insulin to try to normalize glucose levels in the blood. However, this also leads to increased formation of lipids and storage of glucose as adipose tissue.

Ashwagandha has been shown in several studies to promote weight loss. This may be due to its ability to lower cortisol levels and thereby improve insulin sensitivity. This herbal extract has also been shown to have a positive effect on thyroid function, which can increase the body’s natural metabolic rate.

Additional Effects of Ashwagandha and Cortisol

Supplementing with ashwagandha for cortisol control also helps the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments in the body.

Cortisol is known to decrease the formation of bone and collagen. This is associated with the long-term development of the progressive bone disease called osteoporosis.

Cortisol disrupts bone tissue development by replacing potassium ions with sodium ions inside of cells. It also depletes calcium concentrations in the gut. Further, cortisol downregulates collagen synthesis which diminishes the structural integrity of tendons, joints and muscles throughout the body.

Ashwagandha is one of the most versatile medicinal botanicals known. Besides modulating cortisol actions, ashwagandha has also been shown in studies to:

• Promote sexual function, the ability to attain an erection and improve spermatogenic variables in infertile men;
• Increasing control over impulsive behaviors in ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) patients;
• Improving balance in patients with a rare cerebral disorder called cerebellar ataxia;
• Help users to better deal with daily stressors of the environment, society and personal health;
• Naturally encourage and accommodate increased thyroid action in patients with hypothyroidism, and decrease thyroid action in patients with hyperthyroidism;
• Improve symptoms of female infertility including low libido, ability to conceive and likelihood of miscarriage

Further, using ashwagandha for cortisol balancing may indirectly improve symptoms associated with fibromyalgia, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, backaches, chronic bronchitis, cognitive disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, general aging symptoms, various forms of cancer, liver disease and many other diseases and conditions.

Conclusions

Ashwagandha supplementation for cortisol regulation can affect human health beneficially on many levels. By reducing excess cortisol levels, Ashwagandha is believed to promote positive effects throughout the body’s systems.

This herb is known to be likely safe for healthy individuals, but some side effects and/or drug interactions are possible for certain people. Discuss supplementation of ashwagandha for cortisol management, or for any other therapeutic purpose, with a doctor before beginning.

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