Ashwagandha
Common name
Winter-cherry root
ID
HD0076
Scientific name of the plant
Withania somnifera
Anatomical part for use
root, fruit
Human use
Mental stress & mood disorders
Summary
Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, or winter cherry, is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withania are morphologically similar. Although thought to be useful as a medicinal herb in Ayurveda and sold in many countries as a dietary supplement, there is insufficient scientific evidence that it is safe or effective for treating any disease. Because of its lack of demonstrated efficacy and possible side-effects, it is currently not recommended for any condition. (Source: Wiki)
Evidence Level
Level 1 (Individual reports from one medical center)
Hepatotoxicity Description
Despite widescale use, ashwagandha is considered generally safe and without major adverse effects. In clinical trials, there have been no reports of serum enzyme elevations occurring during therapy and no mention of serious adverse events or hepatotoxicity. Recently, however, several cases of clinically apparent liver injury have been reported in patients taking commercial herbal products that are labelled as containing ashwagandha. The liver injury presented 2 to 12 weeks after starting ashwagandha with a cholestatic or mixed pattern of injury, jaundice and pruritus. Immunoallergic and autoimmune features were not prominent.
Jaundice
tended to be protracted but ultimately resolved without fatalities or chronic injury. Because commercial herbal preparations are often mixtures of herbs and nutritional products and can be mislabeled and contain unknown herbs and medications, it is not always clear whether the reported cases were due to ashwagandha and one of its components or to a contaminant. In several reported cases, however, the commercial product being taken was tested and found to have ashwagandha without other contaminants. Thus, clinically apparent liver injury attributable to ashwagandha appears to occur, but is rare. (Source: LiverTox)
Traditional medicine
The plant, particularly its root powder, has been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine. Mainly due to the poor quality of the clinical research, there is no high-quality evidence that it provides any medicinal benefit as a therapy or dietary supplement, and may cause adverse effects if taken together with prescription drugs. Reported side effects include diarrhea, skin burning and discoloration, sedation, severe liver injury, thyrotoxicosis, increased testosterone levels, and miscarriage. (Source: Wiki)
Common name
Winter-cherry root
ID
HD0076
Scientific name of the plant
Withania somnifera
Anatomical part for use
root, fruit
Human use
Mental stress & mood disorders
Summary
Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, or winter cherry, is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withania are morphologically similar. Although thought to be useful as a medicinal herb in Ayurveda and sold in many countries as a dietary supplement, there is insufficient scientific evidence that it is safe or effective for treating any disease. Because of its lack of demonstrated efficacy and possible side-effects, it is currently not recommended for any condition. (Source: Wiki)
Evidence Level
Level 1 (Individual reports from one medical center)
Hepatotoxicity Description
Despite widescale use, ashwagandha is considered generally safe and without major adverse effects. In clinical trials, there have been no reports of serum enzyme elevations occurring during therapy and no mention of serious adverse events or hepatotoxicity. Recently, however, several cases of clinically apparent liver injury have been reported in patients taking commercial herbal products that are labelled as containing ashwagandha. The liver injury presented 2 to 12 weeks after starting ashwagandha with a cholestatic or mixed pattern of injury, jaundice and pruritus. Immunoallergic and autoimmune features were not prominent. Jaundice tended to be protracted but ultimately resolved without fatalities or chronic injury. Because commercial herbal preparations are often mixtures of herbs and nutritional products and can be mislabeled and contain unknown herbs and medications, it is not always clear whether the reported cases were due to ashwagandha and one of its components or to a contaminant. In several reported cases, however, the commercial product being taken was tested and found to have ashwagandha without other contaminants. Thus, clinically apparent liver injury attributable to ashwagandha appears to occur, but is rare. (Source: LiverTox)
Traditional medicine
The plant, particularly its root powder, has been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine. Mainly due to the poor quality of the clinical research, there is no high-quality evidence that it provides any medicinal benefit as a therapy or dietary supplement, and may cause adverse effects if taken together with prescription drugs. Reported side effects include diarrhea, skin burning and discoloration, sedation, severe liver injury, thyrotoxicosis, increased testosterone levels, and miscarriage. (Source: Wiki)