withaferin-a and Fatigue

Stress is a state of homeostasis in the body being challenged, resulting in a systemic response. It has become more prevalent in recent years and affects mental and physical health.. Evaluate the effects of ashwagandha on stress, fatigue, and sex hormones in overweight or mildly obese men and women with self-reported stress and fatigue.. Two-arm, parallel-group, 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on overweight or mildly obese men and women aged 40-75 years, supplementing with 200 mg of an ashwagandha root extract (Witholytin®) twice daily.. Supplementation with ashwagandha was associated with a significant reduction in stress levels based on the Perceived Stress Scale (primary outcome); however, the improvements were not significantly different to the placebo group (. The results of this study suggest that in overweight middle-to-older age adults experiencing high stress and fatigue, compared to the placebo, ashwagandha did not have a significantly greater impact on perceived stress levels. However, based on secondary outcome measures, it may have anti-fatigue effects. This may be via its impact on the autonomic nervous system. However, further research is required to expand on these current findings.

Topics: Adult; Double-Blind Method; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Male; Obesity; Overweight; Plant Extracts; Withania

A 32-year-old healthy woman developed thyrotoxicosis while taking capsules that contained ashwagandha herbal extract for symptoms of chronic fatigue. She was not taking any other remedies or medications. During the first few weeks, she took the capsules only occasionally without any symptoms, but after increasing the dose, she experienced clinical symptoms indicative of thyrotoxicosis. This was confirmed by laboratory assessment. The symptoms resolved spontaneously after discontinuation of the ashwagandha capsules and laboratory values normalised. To our knowledge, this relationship has not been reported previously in humans. Data from animal studies, however, have suggested that ashwagandha can increase serum concentrations of thyroid hormones. This case study suggests that thyrotoxicosis is a potentially serious side effect of ashwagandha.

Topics: Adult; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Plant Extracts; Thyroid Hormones; Thyrotoxicosis; Withania