Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen, meaning it promotes balance in many different systems of the body. Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogenic herb that can help your body in many ways, including:

• Adapting to stressful conditions
• Supporting the nervous system and the endocrine system
• Supporting cardiovascular and immune health

Ashwagandha is frequently referred to as “Indian ginseng” because of its rejuvenating properties, even though botanically, ginseng and Ashwagandha are unrelated.
Belonging to the same family as the tomato, Ashwagandha is a plump shrub with oval leaves and yellow flowers. It bears red fruit about the size of a raisin. The herb is native to the dry regions of India, northern Africa, and the Middle East, and today is also grown in more mild climates, including the United States. Its root is taken and then crushed into a powder.

The main chemical constituents of ashwagandha are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. These include tropine and cuscohygrine. There’s some early evidence that ashwagandha affects the immune system and helps reduce swelling, from both arthritis and fluid retention.