Are you finding that January has passed you by and you just can’t get back into the swing of things? Running yourself ragged during the festive season can leave you feeling flat and exhausted. One of our most important herbs can boost stamina and energy levels and have you feeling calm and productive in no time! Withania is always one of the most important and useful herbs in any herbalists dispensary and there’s many good reasons why. Originating in India, Withania is one of the most widely used herbs in Indian Traditional Medicine where it is considered a potent tonic to promote greater vitality and longevity.
Traditionally it is used to:
– Increase strength
– Boost stamina
– Rejuvenate the body and slow the aging process
– Strengthen the immune system
– Promote recovery from illness
– Enhance sexual energy
– Soothe and calm the nerves
– Clear the mind and improve the memory
Western Herbalists value Withania for its ability to help the body cope with stress (of any kind – physical, emotional or psychological , recover from exertion, calm the nerves and boost stamina as well as its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer actions. In fact it has so many beneficial effects they should put it in the drinking water!
Its all very well to list all the amazing actions but where’s the evidence you ask? Here is a very brief summary of the clinical finding of numerous studies investigating the benefits of Withania.
Helps the Body Adapt to Stress
Withania has potent adaptogenic effects and a review of the literature has indicated several mechanisms;
– Withania is known to have an effect on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis which helps the body regulate and cope when under stress
– Withania has been shown to be able to help the body suppress and down-regulate immune system over activity which can be brought on by stress
– Animal studies have shown that it helps to up-regulate muscle building and energy production in the cells in animals under physical stress, improving their stamina
– It is a potent antioxidant which helps the body to cope with extra toxins created during stress and exhaustion
Antioxidant
Withania is known to be a potent antioxidant and many clinical trials investigating its protective effects on the heart and brain have found that its antioxidant activity plays a major role in its protective action. It is thought that its potent antioxidant activity is perhaps the key reason Withania is so beneficial across a number of different clinical conditions.
Anti-inflammatory
Withania is considered an anti-inflammatory herb in traditional Indian medicine and has traditionally been used for arthritis and asthma. Animal studies have shown that it has an anti-inflammatory effect similar to a dose of cortisone (5mg/kg), which is a potent pharmaceutical drug used in severe inflammation.
Nervous System Tonic Effects
Well known for its ability to soothe and calm the nerves, Withania is prized by Western Herbalists as a nervous system tonic and patients love its calming effects. Animal trials have shown it to have similar effect as as benzodiazapenes in animal models of induced anxiety. It has also been shown to improve sleep and reduce waking during the night.
Male Fertility
Withania is traditionally known as an aphrodisiac and is often used to promote vitality, virility and treat infertility in men. Withania’s proven adaptogenic effects, antioxidant action and its ability to modulate the stress response and therefore improve male fertility have been the subject of clinical trials. It was shown that it decreased stress hormones and increased all parameters of semen quality. In fact the treatment resulted in pregnancy in the partners of 14% of the previously infertile men taking part in a 3 month trial!
Anti-cancer
Withania has a reputation as being a powerful tonic herb and its potential anti-tumour activity has been the subject of much attention in the scientific community leading to many clinical trials. It has been shown to;
– Increase tumour cell death
– Reduce tumour ability to grow and invade surrounding tissue
– Decrease cell division and increase cell death of human breast cancer cells
Use in Cancer Treatment
A comprehensive review of the available literature has found that Withania reduces tumour cell proliferation while increasing overall survival time in animal trials. It has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy while reducing its side effects and has been shown to reduce the side effects of some commonly used chemotherapy agents.
Boosts and Modulates Immune Function
Chronic stress is known to suppress immune function, Withania is known for its ability to restore health and immune function after periods of stress. It has been shown in animal studies to restore immune function on a cellular level after stress.
Antibacterial and Antiviral Action
Withania has been shown in clinical in vitro trails to possess significant antibacterial activity against a range of bacteria and antiviral effects have been proven in in vitro trials.
Beneficial Effects on Memory and the Brain 
Withania is considered a major herb in the treatment of memory and cognitive decline in in traditional Indian medicine. It has been shown in animal trials that Withania helps to protect and restore function in the brain.
Cardioprotective Effects
Withania is known to have potent antioxidant activity and adaptogenic action leading to its widespread use in the recovery from illness. Animal trials investigating its potential cardioprotective effects have found that Withania helped to protect damaged heart muscle and restore blood flow after the heart had been damaged.
Cholesterol Lowering and Blood Sugar Regulating Effects
Withania is not commonly used for lipid and blood sugar regulation in Western Herbal Medicine, however it has been shown to reduce cholesterol and stabilise blood sugar in animal trails.
Whew! The weight of the evidence speaks for its self – Withania is a wonderful herb!
So if you are feeling generally run down, stressed and exhausted and the year has only just started, or if are suffering from something more serious Withania may be part of the answer for you! Book in today to see what would be the best treatment options to help you spring into life and get going in 2010!