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Despite having been used for roughly 2,000 years, Ashwagandha is still a relatively new herb.

It has gained more attention within the United States as a potential healing herb claiming to be capable of preventing or helping to heal certain disorders.

You can now quite easily find ashwagandha supplements in most health food stores, occasionally even if the vitamins & minerals section of any type of grocery or chain store.

Ashwagandha fans claim that this herb can have a powerful healing effect on the thyroid, particularly when it comes to those that would like to natural treat thyroid imbalances.

It is said that this herb is so adept at helping thyroid function as a whole that it can be used for those with either hypo-or hyperthyroidism.

Although herbs have been used in place of or in addition to medical treatment since the dawn of man, it is important that they be approached with caution.

There is little doubt that ashwagandha isn’t a powerful herb, it is fairly strong and significant to medical research, which means properly researching this is important if you are considering adding it to your diet.

Origin of Ashwagandha

What is ashwagandha exactly?

This herb’s scientific name is Withania Somnifera. It’s in the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, goji berries, ground cherries, and more.

You may have heard of ashwagandha being referred to as Indian Ginseng, even though this is a false comparison.

Ashwagandha is not a type of Ginseng and the only type of similarity they share is their healing properties. For use in medicine only the root and berries are used.

Ashwagandha has been used as a healing herb for a significant amount of time.

This herb was most often used where the plant originates, so this means it is most common in Indian, Middle Eastern and North African culture.

Ashwagandha is considered a type of Ayurvedic medicine believed to be linked to a longer lifespan as well as general restorative powers.

The name ashwagandha is Sanskrit for “the smell of a horse” which is part of the reason why this herb is said to give the vigor of a stallion.

This is in reference to the overall therapeutic powers of this herb, as well as a nod towards its use as an aphrodisiac.^[1]

Ashwagandha is primarily known as a tonic, diuretic, astringent, and overall physical stimulant.

Even when not being used to treat a specific ailment, many still consume this herb as a means of maintaining good health, reducing stress, and overall reaching a state of physical and mental wellness.

In relation to the thyroid, it seems as though in ancient cultures ashwagandha wasn’t used specifically for thyroid hormone balance, naturally, since this wasn’t a known issue.

As medicine advances and herbs are able to be more stringently studied and researched, many realize that the benefits of ashwagandha that have long been known can (and do) have an impact on thyroid hormones.

Ashwagandha as a Healing Herb

When it comes to taking ashwagandha as a supplement the typical recommended dose is 500mg twice daily, although some do choose to take much higher doses under their own risk.

Typically the initial changes found from ashwagandha aren’t immediately noticeable, but after a few weeks you’ll see that your mood has improved, you physically and mentally feel lighter, you have more energy despite little change in sleep pattern, and symptoms relating to any disorder you’re trying to heal have dissipated.

It may take a few months before thyroid blood work shows a change, even though you may feel physically much better.

Thyroid health aside, ashwagandha has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat health issues like:

• Arthritis and joint pain
• Insomnia and restless sleep
• Asthma
• Leukoderma
• Liver Disease
• Bronchitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic pain
• Menstrual cramps or irregularities
• Tuberculosis
• Anxiety and panic disorders
• Lack of virility (men and women)
• Paralysis

As you can see, since ashwagandha was first discovered to have healing properties many have found it to work on an incredibly wide range of issues.

An herb capable of helping to heal a minor wound also being able to help heal partial paralysis seems farfetched, and this may be true as there is still relatively little research done on ashwagandha.

That being said, science does seem to agree that this herb can have a positive effect on the thyroid.

Impact of Ashwagandha on the Thyroid

The primary theory for why ashwagandha is useful for thyroid imbalances is because ashwagandha is believed to be an adaptogen.

This means this herb helps the body adapt to stress. This stress doesn’t mean simple mental stress experienced after a long day at work, but also physical stress.

Adaptogens help the body react to stress signals more effectively and help to balance things out.

Ashwagandha’s adaptogen power is known to help to balance stress put on the immune system and metabolism, but also is known to help balance physical stress caused by hormone imbalances.

These hormone imbalances aren’t always related to thyroid, and could essentially involve any type of hormone, but the thyroid is a particularly good example.

One of the most impressive aspects of being an effective adaptogen is that ashwagandha doesn’t just react to stress and imbalances caused by an underactive thyroid, but it will also react to an overactive one.

There are very few herbs and practically no modern prescription medications that can have a positive effect on both hyper- and hypothyroidism.

With that in mind it does seem that ashwagandha is more effective as treating hypothyroidism, simply due to the fact that this stimulating more production of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones is easier than reducing production.

Studies on Ashwagandha and the Thyroid

The studies done so far on Ashwagandha and its benefits for the thyroid have been promising.

An early study done in 1998 and featured in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology found that administering ashwagandha root extract in male mice stimulated hormone production in the thyroid.^[2]

Both T3 and T4 hormone levels were increased.

Researchers from the above study ran another which was published in the 1999 November volume of the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.^[3]

This study was instead done on female mice and they found very similar results.

Interestingly, it seems as though in this study they found that while both T3 and T4 hormones increased production, it was due to Bauhinia Purpurea.

The female mice in this group only saw increased in T4 thyroid due to ashwagandha.

Another study which was published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine was actually testing the effects of ashwagandha on bipolar disorder.^[4]

The purpose of this study was to see if this herb could aid those with bipolar disorder by stimulating the thyroid, thereby aiding in cognitive function.

Researchers in this study concluded that there was an increase in T4 hormone production, which did prove positive for those with bipolar disorder.

They suggested that the use of ashwagandha could be especially useful for treating those with unipolar, bipolar and/or resistant depression that also have low T4 hormones.

Although the majority of the studies done tend to only show an increase in T4 hormone production, the human body is actually capable of converting T4 into T3.

For the average individual with a healthy but low thyroid hormone production, an increase in T4 could be the only solution needed.

Others may benefit from a small dose of T3 medication if they happen to have a particular thyroid disorder that affects this conversion ability.

In theory using ashwagandha in the treatment of thyroid disorders should not only help balance the production of hormones, but also simultaneously help with the actual symptoms associated with them.

For example, supplementing with ashwagandha may not cure hypo- or hyperthyroidism but it can help with sleeplessness, anxiety and feelings of depression, mood swings, weight loss, muscle weakness, sexual dysfunction, constipation, and more.

This study linked and summarized in Thyroid Advisor perhaps summarizes the benefits^[5]:

“The analysis showed that both T4 and T3 levels increased. Also, a 12 percent increase in liver antioxidant enzymes (hepatic antioxidant enzymes) was noted as well as 34 percent reduction of lipid peroxidation.”

Potential Side Effects of Ashwagandha

The idea that herbs are safer than a medication created in a lab is a common belief, but one that is foolish since individuals can have very negative reactions.

If you’ve never taken ashwagandha before you should do so at your own risk and ideally let your doctor know of your plans first.

Although ashwagandha is fairly safe, particularly when compared to the exhaustive list of potential side effects associated with prescription drugs, taking this herb without caution is reckless.

Thankfully the usual extent of too high a dose of ashwagandha is typically gastrointestinal upset, including:

• Cramping
• Bloating
• Diahreaha
• Nausea
• Vomiting

These signs of something not being right are quite obvious and enough for you to realize you’ve taken too much.

Generally as long as you spread out ashwagandha into two or three doses and consume with a meal, you likely will never experience negative side effects.

With that in mind it is highly recommended you do not take ashwagandha if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

It is possible taking this herb while pregnant could lead to an early delivery. As far as breastfeeding goes, it is not recommended due to safety concerns since no research has been done on this effects of ashwagandha on infants or children.

If you are currently on prescription medication you should proceed with caution when adding ashwagandha to your diet.

Those who are already on benzodiazepine medications or any other type of tranquilizing medication should proceed with extreme caution as ashwagandha can exacerbate its effect.

Another example would be immunosuppressant medications since ashwagandha naturally promotes the opposite effect of boosting immune function.

If you’re currently not on prescription medication but are taking other herbal supplements, research potential counteractive effects prior to taking ashwagandha.

Your doctor should also be notified, although many doctors are not educated on herbal supplements so doing some research on your own is highly recommended.

If you begin to take ashwagandha and you don’t feel right, you should cease taking it immediately and consult your doctor.

Overall ashwagandha is a very powerful yet very safe herbal supplement that has research backing its ability to stimulate and balance thyroid hormones.

Those with mild hypothyroidism-related symptoms can really benefit from adding ashwagandha.

Those with moderate to severe hypothyroidism should also try this herb, but only under the supervision of a doctor if you are on hypothyroid medication. The same rules apply for those with hyperthyroidism.

Always practice caution when trying a new supplement and listen to your body.

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