Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Most people meet Ashwagandha as a powder for stress and sleep. Its older use is broader than that. The root is classed as a rasayana, a rejuvenative, and it has a long history in preparations for muscular weakness and stiffness.
- Botanical name
- Withania somnifera
- Sanskrit / Hindi
- अश्वगंधा, असगंध
- Part used
- Root
- Known compounds
- Withanolides, Alkaloids including somniferine, Sitoindosides
The plant and the part used
Withania somnifera is a short woody shrub in the nightshade family, grown across drier regions of India. The root is the part used, dried and either powdered or processed into a decoction that then goes into oils and ghees.
The name translates roughly as horse smell, a reference to the odour of the fresh root, though it is also read as referring to the strength the herb was thought to confer.
Documented compounds
Withanolides are the steroidal lactones that most Ashwagandha research focuses on. Reviews describe anti-inflammatory activity for the root, and it is one of the more studied herbs in Ayurveda for musculoskeletal comfort.
Why it appears in a massage oil
Ayurveda uses Ashwagandha in vata conditions, which covers the dryness and stiffness pattern associated with ageing joints and overworked muscles. Classical oils for muscular complaints commonly include it alongside the resins and roots aimed at the joint itself.
In Dr. Granny's Magic it sits with Sallaki, Guggul, Rasna and Gokshura in the sesame and mustard oil base.
Questions about Ashwagandha
Which part of Ashwagandha is used?
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The root. It is dried and then processed into the oil rather than used fresh.
What are withanolides?
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They are the steroidal lactone compounds characteristic of Ashwagandha, and the group most often named in research on the plant.
Is Ashwagandha in the oil the same as the powder I take?
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It is the same plant and the same part, but the preparation is different. An oil carries the fat-soluble fraction of the root; a powder is the whole dried root.
References
Where this sits in the bottle
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)is one entry in the 25-herb blend in Dr. Granny's Magic Pain Relief Oil, carried in a base of sesame, mustard, yellow mustard, black seed, clove and eucalyptus oils for external massage use.
Other ingredients
Ayurvedic product. For external use only. Not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.