All the TikTok girlies are taking ashwagandha but what exactly is it and what does it do?

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok recently, you might have noticed that a lot of the girlies on there are taking something called ashwagandha, especially after going through a rough breakup. But what actually is ashwagandha and what does it do to your body? Let’s find out!

So what actually is ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is an evergreen shrub found in parts of India, Africa and the Middle East, and is renowned for its role in traditional Indian medicine. The plant contains bioactive compounds, including a group of substances called withanolides.

This substance is recognised and used for its adaptogenic nature, which can help to calm the body in stressful situations. It’s most commonly taken in a powder format either in a pill you can swallow or as a gummy.

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What does it do?

The herb can help the body manage stress and times of change as it “calms the brain, reduces swelling, lowers blood pressure, and alters the immune system.” However, some users on TikTok have reported feeling numb whilst taking ashwagandha, something they’ve claimed has helped them deal with traumatic breakups.

Talking to Buzzfeed, one guy who had been taking it admitted: “After taking it every day for a few months, the emotionally blunted feeling could definitely be noticed. I noticed this in not only my relationships with my friends and family but also my partner. It felt as if you would just experience less feelings.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@honeylunax/video/7380776830237723937?_r=1&_t=8p0Kt4g1SaW

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But does taking ashwagandha really numb your emotions? Amala Soumyanath, the director of the BENFRA Botanical Dietary Supplements Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University explained: “While more confirmatory studies are needed, research in humans and preclinical models suggest that ashwagandha can improve sleep and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Stress, anxiety, and depression might be considered negative emotions, but none of the clinical human studies specifically reported a blunting of all emotions.”

For those of you with high anxiety, this is a psa that not feeling insanely stressed at all waking moments doesn’t mean you’ve become devoid of emotions!

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Featured images via TikTok before edits.