Ashwagandha, the Immune-promoting Adaptogen

Chris Kilham, Medicine Hunterwww.medicinehunter.com

Sponsored by KSM-66 Ashwagandhawww.ksm66ashwagandhaa.com

Adaptogens defined

• The term ‘adaptogen’ was originally coined by N. V. Lazarev (1947) to refer to a substance which increases “non-specific” resistance to adverse influences to organism and stress.

• Adaptogens are a class of high value botanicals which improve resistance to stress of all types.

Adaptogens are Increasingly in Demand

• Demand for the adaptogenic herbs has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• People seek relief from stress and anxiety, and want more energy, strength, mental focus and strong immune function.

• Ashwagandha root has risen to the top ten most popular herbs over the past few years due to a surge in human clinical studies.

Ashwagandha, King Of HerbsWithania somnifera fam. Solanaceae

• Ashwagandha refers to the dried roots of Withania somnifera, a woody shrub found wild and cultivated in India, Africa and the Mediterranean.

• Ashwagandha’s use dates back 4000 years, and the root is often referred to as The King Of Herbs.

Phytochemicals in Ashwagandha Root

Root is rich in withanolides (steroidal lactones), alkaloids, glycosides, fatty acids, chlorogenic acid, numerous amino acids.

Plus sitoindosides, saccharose, B-sitosterol, hentriacontane, scoploletin, dulcitol, chlorogenic acid.

Traditionally used for aphrodisiac, anti-aging, anti-asthma, rejuvenating and overall strengthening purposes.

Biological Activities

•Adaptogen – helps to maintain homeostasis in times of stress, improves psychomotor skills, mental calculation, reaction times.

•Anti-inflammatory activity

•Antioxidant

•Anxiolytic

•Improves relaxation and sleep

•Improves reproductive health

•Enhances overall cardiovascular function

•Immunomodulator

KSM-66 Organic Ashwagandha CultivationPesticides and other Agri-poisons degrade immune function.

Stress and Anxiety• PARAMETERS:

• A single-center, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial at Asha Hospital, Hyderabad, India.

• A total of 64 healthy adults received 300 mg twice daily of ashwagandha (as KSM-66) or placebo for eight weeks.

• Efficacy measured using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, serum cortisol level, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) score, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) score.

Outcomes for the Ashwagandha Group• Perceived Stress Scale score reduced by

44%

• General Health Questionnaire scores reduced by 72.9% (good)

• Serum cortisol reduced by 27.9%

• Depression and Anxiety domain scores reduced by 71.6%

Ashwagandha Mitigates Stress

• In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial a totalof 64 healthy adults received 300 mg twice daily of ashwagandha (as KSM-66) or placebo for eight weeks.

• Efficacy measured using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, serum cortisol level, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) score, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) score.

A Second Stress Study

• In a study of 60 male and female participants, three groups were assessed, a placebo group, a group receiving 250 mg of KSM-66 extract daily, and a group receiving 600 mg of KSM-66 extract daily.

Assessed Parameters included:

• Perceived stress scale (PSS) score

• Serum cortisol

• Hamilton Anxiety rating Scale

• Sleep Quality

Results Of A Second Stress Study• The 250 mg daily and 600 mg daily KSM-66

Ashwagandha groups experienced respectively:

• 33.77% and 38.34% reduction in perceived stress

• 16.40% and 32.63% reduction in serum cortisol levels

• 13.01% and 16.39% decrease in HAM-A score

• 35.21% and 46.01% improvement in the sleep quality score

Ashwagandha and Cortisol• Cortisol helps control blood sugar levels,

regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation, and assist with memory formulation. Cortisol is a crucial hormone for overall health and well-being.

• But…high cortisol is a major stress factor and is associated with weight gain, overall stress and compromised immunity.

• Ashwagandha brings cortisol into a normal healthy range. Reduction in overly high cortisol imparts relief.

Researchers Concluded

•“High-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha root extract improves an individual’s resistance toward stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.”

Ashwagandha Mitigates Stress• In a randomized, placebo-

controlled trial a totalof 64 healthy adults received 300 mg twice daily of ashwagandha (as KSM-66) or placebo for eight weeks.

• Efficacy measured using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score, serum cortisol level, General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) score, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) score.

Ashwagandha and Cortisol

• Cortisol helps control blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation, and assist with memory formulation. Cortisol is a crucial hormone for overall health and well-being.

• But…high cortisol is a major stress factor and is associated with weight gain, overall stress and compromised immunity.

• Ashwagandha brings cortisol into a normal healthy range. Reduction in overly high cortisol imparts relief.

Inflammation is Part Of all Chronic Health Disorders

• Inflammation is associated with every chronic health disorder, from dental caries to cardiovascular disease. Control of inflammation is essential to healthy life.

• Chronic inflammation inhibits immune function and degrades resistance to disease.

Ashwagandha Mitigates Inflammation• In Public Health Approach of

Ayurveda and Yoga for COVID-19 Prophylaxis PhD authors Girish Tillu, Sarika Chaturvedi, Bhushan Patwardhan, and Arvind Chopra, MD identify four ways that ashwagandha helps to control inflammation and promote immunity.

• Ashwagandha downregulates TNF alpha, Interleukin 1 beta, Interleukin 6, and Interleukin 10. The interleukins are cytokines secreted by immune cells.

Ashwagandha Immunomodulator• Immunomodulation is the alteration of

immune response by an increase or decrease in immune activity.

• In eight published human studies ashwagandha demonstrates immunomodulating activity.

• Increasing immune function when it is low and decreasing immune function when it is too high helps to keep immunity in an optimal zone.

Ashwagandha - an Immunomodulator• A randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind, parallel group 8-week clinical study

was conducted in 80 healthy athletes.

• The inflammatory and immune related markers including CD3 (cells/µL), CD4 (cells/µL), CD8 (cells/µL) counts, CD4/CD8 ratio, Interleukin-6 (pg/mL), and TNF-α(pg/mL) were measured.

• At the end of the study KSM-66 Ashwagandha demonstrated • A statistically significant increase in the mean values of CD3 count and CD4 count. • A non-significant increase in the mean values of CD8 count, CD4/CD8 ratio, IL-6

and TNF-α.• IL-6 and TNF-α decreased by 6.3% and 20.6% respectively.

• Researchers concluded that the high concentration full spectrum Ashwagandha root extract has immunomodulatory benefits.

Ashwagandha is Cardio-protective

• Withania somnifera exerts a strong cardioprotective effect, augmenting endogenous antioxidants, maintaining myocardial antioxidant status and restoring hemodynamic parameters, thus producing a cardioprotective effect.

• These parameters include heart rate, blood pressure, cardiac output and total peripheral resistance.

Ashwagandha and Cardiorespiratory Endurance

• Cardiorespiratory endurance is a measurement of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together to keep your body active over an extended period of time.

• Ashwagandha boosts VO2 max, the key measure of aerobic endurance. This helps to maintain a healthy state of cardiovascular and respiratory function.

Ashwagandha and Sleep where somniferacomes in

• The Study:

29 people took 600 mg KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract daily, and 19 took a placebo for 10 weeks.

Results were Sleepy…

• Significantly shorter time falling asleep

• Significant improvement in sleep efficiency

• Significant improvement in sleep quality

• (Measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, examining subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medications and daytime dysfunction)

• Significant calming effects, reduced nervousness

• (Measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale consisting of 14 psychological and somatic symptoms)

A Second Sleep Study

• In an 8-week study 40 participants were given KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract 300 mg twice daily. 40 other participants were given a placebo.

• Participants were assessed for sleep onset latency, total sleep time, waking after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, total time in bed.

Results Of A Second Sleep Study

• KSM – 66 Ashwagandha supplementation produced:

• 15.58% decrease in SOL (Sleep Onset Latency)

• 29.32% decrease in WASO (Wake after Sleep onset)

• 6.05% increase in TST (Total Sleep time)

• 3.29% increase in SE (Sleep efficiency)

• 2.66% increase in TIB (Total time in Bed)

Ashwagandha Root is one of the greatest plant medicines on Earth

Thank you. May we all know better times.www.ksm66ashwagandhaa.com

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