Ashwagandha, while hard to say and harder to spell, is easy on your body. You may think of it as a “new” adaptogenic ingredient, but Ashwahandha is actually an ancient medicinal herb that’s been used for over 3,000 year in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to relieve stress, increase energy levels, improve immunity, mood and focus.
Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen, which means that it helps the body adapt to stress and other environmental factors. It works by reducing cortisol levels, the hormone that is released when the body is feeling stressed. High cortisol levels are particularly rough on an aging body as raised levels can spur the accumulation of belly fat, overall weight gain, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and weakness in upper arms.
If getting rid of stubborn belly fat isn’t incentive enough to love it, recent research has suggested that Ashwagandha also has other health benefits, such as improving cognitive function, sexual function for both men and women, reducing inflammation, and improving overall athletic performance, getting better sleep and improving the nervous system which can help with mood stabilization and anxiety reduction.
A 2019 study found that Ashwagandha supplementation also improved muscle strength and recovery in healthy adults and another found that it improved cognitive function and memory in adults with mild cognitive impairment. Brain fog anyone?
We use Ashwagandha in our FLIP My Life Chocolate Courage and Vital Vanilla Flip 7 meal replacement shakes and our Mega4 Mushroom blend. In conjunction with other active ingredients in our scientifically formulated blends, Ashwangandha can be a powerful ingredient for aging better and feeling better.