Efficacy of Withania somnifera supplementation on adult's cognition and mood - PubMed (original) (raw)

Efficacy of Withania somnifera supplementation on adult's cognition and mood

A Remenapp et al. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2022 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of a proprietary Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root and leaf extract (NooGandha® Specnova LLC, USA) supplement for improving cognitive abilities, cortisol levels, and self-reported mood, stress, food cravings, and anxiety with adults who have perceived stress. Healthy adults (n = 43 women and n = 17 men; mean age = 34.41 years) who reported experiencing perceived stress were randomized to the following groups: Ashwagandha (400 mg/d), Ashwagandha (225 mg/d), and placebo for 30 days. The following outcomes were assessed at Day 0, Day 15, and Day 30: saliva cortisol levels, cognitive performance (i.e., CNS vital signs), and the self-reported measures of Trait Anxiety Inventory, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Food Cravings Questionnaire-15. For the self-report assessments, significant main effects for time were evidenced for anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and food cravings, p's < 0.01. The main effect for group and the interactions were non-significant. For the CNS vital signs, significant differences were observed in cognitive flexibility, visual memory, reaction time, psychomotor speed, and executive functioning, p's < 0.05, with the Ashwagandha groups often out-performing the placebo group. Both Ashwagandha groups had reductions in cortisol levels over time, with significant reductions evidenced for the Ashwagandha 225 mg/d group from Day 0 to Day 15 to Day 30. The placebo group had a non-significant increase in cortisol levels from Day 0 to Day 15-30. No adverse events were reported. In conclusion, Ashwagandha supplementation may improve the physiological, cognitive, and psychological effects of stress.

Keywords: Ashwagandha; Cognition; Cortisol; Stress; Withania somnifera.

Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 2

Fig. 2

Reaction time.

Fig. 3

Fig. 3

CNS variable: Cognitive flexibility.

Fig. 4

Fig. 4

CNS variable: Complex attention.

Fig. 5

Fig. 5

CNS variable: Executive functioning.

Fig. 6

Fig. 6

Participant flow chart.

Fig. 1

Fig. 1

Line graph of the mean cortisol levels by group and time.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Gujski M., Pinkas J., Witczak M., Owoc A., Bojar I. Models of cognitive functions with respect to selected parameters of functional state of the thyroid gland in post-menopausal women. Endokrynol Pol. 2017;68:290–298. - PubMed
    1. Tafet G.E., Nemeroff C.B. The links between stress and depression: psychoneuroendocrinological, genetic, and environmental interactions. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2016;28:77–88. - PubMed
    1. Chandrasekhar K., Kapoor J., Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34:255–262. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Choudhary D., Bhattacharyya S., Joshi K. Body weight management in adults under chronic stress through treatment with ashwagandha root extract: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017;22:96–106. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lopresti A.L., Smith S.J., Malvi H., Kodgule R. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltim) 2019;98 - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources