Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) on stress and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Arumugam V, Vijayakumar V, Balakrishnan A, B Bhandari R, Boopalan D, Ponnurangam R, Sankaralingam Thirupathy V, Kuppusamy M
Explore (New York, N.Y.) · 16 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2024-09-21 · Explore (NY) · vol. 20 · issue 6 · p. 103062
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 32 citations · more than 98% of similar papers · 5.9× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 34 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Hallucinations in medical conditions
- Keywords
- Withania somnifera, Anxiety, Meta-analysis, Traditional medicine, Psychology, Medicine, Alternative medicine, Psychiatry, Internal medicine, Pathology
- MeSH
- humans, withania, plant extracts, phytotherapy, stress, psychological, anxiety, randomized controlled trials as topic
8 authors
From IN
- Velan ArumugamTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University; Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy
- Venugopal VijayakumarCentral Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy
- Arthi BalakrishnanTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University; Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy
- Rudra B. BhandariPatanjali Research Foundation
- Deenadayalan Boopalan
- Ramesh PonnurangamTamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University; Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy
Abstract
Background
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogenic herb used to prevent and treat psychosomatic disorders. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects and safety of Ashwagandha on psychosomatic functions related to stress and anxiety among patients.
Methods
A comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Library for articles published from January 2000 to January 2022. Randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of Ashwagandha on stress and anxiety were included. Two authors independently extracted all relevant data from the included studies. Both subjective and objective measures of stress and anxiety were assessed as outcome variables.
Result
Nine randomized controlled trials involving 558 patients were eligible for this study. The findings of the meta-analysis showed a significant effect of Ashwagandha formulations on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (MD = -4.72, 95 % CI = [-8.45 to -0.99]), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) (MD = -2.19, 95 % CI = [-3.83 to -0.55]), and serum cortisol levels (MD = -2.58, 95 % CI = [-4.99 to -0.16]) compared to the placebo group. Among the included studies, four reported mild to moderate adverse events.
Conclusion
The findings from the included studies indicate that Ashwagandha formulations have beneficial effects on stress and anxiety. The adverse effects associated with Ashwagandha are limited; however, further information is required to determine its safety with long-term administration.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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