ashwagandha

November 11, 2009

A recent concern about pregnancy use of ashwagandha stimulated some research on

any possible warnings for it's use in that time. My findings and conclusions

mirrored - with much less detail - this health advocate's discussion on her

forum at the curezone. I'd like to share. It is longish, reflecting much

information and layers of concern you may find interesting about evaluating

" herbal warnings " :

______

Ashwagandha Report - MAJOR LEARNING OPPORTUNITY! Re: Ashwagandha

question

Username: unyquity

8/22/2009 12:22:07 AM; 399

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1477065

___

Kudos on being careful during your upcoming/soon to be pregnancy!; I would like

to remind everyone of the importance in closely examining the possible negative

effect of any & everything we ingest - it should be a major priority in our

life. & And just like our cars, ensuring that fuel & oil that are appropriate to

the engine is the bottom line to ensuring that it works. & nbsp; It matters not

the engine design, if the wrong fuel/oil is used, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY to

avoid symptoms. & nbsp; We just have to 'break through' the

conditioning/brainwashing, folks - our life & amp; health depend upon it. & nbsp;

Over 80% of everything in a supermarket contains genetically

mutilated/laboratory modified poisons...yet there's very few people searching

for the dangers and side-effects (during pregnancy) of ingesting Cheetos,

One-A-Day " vitamins " ; Pepperidge Farm, McDonalds and tap water. & nbsp; Yet the

same people will go totally bonkers digging into the 'warnings'if you suggest

Echinacea to prevent a cold/flu during pregnancy. & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; I'd like to

SEE a true 'double blind' on the effects of synthetic pre-natal vitamins (or

One-A-Days) on a baby...the results would be horrific.

The herb Ashwagandha is indigenous to India (and has been used & amp; studied by

practitioners there for centuries), hence Ayurvedic medicine is likely our best

source for the total truth. & nbsp; Using 'scientific data' without factoring in

the experiences of millions (or vice versa) is not the best way of arriving at

the truth. & nbsp; Much of the information below comes from Ayurvedic sites.

Always remember the laws & amp; regulations of almost every country are decidedly

against the use of herbs (particularly in the US). & nbsp; Hence it is ALWAYS

necessary for sites selling herbs or offering herbal information to list every

possible reported 'caution' (whether they feel or know the 'caution' is

legitimate or not). & nbsp;

Our goal? To find the actual REASON the caution may or may not be valid. & nbsp;

Our methodology? & nbsp; Search through dozens/hundreds of various sites - find

various clinical studies on Ashwagandha (hopefully with explanations in layman's

terminology) so we can understand how it actually works in the body; find

reports from legitimate practitioners that have used the herb (noting how the

reports compare/contrast with the found studies - and we pay CLOSE attention to

contraindications & amp; warnings from practitioners who have utilized the herb

in practice);

find all the 'typical allopathic warnings' (and when possible, find out WHY

these warnings were put into place...this is 'huge' because a substantial

percentage of the warnings & amp; contraindications are TOTALLY invalid or

non-applicable) see *** below; then lay out all the various pieces of the puzzle

and see how they fit together...and take a look at the picture they create.

***This allopathic " scientific " herb-bashing started at the beginning of the

1900's (back when the AMA was going bankrupt and was 'bought out' by investors

in the Pharmaceutical Cartel). & nbsp; They spent (literally) & nbsp; hundreds of

millions of dollars on a mass-media/propaganda blitz up through the 1930's) to

wipe-out ALL forms of competition, which still continues to day) after

'conditioning' the US public/Congress that all other forms of medicine were

unsafe, dangerous " quackery " (a word to which they attached new meaning, that

was rarely used prior to that). & nbsp; This fear is DEEPLY ensconced in all of

us...and most people have NO CONCEPT of how totally controlled and manipulated

the information we have available to us actually has become. & nbsp;

This post (and this entire discussion thread) is very indicative of the level of

unrecognized conditioning in ourselves and other CZers. I am absolutely NOT, in

ANY WAY, trying to say that just because a plant is " naturally occurring " that

it can be assumed to be safe or harmless to ingest. & nbsp; But I am DEFINITELY

suggesting that our 'fear & amp; trepidation' is totally out of balance with

true reality....and it's integral for us all to LEARN how to research the truth

regarding herbs & amp; plants.

(Note: I am missing a few links in this post - my apologies. & nbsp; This day has

been a nightmare - yesterday I upgraded to the latest version of my browser and

in resetting and clearing caches, ... If there's anything missing a link that

you want to find, just copy the complete phrase into Google Advanced, and you'll

likely come up with source on the first 'hit')

http://www.dreddyclinic.com/ayurvedic/herbs/aa/ashwagandha.htm

Ashwaganda is used in asthma and as a uterine sedative. The total alkaloids

showed relaxant and antispasmodic effects against several spasmogens on

intestinal, uterine, bronchial, tracheal and blood-vascular muscles.

GYNAECOLOGY: Excellent tonic to the uterine muscles. Used in menstrual

imbalance caused by a deficient condition with an aggravation of vata.

& gt; & gt; & gt;Caution in excess pitta. Caution in pregnancy- although

traditionally used in India during pregnancy its spasmolytic activity on the

uterus has led western phytotherapy to restrict its use in pregnancy. & nbsp;

(unlike the " warning " that was previously posted - that indicates this is a BAD

thing, what it is saying is simply that because it prevents spams somehow

" western medicine " has chosen to restrict it's use in pregnancy. & nbsp; This does

NOT mean the physician that wrote this thinks it's use SHOULD be restricted!!)

Definitions of spasmolytic on the Web: & bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;antispasmodic:

a drug used to relieve or prevent spasms (especially of the smooth muscles)

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn & bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;spasmolysis - the

relaxation or relief of muscle spasms wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

& bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Checking spasms or cramps.

www.planetbotanic.ca/glossary.htm & bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;(action) counteracts

or relieves muscle spasm (as per antispasmodic).

www.ann.com.au/subindex_dictionary.htm & bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;Antispasmodic;

referring to agents that may eliminate or relieve spasms, typically of

involuntary (ie, smooth) muscle, such as within the arteries, the intestine, the

ring-shaped muscles around certain natural openings or passages (sphincters),

the bladder, the muscular tubes that carry urine ...

www.dbs-stn.org/glossary4.php & bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;another name for

anti-spasmodic. www.woodlandherbs.co.uk/acatalog/glossary.html &

bull; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;spasmolytics - Drugs eliminating muscular spasms of

internal hollow organs, such as intestines, biliary and urinary tracts, female

sexual organs; they are ...

www.zentiva.cz/default.aspx/en/consumers/glossary/group-indication

If you clicked the first link, you found that this information seems to be

solidly backed up by legitimate research. & nbsp; We just learned that

Ashwagandha prevents spasms & amp; cramping, and it's been traditionally used

during pregnancy in India. & nbsp; So based on simple logic, it would seem perhaps

you wouldn't want to use this herb immediately before delivery, as it might

weaken the spasms/contractions somewhat (???). & nbsp; And it seems very illogical

that an herb that prevents spasms could induce a miscarriage or spontaneous

abortion.

**********

http://www.anysubject.com/ashwagandha-root-benefit-of-ashwagandha-plant-extract-\

indian-ginseng.asp

It is also used as uterine tonic and to enhance female libido.

& gt; & gt; & gt;Effects on pregnant woman: Ashwagandha is very effective in

conditions like habitual abortion, threatened abortion. It stabilizes pregnancy

and balances hormones which stabilize pregnancy . (this does not mean it

causes abortion, it means it is very effective at stopping abortion/miscarriage

in those that have had spontaneous abortions in the past, or those that seem to

be about ready to abort).

About The Author Dr. Krishna.R.S has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 19

yrs , after getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic

Medicine and Surgery) in 1986 from University of Mysore, India. He completed his

post graduation diploma about allopathic medicine and surgery from University of

Bangalore, Karnataka, India.His articles about ayurveda and life sciences have

been published in many magzines. Dr.Krishna. R.S is a star athlete and has

represented state and universities when he was in high school, pre university

and college. Dr.Krishna . R.S lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India. He gives

consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore the silicon valley of India.

Ph:91-0821-5567088 Mob: 9448433911 Email :

drkrishnars www.ayurveda-increaselibido.com

********** Pharmacognosy Reviews Vol 1, Issue 1, Jan- May, 2007 & copy; 2007

REV. An official Publication of Phcog.Net PHCOG MAG.: Plant Review Withania

somnifera (Ashwagandha): A Review From link following: (sadly the .pdf is not

available, so we have to use the caches .html version - which you have to

copy/paste to be able to read the tiny print on the documentation): & nbsp;

http://tinyurl.com/meq7ht & gt; & gt; & gt;It is in use for a very long time for all

age groups and both sexes and even during pregnancy without any side effects

(2).

(the reference (2) is to a long term animal study)

****** http://www.bulkmsm.com/AyurvedicHerbalMSM/p18.htm

Indications: Root: asthma, bronchitis, edema, leucoderma, anorexia,

consumption, asthenia, anemia, exhaustion, aging, insomnia, ADD/ADHD,

neurasthenia, infertility, impotence, repeated miscarriage, paralysis, memory

loss, multiple sclerosis, immune-dysfunction, carcinoma, rheumatism, arthritis,

lumbago (Dash 1991 59; Dash and Junius 1987, 155; Kirtikar and Basu 1993,

1775-76; Frawley and Lad 1986, 160; Nadkarni 1976, 1293-94; Varier 1996, 409)

Ashvagandha may be used by men as sexual tonic in the treatment of

spermatopathia, impotence and " seminal depletion " (Nadkarni 1976, 1293). When

mixed with equal parts Shatavari, it is an appropriate treatment for female

infertility and frigidity and is useful in threatened miscarriage.

*************************************************

Information from typical allopathic medicine site: From WebMD (after looking at

several allopathic sites, this summarizes the typical offering): Under

Side-Effects:

Ashwagandha seems to be safe when taken by mouth, short-term. The long-term

safety of ashwagandha is not known. Lol, not known to whoever wrote that! But

Ayurvedic doctors know/claim & nbsp; that it's safe for long-term usage (and there

are countless studies that prove it, not to mention hundreds of thousands of

people using it safely for centuries.

Large doses of ashwagandha might cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Really, ya think? Large doses of ANYTHING can cause stomach upset, diarrhea and

vomiting. & nbsp; :::smirk :::

Do not use ashwagandha if:

You are pregnant or breast-feeding. (Why please? it's been studied and

reported to enhance breast feeding - and it seems to have plenty of evidence to

be beneficial to the uterus and 'stabilizing' for pregnancy which clearly

agrees with it's other known actions in the body).

You have a stomach ulcer. & nbsp; This one took some digging - it seems there's

a huge conflict, with virtually every site ending up recommending against it's

use for stomach ulcers. & nbsp; BUT, it looks like this is the reason (huge sigh

of exasperation/frustration): & gt; & gt; & gt;In the absence of H. pylori,

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage is the most common cause of peptic

ulcer; surreptitious nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

usage is a cause of unexplained ulcer disease in up to 60% of patients.

(This is SO typical! (grrrr *@!$*# & amp;!) There is allopathic/pharmaceutical

research that proves that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs create stomach

ulcers (well duh). & nbsp; And since the natural herb Ashwagandha reduces

inflammation... " science " then claims Ashwagandha shouldn't be used in the

presence of stomach ulcers. & nbsp; But Ashwagandha is NOT a pharmaceutical or

OTC anti-inflammatory drug. & nbsp; It's natural/safe action for reducing

inflammation are not the same as pharmaceutical/OTC " drugs " . & nbsp; AND - we

have this information:)

(Anti-ulcer. In 1987, S.K. Battacharya and coworkers investigated the extract's

effects in relation to stress-induced gastric ulcers. They found that daily

administration, for a period of four days prior to ulcer induction,

significantly reduced the incidence, total number and severity of ulcers formed

compared with salt-water-placebo-treated controls. Y.P. Sahni and D.N.

Srivastava observed similar results in 1993 in terms of number of ulcers formed

and the severity of those which occurred)

Avoid if You have an immune system disease such as multiple sclerosis (MS),

lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other

conditions called " autoimmune disease. " (For those that believe in what

allopathic medicine term " autoimmune disease " , then of course, they wouldn't

want to take something that enhances strengthens the immune system as

effectively as Ashwagandha - yet another reason to use it during pregnancy).

Avoid if you are scheduled for surgery in the next two weeks. Ashwagandha might

cause excessive sedation if combined with medications used during and after

surgery. (Lol, no one ever needs to schedule themselves for surgery, if they

learn enough about (and apply) Natural Healing.)

(Found Under " Uses " and " Dosage " )

Insufficient evidence for: Tumors, tuberculosis, liver problems, swelling

(inflammation), ulcerations, stress, inducing vomiting, altering immune

function, improving aging effects, fibromyalgia, and other conditions. No dose

is provided. There is insufficient evidence to rate ashwagandha as effective

for any use. (Au contraire, even I (insignificant layman that I am) can find

DOZENS of clinical studies & amp; double blinds proving the efficacy of

Ashwagandha.)

***************

I had to look for a VERY long time to find out what possible reason all the

warnings are about Ashwagandha being an abortifacient (causes a

miscarriage). & nbsp; FINALLY I found this:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/27608

Precautions Ashwagandha is a very beneficial herb, but it must never be

prescribed to pregnant women. The various chemical constituents of ashwagandha

can lead to abortion of the fetus. Though it is used to correct sterility

itself, its use must be discontinued as soon as the woman conceives.

AHA! FINALLY!! :::insert yet ANOTHER aggravated sigh of

exasperation::: & nbsp; & nbsp; Someone, somewhere along the line examined all of

the hundreds of different " chemical constituents " in the plant and found that

one or two or several...IF isolated away from the hundreds of others and IF

given in large doses, could THEORETICALLY induce a miscarriage.

And that folks...IS VERY VERY VERY VERY COMMON! (and JUST as maddening!)I

wonder how many thousands of women have avoided using this wonderful herb during

pregnancy (that is fully of nourishment, healing for the mother AND helps to

prevent miscarriage), because of the bogus and totally UNscientific " scientific

reports " . :(

Thoughts:

I would not hesitate to use Ashwagandha before or during my own pregnancy - nor

would I hesitate to advise it to anyone that is pregnant or thinking of becoming

pregnant.

But let it be known that even though *I* would not hesitate to use Ashwagandha

daily (if I needed it) throughout my own pregnancy, or advise it's use for

others, I certainly understand that others might not choose to use it.

If anyone can ever post evidence of a verified report of someone experiencing

ANYTHING negative in a pregnancy due to the use of organic Ashwagandha Root (NOT

a chemical isolate or extract of Ashwagandha!), then I will research it further,

and if I find it to be valid, I will add it to this post (or delete this post

entirely). & nbsp; I searched for three solid hours looking for reports of actual

harm and could find nothing.

Healthiest of blessings - in truth!

Unyquity P.S. Anytime anyone posts an " herbal warning " (especially one taken

from an allopathic site), I expect them to do this kind of research and post it

along with it. Yes, there ARE herbs that have side-effects (sheesh, too much

water can kill us!) - but I will NOT allow this forum to be a breeding ground

for unneccessary fear, nor a tool of the Posers That Be.

Kudos on being careful during your upcoming/soon to be pregnancy!I would like to

remind everyone of the importance in closely examining the possible negative

effect of any & amp; everything we ingest - it should be a major priority in our

life. & nbsp; And just like our cars, ensuring that fuel & amp; oil that are

appropriate to the engine is the bottom line to ensuring that it works. & nbsp; It

matters not the engine design, if the wrong fu

el/oil is used, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY to avoid symptoms. & nbsp; We just have

to 'break through' the conditioning/brainwashing, folks - our life & amp; health

depend upon it. & nbsp; Over 80% of everything in a supermarket contains

genetically mutilated/laboratory modified poisons...yet there's very few people

searching for the dangers and side-effects (during pregnancy) of ingesting

Cheetos, One-A-Day " vitamins " ; Pepperidge Farm, McDonalds and tap water. & nbsp;

Yet the same people will go totally bonkers digging into the 'warnings' if you

suggest Echinacea to prevent a cold/flu during pregnancy. & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; I'd

like to SEE a true 'double blind' on the effects of synthetic pre-natal vitamins

(or One-A-Days) on a baby...the results would be horrific. The herb Ashwagandha

is indigenous to India (and has been used & amp; studied by practitioners there

for centuries), hence Ayurvedic medicine is likely our best source for the total

truth. & nbsp; Using 'scientific data' without

factoring in the experiences of millions (or vice versa) is not the best way of

arriving at the truth. & nbsp; Much of the information below comes from Ayurvedic

sites. Always remember the laws & amp; regulations of almost every country are

decidedly against the use of herbs (particularly in the US). & nbsp; Hence it is

ALWAYS necessary for sites selling herbs or offering herbal information to list

every possible reported 'caution' (whether they feel or know the 'caution' is

legitimate or not). & nbsp; Our goal? To find the actual REASON the caution may or

may not be valid. & nbsp; Our methodology? & nbsp; Search through dozens/hundreds of

various sites - find various clinical studies on Ashwagandha (hopefully with

explanations in layman's terminology) so we can understand how it actually works

in the body; find reports from legitimate practitioners that have used the herb

(noting how the reports compare/contrast with the found studies - and we pay

CLOSE attention to contraindications

& amp; warnings from practitioners who have utilized the herb in practice); find

all the 'typical allopathic warnings' (and when possible, find out WHY these

warnings were put into place...this is 'huge' because a substantial percentage

of the warnings & amp; contraindications are TOTALLY invalid or non-applicable)

see *** below; then lay out all the various pieces of the puzzle and see how

they fit together...and take a look at the picture they create. ***This

allopathic " scientific " herb-bashing started at the beginning of the 1900's

(back when the AMA was going bankrupt and was 'bought out' by investors in the

Pharmaceutical Cartel). & nbsp; They spent (literally) & nbsp; hundreds of millions

of dollars on a mass-media/propaganda blitz up through the 1930's) to wipe-out

ALL forms of competition, which still continues to day) after 'conditioning' the

US public/Congress that all other forms of medicine were unsafe, dangerous

" quackery " (a word to which they attached new meaning,

that was rarely used prior to that). & nbsp; This fear is DEEPLY ensconced in all

of us...and most people have NO CONCEPT of how totally controlled and

manipulated the information we have available to us actually has become. & nbsp;

This post (and this entire thread) is very indicative of the level of

unrecognized conditioning in ourselves and other CZers. I am absolutely NOT, in

ANY WAY, trying to say that just because a plant is " naturally occurring " that

it can be assumed to be safe or harmless to ingest. & nbsp; But I am DEFINITELY

suggesting that our 'fear & amp; trepidation' is totally out of balance with true

reality....and it's integral for us all to LEARN how to research the truth

regarding herbs & amp; plants.

(Note: I am missing a few links in this post - my apologies. & nbsp; This day has

been a nightmare - yesterday I upgraded to the latest version of my browser and

in resetting and clearing caches, I deleted a VAST amount of information that I

need. & nbsp; And something bizarre happened in Word with this entire post (which

was totally formatted a ready to post THREE hours ago...and I'm having to paste

it without formatting, and format each paragraph totally over. & nbsp; If there's

anything missing a link that you want to find, just copy the complete phrase

into Google Advanced, and you'll like come up with source on the first 'hit')

http://www.dreddyclinic.com/ayurvedic/herbs/aa/ashwagandha.htm

& gt; & gt; & gt;Ashwaganda is used in asthma and as a uterine sedative. The total

alkaloids showed relaxant and antispasmodic effects against several spasmogens

on intestinal, uterine, bronchial, tracheal and blood-vascular muscles.

& gt; & gt; & gt;GYNAECOLOGY: Excellent tonic to the uterine muscles. Used in

menstrual imbalance caused by a deficient condition with an aggravation of vata.