ashwagandha

[Dmcooper]

Just bought 500g of ashwagandha. Is it one of those things that you can just take every day for the rest of your life?
A lot of supplements have low doses compared to studies that used 5g daily to raise testosterone. I want to use it for it's other benefits also, not just for test, so what doses are you guys using? and why are you using that dose? different dosses for different results?

 

[Daycrawler]

Just bought 500g of ashwagandha. Is it one of those things that you can just take every day for the rest of your life?
A lot of supplements have low doses compared to studies that used 5g daily to raise testosterone. I want to use it for it's other benefits also, not just for test, so what doses are you guys using? and why are you using that dose? different dosses for different results?

What's the % on it?

 

[Dmcooper]

What's the % on it?

3.3% Withanolides.
Is that the % you were talking about?

 

[muscleupcrohn]

3.3% Withanolides.
Is that the % you were talking about?

Probably. Also, I'm curious if that's determined with HPLC or gravimetry/titration. Much of the promising research on ashwagandha (reducing stress/anxiety, improving performance and body composition, improving cognition, etc) uses 600mg/day of KSM-66, which is 5% withanolides HPLC. That's 30mg withanolides per day, usually split in 2 doses in studies. I'd dose Ashwagandha to hit the 30mg/day withanolides. That's assuming it's standardized according to HPLC, as gravimetry/titration gives a higher withanolide reading than HPLC (which is what KSM and most studies use to determine withanolide content).

 

[Dmcooper]

Thanks for the info!

Looks like it says gravimetry, is this less accurate?

 

[muscleupcrohn]

Thanks for the info!

Looks like it says gravimetry, is this less accurate?

From the KSM website:

The vast majority of manufacturers across the world estimate withanolide content by gravimetric analysis, which does not provide accurate results. Unfortunately, gravimetric analysis often overestimates withanolide content by a factor of 2.5 to 3! This is because gravimetry does not adequately discriminate between withanolides and some other constituents, thereby bundling withanolides with other compounds and over-assessing the extent of withanolides. Furthermore, gravimetric analysis is idiosyncratic and shows too much inter-batch and intra-batch variation. In contrast, the HPLC method of withanolide assessment operates near the molecular level and is much more discriminating and accurate. KSM-66 withanolide content is measured by HPLC and is found to be of >5% concentration. As an aside, when measured by gravimetry, the concentration is found to be in the 8% to 15% range.

 

[Daycrawler]

3.3% Withanolides.
Is that the % you were talking about?

Yeah apologies, should've been more specific.

500-750mg would be a good dose.

 

[Dmcooper]

From the KSM website:

Wow I did not know this! Now I'm thinking it would have been cheaper to buy KSM-66.
I've been reading that withaferin A from ashwagandha is toxic, what do you guys think?
Could my stuff be high in this toxic compound?