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Ashwagandha, more than an adaptogen

JudoJosh

JudoJosh

Pro Virili Parte
Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the impact of Withania somnifera roots on semen profile, oxidative biomarkers, and reproductive hormone levels of infertile men.

DESIGN:

Prospective study.

SETTING:

Departments of Biochemistry and Urology, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Lucknow, India.

PATIENT(S):

Seventy-five normal healthy fertile men (control subjects) and 75 men undergoing infertility screening.

INTERVENTION(S):

High-performance liquid chromatography assay procedure for quantization of vitamin A and E in seminal plasma. Biochemical parameters in seminal plasma were estimated by standard spectrophotometric procedures. Estimation of T, LH, FSH, and PRL in blood serum by RIA methods.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES(S):

Before and after the treatment, seminal plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, and serum T, LH, FSH, and PRL levels were measured.

RESULT(S):

Withania somnifera inhibited lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content and improved sperm count and motility. Treatment of infertile men recovered the seminal plasma levels of antioxidant enzymes and vitamins A, C, and E and corrected fructose. Moreover, treatment also significantly increased serum T and LH and reduced the levels of FSH and PRL.

CONCLUSION(S):

The treatment with W. somnifera effectively reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by decreased levels of various oxidants and improved level of diverse antioxidants. Moreover, the levels of T, LH, FSH and PRL, good indicators of semen quality, were also reversed in infertile subjects after treatment with the herbal preparation. Copyright (c) 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PMID:19501822
 
Not sure what dosage they used. But I've been taking 450mg of sensoril extract and it along with zinc has had a bigger impact on endurance and libido than any $30 test booster I have used. Was a pleasant surprise.
 
broons said:
Not sure what dosage they used. But I've been taking 450mg of sensoril extract and it along with zinc has had a bigger impact on endurance and libido than any $30 test booster I have used. Was a pleasant surprise.
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generally, the actual plant is used at about 5g daily
 
Careful not to go too high

Effect of Withania somnifera root extract on the sexual behaviour of male rats.

Abstract

AIM:

To determine the effect of a methanolic extract of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal roots on sexual competence of male rats.
METHODS:

Male rats were orally administered 3000 mg.kg-1.day-1 of root extract for 7 days. Their sexual behaviour was evaluated 7 days prior to treatment, day 3 and 7 of treatment, and day 7, 14 and 30 post-treatment by pairing each male with a receptive female.
RESULTS:

The root extract induced a marked impairment in libido, sexual performance, sexual vigour, and penile erectile dysfunction. These effects were partly reversible on cessation of treatment. These antimasculine effects are not due to changes in testosterone levels or toxicity but may be attributed to hyperprolactinemic, GABAergic, serotonergic or sedative activities of the extract.
CONCLUSION:

Use of W. somnifera roots may be detrimental to male sexual competence.
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The above is 3000mg. I know people who have taken 1000mg but it becomes quite sedating that high. Personally I take 450mg
 
JudoJosh said:
Careful not to go too high

These antimasculine effects are not due to changes in testosterone levels or toxicity but may be attributed to hyperprolactinemic, GABAergic, serotonergic or sedative activities of the extract.
CONCLUSION:

Use of W. somnifera roots may be detrimental to male sexual competence.
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That is 3000 mg/kg. That is around 60 grams of ashwaghanda in humans
 
mr.cooper69 said:
generally, the actual plant is used at about 5g daily
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I thought as much but wasn't sure. I'll have to see what potency Sensoril is. I'm enjoying taking it very much. Most supplements have little effect on me so nice to find one that I can actually feel a positive difference on.

Been sleeping pretty good on it. I don't find it sedating at all. I take one when I get up and one before bed.
 
mr.cooper69 said:
That is 3000 mg/kg. That is around 60 grams of ashwaghanda in humans
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Depending on the formula used to extrapolate rodent dosages to humans its probably closer to 40 grams in an 80kg man. A pretty insane dosage by any means.

Found this. May be old news though

Invalid Link Removed
 
I find the regular NOW version to be pretty potent. 1 cap plus 3 caps of magnesium threonate and I am one chill dude. I'll try the sensorial version at some point.
 
Firstly, I'm certain I read that it might cause GI issues. Hard to tell, as I'd been eating chili twice a day. I seem to get more of a coffee-like effect. As for the rest of the effects, it's mild increased T positives all around that might also be caused by other stuff I've bee playing with for the past 10 days so I can't say for certain, but I think I'd attribute, at the very least, the increased capacity for volume training to the ashwagandha.

Oh. I'm also becoming convinced that dropping digestive enzymes with it helps.
 
mr.cooper69 said:
Stuff is legit, likely superior to even sensoril
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Interesting. Do you believe that Sensoril contains actives from the leaves and roots making it less potent?

Tried reading a little and see that as the only thing, after a brief search, that could make it better.
 
The Engineer said:
What about the KSM-66 derivative standardized to 5%?
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Canada recently Oks enhanced health claims for KSM 66. I can't post links to the story I read but it is at nutraingredients website.

One product that I would like to try is Biotivia's Bioforge and this is an ingredient. It seems to get very good reviews by almost all who take it.

Rod
 
Does anyone have experience with many forms of ashwagandha, especially the NOW foods 2.5% and sensoril?

I just went through a bottle of the NOW brand. Combined with relora, it relaxed and sedated me and was a perfect night cap, even eliminating my need for other stronger sleep aides (combined with melatonin).

I bought the Smart Powders brand which claimed to be 5%, but it doesn't have the same sedating/relaxing/anti-anxiety effect as the NOW foods at 300 or 600mg (even though it's supposed to be twice as strong). I have heard about sensoril (and I just read about KSM-66 in this thread), and I am curious if anyone has direct experience and can compare the effects to the NOW brand. I am only using it at night to relax me (combined with relora), so I am only after the sedating/relaxing/anti-anxiety effects (I assumed that the effects would be comparable with all extracts, but my experience with the Smart Powders brand left me thinking that different extracts will have vastly different effects...or maybe their extract just sucks?). Thanks in advance!

As a side note, I have been running relora/ashwagandha for about 3.5 months now. How long can I run this combo before I should take a break, and how long should that break be?

Thanks!
Tyler
 
I don't have all of your answers but Smart Powders bulks being of poor quality seems semi common. Haven't tried myself, but this isn't the first time I've heard question of their bulk products vs other brands.
 
rob112 said:
I don't have all of your answers but Smart Powders bulks being of poor quality seems semi common. Haven't tried myself, but this isn't the first time I've heard question of their bulk products vs other brands.
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Yeah I got TMG from them that is likely not TMG (white crystals, super sour, seems like it's betaine HCl but the company has sworn up and down that it isn't) in the same order. It's a shame because I really like that company. On the plus side, they said they will refund me for both products and are getting another round of third party lab testing on the TMG since they have gotten so many complaints. Hopefully that testing gives some answers.
 
NOW brand at 2.5% has been far and away the best ashwagandha brand I have tried and I have used numerous brands. For me, it is sedating in an a anxiolytic way, but also mentally stimulating. It relaxes nervous energy, but also gets the mind going and opened up. I can't take it past 3-4pm because I will be up all night thinking about things I want to do.
 
kisaj said:
NOW brand at 2.5% has been far and away the best ashwagandha brand I have tried and I have used numerous brands. For me, it is sedating in an a anxiolytic way, but also mentally stimulating. It relaxes nervous energy, but also gets the mind going and opened up. I can't take it past 3-4pm because I will be up all night thinking about things I want to do.
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Man that is really interesting because I found the NOW brand to be amazing for helping me relax and shut my mind off to get to sleep. If you don't mind me prying a bit, have you used Sensoril (any brand at 225mg)? If so, how did it compare to the NOW brand (as much detail as possible is appreciated, but I am mostly after relaxation and sedation, so those areas are the most important to me)? Any experience with KSW-66 (new extract that looks to be similar to NOW's dosing as it is twice as strong but half the dose)? Also, if you have time, what other brands have you used and how different were their effects and in what ways? I am looking mostly for sedation and can't decide between a full-spectrum root extract like NOW foods, or Sensoril (root and leaf). I am being neurotic because I want to make the best choice before buying as I will have to get it shipped from the US so I will be stuck with it for awhile. NOW's is the safe bet since I tried and liked it, but people do seem to love sensoril.

Thanks so much for your input! The fact that you have tried a lot of brands and seem to have been taking ashwagandha for a long time means you are exactly the kinda guy I was hoping to hear from ;) .

Thanks again!
Tyler
 
I really couldn't tell you all the brands because I have gone through 6-7 over the years and yes I have tried the Sensoril, from Jarrow I believe it was. It is sedating and relaxing, which is what I did not want because I want the edge off, but to be mentally sharp. It was a bit much since I am very sensitive to this. For your needs, it may be what you are looking for.

I am not familiar with the KSW-66 until you just mentioned it.
 
kisaj said:
I really couldn't tell you all the brands because I have gone through 6-7 over the years and yes I have tried the Sensoril, from Jarrow I believe it was. It is sedating and relaxing, which is what I did not want because I want the edge off, but to be mentally sharp. It was a bit much since I am very sensitive to this. For your needs, it may be what you are looking for.

I am not familiar with the KSW-66 until you just mentioned it.
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It is really new I think. Honestly it looks like it wouldn't feel much different from NOW's, but since you are in the US you can find it for about the same price (Swanson's makes it and sell it for like 7 bucks for a bottle of 60), so it might be worth checking out (and then telling me about, haha).

So you found the Sensoril to be a much stronger sedating effect than the NOW foods version? Any other differences you noticed? BTW where are you at in CO? I was born in Boulder.

Thanks!
Tyler
 
tyrub42 said:
It is really new I think. Honestly it looks like it wouldn't feel much different from NOW's, but since you are in the US you can find it for about the same price (Swanson's makes it and sell it for like 7 bucks for a bottle of 60), so it might be worth checking out (and then telling me about, haha).

So you found the Sensoril to be a much stronger sedating effect than the NOW foods version? Any other differences you noticed? BTW where are you at in CO? I was born in Boulder.

Thanks!
Tyler
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Thanks for bringing the KSM-66 to my attention- it does sound similar and likely not what you are looking for based on customer reviews. There are quite a few that mention the energy it gives, which would be similar to how the NOW brand effects my mind. If you are after sedation, there are just enough reviews that mention stimulating and energy that it might not be what you want. I would be happy to buy some and give it a try and report back to you, it is cheap enough.

About Sensoril- yes, definitely more sedating. More dulling is the feeling and that would be great in high stress times, but not for me. I like to be very mentally aware and physically relaxed in high stress times.
 
kisaj said:
Thanks for bringing the KSM-66 to my attention- it does sound similar and likely not what you are looking for based on customer reviews. There are quite a few that mention the energy it gives, which would be similar to how the NOW brand effects my mind. If you are after sedation, there are just enough reviews that mention stimulating and energy that it might not be what you want. I would be happy to buy some and give it a try and report back to you, it is cheap enough.

About Sensoril- yes, definitely more sedating. More dulling is the feeling and that would be great in high stress times, but not for me. I like to be very mentally aware and physically relaxed in high stress times.
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Thanks so much, man! I can't tell you how much this all helps. I will give Sensoril a shot.
 
I just ordered the Nutri Gold brand of KSM-66 and will report back on the differences or similarities from the NOW brand.
 
kisaj said:
I just ordered the Nutri Gold brand of KSM-66 and will report back on the differences or similarities from the NOW brand.
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I just ordered that brand too and should receive it tomorrow. The only other brand I've tried is Jarrow and also noticed it was sedating. I'm hoping the Nutrigold brand is a little more energizing (to help counter the sedation from Bacopa).
 
Everybody's chenistry is different because Ashwagandha and Bacopa give me great energy, but calm my anxiousness. In fact, I take it before a workout because I can really concentrate and focus on my lifts better.

All reports I have read say that the KSM-66 gives energy, so we'll see how it goes.
 
kisaj said:
Everybody's chenistry is different because Ashwagandha and Bacopa give me great energy, but calm my anxiousness. In fact, I take it before a workout because I can really concentrate and focus on my lifts better.

All reports I have read say that the KSM-66 gives energy, so we'll see how it goes.
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I've been using Swanson's KSM-66 for nearly 2 weeks. Very affordable. Hard to judge acute effects yet. Been dosing 1 cap AM (preworkout) and 1 cap 12 hours later. After this weekend I will start trying other protocols.
 
You guys are getting me really interested in bacopa as well. I might have to give that a try at some point. It would probably be overkill with ashwagandha and relora, though, so I might have to try those three in different combinations. I have been taking only relora/melatonin at night recently (got a bad batch of ashwagandha that seems to wake me up instead of putting me to sleep, and will need a break in a few days anyway, so just stopped taking it), and that is still nice and sedating, but not as nice as relora/ashwagandha/melatonin. Maybe bacopa will fit into there somewhere as well. I will look for some bacopa supplements to try.
 
Even though it's only been a few days, I'm really enjoying ashwagandha stacked with bacopa. They seem to compliment each other nicely.
 
kisaj said:
Everybody's chenistry is different because Ashwagandha and Bacopa give me great energy, but calm my anxiousness. In fact, I take it before a workout because I can really concentrate and focus on my lifts better.

All reports I have read say that the KSM-66 gives energy, so we'll see how it goes.
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Just quoting myself since it has been a week since taking the KSM-66 and I can say that I notice nothing different than the Himalaya brand I enjoy so much. I still get the same energy and clarity is equal. It tells me that there may be a point where quantity/% of the herb may not continue to show additional benefits.
I'll finish off the bottle and stick with the brand that I have been enjoying.
 
kisaj said:
Just quoting myself since it has been a week since taking the KSM-66 and I can say that I notice nothing different than the Himalaya brand I enjoy so much. I still get the same energy and clarity is equal. It tells me that there may be a point where quantity/% of the herb may not continue to show additional benefits.
I'll finish off the bottle and stick with the brand that I have been enjoying.
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So, you use the Himalaya brand for both bacopa and ashwagandha?
 
No, I use himalaya brand for bacopa and NOW for ashwagandha. I like both companies and they both have stellar products, so you really can't go wrong either way.
 
Anyone have experience with Smart Powders' bacopa extract? I am going to order some rhodiola and am thinking about throwing that in the ole' shopping cart as well.
 
kisaj said:
No, I use himalaya brand for bacopa and NOW for ashwagandha. I like both companies and they both have stellar products, so you really can't go wrong either way.
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That makes sense then that your ashwagandha experience was the same with both. KSM-66 is twice as strong but half the dosage and both are root powders. That speaks really highly of NOW Foods though that it actually turned out to be the case. Thanks for sharing! When I end up trying Sensoril I will report on my experience (it will be about a month as I am going to take a break from it before ordering). If anyone else has experience with other brands and wants to post their personal observations/comparisons, it would be great to have a thread with that information on here!
 
tyrub42 said:
Anyone have experience with Smart Powders' bacopa extract? I am going to order some rhodiola and am thinking about throwing that in the ole' shopping cart as well.
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I ordered from Smart Powders in the past and wasn't too happy with the quality, but I have heard that they have been better as of late.
 
KrisL said:
Dosage?
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Both are 500 mg and the Nutrigold brand. I take one capsule of each in the morning and late afternoon/evening. The Bacopa is standardized for 225 mg @ 50% and 275 mg @ 20%. The Ashwagandha is standardized for 300 mg @ 5% plus an additional 200 mg of whole root powder. I haven't tried many brands though. So, please don't take this is an endorsement of one particular brand over all others. Some may work better, while others might be worse. For example, it sounds like kisaj has had a lot of luck with the himalaya brand of Bacopa. However, the percent extract is much lower than the nutrigold brand. So, it might be better to look at material quality, extraction method (and whether it's a full-spectrum extraction), etc. more so than trying to meet some exact dosage. That is just a guess at this point though. I'm pretty new to herbs and definitely no expert on the subject.
 
kisaj said:
I ordered from Smart Powders in the past and wasn't too happy with the quality, but I have heard that they have been better as of late.
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I see...was it the bacopa that you weren't happy with, or just their bulks in general?
 
I'll have to try an ashwagandha with a standardized extract to see if it's any more effective than just the root. I picked up the Swanson stuff when it was like $2/bottle and was taking 5g/day... their 1.5% is on sale for $2.81/bottle now. Might have to experiment.
 
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