Quite a revelation
"I'll preface my review by stating that I'm a healthy, quite physically fit 34 yr old male. Excellent cholesterol and blood pressure. I sleep well and average around 7-7.5 hrs per night. I do not take any medications. I take a low-dose whole food multi vitamin, fish oil and D3. I've been fasting 20 hours per day every day since January 2014. I take a serving of BCAAs and organic greens powder during my fasting period. I eat mainly organic, whole foods, no grains, and virtually no packaged products. I've taken all kinds of supplements in the past. Literally multiple dozens of them. Over the last 20 or so years I've come to approach health claims associated with them with a healthy heap of skepticism. I continue to take the supplements I previously mentioned because I do believe they're very important for maintaining optimal health and they have proven themselves to me.
I happened to hear about Ashwagandha through a podcast I listen to about natural ways to maintain healthy testosterone levels. The hosts discussed at length how this herb (or herbal root, rather), is classified by many as an adaptogen, which is a substance that helps stabilize physiological processes. It's been used in Indian Ayurvedic medical practice for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. I spoke about it with an Indian (native) colleague of mine at work; he explained that it's quite widely used to treat many conditions in his home country. It is also said to effectively regulate hormone levels, especially cortisol, which, is released by the body when under stress. Cortisol (aka adrenaline) is necessary for healthy function, but an over-secretion of it can underpin a wide range of health problems. What piqued my interest about Ashwagandha are its mood-stabilizing effects. I can become irritable as a result of fasting and lifting very heavy weights in the morning without food for the next 10 hours or so, and I don't like being that way. Cortisol and hormonal imbalances likely cause it, since the body releases cortisol in response to lack of food, which helps quiet hunger. I've also always been a slightly anxious person. Not clinically (at least I hope not), but enough that I sometimes don't enjoy things/ experiences as much as I know I could.
After doing my research and coming to the conclusion that this is a safe supplement and reading reviews of it, I decided to purchase it. I took my first pill on 3/19, an hour before bed. I had a lot of food in my belly, and I didn't notice anything before falling asleep for the night. The next morning, about 15 minutes after waking up, I noticed that I was feeling calmer than normal. It's tough to explain. Sort of peaceful. It was marked enough for me to notice, but nothing overwhelming. I took another pill around 1 or 2pm that day. That was on an empty stomach. Within about 90 minutes, I definitely felt more relaxed. I'm continuing to take two pills per day, spread evenly. I absolutely, positively notice a difference in how I feel mentally--specifically how I respond to situations. The way I describe the feeling is that the edge is blunted. I don't care less about things, I care about them differently. When my 4.5 yr old son is behaving in a way that I don't like, it honestly doesn't grate on me the way it did pre-Ashwagandha. I feel that it allows me to observe him, think and calmly respond, rather than react, if that makes sense. I'm more open to ideas that are different than mine as well. I very highly doubt this is me experiencing a placebo effect. I began taking it thinking it would do nothing noticeable, but it really really does. It's not overwhelming--not like, "oh my gosh the world is sparking." It's mild, but there. I should note that when I took it at work for the first time (again, empty stomach), I became very drowsy 30-45 mins later. I never feel drowsy at work, so I might attribute that to the herb. A few hours ago I took a pill with black coffee (empty stomach), and don't feel drowsy, but feel that tranquility/ stability again. I would absolutely recommend this supplement if you're anything like me."
