Ashwagandha is the word on everyone's lips in the adaptogenic world right now.
Google searches for the term are at nearly 10 times what they were in 2018, while on TikTok there have been over 946 million views of the hashtag #ashwagandha. In short: if you haven't already given ashwagandha a try, this is your sign to do so.
Not in the know? Ashwagandha is a herb that's been used in traditional Indian medicine for centuries. Otherwise known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry, it's thought to have many health benefits, including reducing stress and anxiety, improving mood and memory, enhancing immunity and fertility and protecting against inflammation and oxidative stress.
In the past, it has been utilised for its ability to improve physical performance and muscle strength by increasing testosterone levels, reducing muscle damage and improving recovery as well as aiding weight loss by reducing cortisol levels, increasing energy expenditure and enhancing insulin sensitivity. While impressive, it's worth keeping in mind that these studies were undertaken on relatively small sample sizes.
While previously you'd only really find this adaptogen in capsules, it's now easy to find Ashwagandha in plenty of different forms like tablets, powders, extracts or teas. The dosage of ashwagandha does vary depending on the brand of supplement or the reason for use.
However, as there's no standard or optimal dose of ashwagandha, it's best to start small to see how your body initially reacts. Generally speaking, the recommended dose ranges from 300 to 500 mg per day for general health purposes.
We've rounded up all of the best Ashwagandha supplements.
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The Herbtender Calm & Collected
The Herbtender’s Calm & Collected supplements were designed for anxious people who may be feeling too wired to be productive: arguably the least efficient state in day-to-day life, which always seems to crop up on busier days.
This is the perfect companion to help you keep your cool whenever anxiety calls, thanks to its high-dose ashwagandha and lion’s mane combo. Ashwagandha is one of the few non-stimulating adaptogens and improves the body’s resistance to stress while helping to maintain mental balance.
Lion’s mane keeps your nervous system performing at its best. Try these around a stressful period and you’ll notice a difference pretty quickly.
Buy now £27.50, Amazon
WelleCo The Calm Elixir
As its name suggests, WelleCo’s The Calm Elixir was designed to help you feel a little more Zen when everyday life decides to really test you. Containing a brilliant botanical blend of passionflower, lemon balm and ashwagandha, The Calm Elixir utilises magnesium to support the nervous system and vitamin B6 to maintain physiological function and the regulation of hormonal activity. In short: everything you need to go about your day feeling more put together and in control, naturally.
Buy now £40.00, Selfridges
Nutravita Ashwagandha 1100mg 120 Vegan Capsules
Similar to how it was used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, these vegan-friendly ashwagandha supplements cut straight to the chase, delivering a potent dose in each capsule.
As well as its core ingredient of Ashwagandha, these capsules contain Bioperine: a clinically backed patented formulation that contains 95 per cent of piperine, the active ingredient in black pepper. This added ingredient helps with the absorption of the supplement, making it ideal if your body sometimes struggles to use all of the good nutrients you’re feeding it.
Buy now £17.99, Nutravita
Raise & Replenish Catch Some Zen
Raise & Replenish’s Catch Some Zen is basically a hug in a cup: a smooth and sweet cacao blend that provides you with the perfect bedtime treat to drift off feeling safe and comfortable after a busy day.
While they may look like cups of coffee to an outsider, each plant-based latte actually contains ashwagandha, cacao, Montmorency cherry and magnesium which, together, provide the ideal blend to help you settle down.
Buy now £42.00, Holland & Barrett
Youth & Earth CHILLAXCINE
Youth & Earth’s CHILLAXCINE stress-busting supplements ingredients mimic your body’s own stress-reducing hormone, so that you can recover from stress and restore a state of balance: essential for managing chronic stress and premature ageing.
Its core ingredient is Shoden Ashwagandha, a highly bioavailable extract from the leaves and roots of the ashwagandha plant. Its 35 per cent withanolide glycosides ensure high bioavailability at a low dosage, which remains in the blood even after 24 hours. As well as that, you’ll find L-theanine and saffron, which combine to ensure better quality sleep as well as a balanced metabolism, mood and digestion.
Buy now £22.99, Amazon
Starpowa Ashwagandha Gummies
You’ll love these Starpowa Ashwagandha Gummies not just because of how effective they are at calming you down and soothing your worries but also because of how delicious they taste.
Formulated with pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5), iodine and thiamine (Vitamin B1) for mental well-being, each gummy is vegan, naturally flavoured and contains less than 0.1 grams of sugar per serving. Designed to help support relaxation and promote general well-being, you’ll find yourself reaching for these daily when you need a little mental hug.
Buy now £39.99, Holland & Barrett
Holland & Barrett Ashwagandha 500mg Capsules
These quick and easy Holland & Barrett Ashwagandha capsules are designed to be taken in the evening to help you drift off to sleep quickly and easily. One of the more budget-friendly options around - but no less powerful - they’re easy to swallow and are also reported to ease pain for some people. If you’re looking to give ashwagandha a try but don’t want to fork out on expensive bottles, this option may be a great place to start.
Buy now £12.99, Holland & Barrett
H&B Expert Sleep Unwind Ashwagandha Drink
Don’t feel you always have to swallow your supplements with a tall glass of water: these H&B Expert Sleep Unwind Ashwagandha Drinks make the whole experience a lot more relaxing, particularly if you’re not the best at swallowing pills. H&B’s Unwind Drink works in harmony with your body, to help you relax and prepare for a good night’s sleep. It comes formulated with KSM66 ashwagandha, chamomile, lavender, glycine and L-Theanine, which fuse together to help you take back control of your sleep routine naturally.
Buy now £18.99, Holland & Barrett
Issviva ZZZZ’s gummies
Ashwagandha is known for being useful before bedtime, as its calming abilities can soothe you to sleep far more efficiently than other methods. If you’re looking to try the supplement for that benefit, you’ll love Issviva ZZZZ’s gummies.
Packed full of vitamins and botanicals, each best-selling raspberry flavour gummy contains not just ashwagandha but also vitamin B6 to regulate hormone activity and B5, which contributes to normal mental performance.
Buy now £15.99, Issviva
Nourished The High Flyer Stack
Nourished’s High Flyer stack doesn’t just tackle fatigue from one angle, instead offering a whole stack of different nutrients that aim to combat those feelings of exhaustion in multiple ways.
Containing scientifically proven nourishments to help reduce stress and anxiety, maintain focus and boost natural energy levels, it brings together a range of impressive ingredients including ashwagandha, LactoSpore Probiotics, vitamin B12 and black pepper extract. Bonus points for its sweet, blackberry-esque flavour: the closest thing you’ll find to adult-sized gummy vitamins.
Buy now £37.99, Nourished
anatomē Reset, Relax + Sleep - 60 capsules
One of magnesium’s most enticing attributes is its ability to improve sleep quality by relaxing our bodies and brains. By resetting the mind and relaxing tense muscles,anantomē’s blend of minerals, amino acids and botanical extracts helps achieve peaceful and restorative sleep, and alleviates the twitching, tossing and turning that can be a problem for many of us as we settle into bed and begin recovery.
anantomē’s formula was created with those who have an active, hurried lifestyle in mind, as well as night owls who prefer to exercise in the evenings. The added botanical extracts of ashwagandha, chamomile, lavender and peppermint invigorate the body through restful sleep, increasing energy levels and balancing the mood.
It’s recommended to take three capsules a day, with the last just half an hour before bedtime for that helping hand to the land of nod.
Buy now £30.00, Anatome
Verdict
Cool, calm and collected: that's exactly how you'll feel after a regular dosage of The Herbtender's Calm & Collected. Blending a potent combination of adaptogens, these award-winning capsules promise to transport you to a land of brain-friendly peace and quiet.
