Ashwagandha: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| (3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
|type=article | |type=article | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Ashwagandha''' (अश्वगंधा) or ''Ashvagandha''; [[Withania somnifera]]), also known as '''Indian ginseng''' or '''winter cherry''', is a [[ | '''Ashwagandha''' (अश्वगंधा) or ''Ashvagandha''; [[Withania somnifera]]), also known as '''Indian ginseng''' or '''winter cherry''', is a [[rasayana]] (rejuvenator) herb in [[Ayurveda]], valued for its adaptogenic, balya (strength-promoting), and nervine properties. Primarily, the root is used for stress management, vitality, immunity, and musculoskeletal health as documented in classical texts like ''[[Charaka Samhita]]'' and modern clinical studies.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Singh |first1=Narendra |last2=Bhalla |first2=M. |last3=de Jager |first3=P. |last4=Gilca |first4=M. |title=Rational use of Ashwagandha in Ayurveda (Traditional Indian Medicine) – A systematic analysis of the scientific evidence for its pharmacological activities |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=273 |pages=113907 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2021.113907 |pmc=PMC8274455 |pmid=33831467 |year=2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mishra |first1=Laxmi C. |last2=Singh |first2=Betilda B. |last3=Dagenais |first3=Simon |title=Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha): a review |journal=Alternative Medicine Review |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=348–357 |pmid=19803596 |year=2000}}</ref> | ||
{{Infobox | {{Infobox | ||
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
* '''Vipaka''' (post-digestive effect): Madhura | * '''Vipaka''' (post-digestive effect): Madhura | ||
* '''Dosha Effect''': Primarily balances [[Vata dosha|vata]], secondarily kapha; aggravates pitta in excess. | * '''Dosha Effect''': Primarily balances [[Vata dosha|vata]], secondarily kapha; aggravates pitta in excess. | ||
* '''Classical Actions''': Medhya (intellect promoter), balya (strength), vajikarana (aphrodisiac), rasayana (rejuvenative).<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=P.V.|title=Charaka Samhita |publisher=Chaukhamba Orientalia |location=Varanasi |year=2014 | * '''Classical Actions''': Medhya (intellect promoter), balya (strength), vajikarana (aphrodisiac), rasayana (rejuvenative).<ref name=":0">{{cite book|last1=Sharma|first1=P.V.|title=Charaka Samhita|publisher=Chaukhamba Orientalia|location=Varanasi|year=2014}}</ref> | ||
[[File:Ashwagandha.jpg|thumb|Ashvagandha]] | |||
==Description== | ==Description== | ||
A perennial shrub from the | A perennial shrub from the Solanaceae family, native to India, the Middle East, and Africa. It grows 35–75 cm tall with oval leaves, small greenish-yellow flowers, and red-orange berry-like fruits. The name "Ashwagandha" derives from Sanskrit ''ashva'' (horse) and ''gandha'' (smell), referring to the root's horse-like odor and vigor-promoting effects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mirjalili |first1=Mohammad Hossein |last2=Moharramipour |first2=Saman |last3=Hadian |first3=Javad |title=A review on the production of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) active principles: Methods and current status |journal=Journal of Medicinal Plants Research |volume=8 |issue=37 |pages=882–900 |doi=10.5897/JMPR2014.5629 |year=2014}}</ref> | ||
==Pharmacognosy== | ==Pharmacognosy== | ||
| Line 114: | Line 115: | ||
|- | |- | ||
|14 | |14 | ||
| | |Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 27/43 | ||
|As an ingredient of Kushthadi Taila | |As an ingredient of Kushthadi Taila | ||
|- | |- | ||
|15 | |15 | ||
| | |Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 22/50 | ||
|As an ingredient of Utsadana Yoga | |As an ingredient of Utsadana Yoga | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Line 193: | Line 194: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||