# Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) *Winter cherry, Indian ginseng; Hindi *asgandh*, Bengali *asvagandha*; Sanskrit *asvagandha*, *turagi-gandha*, ‘smelling like a horse or mare,’ and *varaha-karni*, ‘boar-eared’; *Withania somnifera* (L.) Dunal; in pharmacy *Withaniae somniferae radix** **Known today as.** *Withania somnifera*, a low-growing evergreen shrub of the family Solanaceae, native by LiverTox’s account to India and Southeast Asia; Dymock, Warden, and Hooper found it in dry subtropical India and southern Europe. Dutt describes the root as “long, smooth, rounded, whitish brown externally and of a fine white colour internally.” LiverTox counts more than a hundred constituents, withanolides among them, and notes that the ingredient responsible for its effects is not known. Kind: Plant > **Caution.** LiverTox, revised in 2024, rates it a likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury: cases have been reported, usually two to twelve weeks after starting, with jaundice and itching that was protracted though it resolved, and rare fatal cases or liver transplants, especially in people with existing liver disease; mislabelled and mixed products complicate the picture. Large doses upset the stomach. Its reputation as an abortifacient is disputed: a 2026 review found the historical claims poorly sourced and the evidence of teratogenic or abortifacient effects inconclusive, calling for better studies. ## What was it used for? A tonic and restorative. Dymock, Warden, and Hooper record that the Nighantas describe it as “tonic, alterative, pungent, astringent, hot and aphrodisiac,” recommended in rheumatism, cough, dropsy, consumption, and senile debility; Dutt, that it was used in consumption, emaciation of children, and debility from old age, and “is said to promote the nutrition and strength of children.” LiverTox calls it the most frequently used Ayurvedic medicine, now popular in Western countries for stress, anxiety, sleep, and energy. ## What does modern science say? The European Medicines Agency’s herbal committee declined to adopt a monograph on the root (public statement of 2013): it could not find evidence enough to describe the herbal preparations to pharmaceutical standards, despite their use in the European Union, nor thirty years of medicinal use with fifteen in the Union. Trials since have multiplied. A 2026 meta-analysis of twenty-three randomised trials found that it lowered cortisol, raised testosterone in men but not women, and raised T4 modestly. Another of thirteen trials found that it may improve exercise performance, especially aerobic endurance, though not uniformly, while a third, of resistance training, judged that current evidence “does not establish” any meaningful gain in strength. ## Pharmacognosy and toxicology - **withanolides**: among more than a hundred constituents; which is responsible for the effects is not known **Mechanism.** Not established in the sources read for this entry. **Standing.** There is no European monograph: the European Medicines Agency’s herbal committee declined to adopt one (public statement of 2013). Randomised trials and their meta-analyses have multiplied since. ## What did the older authorities say? **Dymock, Warden, and Hooper, *Pharmacographia Indica* (1891).** Chakradatta recommends it in decoction with long pepper, butter, and honey in consumption and scrofula, and a medicinal butter, or *ghrita*, was made by boiling one part of the root with one of clarified butter and ten of milk. As an aphrodisiac and for rheumatism it was combined with aromatics, and made into a paste with them to apply to rheumatic joints. ## Sources - Dymock, W., Warden, C. J. H., & Hooper, D. (1891). *Pharmacographia Indica*, vol. 2, “Withania somnifera.” Internet Archive, b2129737x_0002. - Dutt, U. C. (1877). *The Materia Medica of the Hindus*, “Withania somnifera.” Internet Archive, materiamedicaofh00duttuoft. - European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. *Public statement on Withaniae somniferae radix (Winter-cherry root)*. EMA/HMPC/681519/2012, 9 July 2013. - Fornalik M, et al. (2026). Hormonal Modulation with Withania somnifera: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-controlled Trials. *Planta medica*. PMID 41740946. - Li X, et al. (2026). Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Supplementation on Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis. *Nutrients*. PMID 42356302. - Lee JC & Heo AS (2026). Adjunctive Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Supplementation and Resistance-Training Adaptations in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Random-Effects Meta-Analysis of Muscular Strength, Chest Circumference, and Body Composition. *Nutrients*. PMID 42738987. - Tallon MJ, et al. (2026). A Systematic and Ethnobotanical Review of Ashwagandha's ( Withania Somnifera ) Teratogenic and Abortifacient Potentials. *Phytotherapy research : PTR*. PMID 40887707. - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, “Ashwagandha.” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, updated 2024. NCBI Bookshelf. - European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. *Public statement on Withaniae somniferae radix (Winter-cherry root)*. EMA/HMPC/681519/2012, 9 July 2013. - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, “Ashwagandha.” National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, updated 2024. NCBI Bookshelf. - Fornalik M, et al. (2026). Hormonal Modulation with Withania somnifera: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized-controlled Trials. *Planta medica*. PMID 41740946. --- *Ashwagandha.* In *Materia Medica*, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1, revised 2026-10-17. The Thinking Press. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/ashwagandha Historical description, not medical advice.