ASHWAGANDHA WHAT IS?
What is... ASHWAGANDHA?
How is the adaptogenic herb ashwagandha being used in skin and hair care?
Dr Kalyanam Nagabhushanam, President (R&D), Sabinsa Corporation If you’ve heard anything about
adaptogens – and who hasn’t with today’s high levels of stress – you’ve heard of the herb ashwagandha. Adaptogens are the distinctive class of herbs which support the body’s resistance to stress, whether it is emotional, biological, physical or environmental. They help restore balance to the endocrine system and hormones, and the body’s return to normal homeostasis. Adaptogens are known for restoring optimal health, vitality, immunity, stamina and promoting longevity. The best-known herb in this category is ashwagandha. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), sometimes called Indian ginseng, is one of the most highly regarded herbs in India’s traditional medicine system Ayurveda. Ashwagandha helps the body withstand stress, and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties. The main actives from the plant are known as withanolides; nearly one hundred withanolides have been identified. Chemically, these withanolides are steroidal lactones. Some of the withanolides are glycosylated and are known as withanosides. Prominent among withanolides are withaferin A, withanolide A, withanone, withanolide D and 12-deoxywithstramnolide. Withanosides IV, V and VI carry sugar functions attached to their molecular skeleton. While most of the studies in the growing body of research on ashwagandha have been carried out on extracts, several studies have also been published specifically on the individual withanolides. Dietary supplements, functional foods and nutraceuticals are the most popular forms of ashwagandha in the marketplace to deliver its adaptogenic benefits. However, awareness is growing as to its benefits in skin care and hair care products. Ashwagandha extracts have been studied for their applications in skin health by both oral ingestion and topical application. Withania extracts act as potential stimulators of collagen synthesis, thus firming skin tone and structure. Studies have been published involving withania in helping toxins- and pollutants-induced aberrant skin conditions. Cellular studies show the anti-ageing and antioxidative effects of withanolides are responsible for their role in skin
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health. Ashwagandha’s high antioxidant content helps to counteract the symptoms of skin ageing, such as dark spots, wrinkles and fine lines. Free radicals cause oxidative stress, which contributes to ageing and does damage to critical cell biomolecules due to reactions at the cellular level. By its ability to lower cortisol levels, ashwagandha relieves stress, which can have a profound impact on the skin. Traditional Ayurvedic skin care usage includes such recipes as mixing powdered ashwagandha with water and applying it to the skin as a mask, or ashwagandha and sesame oil used similarly. Commercially available extracts are from roots, a combination of roots and leaves, or from the whole plant. There is a qualitative overlap of the occurrence of some of the important withanolides between the roots and leaves. Ashwagandha extracts are generally standardised for withanolides and an official USP monograph exists for the estimation of the major withanolides by HPLC.
Another USP recommended method also exists to clearly differentiate ‘root only extracts’ from ‘roots plus leaves extracts’. The leaves contain flavonoid glycosides from the flavanols quercetin and kaempferol. These have not been detected in the roots, thus providing a useful distinction. Although the root is the most popular plant part used, there is traditional and modern support for use of the mixed leaves with roots extract for various health conditions, depending upon which withanolides are desired.
When the popularity of a herb grows quickly, there can be more demand than supply because of the natural growing cycles. Obviously care in sourcing material is important; adulteration is always to be guarded against. When sourcing high-demand ingredients like ashwagandha, it is important to be vigilant about the authenticity of the raw material and its source, and to test for identity, purity and potency. Fit-for-purpose tests should be conducted for each batch of raw material, and formulators should collaborate with established suppliers to ensure a constant supply of high-quality materials
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen traditionally used in Ayurvedic practices
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