I Took Ashwagandha for 30 Days
A Scary Experience
I was mindlessly scrolling through TikTok when I came across some fitness gurus raving about this miracle ancient Asian herb, Ashwagandha.
A quick Google search and I could not believe what I was reading!
This herb, taken in India for the past 5,000 years, promotes muscle growth, cardiovascular health, and brain function.
It lowers stress, combats anxiety and depression, raises testosterone, increases fertility, reduces blood sugar and inflammation, and improves sleep and memory!
This shrub growing in India sounds like a complete miracle to 21st-century living.
So I had to try it out for myself...
I bought a 1 month supply for £14.26 and for the next 30 days I started taking 858.6mg of Ashwagandha daily.
Week 1 - Is This Thing On?
With all of those potential health benefits on the horizon, I was expecting this thing to go off with a bang.
In reality, the first week flew by without any noticeable positive effects. In fact, I slept TERRIBLY all week.
At least two nights of the week I was wide awake at 2 AM…
Was this just a coincidence or was this miracle herb the culprit for restless nights? I’m not sure but it is certainly worth noting.
There really isn’t much else to tell you about week 1. I felt the same both physically and mentally, my only challenge was to remember to take it every day.
But it didn’t take too long until things started to change.
Week 2 - The Calm Amidst Chaos
Sticking to my routine of popping a couple of pills with lunch every day, around the 10-day mark I noticed that I felt calmer.
Work is always super busy around this time and there are added pressures. This isn’t anything new to me but I felt more methodical this time.
I also felt chilled in the evenings where usually I can be quite restless.
When we feel stressed or anxious our cortisol levels increase, hence why Ashwagandha is sometimes suggested as a natural remedy for people that have anxiety or depression.
I don’t suffer from those but I am a hyperactive person. I fidget a lot and I can become restless.
This is exactly what I was hoping would happen. To feel calmer, more relaxed, and less stressed.
If this is what Ashwagandha can do for me, then I’m all in!
Week 3 - The Concerning Shift
Things started to change for me in week 3 and for the worse.
I woke up one day and I just felt numb. I wasn’t my usual self and I didn’t have any up-and-go whatsoever.
The first day I noticed this I didn’t even consider that it was Ashwagandha that might be causing it. I thought that I was just feeling a little off that day.
The following morning I felt exactly the same. I felt kind of emotionless, it’s weird to even try and put it into words, but I didn’t care about stuff as much as I usually do.
The line between stress-free and emotionless became blurry.
I started to watch a few more videos and read a few more articles about Ashwagandha and started to notice that others were experiencing the same thing.
One video from Andrew Huberman, a Stanford Professor, simply stated “Do not take this for longer than 30 days and then take at least 2 or 3 weeks break”.
Many others made videos saying they began to feel detached. I decided to test something in Week 4.
Week 4 - The Experiment's Turning Point
After becoming a little bit concerned about the effects, I decided to test if what I was feeling in week 3 was because of Ashwagandha. I took a couple of days’ break cutting my dosage to zilch.
Quite remarkably the next day I felt more spritely. In fact, I felt more focused and more switched on too.
The next day was exactly the same. I felt myself again.
These two days made me realise that Ashwagandha was causing some emotional detachment.
From the two-day break, I was happy to say that I wasn’t going to continue with the final few days experiment.
It’s Not Over
You might think that I’d move on from Ashwagandha and throw the leftover supply in the trash.
I’ve been taking two capsules per day, approx 860mg of Ashwagandha. Upon further reading, that dosage was probably too high.
I wonder what might be if I cut that dosage by half.
Remember in week 2, I felt great. I was cool, calm, and composed. I felt less stressed and less restless. This is exactly what I was looking for by adding Ashwagandha to my daily routine.
Supplements affect individuals differently. My experiences may not be yours. What works for one person may not for another. It takes experimentation, tweaking, and testing.
I’m going to take another 3 or 4-week break and then reintroduce Ashwagandha at half the original dose.
If you found this experiment interesting then I’ll write about my second experience and send you the results.
As with any supplement write-up, I have to add a disclaimer. This is my experience. I am not a physician. Before embarking on any supplement journey, it's crucial to consult with a healthcare provider to ensure it's a safe and suitable choice for you.