Ashwagandha and Asthma | Does It Help?
For thousands of years, Ayurveda has used Ashwagandha as a rejuvenator, improving stamina and resistance, increasing lifespan, improving immunity, and fertility in men and women. Many people use this herb to improve overall vitality. It is called the “Indian Ginseng” because of its rejuvenating properties. But does ashwagandha help with asthma?
Does Ashwagandha Help with Asthma?
Yes, ashwagandha may help with asthma as asthma is correlated to a poorly regulated immune system that causes inflammation within your airways, and ashwagandha is a potent anti-inflammatory that can also help regulate the immune system. Studies show that when combined with selenium, ashwagandha has a similar effect on lower levels of white blood cells in asthmatic mice. Which is a similar affect as hydrocortisone treatments that are typically used for asthma. As always, you should work with your physician if you are thinking about using ashwagandha to help with the symptoms of your asthma as ashwagandha should by no means be used as a cure for asthma, but could help with alleviation of symptoms and causes of asthma. But definitely work with your physician.
How does Ashwagandha helps in Asthma?
Ashwaganda has powerful anti-inflammatory, immune-regulating effects, and ability to relax the muscles of airways, making it useful for improving breathing in people suffering from asthma. In a study on an animal model of asthma, results showed that ashwaganda, both on its own and combined with selenium, significantly decreased the number of white blood cells both in the bronchial lavages as well as blood smears. This suggests that Ashwaganda has an anti-inflammatory potential, and when combined with anti-oxidant such as selenium, is most effective in successfully treating asthma.
Ashwagandha helps in improving cardiovascular endurance, leading to optimum consumption of oxygen. This effect is similar to the one obtained with traditional hydrocortisone therapy in asthma, which indicates that Ashwagandha might have an ability to reduce inflammatory responses in immune systems in asthmatic patients.
