dragon bleu 666 said:
ashwaganda :
Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha,[2] Indian ginseng,[3] poison gooseberry,[3] or winter cherry[2] is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withania are morphologically similar.[4] Although commonly used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine, there is no conclusive clinical evidence that it is effective for treating any ailment.[4][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withania_somnifera
other website in french
https://mr-ginseng.com/ashwagandha/
talk about ashwaganda being used for digestive problems , is aphrodisiac, help against cancer,restores vitality, help against anxiety ,stress and sleep .
and have been used in India for about 3000 years as a medicinal plant.
there is also Cordyceps who can really help but more expansive.
I just realized that I may have confused the herbs hat would have been used in shamanic ritual for the trance thing.
Anyway, I did a search myself on ashwagandha.
What I found was that it was said to be anti-inflammation, anti-arthiritis, anti-anxiety, anti-spasmodic, life extending and a few other things, said to be like ginseng, but the opposite of what is expected of plants from the nightshade family (usually toxic or narcotic).
"If there is an excess of a certain hormone, the plant based hormone precursors occupy the so-called hormone receptor sites, without converting to human hormones, to block absorption. In this way, ashwagandha, like other adaptogenic tonic herbs, is amphoteric and can serve to regulate important physiological processes, increasing or decreasing as needed."
The above is info from this website - which is very extensive:
https://planetherbs.com/research-center/specific-herbs-articles/ashwagandha-wonder-herb-of-india/
Regeneration of the Brain and Nervous System
But it gets even better than that. A first-class life-extending herb, one of Ashwagandha’s benefits is that it has also been shown in research studies at universities in Japan to regenerate nerve cells and dendrite growth throughout the brain and body, making it a frontline treatment in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and an all-around bio-enhancing substance for anyone looking for a significant health boost. Ashwagandha also improves communication between nerve cells and stimulates the body to heal nervous system damage.
Deep Sleep and Enhanced Neurocognition
Ashwagandha is also an herbal treatment for sleeplessness and insomnia. High-potency extracts of the plant have shown a remarkable ability to induce deep, restful sleep without the morning hangover associated with many herbs and pharmaceutical medications.
But it gets even better once again (didn’t we tell you that this herb is truly amazing?): Ashwagandha has been shown in animal and human studies to increase acetylcholine levels in the brain, which are correlated with improved memory, brain function and intelligence. Another of Ashwagandha’s amazing benefits is that it also elevates levels of GABA, a calming neurotransmitter that has complementary effects to acetylcholine. This keeps the the herb’s effects from becoming overly stimulating, which can happen with other herbs that have similar acetylcholine-enhancing effects. Withania somnifera also increases nitric oxide production by regulating the blood flow and pressure of the arterial system, which elevates oxygen levels in the brain—leading to improved cognition—and throughout the body as well.
...
Although any dosage of Ashwagandha is quite safe, it is one of the more powerful and psychoactive herbs available, and as such, it is recommended that you start slowly and work your way up to higher dosages until you know how your body reacts.
They also do not recommend the use for pregnant women.
https://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/ashwagandha-benefits-withania/
"In animal studies, Ashwagandha demonstrates significant stress-fighting power. This is unquestionably key to the plant’s sex-enhancing powers. Stress factors of all kinds compromise virtually every system of the body, producing stress chemicals which in turn diminish the function of organs and glands. In the domino effect of stress’s ravaging of the human system, fatigue, reduced immunity and sexual debility go hand in hand. The overwhelming stresses of life leave people feeling devitalized. But when you take Ashwagandha, that equation begins to turn around. As an adaptogen, the root helps the body to normalize all aspects of healthy function in the face of stress. One of the many noticeable areas in which this turnaround takes place is sexual. Men and women who have lost their desire for sex, or have lost function, find that they become aroused again – and ready to engage in sexual activity. "
http://www.medicinehunter.com/ashwagandha-botanical-sheet
I quoted this because it gives insight as to how it works. Often they just list what it does, not why it does it or how it works.
However I have found no link to seratonin with this herb on the above websites.. till I tried to look up the ingredients.
"5.7. Serotonergic Neurotransmission
Supplementation of 100mg/kg ashwagandha root to normal rats for up to eight weeks has been noted to reduce 5-HT1A serotonin signalling in response to agonists while increase sensitivity of 5-HT2 signalling.[126]
One study using ashwagandha has noted increases in plasma serotonin in stressed rats alongside the antidepressive effects, but it was confounded with other herbs (Clitoria ternatea, bacopa monnieri, and asparagus racemosus).[127] Elsewhere, one study in depressed mice noted that ashwagandha root in isolation was effective in preventing serotonin losses (although not completely) which was attributed to reducing corticosterone[128]
You need to scroll down. 1.2 is a list with what the plant contains, and this is chapter 5.7
https://examine.com/supplements/ashwagandha/
TCM perspective (though I am certain there are better websites out there, this is the first one I clicked on):
Eastern
Pin Yin: Nan Fei Zui Jia
Also Known As: Ashwagandha
Meridians: Lung, Heart, Spleen
Key TCM Actions & Medicinal Uses: Tonifies Qi and Wei Qi: builds immunity, strength, aids recovery. Tonifies Lung Qi: colds, coughs, heavy feeling in the chest, tuberculosis. Tonifies Spleen: poor appetite, diarrhea, poor memory, mental confusion. Tonifies Jing: impotence, male fertility. Calms Shen: Insomnia, anxiety, stress disorders.
https://www.whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com/herbs/ashwagandha-winter-cherry/
It is worth reading the rest of the above link though.
Oh also the french website looks like a general western style herb info list. But I couldn't read it.
Though, always keep in mind, that whilst the info of a herb may sound great, does it apply to your situation? The whole seratonin story is far sought, as it requires some testing to get it right whilst that is thus impractical from a herbalist diagnosing point of view.
So we tend to look at the symptoms, NOT the actual "chronic" form of the disease, as they give a better clue of what is actually going on and why the disease is there, rather than just applying something on a single indication without understanding it.
Is also a reason why people are told to trust their instincts/intuition because sometimes something doesn't work perfectly without being an apparent symptom/vague complaint.