What is ashwagandha and how can it help you?

Many of our patients who have problems with sleep have been recommended a product called Cortisol Manager.  The idea behind Cortisol Manager by Integrative Therapeutics is that cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone, is usually high in the morning and lower at night as we get ready for bed.

Cortisol, according to the Australian site Healthdirect, is produced by the adrenal glands that sit on top of the kidneys. According to Healthdirect, cortisol helps

• your body responds to stress or danger
• increase your body’s metabolism of glucose
• control your blood pressure
• reduce inflammation

Too little or too much cortisol will affect your sleep and overall health.  Cortisol Manager helps to regulate stress and naturally manage the levels of the hormone.

The active ingredient in Cortisol Manager is Ashwagandha and it is available for purchase in both our offices if you would like to try it.   Integrative therapeutics products are pharmaceutical grade so you know what you are getting dosage-wise.

The NY Times recently investigated the current mania regarding the ashwagandha plant — a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Check out the article below;

All About Ashwagandha, the Stress Relief Supplement of the Moment

Tonics and tablets made with this ancient herb promise to calm you down and level you out. Do they actually work?

By Dani Blum April 5, 2023

If you believe TikTok and pastel-colored ad campaigns, here is an incomplete list of what ashwagandha can do: reduce stress, “kill” emotions, focus a frantic mind, squelch social anxiety, fend off depression, give you a boost at the gym.

The ashwagandha plant — a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years — has gone mainstream in 2023. Yet experts say it’s still not clear if, and how, it works.

“It’s the same story with ashwagandha as it is for many, many dietary supplements, botanicals, herbals,” said D. Craig Hopp, a deputy division director at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The science on the supplement is murky, but people keep turning to it.

Here’s what is known about ashwagandha, and what to consider if you’re thinking of trying it.

Read more