organic ashwagandha oil

[xjohanx]

I got some for free from the store that I work in. It doesn't say much on the bottle except "nourish & strenngthen" "for muscles". The ingredients are seasame oil, ashwagandha and bala. All organic. I didn't feel a difference when I massaged it on but maybe it takes a few times. Is it a hippie thing or does anybody knows if this stuff acctually does anything good?

[Gaia]

I use to take ashwagandha in tablet form for awhile. It was when I was heavily into Ayurvedic medicine, and started to really go deep into my yoga practice. Taking it in oil form and letting it absorb into your muscles may be a slow process of getting the ashwa into your blood and into the muscles. Sesame oil is a very astringent oil and it dried out my skin way too much and caused a reaction after a couple of weeks.

 

Info on Ashwangandha: Ashwagandha, also known as "Winter Cherry," improves the body's ability to maintain physical effort and helps the body adapt to various types of stress. Perhaps the most famous Ayurvedic rejuvenative botanical used in many tonics and formulas, Ashwagandha is a rejuvenative that helps maintain proper nourishment of the tissues, particularly muscle and bone, while supporting the proper function of the adrenals and reproductive system.

 

Used by both men and women, it acts to calm the mind and promote sound, restful sleep. Ashwagandha works as an adaptogen, promoting the body's ability to maintain homeostasis and resist stress. It prevents or minimizes imbalances that may lead to disease, whether from poor diet, lack of sleep, mental or physical strain, or chemical toxins in the environment. It is especially beneficial in stress related disorders such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, general debility, etc. It has also shown impressive results when used as stimulants for the immune system. Ashwagandha is a unique herb with anti-stress adaptogenic action that leads to better physical fitness and helps cope with life's daily stress.

 

Info on Bala that you might want to take into consideration: Bala is important medicinal plant of Ayurvedic system of medicine. Previous works have reported presence of ephedrine in Bala although it has not been reported in other varieties of Bala. Extracts of Sida cordifolia standardized to ephedrine are available in the Indian as well as international market. In western world ephedrine once upon a time was widely used for weight loss but recently it has been banned due to reported hepatotoxicity (injurious to the liver). Bala and its varieties including atibala (Sida rhombifolia L.) are exclusively used in Ayurvedic composite formulations. Owing to presence of ephedrine and norpesudoephedrine (PPA) in extracts of Bala the plant should be subjected to extensive pharmacological investigations (cardiovascular and CNS effects).