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Evidence tracker

Does ashwagandha reduce stress?

One small, positive placebo-controlled trial. Promising, not settled.

RCTPending medical review
The question
Does ashwagandha root extract reduce stress and anxiety in adults?
Who was studied
64 adults with a history of chronic stress, at a single hospital in Hyderabad.
What they took
One capsule of 300 mg high-concentration ashwagandha root extract, or placebo, twice a day for 60 days.
What happened
Scores on every stress scale fell significantly more with ashwagandha than with placebo, and morning serum cortisol fell too. Side effects were mild and similar in both groups.[1]
How strong is this
One randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Good design, small size.

The limits

  • Small and single-centre, so the result needs repeating elsewhere.
  • One specific extract was tested; other ashwagandha products may differ.
  • Sixty days tells us nothing about long-term use.
  • Ashwagandha can raise thyroid hormone levels. See the thyroid interaction page before you start.

Related

Interaction

Ashwagandha and thyroid medicines

Ashwagandha may raise thyroid hormone levels. That could add to levothyroxine, or work against antithyroid drugs.

Sources

  1. Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-62. PMID 23439798.

Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.

Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026

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