Ashwagandha, the importance of quality

Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) is one of the most precious plants in traditional Indian medicine known as Ayurvedic medicine. Its use has increased in recent years and the importance of the quality of the ashwagandha used is becoming more evident.

Ayurvedic medicine

Ayurveda, whose literal translation is “the science or knowledge of life” ( ayur duration of life and veda knowledge), has its fundamental principles in the integration of body, mind and spirit. Its objective is to strengthen general health and well-being through a comprehensive health system that considers each individual as an organized whole and not a sum of parts. It is the oldest form of healing, although today, and already recognized as medicine by the World Health Organization, it is of great interest in the West for treating health with a much more complete approach.

Ashwagandha, one of the emblems of Ayurvedic medicine

The root of ashwagandha , a plant native to the Himalayas, is one of the most precious in the Indian medical system for its wide range of therapeutic benefits. It is an adaptogen , that is, a substance capable of inducing in an organism a state of increased resistance that allows it to counteract stress signals and adapt to exceptional effort. That is, it helps our body adapt to the stressful conditions we suffer. Among its best-known properties is its effectiveness in combating anxiety, stress and insomnia, although there are many other less known but very interesting properties that make it a superfood to incorporate into our diet. Currently, its use is experiencing significant growth throughout the world thanks to numerous recent studies that have scientifically demonstrated its effectiveness.

Scientific basis of ashwagandha

Ashwagandha extracts have a high content of withanolides, but the plant also contains a wide range of phytochemical components, with the highest concentration found in the roots of the plants. The synergistic effect between all the active components of ashwagandha is what gives it its multiple therapeutic properties. 

 The importance of using quality ashwagandha 

As consumer awareness of the benefits of ashwagandha increases so does its demand. A greater number of crops are needed to satisfy this demand and this means that not all of them are of the same quality.  Some crops use non-root parts (stems, leaves, and flowering parts) that are added to the roots. Although withanolides can be found in all of these parts of the plant, it is the root that contains the highest concentration and most complex range of bioactives. Much of the research with ashwaghanda has been done using pure root extracts, the addition of leaves and other parts that contain much less of these beneficial compounds decreases the potential health benefits. The result is that the consumer receives fewer benefits.

Unik Emotional Wellbeing® uses the highest quality ashwagandha

 Unik Health&Nutrition develops its formulas using ingredients of the highest quality. This is the case of the ashwagandha used in UNIK Emotional Wellbeing. This is KSM-66® , certified as the brand with the highest concentration of withanolides, which also only extracts them from the root of the plant. KSM-66® uses a patented extraction process based on the principles of green chemistry, without using alcohol or other chemical solvents, that is, without using contaminants and using the minimum amount of resources and energy. The benefits of KSM-66® ashwagandha have been validated in 22 clinical trials. At Unik Health&Nutrition we use the best ingredients to achieve the best effects on your health.