Bio-Health KSM-66® Ashwagandha brings together a botanical with a long history of traditional use and an extract backed by modern clinical research.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a botanical that has been used for centuries in Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine. It is often described as an “adaptogen”, a term commonly used for botanicals studied for their potential role in the body’s response to stress.
Today, researchers continue to investigate ashwagandha through human clinical trials, exploring areas including perceived stress and sleep.
Why KSM-66® Ashwagandha?
Not all ashwagandha extracts are made in the same way. KSM-66® is a full-spectrum extract made exclusively from ashwagandha roots, without added leaves. It is designed to retain a broad range of the root's naturally occurring constituents.
Its manufacturing process was developed over 14 years and uses neither alcohol nor synthetic chemical solvents for extraction.
What does the research show?
Research into KSM-66® Ashwagandha has explored several areas, including perceived stress, sleep quality and cortisol levels.
In one 60-day clinical trial involving 64 adults experiencing chronic stress, participants taking 600mg of the extract daily showed greater improvements in stress questionnaire scores than those taking a placebo. Researchers also observed a greater reduction in cortisol, a hormone involved in the body’s stress response.
A separate eight-week trial investigated daily doses of 250mg and 600mg in adults experiencing stress, reporting improvements in measures of perceived stress and sleep quality compared with placebo.
These findings contribute to the growing body of research into ashwagandha. However, the studies were relatively short and involved specific groups of participants, so further research is needed to understand the wider implications of the findings.
Understanding cortisol
When the body is exposed to too much cortisol for a prolonged period it can:
- Contribute to insulin resistance and higher glucose levels
- Promote weight gain around the abdomen
- Weaken muscles
- Suppress immune responses, increasing susceptibility to infections
- Contribute to bone loss
- Affect mood, memory and concentration
- Increase pressure on the cardiovascular system
In a 60-day clinical trial, adults taking 600mg of KSM-66® daily experienced an average 27.9% reduction in cortisol levels, compared with 7.9% in the placebo group.
