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Ashwagandha And Heart Health

Ashwagandha and heart health are heavily intertwined, as many of the benefits that ashwagandha can offer will support the heart and keep it healthy. Not only that, but there is even evidence to suggest that it can help rectify certain pre-existing issues with the heart, as well as other parts of the body that affect the circulatory system.

Unfortunately, as improving heart health is not yet one of the primary benefits that ashwagandha supplements are known for producing, many people still do not use them for this purpose. That is why we decided to write the following article that details exactly how ashwagandha benefits the heart.

This should give you all the information you could need to understand exactly how it works and decide to use an ashwagandha supplement yourself and enjoy the notably improved heart health it produces, as well as its many other benefits.

Table of Contents

What Is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb made from the roots of an evergreen shrub native to Asia. Also known as the winter cherry, withania somnifera, and Indian ginseng, it has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine and other types of traditional medicines in the region, due to the widespread belief that it can be beneficial for the human body in a great number of ways.

In recent times, as clinical trials have proven many of these claims to be true, it has started to become a very popular ingredient in health and fitness supplements.

These studies have shown it can offer benefits like reduced anxiety, depression, stress, inflammation, arthritis, diseases, infections, and other health issues, and improved testosterone and energy levels and production, exercise performance, brain and heart health and functions, mood, sleep latency, cycle and quality, and blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels (1).

We have previously analyzed all of these benefits in two other articles we published. Anyone who wants to find out more details on any of these benefits can read those articles here and here.

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Ashwagandha And Heart Health: How Does Ashwagandha Supplementation Benefit Your Cardiovascular System?

1. Lowers Stress & Cortisol Levels

Chronic stress increases the risk of many issues with the cardiovascular system, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and arrhythmias. Ashwagandha can negate this, as it helps to regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which reduces the production of cortisol.

Cortisol is better known as the stress hormone, and high cortisol levels can induce a state of chronic stress incredibly quickly. Using ashwagandha to keep your cortisol levels down will therefore help to protect the heart from any stress-related damage (2).

Discover more about Ashwagandha and Cortisol here

2. Reduces Blood Pressure

Some studies show reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people shortly after they begin taking ashwagandha supplements. This is likely due to a combination of the calming effects it has on the human nervous system and its ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

As high blood pressure causes the heart to work significantly harder, it can damage the heart itself, while increasing the risk of things like heart attacks and strokes. Using ashwagandha to keep your blood pressure at an optimal level will therefore prevent this from happening (3).

3. Lowers Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Ashwagandha has been shown in several human and animal studies to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels by as much as 17%, total cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels by up to 11%, while sometimes even increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels (4).

These changes contribute to better lipid profiles, which reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition that causes a large build-up of fat in the walls of the arteries. This will lead to high blood pressure and the issues that we looked at above, so preventing it is imperative in order to keep the heart healthy.

Ashwagandha and Cholesterol

4. Produces Antioxidant Protection & Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Ashwagandha is a well-known and potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory on its own. However, when consumed by humans it can raise levels of endogenous antioxidants like superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione, and reduce inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

This will help to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation throughout the body. Not only are oxidative stress and inflammation key factors in the development of heart disease, vascular damage, arterial damage, and plaque formation directly, but they also cause stress, which we know from our research above is bad for the heart in many ways.

Keeping inflammation levels to a minimum is therefore imperative to maintain optimal heart health and minimize cardiovascular risk factors (5)(6).

5. May Improve Endothelial Function

Though not as well studied as some of the other points on this list, ashwagandha may also support endothelial health. It is thought to do this due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as by improving the production of nitric oxide, a signalling molecule that plays a role in many aspects of the human body, including your blood pressure, blood flow, and blood vessel health.

Your Endothelial health refers to the well-being of the endothelium, which is the single-cell layer that lines the interior of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.

Optimal health in this area is critical for proper blood vessel function, blood flow, blood clotting, blood pressure regulation, and nutrient and waste exchange between the blood and tissue, as well as for reducing the risk of issues like heart disease and strokes (7).

6. Supports Blood Sugar Regulation

Ashwagandha has been shown to help with blood sugar regulation, as it manages blood glucose levels directly while improving your insulin sensitivity, with insulin being the primary hormone responsible for breaking down and processing any glucose in your blood.

This will indirectly support better heart health, as high blood sugar is a major cardiovascular risk factor that can cause issues like atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and damage to the blood vessels and tissues of the heart (8).