Ashwaganda: Herbal hero for healthy hair.
Ashwaganda! One of my “Herbal Hero’s” for good health and healthy hair. Since I have been super busy lately working on my company I had some help from my friend Annelies Dhooge who is the owner of Kruidbar in a nearby town in Marke. She specialised in herbal remedies and has a cosy, charming shop where I love to buy fresh herbs and have a cup of tea near the fire place. This article was written by her. So, thank your Annelies! xxx
‘Herbal Hero’s’ (or adaptogens) are plants that help the body resist stressors of all kinds. The most well known have been used for ages in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Ashwaganda is one of them and is known for increasing your adaptability to uncomfortable conditions and stress, for improving your physical performance, for its anti-aging capacities, for increasing your immunity, for its anti-inflammatory properties,… Do I need to say more about why this plant can be a great benefit to your health? (Since I did not mention the positive effects on your sexual life!)
Your hair being the mirror of your health, I’m sure you understand why Ashwaganda is also a great boost for healthy hair!
To enjoy the wonderful benefits of Ashwaganda you need 3 to 6 g per day of the dried root to enjoy its benefits. You can buy Ashwaganda as a supplement as Ashwaganda root powder in a pill. If you don’t like pills you can mix the root powder into your daily smoothie.
Being a herbal tea addict I prefer my daily Ashwaganda intake with my cup: 2 cups a day should do the trick (3 teaspoons of the dried root per cup) The taste is very gentle and soft and I would describe its taste as rather woody, which I like a lot. When you don’t appreciate the taste you can mix it with other herbs you like in your tea.
Although Ashwaganda is a “Herbal Hero” that in general doesn’t have any side effects, please note that :
- When you are pregnant or nursing you should not use it for now. You can start using it again after that important period in your life to regain your powers.
- If you use medication and you want to start a health program which includes Ashwaganda, talk to your doctor or herbalist first.
- As Ashwaganda may have an effect on thyroid function, please be cautious if you have issues with that and talk about it with your medical doctor.
(Source: Dr. Geert Verhelst “Groot handboek geneeskrachtige planten)
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