"'Prince of Herbs', Ashwagandha or Indian Ginseng (Withiana Somnifera) grown in hydroponics under LED lights. Image courtesy of The Functional Plant Co. Aryvedic medicine relies on a natural and balanced approach to physical and mental health. At its core are plants, herbs and roots with additional phytonutrients that exert positive effects on our health.
One of the most popular ayurvedic herbs is Ashwagandha, otherwise known as Indian ginseng. There is a high market demand in the US for ashwagandha root preparations, which are predominantly sought for improved sleep patterns. I need it badly because of my insomnia," says Jane Colton, Plant Scientist and writer at Urban AgNews.
As she continues, "Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen because it significantly reduces stress and anxiety. It works by balancing harmful cortisol levels in the body. It's also a useful energy booster and promotes balanced immune systems. Endurance athletes use it to improve their performance and reduce injury recovery time. Recommended daily dose, is up to 500 mg twice a day. If you have thyroid issues or are pregnant, we recommend speaking to a physician before taking herbal medicines."
Using new technologies to enhance ancient medicinal plant bioactives
Some trials have been conducted using CEA methods to grow a number of different ginseng species in order to evaluate growth and root production. Highly concentrated phytonutrients, thought to be responsible for bioactivity (withanolides and withaferin-A) are localized predominantly in the roots of Ashwagandha.
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