Humanities
Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
  • Register
  • Login
  • Menu
  • Home
  • Current
  • Archives
  • Announcements
  • About
    • About the Journal
    • Submissions
    • Editorial Team
    • Privacy Statement
    • Contact
  • Register
  • Login

Journal of Education, Health and Sport

Benefits of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) supplementation in obesity
  • Home
  • /
  • Benefits of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) supplementation in obesity
  1. Home /
  2. Archives /
  3. Vol. 35 No. 1 (2023) /
  4. Review Articles

Benefits of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) supplementation in obesity

Authors

  • Alicja Nowak 7 Szpital Marynarki Wojennej w Gdańsku https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4684-2877
  • Klaudia Bogusz 7 Szpital Marynarki Wojennej w Gdańsku https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0818-2423
  • Natalia Baran Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny im. prof. Witolda Orłowskiego w Warszawie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3221-9651
  • Marcela Maksymowicz Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny Nr 4 w Lublinie https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2611-1609
  • Adriana Bielak Szpital Zakonu Bonifratrów św. Jana Grandego w Krakowie https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4998-0458
  • Aleksandra Nowak Szpital Specjalistyczny im SZ Starkiewicza w Dąbrowie Górniczej https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8572-8798
  • Łucja Cywka 7 szpital Marynarki Wojennej w Gdańsku https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8314-4825
  • Weronika Szwed Wojewódzki Szpital Specjalistyczny w Olsztynie https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9546-7970
  • Piotr Machowiec Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny Nr 4 w Lublinie https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5418-0110

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2023.35.01.001

Keywords

Withania somnifera, Solanaceae, withanolide, withaferin A, obesity

Abstract

Introduction and purpose: Ashwagandha (fam. Solanaceae) also known as Withania somnifera, is an herb commonly used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. It is sometimes called Indian ginseng or winter cherry and it is used for its extensive health benefits for millennia as a Rasayana. Ashwagadha supplementation is playing an increasing role not only as an adaptogen, but is beneficial in the context of health in individuals struggling with obesity. This is a growing field of research and the aim of this brief review is to provide an update on the positive effects of Ashwagandha supplementation on the health of those dealing with obesity. 

Description of the state of knowledge: Ashwagandha has a wide range of positive effects, most common are sedative, anti-stress, immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects. The literature also draws attention to other results such as binding insulin sensitivity, increasing endurance, effects on adipogenesis and lipogenesis. Ashwagandha lowers blood cortisol levels, inhibits fat accumulation and the expression of genes involved into excessive fat tissue accumulation. 

Summary: Regular intake of Ashwagandha is associated with health benefits in people struggling with obesity. As an adaptogen with adipogenic potential, Ashwagandha has great potential to participate in future adjunctive obesity therapy and the prevention of other similar and obesity-related diseases, but further research is needed in this area.

References

NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC). Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128·9 million children, adolescents, and adults. Lancet. 2017 Dec 16;390(10113):2627-2642. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3. Epub 2017 Oct 10. PMID: 29029897; PMCID: PMC5735219.

Spiegelman BM, Flier JS. Obesity and the regulation of energy balance. Cell. 2001 Feb 23;104(4):531-43. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(01)00240-9. PMID: 11239410.

Smith U, Kahn BB. Adipose tissue regulates insulin sensitivity: role of adipogenesis, de novo lipogenesis and novel lipids. J Intern Med. 2016 Nov;280(5):465-475. doi: 10.1111/joim.12540. Epub 2016 Oct 3. PMID: 27699898; PMCID: PMC5218584.

Lee K, Seo YJ, Song JH, Chei S, Lee BY. Ginsenoside Rg1 promotes browning by inducing UCP1 expression and mitochondrial activity in 3T3-L1 and subcutaneous white adipocytes. J Ginseng Res. 2019 Oct;43(4):589-599. doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2018.07.005. Epub 2018 Jul 18. PMID: 31695565; PMCID: PMC6823768.

Sharma S, Fulton S. Diet-induced obesity promotes depressive-like behaviour that is associated with neural adaptations in brain reward circuitry. Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 Mar;37(3):382-9. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2012.48. Epub 2012 Apr 17. PMID: 22508336.

Manchanda S, Kaur G. Withania somnifera leaf alleviates cognitive dysfunction by enhancing hippocampal plasticity in high fat diet induced obesity model. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017 Mar 3;17(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12906-017-1652-0. PMID: 28253924; PMCID: PMC5335828.

South T, Holmes NM, Martire SI, Westbrook RF, Morris MJ. Rats eat a cafeteria-style diet to excess but eat smaller amounts and less frequently when tested with chow. PLoS One. 2014 Apr 21;9(4):e93506. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093506. PMID: 24751610; PMCID: PMC3994000.

Singh N, Bhalla M, de Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a Rasayana (rejuvenator) of Ayurveda. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2011;8(5 Suppl):208-13. doi: 10.4314/ajtcam.v8i5S.9. Epub 2011 Jul 3. PMID: 22754076; PMCID: PMC3252722.

Lee SR, Lee BS, Yu JS, Kang H, Yoo MJ, Yi SA, Han JW, Kim S, Kim JK, Kim JC, Kim KH. Identification of anti-adipogenic withanolides from the roots of Indian ginseng (Withania somnifera). J Ginseng Res. 2022 May;46(3):357-366. doi: 10.1016/j.jgr.2021.09.004. Epub 2021 Oct 6. PMID: 35600781; PMCID: PMC9120796.

Park HJ, Rayalam S, Della-Fera MA, Ambati S, Yang JY, Baile CA. Withaferin A induces apoptosis and inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Biofactors. 2008;33(2):137-48. doi: 10.1002/biof.5520330206. PMID: 19346589.

Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB. Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on Physical Performance: Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021 Feb 11;6(1):20. doi: 10.3390/jfmk6010020. PMID: 33670194; PMCID: PMC8006238.

] Mirjalili MH, Moyano E, Bonfill M, Cusido RM, Palazón J. Steroidal lactones from Withania somnifera, an ancient plant for novel medicine. Molecules. 2009 Jul 3;14(7):2373-93. doi: 10.3390/molecules14072373. PMID: 19633611; PMCID: PMC6255378.

Mary NK, Babu BH, Padikkala J. Antiatherogenic effect of Caps HT2, a herbal Ayurvedic medicine formulation. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(6-7):474-82. doi: 10.1078/094471103322331412. PMID: 13678230.

McEwen BS. Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Physiol Rev. 2007 Jul;87(3):873-904. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00041.2006. PMID: 17615391.

Chrousos GP. Stress and disorders of the stress system. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2009 Jul;5(7):374-81. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2009.106. Epub 2009 Jun 2. PMID: 19488073.

Juster RP, McEwen BS, Lupien SJ. Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2010 Sep;35(1):2-16. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.10.002. Epub 2009 Oct 12. PMID: 19822172.

Pascoe MC, Thompson DR, Ski CF. Yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and stress-related physiological measures: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017 Dec;86:152-168. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.008. Epub 2017 Aug 30. PMID: 28963884.

Keng SL, Smoski MJ, Robins CJ. Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: a review of empirical studies. Clin Psychol Rev. 2011 Aug;31(6):1041-56. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006. Epub 2011 May 13. PMID: 21802619; PMCID: PMC3679190.

Speers AB, Cabey KA, Soumyanath A, Wright KM. Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Stress and the Stress- Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2021;19(9):1468-1495. doi: 10.2174/1570159X19666210712151556. PMID: 34254920; PMCID: PMC8762185.

Hewagalamulage SD, Lee TK, Clarke IJ, Henry BA. Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2016 Jul;56 Suppl:S112-20. doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.03.004. Epub 2016 Mar 31. PMID: 27345309.

Jéquier E. Leptin signaling, adiposity, and energy balance. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Jun;967:379-88. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04293.x. PMID: 12079865.

Lawson EA, Miller KK, Blum JI, Meenaghan E, Misra M, Eddy KT, Herzog DB, Klibanski A. Leptin levels are associated with decreased depressive symptoms in women across the weight spectrum, independent of body fat. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2012 Apr;76(4):520-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04182.x. PMID: 21781144; PMCID: PMC3296868.

Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E. Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS Med. 2004 Dec;1(3):e62. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062. Epub 2004 Dec 7. PMID: 15602591; PMCID: PMC535701.

Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study. Cureus. 2019 Sep 28;11(9):e5797. doi: 10.7759/cureus.5797. PMID: 31728244; PMCID: PMC6827862.

Avgerinos KI, Spyrou N, Mantzoros CS, Dalamaga M. Obesity and cancer risk: Emerging biological mechanisms and perspectives. Metabolism. 2019 Mar;92:121-135. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2018.11.001. Epub 2018 Nov 13. PMID: 30445141.

Pischon T, Nimptsch K. Obesity and Risk of Cancer: An Introductory Overview. Recent Results Cancer Res. 2016;208:1-15. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-42542-9_1. PMID: 27909899.

Hahm ER, Moura MB, Kelley EE, Van Houten B, Shiva S, Singh SV. Withaferin A-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells is mediated by reactive oxygen species. PLoS One. 2011;6(8):e23354. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023354. Epub 2011 Aug 10. PMID: 21853114; PMCID: PMC3154436.

Choi BY, Kim BW. Withaferin-A Inhibits Colon Cancer Cell Growth by Blocking STAT3 Transcriptional Activity. J Cancer Prev. 2015 Sep;20(3):185-92. doi: 10.15430/JCP.2015.20.3.185. PMID: 26473157; PMCID: PMC4597807.

Abu Bakar MH, Azmi MN, Shariff KA, Tan JS. Withaferin A Protects Against High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Via Attenuation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance. Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2019 May;188(1):241-259. doi: 10.1007/s12010-018-2920-2. Epub 2018 Nov 12. PMID: 30417321.

Choudhary D, Bhattacharyya S, Joshi K. Body Weight Management in Adults Under Chronic Stress Through Treatment With Ashwagandha Root Extract: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Jan;22(1):96-106. doi: 10.1177/2156587216641830. Epub 2016 Apr 6. PMID: 27055824; PMCID: PMC5871210.

Park HJ, Rayalam S, Della-Fera MA, Ambati S, Yang JY, Baile CA. Withaferin A induces apoptosis and inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Biofactors. 2008;33(2):137-48. doi: 10.1002/biof.5520330206. PMID: 19346589.

Lee DH, Park SH, Lee E, Seo HD, Ahn J, Jang YJ, Ha TY, Im SS, Jung CH. Withaferin A exerts an anti-obesity effect by increasing energy expenditure through thermogenic gene expression in high-fat diet-fed obese mice. Phytomedicine. 2021 Feb;82:153457. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153457. Epub 2020 Dec 30. PMID: 33444942.

Lee BS, Yoo MJ, Kang H, Lee SR, Kim S, Yu JS, Kim JC, Jang TS, Pang C, Kim KH. Withasomniferol D, a New Anti-Adipogenic Withanolide from the Roots of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021 Oct 2;14(10):1017. doi: 10.3390/ph14101017. PMID: 34681241; PMCID: PMC8537031.

Majeed M, Majeed S, Nagabhushanam K, Gnanamani M, Mundkur L. Lesser Investigated Natural Ingredients for the Management of Obesity. Nutrients. 2021 Feb 4;13(2):510. doi: 10.3390/nu13020510. PMID: 33557185; PMCID: PMC7913945.

Downloads

  • PDF

Published

2023-05-29

How to Cite

1.
NOWAK, Alicja, BOGUSZ, Klaudia, BARAN, Natalia, MAKSYMOWICZ, Marcela, BIELAK, Adriana, NOWAK, Aleksandra, CYWKA, Łucja, SZWED, Weronika and MACHOWIEC, Piotr. Benefits of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) supplementation in obesity. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. Online. 29 May 2023. Vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 11-22. [Accessed 16 May 2025]. DOI 10.12775/JEHS.2023.35.01.001.
  • ISO 690
  • ACM
  • ACS
  • APA
  • ABNT
  • Chicago
  • Harvard
  • IEEE
  • MLA
  • Turabian
  • Vancouver
Download Citation
  • Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
  • BibTeX

Issue

Vol. 35 No. 1 (2023)

Section

Review Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Alicja Nowak, Klaudia Bogusz, Natalia Baran, Marcela Maksymowicz, Adriana Bielak, Aleksandra Nowak, Łucja Cywka, Weronika Szwed, Piotr Machowiec

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The periodical offers access to content in the Open Access system under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Stats

Number of views and downloads: 1061
Number of citations: 0

Search

Search

Browse

  • Browse Author Index
  • Issue archive

User

User

Current Issue

  • Atom logo
  • RSS2 logo
  • RSS1 logo

Information

  • For Readers
  • For Authors
  • For Librarians

Newsletter

Subscribe Unsubscribe

Tags

Search using one of provided tags:

Withania somnifera, Solanaceae, withanolide, withaferin A, obesity
Up

Akademicka Platforma Czasopism

Najlepsze czasopisma naukowe i akademickie w jednym miejscu

apcz.umk.pl

Partners

  • Akademia Ignatianum w Krakowie
  • Akademickie Towarzystwo Andragogiczne
  • Fundacja Copernicus na rzecz Rozwoju Badań Naukowych
  • Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
  • Instytut Kultur Śródziemnomorskich i Orientalnych PAN
  • Instytut Tomistyczny
  • Karmelitański Instytut Duchowości w Krakowie
  • Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego
  • Państwowa Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Krośnie
  • Państwowa Akademia Nauk Stosowanych we Włocławku
  • Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Zawodowa im. Stanisława Pigonia w Krośnie
  • Polska Fundacja Przemysłu Kosmicznego
  • Polskie Towarzystwo Ekonomiczne
  • Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze
  • Towarzystwo Miłośników Torunia
  • Towarzystwo Naukowe w Toruniu
  • Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu
  • Uniwersytet Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie
  • Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika
  • Uniwersytet w Białymstoku
  • Uniwersytet Warszawski
  • Wojewódzka Biblioteka Publiczna - Książnica Kopernikańska
  • Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne w Pelplinie / Wydawnictwo Diecezjalne „Bernardinum" w Pelplinie

© 2021- Nicolaus Copernicus University Accessibility statement Shop