Functional, Nutraceutical, and Health-Endorsing Perspectives of Ashwagandha

A widely used herb in Ayurvedic medicine, Ashwagandha has garnered much attention from individuals worldwide due to its potential therapeutic and health benefits. This comprehensive review examines the nutritional composition, medicinal benefits, and clinical data related to Ashwagandha's application in modern medicine. Ashwagandha has been used for centuries to treat physical exhaustion, tension, and anxiety, but new research has broadened its medicinal uses. It has many benefits because of its immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, adaptogenic, and antioxidant properties. Some of the significant bioactive substances include alkaloids, saponins, and withanolides. The clinical studies have established the benefits of Ashwagandha for mental health, metabolic health, stress reduction, cognitive function, immunity, and cardiovascular health. This review also covers the expanding significance of Ashwagandha in nutrition and its uses in functional foods. Despite promising Ashwagandha-based therapeutics, their science must be developed into standard products, improve the dosing, and eliminate current regulatory hurdles for widespread use.