Withania somnifera as an antistress herb

Abstract

Stress, anxiety and depression have become common terms and are being used by todays’ society so frequently that it appears as though nearly everyone has been affected by the same in some or the other way, irrespective of the age, sex, occupation or socio-economic status. The management of stress and anxiety therefore has become one of the important concerns, as finding peace and happiness is what all are striving for in this stressed-out era, and wherever people see a ray of hope to alleviate stress, the society is ready to go for the same. Stress is the cause of various illnesses ranging from psychiatric to chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Studies have shown that some ayurvedic herbs act like adaptogens which increase resistance during stress. The adaptogens improve the response to stress and helps an individual to adapt by maintaining internal homeostasis in stressful situation. Withania somnifera, also known as Ashwagandha has been mentioned in Ayurveda and indigenous medical system for over 3000 years. It is also known as the Indian ginseng, as it is comparable to Panax Ginseng as an anti-stress herb.