Ashwagandha

Research corpus coverage

Chemistry notes

• CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include withanolides; sitoindosides; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.

Traditional / historical use

Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.

• TRADITIONAL: Ashwagandha has been used for stress; sleep; vitality; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.

  MODERATE · evidence synthesis/fact sheet · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

Modern evidence

• EVIDENCE: For the major use set (stress; sleep; vitality), the evidence assessment is limited/mixed: Limited but growing human trials and meta-analyses for stress and sleep; certainty remains low-to-moderate.

  MODERATE · systematic review/meta-analysis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

  Mixed findings, product heterogeneity, or indirect evidence are preserved in the detailed profile.

Forms used traditionally

A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.

Cats & dogs

• Caution

  Ashwagandha is typically well tolerated by animals but can cause mild gastrointestinal signs after ingestion.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · Withania somnifera supplement; preparation not otherwise specified · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements

• Low concern

  Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is generally well tolerated by animals, but ingestion may cause mild gastrointestinal signs.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · herbal supplement · HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y plantas ...

• Low concern

  Ashwagandha is generally well tolerated in animals, although occasional mild gastrointestinal signs may occur.

  Intrinsic toxicity · OTHER · preparation not specified · MODERATE · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y a base ...

Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)

Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.

• SAFETY: Major issues include GI effects; drowsiness; thyroid stimulation; rare liver injury. Contraindications/cautions include Pregnancy; hyperthyroidism; caution in autoimmune or liver disease.

  HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

• SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include May add to sedatives, thyroid hormone, immunosuppressants, glucose- and blood-pressure-lowering drugs.

  MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements

  Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.

• SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Avoid in pregnancy; lactation safety is insufficient.

  MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · NCCIH Herbs at a Glance

  Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is generally well tolerated by animals, but ingestion may cause mild gastrointestinal signs.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y plantas ...

  The page does not specify differential susceptibility between dogs and cats or the preparation concentration.

• Ashwagandha is generally well tolerated in animals, although occasional mild gastrointestinal signs may occur.

  MODERATE · veterinary_manual · Toxicosis en animales por suplementos dietéticos y a base ...

  The page does not specify a preparation, dose, or separate dog-versus-cat findings.

• Ashwagandha is typically well tolerated by animals but can cause mild gastrointestinal signs after ingestion.

  HIGH · veterinary_manual · Toxicoses in Animals From Human Dietary and Herbal Supplements

  The page does not state that ashwagandha is completely non-toxic and provides no species-specific or preparation-specific data.

Taxonomic identity note

• Ashwagandha is treated here as Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal in the family Solanaceae; recorded older names include Physalis somnifera L..