Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) · Herb Profile

At a glance

Botanical name: Withania somnifera
Family: Solanaceae
Part used: Root
Taste: Bitter, Astringent, Sweet
Temperature: Warm
Moisture: Dry

Safety at a glance

In pregnancy

Use with caution; limited data

While breastfeeding

Insufficient data on lactation; traditional Ayurvedic use in postpartum. Small medicinal doses generally considered acceptable; avoid high therapeutic doses without practitioner.

For children

Safe in low food doses; avoid therapeutic doses under 12

Cautions

Avoid in acute illness with fever; caution with hyperthyroidism

General contraindications

Avoid (traditionally contraindicated)

Stewardship

Ashwagandha is cultivated for root; choose organic Indian-grown sources with fair-trade certification. Kashmir and Rajasthan farms supply global market. Stewardship: Gen 2:15 — tending and keeping applies to the supply chain, not just the plant.

In the traditional record

Withania — used in Ayurvedic tradition tracing to ancient Vedic texts (3000+ BCE); referenced in Charaka Samhita as a premier rasayana

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Educational use

The Apothecary is educational and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing what you take, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a diagnosed condition.

On our sources

These entries draw on public-domain materia medica, most of it published before 1900, alongside a smaller number of modern reference works. Energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and moistening are a traditional framework for describing how a plant behaves in the body, not a laboratory measurement. Where a period source states one, we cite it. Where none does, and for many North American herbs none exists, the value reflects modern herbal consensus rather than a historical text. When we cannot support a caution with real evidence, we say nothing rather than guess.