How Ashwagandha Supports Your Immune System
Ashwagandha is an herb that has been used in traditional Ayurvedic healing for thousands of years. It belongs to a special class of herbs known as adaptogens. Adaptogens help bring the body's stress response to normal levels and restore balance to our systems after a disruption, helping to make us more resilient at times of physical or emotional stress.
Top 5 Benefits of Ashwagandha for Women
Ashwagandha is rich in antioxidants and unique phytochemicals known as withanolides. Withanolides are considered to be one of the key active compounds in ashwagandha, and play a major role in its health benefits, including its immune support benefits. Here are some of the ways that ashwagandha can support your immune system:
Boosts Antibody Production: Research shows that ashwagandha supports the production of antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that play an essential role in the immune system by helping the body defend itself from bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Antibodies engulf and digest the toxins and eliminate them from your body in the form of mucus, or flush them out as sweat, urine, and feces.
Supports Nitric Oxide Production: Ashwagandha helps boost the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is responsible for activating macrophage actions of the immune system, helping to improve the ability to ingest invader cells. Studies show that the body naturally increases nitric oxide production in the face of infection, which accounts for a part of the immune-boosting effects of the herb.
Helps Manage Inflammation: Ashwagandha helps manage inflammation levels by reducing the number of C-reactive protein in the body. Keeping inflammation levels balanced helps your immune system to perform efficiently by improving the action of Natural Killer cells. Natural killer cells are a part of the innate immune system, and they play a critical role in host-rejection of both tumors and viral-infected cells. Research shows that ashwagandha helps to increase the natural killer cells in humans studies.
Taking ashwagandha is an easy and effective way to support your overall immune health. Naturelo's Ashwagandha supplement is pure and natural with no added coloring, flavoring or preservatives.
References:
1. Anxiolytic-antidepressant activity of Withania somnifera glycowithanolides: an experimental study, 2000 Dec;7(6):463-9
2. A comparison of the immunostimulatory effects of the medicinal herbs Echinacea, Ashwagandha and Brahmi, 2011 Sep 1;137(1):231-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.05.017. Epub 2011 May 17
3. Induction of nitric oxide synthase expression by Withania somnifera in macrophages, 2003 Feb 21;72(14):1617-25