Herbal supplements 1 - Ashwagandha

Herbal supplements 1 - Ashwagandha

The wide variety of herbal supplements will confuse. This series of posts looks at the evidence for common recommendations.

Ashwagandha for sleep, cognition and anxiety

The areas of potential use: sleep, stress, anxiety. Possibly to aid cognition in over 50’s

How does it work?

Probably via GABA-ergic pathways and/ or suppressing ACTH and thus cortisol levels. GABA, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces overall brain signal levels. Studies in rodents show increased GABA activity in the central nervous system (CNS) and deeper sleep by promoting delta waves and increasing non-REM sleep duration [1].

For stress and anxiety Human Studies show a potential cortisol-lowering effect.

A 60-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the stress-relieving and pharmacological activity of an ashwagandha extract [240 mg of a standardized ashwagandha extract (Shoden) once daily ] in stressed, healthy adults [2]

There was a 40% reduction in morning cortisol after 60 days of use and a significant reduction in the Hamilton Anxiety scale.

For Sleep, what is the data?

A Meta-Analysis on Sleep Benefits reviewed five RCTs (double-blinded, placebo-controlled) [3]. There were modest effects on overall sleep duration.

Dementia Prevention

You are aware of the curse of dementia [mainly as Alzheimer’s Disease – AD] either as a risk of ageing or more powerfully because of personal experience of a sufferer.

There IS an inherited ie genetic component related principally to the APOE e4 gene. But lots of people who have the gene don’t get AD. The important information is not whether you have the gene [so don’t rush to get a test] but whether the gene is switched on - this is called gene expression.

Gastric Reflux: Critical Stuff & Common-sense Advice

Focus on … 

Three things you need to know:  

Associated problems
Investigations 
Treatments that work

Especially, what are practical measures to help symptoms and what unhelpful dietary or drug advice should I avoid?

Supernutrition #5: Hormones, Diet & Body Composition

Hormones diet and body composition

The three principal sex hormones, Oestradiol (E), Testosterone (T) and Progesterone (P) all interact with diet, metabolism and body composition. Ghrelin and Leptin moderate intake and insulin determines fat storage. Thyroid function regulates energy metabolism. Anyone with weight problems (too much or too little) may need hormone evaluation and/or treatment. Reduction in output of E & T post menopause or in 60+ men has adverse consequences that you may wish to counter.

Supernutrution #4: Eight easy ways to lose central fat

Eight genuinely easy ways to shift dangerous central fat and prolong HealthSpan

The following 8 strategies have scientific evidence to support them and obvious logic. Critically none of them require you to go hungry.

I don’t deal here with hormone issues but will do so next week.

Supernutrition #3: The dangers of central fat

How do I lose my dangerous central fat?

This is important for your HealthSpan- This is not ‘fat-shaming’ just the truth that accumulating central fat increases your risk of fatal and life-diminishing diseases, shortens your life, and reduces the quality of your life. But you probably know that, deep down.

Clearly, keeping slim is difficult for many: so what do we know that is useful if you need some help, what are the myths?

Sleep Basics: New ideas on treatment for insomnia

The definition of 'Chronic' Insomnia is 3 nights poor sleep per week persisting for 3 months. It means problems in initiating sleep, or staying asleep, or returning to sleep after waking early in the morning. 

This effects 10-15% of men and women over 50, affects most women at menopause and continues after that if they are not on HRT. It affects some individuals chronically for many years, with severe health consequences.

How to MAXIMISE your healthspan and have a Diamond Life

Your Diamond Life

Not in the sense being rich materially, but rich in good 'quality of life' years. So your HealthSpan is the good years, your LifeSpan the total including those bad end-of-life years you have seen others have.

Want help you to limit the effects of ageing and maximise your HealthSpan?

What is Ageing?

What is Ageing? This is a key question: if we want to slow ageing we need to know what we are aiming to influence.

Ageing is a combination of several processes: first loss of power in muscles and joints, leading to frailty. Frailty means being vulnerable to injury or accident because of muscular weakness, loss of physical coordination, which leads to falls etc. The difficulty with the process is that one should become frail, it becomes progressive - because you’re frail you are unable to exercise and retain your strength and therefore your capacity to do things diminishes making you even more vulnerable in a downward spiral. You will have seen this progression in people you have known.