How Ashwagandha can help increase orgasm
We’ve all heard of aphrodisiacs such as oysters and chocolate, but research reveals there’s a healthy plant out there to help women naturally boost their sex drive and achieve an orgasm.
A medical study showed that women who took a dose of the plant ashwagandha every day over a month saw significant improvements in achieving orgasm and sexual arousal*.
This comes as no surprise to our herbal experts, such as our Head of Herbal Education, Jo Webber, who says: “ashwagandha can be taken to help improve libido whilst also helping us adapt to physical stress and relax without feeling exhausted, which could explain why it helps women achieve an orgasm.”
“Ashwagandha can be taken safely with contraceptive pills, which for some women can be a factor associated with low levels of sex drive.”
According to the results of the study, ashwagandha supplementation also caused a big reduction in sexually related distress.
Jo explains : “ashwagandha has a role in increasing testosterone - a factor in androgen deficiency syndrome - which is also associated with female sexual dysfunction*.”
Ashwagandha for male sexual function
Ashwagandha can also help men in the bedroom – in fact its name means ‘strength of a stallion’ in Sanskrit, giving us a clue to its traditional usage in Ayurveda. This has also been backed up by medical research showing that ashwagandha improves sperm motility, sperm count and erectile dysfunction**.
Ashwagandha is grown in India and good quality ashwagandha is hard to come by in the Western world. As one of our favourite herbs, ashwagandha features in our Peace tea and our Wholistic Ashwagandha supplement.
The many other benefits and uses of Ashwagandha can be found in our 'what is Ashwagandha' article.
*Source: BioMed Research International Volume 2015, D.O.I: 10.1155/2015/284154 “Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study” Authors: S. Dongre, D. Langade, S. Bhattacharyya
**Source:
Sengupta P, Agarwal A, Pogrebetskaya M, Roychoudhury S, Durairajanayagam D, Henkel R. 2018. Role of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) in the management of male infertility. Reproductive Biomedicine Online 36: 311-326.
Azgomi RND, Zomorrodi A, Nazemyieh H, Fazljou SMB, Bazargani HS, Nejatbakhsh F, et al. 2018. Effects of Withania somnifera on reproductive system: A systematic review of the available evidence. BioMed Research Int article ID: 4076430.
Pukka's Organic Wholistic Ashwagandha
Pukka’s organic Wholistic™ Ashwagandha uses a unique extraction process to retain all 45+ active compounds. This ensures a powerful, concentrated extract that maximises the synergistic benefits.
Author: Dr Vivien Rolfe
Head of Herbal Research
Viv is a gut physiologist and has recently achieved a Foundation in Herbal Medicine. She leads Pukka’s research programme to explore how herbs can benefit our health and be used to widen healthcare choices. This includes research into herbs for Women’s health and as alternatives to antibiotics. She establishes global research partnerships and enthuses the next generation of scientists through Pukka’s Scholarship Scheme. She is a champion of diversity in science and open access to knowledge.
Qualifications:
BSc, PhD, PFHEA
Years of experience:
30+ years in the wellbeing industry and academia
Education:
Degree in Physiology University of Sheffield, PhD University of Sheffield, Foundation in Herbalism Heartwood, MBA Entrepreneurship (on-going) Edinburgh Napier University, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Professional Registrations:
Membership of Nutrition Society, Physiological Society, Society for Chemical Industry, and other herbal and botanical groups.
