Safety
Poisoned by Ashwagandha?
The latest Ashwagandha warning raises concerns—but it only applies to specific groups. We break down the facts and show why raw material quality matters.
Safety
The latest Ashwagandha warning raises concerns—but it only applies to specific groups. We break down the facts and show why raw material quality matters.
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Even the German tabloid BILD recently claimed: "Steer clear of this anti-stress herb!"
The reason is a new report (Notice 39/2024) from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which points to "possible health risks" from taking Ashwagandha in children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and people with pre-existing liver disease. In Switzerland, the BLV (Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office) takes a similarly cautious position regarding plant extracts in these groups.
So the first important distinction: this isn't about everyone, but specific populations. The background is that there's insufficient data for children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. No concrete dangers were actually described.
Side effects, anyone?
The BfR notes that publications have focused primarily on the positive effects of Ashwagandha.
Side effects are barely described, and the known ones would include: nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as dizziness, headaches, vertigo, drowsiness, and skin rashes.
"Furthermore, there is evidence that these preparations may influence the immune system and the endocrine system (effects on cortisol and blood sugar levels, thyroid and sex hormones)."
Here, the BfR creates the impression of side effects. In fact, in scientific studies these effects are attributed to Ashwagandha's positive actions—for example, the stress-reducing ("adaptogenic") effect via cortisol reduction (Lopresti et al. 2019).
And further?
Particularly concerning are indications that Ashwagandha extracts at unknown doses could damage the liver—there are a few case reports of this.
Indeed, this was investigated in an Indian study where 23 people possibly suffered liver damage in the context of Ashwagandha use (Philips et al. 2023).
But: only eight patients took Ashwagandha alone, and most had severe pre-existing liver disease.
The core problem
…is described by the BfR in its notice as follows:
"The types and content levels of active ingredients in individual dietary supplements differ greatly."
That's absolutely correct: there are many different Ashwagandha products on the market with varying levels of ingredient standardization.
Generally speaking, plant extracts show significant quality and dosage differences between different preparations.
We at edubily® use the renowned branded ingredient KSM-66®, which is used in most clinical studies and is multiply certified.
RCT Study Shows: KSM-66® is Safe!
The good news is that just a few years ago, a high-quality RCT (human study) with comprehensive testing concluded that Ashwagandha root extract (600 mg) produces no noticeable or measurable side effects—thyroid and liver parameters were also examined (Verma et al. 2021).
Important: the study was limited to eight weeks and used KSM-66®, the same ingredient we use at edubily®.
⇒ Once again it becomes clear that raw material quality is decisive—as with all foods, you can't simply consume every ingredient carelessly, and there are significant quality differences between different sources.
Buying from edubily® means: we've already done the thinking for you ;-)
Ashwagandha in Context
Ashwagandha has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries and is valued for its adaptogenic properties. Larger, current reviews also attribute the Ashwagandha root extract a broad spectrum of health benefits as an adaptogen, including liver protection (Ingawale & Namdeo 2021).
Like all plant extracts we distribute, we also recommend being cautious with Ashwagandha, for example during pregnancy and nursing—it's better to avoid it then.
Our recommendation aligns with the conclusions of risk assessment bodies such as the BfR, which can be summarized as:
✓ Pay attention to raw material quality
✓ Don't use plant extracts carelessly (= at high doses)
✓ In particular, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and those with pre-existing conditions should avoid plant extracts when in doubt
Still, one should always remember: such agencies are primarily concerned with even the rarest side effects. You won't read much about positive effects in such notices.
