08 Nov Caffeine and Ashwagandha: A dynamic duo!
Caffeine and Ashwagandha: A dynamic duo found in FIT that gives you the best of both worlds!
Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world and an average American adult consumes about 173 mg per day (~1 strong espresso coffee). However, some may be less fond of it because it can lead to feelings of jitters and agitation when one really was hoping for the great benefits of improved focus, working memory, energy, and logical reasoning.
With its great benefits, researchers aimed to find a way to lessen the side effects of caffeine so that more people will get to enjoy it. That’s when they thought of pairing caffeine with Ashwagandha.
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen herb that is commonly used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian Medicine. It is known as Indian Winter Cherry or Indian ginseng. It was said that it has a horse-like scent – where its name originated, and its medicinal capability is comparable to horses’ agility – strong. The main part used in this herb is its roots. It is a shrub found throughout the semi-arid region of India and other Southeast Asian countries and identified by the WHO as a medicinal plant.
With all the hype received by this herb in Asian Regions, researchers aimed to understand the herb and found amazing benefits such as its ability to support better reproductive health, immunity and bodyweight management.
But it is most widely known for its great benefits for stress and the brain:
- It has a lot of Antioxidants
Ashwagandha contains various phenolic compounds and flavonoids which induce the antioxidant capability of the herb. Antioxidants help regulate nitric oxide and other by-products of oxidative stress present in the body.
- Improves Sleep quality
We all know how important rest and sleep are to the overall being of our body. Better sleep aids in reducing stress and anxiety whereas poor sleep quality may induce anxiety and stress. It was shown that Ashwagandha helps improve sleep quality.
But how are caffeine and ashwagandha a perfect pair?
Caffeine increases the release of cortisol while ashwagandha helps in decreasing the cortisol levels in the body to maintain homeostasis via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, The main goal of ashwagandha is to keep the body in its balanced state. Moreover, it has the ability to influence serotonin activity which is a hormone that can affect our mood which lessens the negative effect of caffeine on mood. Ashwagandha increases the alertness effect of caffeine as its alertness takes a longer time to wear off. Ashwagandha helps balance out the side effects of caffeine while improving the benefits of caffeine.
All of this research supporting caffeine and ashwagandha as a dynamic duo just further solidifies why FITTEAM FIT (which contains natural caffeine and ashwagandha) is a superior product to help keep you energized, focused and feeling great, each and every day!
Maryann Walsh, MFN, RD, CDE
Registered Dietitian/ Nutrition Communications Specialist
REFERENCES:
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