How Long Does Ashwagandha Take To Work?

What Is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a herb used in traditional medicine to improve stress, promote restful sleep and improve concentration.

It can be taken in pill form, powder form, or liquid extract form. It has been generally well studied. One of the main features of ashwagandha is that it can help regulate the stress response by decreasing cortisol, or stress hormone, levels. 

There have been positive impacts in the research on male fertility, testosterone levels and strength and fitness. Some positive impacts for women is that it may improve sexual health such as lubrication and satisfaction, along with decreasing perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.

What Can Influence How Long It Can Take Ashwagandha To Work?

Let’s look at a few things that may impact the way ashwagandha will work in the body.

Dosage Of Supplement

The optimal dose of ashwagandha described in the literature to see benefits seems to range from 240 to 600 milligrams per day for things like sleep, stress, cognition and anxiety.  

Taking less than 240 milligrams might not show an increased benefit. Also, taking more than 600 milligrams also may not show an increased benefit unless undergoing a very intense exercise regimen.

More of a good thing might not always be the best answer, and there are no long-term studies on high doses of ashwagandha. 

Type Of Ashwagandha Used

Ashwagandha comes in pills, gummies, powders and liquid extracts.

It has a very strong smell, most people say, as its name translates to “smell of horse” in sanskrit.

As the translation says, ashwagandha is known to have a horse-like smell, so unfortunately taking it in plain powder or liquid extract is often avoided.

Ashwagandha is often mixed into greens powders, that way consumers are able to take in the powdered form of ashwagandha without the unwanted smell.

Pill form can be a great way to take ashwagandha, as the concreted capsules can provide the recommended dose in one to two doses per day.

The Gummy form of ashwagandha is another way to take in the adaptogen, but be aware that they often contain added sugars, up to 4 or 5 grams per serving.

Another downside is that gummies are not great for your teeth, so taking multiple gummies every day may impact oral health negatively.

Age, Gender And Health Conditions

Some medications are dosed based on age and gender. Right now, there is not enough information that suggests that age or gender plays a strong enough role in saying that it will work faster or better in one gender rather than the other.

Keep in mind quite a few of the studies on ashwagandha were done on male subjects.

Another thing to note is there is minimal information on how ashwagandha affects children, so speaking with a paediatrician is always strongly encouraged before starting any new supplementation in children.

Those with autoimmune conditions, diabetes, thyroid conditions and hormone-sensitive cancers and those taking medication for seizures should speak to their provider before starting ashwagandha, as it may play a role in hormonal and/or immune function.

In healthy volunteers, ashwagandha was deemed safe at doses of 600 milligrams for eight weeks in 40 males and 40 females.

Time Of Day

Is there a specific time of day consumers should take ashwagandha? Not necessarily.

Since it helps with stress and anxiety, taking it in the morning before a particularly stressful day could be a good option.

Though since it also helps with sleep, taking ashwagandha in the afternoon can prove just as effective.

How Long Does It Normally Take For Ashwagandha To Work?

Most research studies on ashwagandha are done between 4 and 12 weeks, showing that it could take less than 4 weeks to start working. The two-week mark may be a good point to reflect on and see how you feel since starting ashwagandha.

Additionally, this also implies that some consumers may not see effects until 8 or more weeks.

Keep in mind everyone’s body is different and one person may not see benefits as quickly as another.

How Long Does Ashwagandha Stay In Your System?

Since ashwagandha is an herbal supplement and not regulated by the Food And Drug Administration like medications are, finding information regarding how long ashwagandha will stay in the system was sparse. 

One source reports that ashwagandha is both fat-soluble and water-soluble, so the fat-soluble components could remain in the system for up to a month while the water-soluble components could be out of the body in just two days.

More research is needed in this area. 

Green Powders And Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is often incorporated into green powders like mentioned above. This could be a great way to receive the benefits of ashwagandha while also getting vitamins, minerals, and greens. 

Supergreen Tonik provides 500mg of ashwagandha per scoop of a green powder, which is right in the recommended dose to see benefits from scientific studies. It also contains another adaptogen called Rhodiola, which provides a calming feeling with steady energy.

One of the great things about Supergreen Tonik is there are no proprietary blends, and consumers are able to see exactly how much ashwagandha they are getting per scoop. Proprietary blends don’t show consumers the amount of each substance in the product. 

 This is one of reviewers favorite things about the product!

Lastly, although we have learned about some great benefits of ashwagandha and green powders, remember to speak with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement like ashwagandha or green powders.

Nicole Minnelli, BSc, RDN

Nicole is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian / Nutritionist. She completed her bachelors degree in Food and Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics. She is passionate about taking evidence-based nutrition research and transforming it into an easy to read format for everybody to understand.

She has experience working in a variety of different settings such as acute care, long term care, school nutrition education and community nutrition. Nicole has spent most of her career working as a Clinical Dietitian in hospitals, providing nutrition education to those managing chronic diseases.