Spotlight On: Ashwagandha
This article is part of our Spotlight On series. Each month we shine a light on a powerful and important superfood that we love at Foodhak for its flavour and its impact on your body.
Ash-wag-and-ha. Yes, it’s a bit of a mouthful but it’s also something you NEED to be eating. Trust us, ashwagandha is perfect for reducing feelings of stress and keeping your mind and body perfectly balanced. It’s been a key herb in Ayurveda for centuries so naturally you’ll find it popping up in many of our Foodhak signatures.
A quick bite
Ashwagandha is a small, woody shrub that can be found growing extensively in India. It has an impressive range of therapeutic effects and has been found to reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also an ‘adaptogen’. That means that it can adapt to each individual body’s needs by balancing hormones and immune cells to create stability. Superfoods don’t get much more powerful than that!
The main course
Ashwagandha contains main diverse bioactive constituents including iron, Vitamin A, calcium, flavonoids (and so many more) which all work in perfect harmony. It’s this balance which is responsible for the many therapeutic properties. Ashwagandha's adaptogenic qualities mean that it can assist the body in returning to optimal function against external stresses and internal changes like inflammation or hormonal shifts.
No one likes to feel stressed and your body hates it too. It can lead to weight gain, chronic fatigue and, in its worst cases, depression and anxiety. Ashwagandha works to normalise cortisol levels and support the function of the adrenal glands. This helps the body become more resistant to stress, burn out and makes it easier to unwind.
But the superpowers of ashwagandha don’t begin and end with its impact on how the body handles stress. It’s also been shown to have a huge effect on so many other body functions. Let’s do a bit of quick-fire on a few, shall we?
Blood sugar balance
Ashwagandha has been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels through its adaptogenic effect.
Memory
Its root extract has been shown to help choline production which influences key memory processes and enhances telomerase activity which can help anti-aging activity.
Immunity
Ashwagandha has been shown to improve macrophage function which helps increase the body’s immune defenses against immune-suppressed diseases and inflammatory conditions.
Alzheimer’s disease
The natural antioxidants in ashwagandha have been found to prevent cell damage which helps prevent neurodegeneration.
Wow, that’s a lot of health benefits. It’s easy to understand why ashwagandha has been such a key ingredient in Ayurveda for so long, and it’s why Foodhak simply love it!
Something to takeaway
If you’re not already rushing for some ashwagandha-infused food immediately then we suggest you go back and read all that again. After all, who doesn’t want to help their body feel its best? Get some ashwagandha into your weekly rotation today with some of our signature Foodhak dishes that our customers keep returning to, again and again.
Start your day with our Ashwagandha and Cocoa Granola - the perfect moreish cereal to get you ready for all the adventures ahead. And when the snack cravings come mid-afternoon, reach for our Ashwagandha Choc Chip Cookies or Ashwagandha Millet Brownies for the ultimate sweet treat. They're delicious bites that do wonders for your mind and body!
Ashwagandha is possibly the most crucial superfood in Ayurveda and it’s no wonder that it’s often called the ‘Prince of Herbs’. It’s an ingredient we take very seriously and with its numerous health benefits, it’s something you should harness the power of too!
