Ashwagandha supplement beneficial to postmenopausal women

Supplementation with Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) root extract appears to improve sleep quality, body composition, and menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women, as shown in a study.

The single-centre study was conducted in India and included 63 postmenopausal women aged 45–65 years. These participants were randomly assigned to supplementation with either ashwagandha root extract (600 mg/day; n=33) or placebo (n=30) for 12 weeks.

Primary outcomes included sleep quality (assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), body composition (measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), and menopausal symptoms (evaluated using the Menopause Rating Scale). Health-related quality of life on the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey was assessed as a secondary outcome. Bone mineral density was also evaluated as an exploratory outcome.

After 12 weeks of supplementation, the ashwagandha group showed significantly greater improvements in sleep quality (mean change, −5.2 vs −0.8; p<0.001), menopausal symptom scores (mean change, −8.1 vs −1.2; p<0.001), and body fat percentage (mean change, −0.6 percent vs 0.03 percent; p<0.01) compared with the placebo group. Quality of life also improved across multiple domains.

There were no significant between-group differences seen in bone mineral density.

In terms of safety, the ashwagandha supplement was well tolerated with no serious adverse events.