Ashwagandha root extract: evidence, dose and safety
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a plant used in Ayurvedic tradition. Supplements use extracts of the root. We do not sell it in the EU after Denmark's 2023 ban and German risk-assessment warnings.
At a glance
- Strongest evidence
- B Good
- Dose in our plans
- 600 mg a day for adults
- Adult upper limit
- 600 mg a day from food and supplements together
- Safety checks
- 6 situations and 4 medicine or supplement interactions, checked against your answers in every plan
- Reviewed
- Atrum Labs clinical team (MD, PhD), November 2026
What the research looked at
Each line is one body of research, graded A (strong) to D (weak). How we grade evidence. What each study measured is explained in your personal plan.
| Grade | Who was studied | References |
|---|---|---|
| B | Stressed adults |
|
| C | Adults with low libido |
|
| C | Adults with poor sleep |
|
| C | Adult men |
|
How much
- Our plans usually use 600 mg a day for adults. The exact dose depends on your lab results, age and medicines.
- Adult upper limit: 600 mg a day from food and supplements together. Source: Most trials used 250-600 mg root extract a day (Akhgarjand C et al. Phytother Res 2022); liver-injury reports (Bjornsson HK et al. Liver Int 2020) argue against more.
- Children's doses are set by age, and some ingredients are for adults only.
Who should not take it, or should check first
- Not suitable. Traditional abortifacient; no safety data in pregnancy or lactation.
- A clinician checks first. Case reports of mood destabilisation.
- Not suitable. Reported cases of drug-induced liver injury.
- Not suitable. May raise thyroid hormone levels.
- A clinician checks first. Immunostimulant activity.
- Not suitable. Ashwagandha may raise testosterone and other hormones; avoid with hormone-sensitive cancers.
Medicines and other supplements
- A clinician checks first. Ashwagandha may raise thyroid hormone levels.
- Not suitable. Immunostimulant activity may counteract immunosuppressants.
- A clinician checks first. Additive sedation with benzodiazepines and Z-drugs.
- Not suitable. Ashwagandha can raise thyroid hormone levels, working against antithyroid treatment.
Your plan is checked against every medicine you tell us about. If you take a medicine, ask your pharmacist or doctor before starting a new supplement.
Where we sell it
- Not sold in Sweden.
Written and reviewed by the Atrum Labs clinical team (physician-scientists, MD, PhD) from our clinical knowledge base, version 0.2.0-draft. This page is general information, not medical advice. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
See if it belongs in your plan