816 replies to this topic

[jetmango]

Nobody forces you to check these email, though. It's just a habit. You can manage it with a will power without any supplements. ;]

[PuertoO]

When looking at BDNF (a neurological growth factor), ashwagandha leaf extracts at 200mg/kg appears to upregulate brain mature BDNF to near 130% of control levels in mice over the course of a week.

[HoldingTheFaith]

We cannot match that intake unless we are taking 14 grams per day, which would be the Ayurveda style, 5 grams three times per day.

However, an extract could potentially have similar if not better effects. It depends if whitanolides improve BDNF or is other active. Certainty whitanolides have a strong positive impact in neuritic regeneration and synaptic reconstruction:

http://onlinelibrary...jp.0706122/full

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 05 February 2014 - 02:21 PM.

[PuertoO]

We cannot match that intake unless we are taking 14 grams per day, which would be the Ayurveda style, 5 grams three times per day.

However, an extract could potentially have similar if not better effects. It depends if whitanolides improve BDNF or is other active.

http://onlinelibrary...jp.0706122/full

I think ayurveda style dosing is correct. They dose it like that for a reason- it works.

[brink]

just got a bottle of the nutrigold ksm 66 ashw. should i be concerned with the .1% withanferine A if I plan on using this supplement long term, or is that a negligible amount?

[Healthyfreek]

just got a bottle of the nutrigold ksm 66 ashw. should i be concerned with the .1% withanferine A if I plan on using this supplement long term, or is that a negligible amount?

I believe that it is the lowest concentration of withaferin A any ashwagandha can offer. Its almost negligible.

[brink]

oh so even if other brands don't list it on the label...there are still traces of the substance?

[Jeoshua]

Sure, there will be traces. Withaferin A is not a deadlt poison, it's just not something that you want to megadose.

[zeropoint]

The latin name for this plant is "Withania somnifera" which would suggest somniferous(sleep) qualities as in the name "Papaver somniferum", the world famous opium poppy which also was known for it's sleep-inducing qualities....

[machete234]

Ashwagandha is therefore better option, IMHO. And Taurine - maybe as an urgent 'anti-anxiety' drug to keep with you all the time.

Of course if you don't have sensitive stomach it might be much better then

Taking a gram or so of taurine gave me pretty bad headaches so this GABA thing could work very quickly there.
Maybe its not to blame but Ill try in a few days when I can afford to have a headache.
I was stupid enough to take etizolam 3 times or so to fall asleep and this could be the rebound

[jetmango]

yeah I wonder... because I've noticed three times so far I started to having nightmares, especially when falling asleep... with full-blown anxiety - didn't have these for months... the only difference is that I've started using taurine... might be that strong?

probably it is because it works very fast and the calmness is stronger than ashwagandha [at least when u compare it to a normal extract] - this is somewhat v potent because it's just an amino acid after all.

strong GABA agonist for me. dumping this to the bin probably.

side effects like acid river in my stomach /GABA rebound is not what I want.

[HoldingTheFaith]

Mangoa yeah it sounds like Taurine is not for you. I would not insist if I got those side effects.

My Ash experience is incoming, estimated delivery, 15-20 days days.

[jetmango]

well I could always drink soda bicarbonate to kill increased acid production but does it make any sense first to take something that does Y then do X to kill effects of Y.. etc.. nope.

doesn't worth the risk. I have no clue how these studies used amounts like 4 grams per day.... eeeek!

[di36]

is any brand from amazon worth trying?

[Babychris]

Is someone mixing the ashwagandha with some kind of nootropics ? I'm wondering if it couple well with sunifiram or coluracetam or even PRL5-83 or more classics nootropics.. it's an aspect that we have not approach that much.

[machete234]

yeah I wonder... because I've noticed three times so far I started to having nightmares, especially when falling asleep... with full-blown anxiety - didn't have these for months... the only difference is that I've started using taurine... might be that strong?

Which is strange because even red bull has about 1g of taurine if I recall right, so it cant be that strong.
Id have to try it when well rested and I can rule out other things.
Maybe my powder is crap, could be.

Is someone mixing the ashwagandha with some kind of nootropics ? I'm wondering if it couple well with sunifiram or coluracetam or even PRL5-83 or more classics nootropics.. it's an aspect that we have not approach that much.

It smoothes out modafinil for example which is not technically a nootropic but yes it can probably smooth out some stimulating things and keep you still sharp.
With racetams or so at least I think its not problematic it doesnt feel that way.
And with the newer things nobody can even guess becasue there are not even enough trials with humans behind them.

Edited by machete234, 07 February 2014 - 09:05 PM.

[jetmango]

Yeah but taurine and high dose of caffeine might be erasing each other a bit.. I believe taurine is added to smooth initial caffeine hit.

besides, red bull is not very healthy either..

yeah, my anxieties are stronger again and I'm fed up because it seems I've step back a few weeks because of taking taurine for a few days. strange and weird.

[Andrey_81]

Don't take too much taurine. Stay with very very low doses (150-200 mg in the morning). 1-2 g is too much and I can also feel that I'm not that good if I take higher doses. With small doses it works just perfect in combination with other stuff. This reminds me on the rhodiola effect. Less is more and if something has bad effect, try small doses before deciding to quit.

Regarding the nootropics... I used to take ahwagandha with noopept. Don't know what to say....Nothing special so I discontinued with noopept.

[Zalman]

Himalaya Herbal - Ashwagandha, 60 capsules
Himalaya Brahmi Bacopa monnieri Thyme-Leaved Gratiola 60 Caps of 250mg each
Adapt 232 capsules

I ordered these online. Im 21 years old (from Sweden) and im going to try out some different "herbal" "nootropics". I do have a bit of anxiety but i handle it well by taking walks and working out. I hope that i will get better memory and more structured thoughts for my studies. Since a while I've been taking:

creatine 4-8g/daily
3-4 cups of green tea/daily
4 grams of omega 3/daily
1-2 "prilla" Swedish snus daily witch have helped me greatly with my "ADD" and brain fog witch is now gone (i only buy maximum 1 case/month since im worried about addiction) . I know snus is bad but it helps me relax when studying/taking tests, and i have at least 1 week off every month. I'm not interested in patches or e-ciggs.

Could i take all of the above together, should i cycle them and try them all individually first, if so, for how long? And witch should i try individually first? I'm a bit worried about http://www.shi.se/ad...232_tablets.htm since they dont show how much of the ingredients its contains.

Other than this i eat health, exercise and am generally happy. I hope that this stack can increase my libido since i feel it has been low but this could be a symptom of being completely celibate (for a while). This is the first time im trying nootropics and part of why im doing it is simple curiosity. Im thinking of also buying taurine to take sporadicly after what I've heard here, its also rather cheap. Dont i take enough already tho? Maybe i should start my own thread?

Edited by Zalman, 10 February 2014 - 06:34 PM.

[brink]

Day 1 of Nutrigold KSM 66 ashwaghanda.

Time to see if it lives up to your endorsements Healthyfreak! Here goes nothing

[machete234]

1-2 "prilla" Swedish snus daily witch have helped me greatly with my "ADD" and brain fog witch is now gone (i only buy maximum 1 case/month since im worried about addiction) . I know snus is bad but it helps me relax when studying/taking tests, and i have at least 1 week off every month. I'm not interested in patches or e-ciggs.

Snus is kind of forbidden to sell in stores where I live, its crazy Id try but I dont want teeth problems.
I might try chewing gum or e-cigs though, with ecigs I can smoke inside which is convenient.

[cylack]

Is it safe to take Ashwagandha in high concentrations and over a long time? I'm wondering because it is an Achetylcholinesterase inhibitor (http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/16950584) and I've read that generally its not a good idea to take AChe inhibitors for a long time as it messes up your body's own natural homeostasis.

[BlueCloud]

Tried Jarrow brand, wow that is some strong stuff, I got the wide eyed feeling, but it was like being on the edge of that thin line between alert and anxious. It felt like if I took a mg of any stim it would fire my anxiety attacks. It's good but have to be careful what I take with it.

yeah it is curious... you see now I'm taking it for the 51 day in a row [with maybe 2-3 times when I did not take it for 1-2 days max] and *definitely* I can feel the down regulation of GABA - I feel calm, but there is a thin line between that and a burst of anxiety... exactly as described above by vtrader. ...

Another possible theory is that, Aswagandha also increases testosterone wich means also possibly agressivity, so you're getting both the anxiolityc GABA effect + the agressivity from the testosterone push.

[username]

I currently take 1.35g of ashwagandha extract (2.5% withanolides, appr. 33mg). Huge increase in libido, anxiety decreased by probably 80% (I also take ginkgo and l-theanine, but nothing comes close to this stuff).
No increase in aggression, I think?

[HoldingTheFaith]

I currently take 1.35g of ashwagandha extract (2.5% withanolides, appr. 33mg). Huge increase in libido, anxiety decreased by probably 80% (I also take ginkgo and l-theanine, but nothing comes close to this stuff).
No increase in aggression, I think?

That´s great, both libido and anxiety are big concerns for me. Which brand are you having success with?

[username]

I take NOW ashwagandha extract 450mg.

[brink]

Perfect lead in to what I was going to ask longschi.

First and foremost this is only my 2nd day of taking ashwagandha. I am taking the nutrigold ksm66 brand.

I also understand "IT" will be different for everyone (you'll understand after viewing my questions). So if your response is "it's different for everyone", save your fingers from the keyboard I am looking for a precise, general or average estimate. Keep in mind I am looking for anxiolytic effect during daytime so I won't be taking any at night time to sleep.

Current Dosage: 1 capsule 500 mg, 5% withanolides - 15mg (daily)

How long does it usually take to feel the therapeutic effects of ashwagandha?

Is it okay to double? triple? the dosage. How much is too much mg wise? Is it possible to have too many withanolides?

What other supplements can be added to increase the anti-anxiety effect if the ashwagandha is not quite enough. Brand? Dosage?

Is it safe to take ashwagandha and drink alcohol at the same time?

Lastly, for anyone who supplements while weight lifting. Will protein powder or creatine interact with ashwagandha?

I appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks everyone!

[jetmango]

I've got that feeling from Desolation of Smaug that were going in circles. This topic is like 13 pages long. Every single question has been asnwered at least twice.

Now, on 13th page somebody is asking stuff like "How long does it usually take to feel the therapeutic effects of ashwagandha?" jayzes... basic one. Read the topic.

Try it. It works slightly different on everyone. Because each of us is a pretty unique organism. It would not kill you.

If you feel good- take it. If you don't feel anything - increase the dose. If you still will don't feel anything - drop it.
If it will make you feel bad - stop it. If it will be too strong- cut the dose.

Is that so hard?

: /

[HoldingTheFaith]

Brink. I would take double or even triple if you don´t feel anything, but wait a few days.

I have bought a combo for social anxiety which will be Ash, Gotu Kola and Milky Oat Seed. I recommend these even while I haven´t started with the supps yet (in a week or less!), because I have researched them EXTENSIVELY and they are among the most effective natural things for social anxiety according to forum posters (in other boards) and clinical studies. Not too sure about brands, experience will tell.

Edited by HoldingTheFaith, 12 February 2014 - 05:45 PM.

[jetmango]

Gotu Kola aggravates Vataa according to ayurveda and my personal experience It's basically a mind stimulator and although sometimes it is recommended to take small dose of it with ashwagandha, the dosage needs to be carefuly watched out because if you overdose then it will made your anxiety worse.

milky oat seed - don't know anything about it.

and about Ashwagandha brand from ORGANIC INDIA - it seems okay to me, similar like Himalaya brand - maybe a little bit more 'pure' ? Or maybe this is a placebo? How I'm going to tell? :D

but basically it's not as strong as KSM-66 but also did no caused me any headaches and hangovers the next day from suddenly stopping using it.