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Velvet Wire

Does ashwagandha cause water retention?

Author

John Kim

Updated on April 20, 2026

There's some early evidence that ashwagandha affects the immune system and helps reduce swelling, from both arthritis and fluid retention.

Does ashwagandha increase water weight?

Ashwagandha is unlikely to make you gain weight. There's some chance it could help you lose weight, but weight loss is a complicated formula. It's not clear if or how ashwagandha might play a role, but if it does, it likely has something to do with your metabolism.

Does ashwagandha make u gain weight?

Ashwagandha helps in relieving stress and thus promotes weight loss. Ashwagandha regulates the adrenal glands and cortisol levels, which ultimately benefits the nervous system. This increases your overall energy and helps you during your intense workouts. Ashwagandha also decreases fatigue and increases endurance.

Is ashwagandha a diuretic?

Ashwagandha flowers have potent diuretic and aphrodisiac properties which is used for improving fertility and treating kidney problems such as kidney stones.

What are the side effects of ashwagandha?

If you're interested in taking ashwagandha, here are the potential side effects you should know about.

  • Nausea, stomach upset, diarrhea. Uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, upset stomach, and diarrhea are the most common side effects of ashwagandha. ...
  • Drowsiness.

The Dark Side of Ashwagandha

What happens when you take ashwagandha daily?

Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb that may offer several health benefits, such as improved blood sugar, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety, as well as a boost in muscle strength and fertility. Dosages vary depending on your needs, but 250–500 mg per day for at least one month seem effective.

Who should not use ashwagandha?

Certain groups of people should avoid using ashwagandha, including those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and those who have medical conditions like diabetes, high or low blood pressure, stomach ulcers, autoimmune disease, or thyroid disorders.

How do I know if ashwagandha is working?

It can take days to weeks before you begin to notice its effects. For example, in one study including 60 people who took 300 mg of ashwagandha daily, it took upward of 10 weeks for them to observe its full effects on their sleep quality, compared with those in the control group ( 6 ).

Do I take ashwagandha in the morning or night?

Do I Take Ashwagandha in the Morning or at Night? Because this multifaceted herb has numerous benefits for mind and body, it can be taken morning or night — but, Ashwagandha's potent relaxation and sleep-enhancing benefits make it perfect for consuming before bed (enter FOCL Night).

Can you have too much ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a powerful herb and its overdose may lead to some serious side effects. It is always recommended to take Ashwagandha in an amount as prescribed by an Ayurvedic practitioner or mentioned on the package. Taking more than the recommended amount may lead to stomach upset, diarrhoea, or vomiting.

What does ashwagandha do for females?

At least one clinical study indicates ashwagandha can benefit women experiencing sexual dysfunction. The administration of ashwagandha resulted in significant improvements in arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction, as self-reported by the participants.

Does ashwagandha increase testosterone?

The herb with the most research behind it is called ashwagandha. One study tested the effects of this herb on infertile men and found a 17% increase in testosterone levels and a 167% increase in sperm count ( 76 ). In healthy men, ashwagandha increased levels by 15%.

Can I take ashwagandha while fasting?

Like most herbs, the amount of carbohydrates or protein in ashwagandha and ashwagandha supplements are fairly minimal and fall well under the "one gram rule", therefore it won't spike insulin or break a fast.

How long can you take ashwagandha for?

Ashwagandha has most often been used by adults in doses up to 1000 mg daily, for up to 12 weeks. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.

How long do you have to take ashwagandha before it works?

When used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle, ashwagandha can begin to positively impact the body within two weeks. However, depending on your individual health, it may take a few months to experience or even notice big changes.

How long does it take for ashwagandha to lower cortisol?

Ashwagandha is best known for its stress-lowering effects. The medicinal herb appears to help lower levels of cortisol, a hormone produced by your adrenal glands in response to stress. More specifically, daily doses of 125 mg to 5 grams for 1–3 months have shown to lower cortisol levels by 11–32% (2, 3 , 4 ).

How does ashwagandha affect the thyroid?

Ashwagandha's cortisol-lowering effects may be responsible. Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, leading to lower levels of T3 and T4. Ashwagandha appears to stimulate your endocrine system, boosting thyroid hormone levels by reducing cortisol ( 6 ).

Should you take a break from ashwagandha?

Robinett recommends taking a break from ashwagandha once you've been taking the herb for about a year, to check in with your body and assess your needs. “The goal with plant-based medicine is to repair our system and get back to a place where we're balanced on our own,” she says.

Can I take ashwagandha and vitamin D?

For our Destress Capsules, containing both Ashwagandha and Vitamin D, we recommend taking two capsules daily for optimum results.

Does ashwagandha affect hormones?

By supporting pathways in the brain that are responsible for producing and administrating hormones in your body, ashwagandha might help normalize blood levels of cortisol and thyroid hormones.

Can I take ashwagandha for years?

Yes, taking ashwagandha daily is safe, but people should never take it beyond the recommended doses or periods. Ashwagandha may have contaminates, such as dirt and heavy metals, so processing it to get its purest form is necessary.

Does ashwagandha cause liver damage?

The widely used medicinal herb Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) has been recently reported to cause liver damage. Withanone is a major metabolite of Ashwagandha. Withanone was found to cause DNA damage. Withanone forms adducts with amines and thiols.

Can you build a tolerance to ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha doses range from 250 mg to 5 g daily, but the correct dose for you may depend on the health benefit you're after, as well as your tolerance of the supplement. Generally, ashwagandha is well-tolerated—capsules and pills mask its unique smell better than extracts and powders.

Can ashwagandha cause anxiety?

Ashwagandha, for example, may increase thyroid hormone levels, which could cause fatigue, anxiety, shortness of breath and other problems.

Can you take ashwagandha and L theanine together?

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that has been studied for its effects on sleep, anxiety, stress and cognitive function. The synergistic combination of L-theanine and Ashwagandha makes for a potent nootropic, stress, anxiety relief formulation.