The Claim

In healthy adult men with low sexual desire, oral supplementation with 300 mg of standardized ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract twice daily for 8 weeks significantly increases serum testosterone levels, raising them by approximately 72 ng/dL (17%) from baseline, compared with a non-significant 2% increase (5.48 ng/dL) in the placebo group, yielding a between-group difference of 66.52 ng/dL (95% CI -80.70 to -52.34; p < 0.0001).

Source: Effect of standardized root extract of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on well‐being and sexual performance in adult males: A randomized controlled trial

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
81score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Men with low sex drive who took an ashwagandha supplement twice a day for 8 weeks had a bigger rise in their testosterone (a hormone involved in sex drive) than men who took a dummy pill. Testosterone went up by about 17% in the supplement group and only 2% in the dummy pill group.

See the scientific wording

Supplementation with 300 mg of standardized ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract twice daily for 8 weeks significantly increases serum testosterone levels in healthy adult men with low sexual desire, raising levels by approximately 72 ng/dl (17%) from baseline versus a non-significant 2% increase (5.48 ng/dl) in the placebo group, with a between-group difference of 66.52 ng/dl (95% CI -80.70 to -52.34; p < 0.0001).

Why this might work

Ashwagandha root extract contains compounds that act on receptors in the brain. This causes the brain to send a signal to a gland at the base of the brain, which then releases a messenger hormone that travels through the blood to the testes. The testes respond by making more testosterone.

Hypothetical mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Effect of standardized root extract of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on well‐being and sexual performance in adult males: A randomized controlled trial

    The study tested the exact same supplement dose and duration as the claim, and found that men taking ashwagandha had a much bigger testosterone increase (17%) than men taking a fake pill (2%), so the claim is correct.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

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