In healthy adult men, treatment with standardized ashwagandha root extract at 300 mg twice daily for 8 weeks is generally safe and well-tolerated, causing only mild and transient adverse events (sleepiness, abdominal pain, joint pain) and no serious adverse events, as observed in a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

The active substances in ashwagandha get absorbed from the stomach and intestines into the blood. They bind calmly to brain receptors, making the person feel sleepy sometimes. They also safely raise the body's testosterone within normal levels. In the gut and joints, they can cause minor irritation that quickly goes away. The liver breaks them down and the body removes them, so they never build up enough to cause serious harm.