The Study
Efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha root extract sustained-release (AshwaSR) capsules in healthy adult, stressed subjects: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 3-arm clinical trial
This study is like a fair test where people were randomly given either a supplement or a fake pill, and then researchers saw who felt less stressed. It shows the supplement probably helped, but it doesn't prove it works for everyone or for a long time.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if taking a special Ashwagandha pill once a day for two months helps people who feel stressed all the time.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 578 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — these changes are meaningful: falling below the clinical threshold for poor sleep and reaching higher happiness scores means people felt noticeably better in daily life.
- 2People who took 300 mg of Ashwagandha felt 42% less stressed, slept 52% better, and had 36% higher happiness scores.
- 3Those who took 150 mg felt 39% less stressed and slept 41% better.
- 4Both groups ate more calmly.
- 5Only the 300 mg group had lower stress hormone (cortisol) levels.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Medicine
Year
2026
Authors
S. Thanawala, R. Shah, K. V. Alluri, Kiran Bhupathiraju, P. Desomayanandanam, Arun Bhuvenendran
Related Content
Claims (7)
Taking 150 mg of Ashwagandha root extract daily for 60 days reduces perceived stress by 38.6%, improves sleep quality by 41.3% as measured by PSQI, and increases psychological well-being by 19.2% as measured by OHQ-8 in healthy adults with moderate stress, without significantly lowering cortisol levels.
Taking Ashwagandha root extract for 60 days lowers cortisol levels in humans by up to 30%.
Taking 300 mg of Ashwagandha root extract daily for 60 days reduces perceived stress by 41.6%, improves sleep quality by 51.5%, increases psychological well-being by 36.3%, and lowers serum cortisol levels by 19.15% in healthy adults with moderate stress compared to a placebo.
Taking 300 mg of Ashwagandha root extract daily for 60 days leads to greater and quicker reductions in stress and improvements in mood and eating habits than taking 150 mg daily for the same time.
Taking 150 mg or 300 mg of Ashwagandha root extract daily for 60 days reduces uncontrolled and emotional eating in healthy adults with moderate stress, as measured by lower scores on the TFEQ-R18 questionnaire.
Taking 150 mg or 300 mg of Ashwagandha root extract daily for 60 days does not cause serious side effects in healthy adults, and mild, short-lived side effects occur at the same rate as with a placebo.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.