The Study
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males
This study is like a fair test where half the guys got a special pill and half got a fake one, and only the hormones changed in the real pill group. But their energy and mood didn’t get better than the fake pill group. So we can say the pill might raise certain body chemicals, but we can’t say it makes people feel more energetic.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested a special ashwagandha pill on tired, overweight middle-aged men to see if it made them feel better and raised their hormone levels.
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 568 / 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.
- 1Even though hormones went up, men didn’t feel more energetic or less tired — so the hormone change didn’t translate to how they felt.
- 2After 8 weeks, hormone levels (DHEA-S and testosterone) went up by 18% and 14.7% — but feeling less tired or more energetic didn't improve more than with a sugar pill.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
American Journal of Men's Health
Year
2019
Authors
A. Lopresti, P. Drummond, Stephen J. Smith
Related Content
Claims (5)
In overweight middle-aged men, salivary DHEA-S and testosterone levels rise while taking ashwagandha but drop back to original levels 8 weeks after stopping, meaning the increase only occurs while the supplement is being taken.
In overweight men aged 40–70 with mild fatigue, taking 21 mg of withanolide glycosides from ashwagandha daily for 8 weeks leads to an 18% higher increase in salivary DHEA-S and a 14.7% higher increase in salivary testosterone compared to a placebo, but these increases return to baseline after stopping the supplement.
In overweight men aged 40–70 with mild fatigue, taking ashwagandha daily for 8 weeks does not change how tired they feel, their energy levels, or their sexual well-being compared to a placebo, even though hormone levels of DHEA-S and testosterone rise.
Taking 21 mg of withanolide glycosides from ashwagandha daily for 8 weeks does not change the levels of cortisol or estradiol in saliva among overweight men aged 40 to 70 who experience mild fatigue.
Only the patented Shoden ashwagandha extract, providing 21 mg of withanolide glycosides daily, affects DHEA-S and testosterone levels in overweight middle-aged men; other ashwagandha products do not produce the same effects.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.