Ashwagandha (Sensoril)

Standardized root and leaf extract of Withania somnifera, enriched for withanolides and glycowithanolides. Acts as a GABAergic modulator and cortisol suppressor. Withanolides inhibit stress-activated kinases and modulate the HPA axis, reducing circulating cortisol by 15-30% in clinical trials. Glycowithanolides contribute anxiolytic effects through GABA-A receptor potentiation. Distinct from KSM-66 which is root-only extract.

Half-life

~6 hours (estimated from PK data of withanolide A)

Bioavailability

~45% (oral, withanolides)

Route

oral

Evidence tier

T1 — Multiple RCTs

Optimization pillars

recovery

References

3 peer-reviewed

Dose ranges

Three tiers ordered by aggressiveness. Tier chips on every OPTIMIZE intervention let you filter the catalog by your evidence tolerance.

conservative

125 mg/day

Low-dose stress modulation

moderate

250 mg/day

Standard Sensoril dose for cortisol reduction

aggressive

250–500 mg/day

High-stress or performance contexts

Monitoring

cortisol
thyroid-panel
alt
ast

Contraindications

hyperthyroidism
autoimmune-thyroid-disease
pregnancy

References

PMID:23439798A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety — Indian J Psychol Med, 2012
PMID:32021735Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract on cognitive functions in healthy, stressed adults — Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2020
PMID:31517876An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha extract — Medicine (Baltimore), 2019

Notes

Sensoril is the dual-extract ashwagandha — root plus leaf — standardized to both withanolides and glycowithanolides. KSM-66 is root-only. The distinction matters because glycowithanolides from the leaf contribute anxiolytic properties that root-only extracts partially miss. The cortisol reduction data is consistent across multiple trials. 15-30% reduction in serum cortisol. That is clinically meaningful for anyone in a chronically elevated stress state. The thyroid interaction is real and under-discussed — ashwagandha can upregulate T4 to T3 conversion, which is beneficial for hypothyroid individuals but problematic for hyperthyroid ones. Monitor thyroid panel if using long-term.

This is not medical advice

Discuss with a licensed clinician before starting, stopping, or changing any compound. This page documents what the research literature describes — it is not a prescription.

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