Ashwagandha in food: compounds, extraction and health effects
What it found
Ashwagandha contains compounds that may help with inflammation, stress and memory, and adding it to foods like yogurt and flatbreads can boost nutrition and shelf life.
Most of the evidence comes from lab and animal studies, with some human trials.
What they found
Studies in people
Immune system effects
In human neutrophils and in people, ashwagandha extracts increased immune cell activity and immunoglobulin levels. A 30-day treatment raised CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and natural killer cell counts.
Muscle strength and recovery
In a double-blind trial, 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract for 28 days improved recovery and sleep in female footballers. Another trial in 57 novice resistance trainers found greater strength gains and muscle size compared to placebo.
Studies in people and animals
Anti-inflammatory effects
In lab tests and animal models, ashwagandha reduced inflammatory substances like prostaglandins and cytokines. One study in people found that 300 mg/kg of root extract increased an anti-inflammatory cytokine.
Antioxidant activity
Ashwagandha extracts, especially methanol extracts, showed strong free radical scavenging in lab tests. Animal studies found it raised antioxidant enzymes in the brain.
Cognitive function
Animal studies showed that ashwagandha root extract protected against memory loss and reduced acetylcholinesterase activity. Human studies suggest it may improve attention and reaction time in people with mild cognitive impairment.
Other findings
Food applications
Adding ashwagandha to shrikhand extended shelf life to 52 days and improved sensory scores. Flatbreads with 2% ashwagandha had a low glycemic index and were well accepted.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that ashwagandha has potential as a functional food ingredient with diverse health benefits.
- They recommend further research to optimize extraction methods and to confirm effects in human clinical trials.
- They suggest that nanoencapsulation and targeted delivery systems may enhance its efficacy in foods.
How it was done
People are increasingly interested in foods that offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition, and ashwagandha is a traditional herb with many bioactive compounds. The authors wanted to review how it can be used in food products, not just as a medicine.
The authors searched scientific databases for studies on ashwagandha's compounds, extraction methods, biological activities, and use in foods. They included papers mostly from 2015 to 2024.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the studies were done in lab dishes or animals, so the results may not be the same in people.
- The review did not include long-term human trials for most health outcomes, so it cannot show whether ashwagandha prevents disease.
- The studies used different extracts and doses, making it hard to compare results directly.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Lovely Professional University, India
The paper
- Title
- Extraction of Bioactive Compounds From Withania somnifera : The Biological Activities and Potential Application in the Food Industry: A Review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Singirala SK, Dubey PK, Roy S (2025). Extraction of Bioactive Compounds From Withania somnifera : The Biological Activities and Potential Application in the Food Industry: A Review. International journal of food science. doi:10.1155/ijfo/9922626Free full textPubMed 40322538DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error