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Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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21.04.2016 |
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Ashwagandha improves sex for women
No, ashwagandha is not an aphrodisiac for women. It won't give them more libido if they take the stuff. But nevertheless, the Indian herb can make women's experience of sex better, pleasanter and more satisfying, according to an article by Indian researchers at Trupti Hospital and Santati Fertility Center in BioMed Research International.
Study
The extract that the researchers used was KSM-66, produced by the Indian company Ixoreal Biomed. [ksm66ashwagandhaa.com] We have written previously about human studies in which KSM-66 boosted men's testosterone levels and enhanced the effect of strength training.
The study we're writing about here was at least partly funded by Ixoreal. The authors thank Ixoreal for "providing the extract used in the study treatment and for defraying some of the costs."
Results
That's not strange; when it comes to sex, the placebo effect is pretty strong.
Both the placebo and the capsules containing ashwagandha extract increased sexual arousal during sex, but in this case too the increase in arousal was greater in the ashwagandha group, as the figure below shows.
Both ashwagandha and the placebo made reaching orgasm easier. And that effect was significantly stronger in the ashwagandha group than in the placebo group, as the figure above shows.
Ashwagandha supplementation did not result in an increase in sexual desire – or rather, the increase was not bigger than the increase in the placebo group.
Ashwagandha didn't cause an increase in the frequency of sex per week either. The supplement did however increase the number of times that the women evaluated sexual encounters as 'successful'.
Mechanism
"While there are other published studies demonstrating the effectiveness of ashwagandha in improving sexual function in men, this is the first study using a standardized, branded ashwagandha extract and demonstrating significant positive effects on sexual function in women", said Baldwa.
"From the scientific literature, we know that the ashwagandha root is a calming agent, and promotes balance in the body to increase or decrease key hormone levels to bring them to appropriate levels. These effects are perhaps responsible for the significant effects we see in this study. Female sexual dysfunction and satisfaction is a complex phenomenon with both psychological and physiological dimensions."
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