Ashwagandha clinical trial shows safety over 24 weeks

A large multicentre clinical study published in Frontiers in Medicine has found that daily administration of a standardised Ashwagandha root extract is well tolerated over a 24-week period. According to a statement from India’s Ministry of Ayush, the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed no evidence of treatment-related hepatic or renal injury.

The research involved 1,200 healthy adults aged 18–70 who had received doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine. Participants were assigned to receive either 500 mg of a standardised aqueous Ashwagandha root extract daily or a placebo. Assessments of liver enzymes, bilirubin, creatinine, and blood urea remained within reported reference ranges.

The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of 45 researchers from nine institutions across seven sites in India. The Ministry reported that zero serious adverse events were attributed to the intervention, and no participants withdrew from the trial due to adverse effects.