Study: Ashwagandha Lengthens Animal Lifespan

LOS ANGELESAshwagandha may provide lifespan extension benefits, as demonstrated in a new study published in the Annals of Neurosciences journal. For the animal study, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur analyzed the lifespan assay of Caenorhabditis elegans worms (Ann Neuro 2013. DOI : 10.5214/ans.0972.7531.200106).

The worms were treated with either placebo, full-spectrum ashwagandha (as KSM-66 from Ixoreal Biomed) or hydro-alcoholic ashwagangha extract. On average, worms supplemented with the full-spectrum extract lived 21 percent longer than placebo, and 14 percent longer than the hydro-alcoholic extract, suggesting KSM-66's effectiveness at lifespan extension.

Commonly used to decrease stress and anxiety, KSM-66 ashwagandha was recently named "Best Botanical Ingredient" by Functional Ingredients magazine.