On nearly any health-related store shelf, you’ll find supplements marketed to men. They promise a cure for every ailment under the sun. There are vitamins for:

• decreasing stress,
• enhancing sexual performance,
• building muscle,
• increasing testosterone,
• and more.

Buying each supplement one by one has led to Americans to spending nearly $21 billion on vitamins and herbal supplements annually. So that means, men are spending nearly 11 billion dollars on supplements a year!

Luckily, there is an ancient Ayurvedic root that has been used for centuries that encompasses many of the desired properties above, all in one. This wonder-root, also known as Withania Somnifera, is ashwagandha. It is known to have benefits that range from:

• an increase in concentration and memory,
• to stronger sex drives,
• to lower levels of stress.

One of ashwagandha’s properties is that it can mimic the behavior of Gamma Amino-Butyric acid (GABA). GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces neuron activity and stops nerves from over-firing. This has a calming effect on the brain. Ashwagandha’s main compounds are able to produce a similar effect, thus reducing stress.

Other ashwagandha benefits include:

• strengthening your immune system,
• improving your mood,
• and improving sleep quality.

Let’s take a look below to learn about the amazing benefits of ashwagandha, specifically for men.

Top Ashwagandha Benefits for Men

1. Lower Stress

   Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. It strengthens the adrenal glands, which are responsible for our fight-or-flight reactions to stress. The adrenal glands are the reason we feel stressed when faced with a rough work day, problems at home, and/or financial struggles. In response to these unfavorable situations, our adrenal glands produce a hormone called cortisol.

   A double-blind placebo study found that cortisol levels dropped 27% to subjects given KSM-66 ashwagandha over a 60-day period. This decrease in the amount of cortisol is linked to the lowered levels of anxiety and stress that many subjects reported feeling when taking the supplement. This can be a dramatic benefit for men dealing with stress in their everyday lives.

2. Better Sex Drive

   As the cortisol levels in your system rise along with your stress levels, it can have other negative effects on your body. A continuous influx of cortisol into your system will lead to a rise in blood pressure. In turn, restricting blood flow throughout your arteries.

   High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of impotence. Impotence is the failure to get or maintain an erection or the inability to ejaculate. In order for a male to get an erection, blood needs to be able to circulate freely through the shaft. Thus, in some men, increased cortisol levels and high blood pressure can directly increase erectile dysfunction.

   Normalizing cortisol and blood pressure levels — two potential effects of ashwagandha — can help men suffering from erectile dysfunction and impotence. The ability to enhance blood flow to the shaft is one of the top ashwagandha benefits for men.

3. Higher Testosterone

   Several studies have found that “testosterone levels … decrease with age as rapid as 0.4-2% annually after age 30 years.” With the loss of testosterone, men begin to:

   • lose hair,
   • muscle mass,
   • and the ability to hold an erection.

   While the relationship between stress and testosterone is not yet fully understood, some links have been found. When the body is under stress, one of its main priorities is to produce cortisol. This makes you alert and would theoretically help you escape from danger. This means that other hormones are not a priority — including testosterone.

   High stress levels is linked to low testosterone levels. For some men, the stress-reducing effects of ashwagandha can have a positive, indirect impact on testosterone levels. Studies have also shown that ashwagandha can raise testosterone levels, significantly.

4. Increase in Sperm Count

   With an increased libido, it’s only fitting that sperm count should also receive a boost from ashwagandha.

   In one study, some men were given ashwagandha supplements and some men were given a placebo. After the 90-day treatment, the average sperm concentration of the men treated with ashwagandha root rose by a whopping 167%!

   This powerful aid in the fight against infertility is one of the most popular ashwagandha benefits for men.

5. Increased Endurance

   With all the benefits that ashwagandha offers for men and women alike, researchers have wondered if it could have any effect on one’s physical performance.

   In a study, researchers compared subjects using with ashwagandha and those that had not. When compared to their untreated peers, the ashwagandha users demonstrated nearly double the endurance during physical activity!

   The scientists concluded that ashwagandha’s anti-inflammatory properties, combined with its anti-stressors, make it the perfect herb to enhance sports performance. This makes endurance another one of the most important ashwagandha benefits for men.

Maximum Ashwagandha Benefits for Men

Two capsules daily of ashwagandha, can help anyone live their life to the fullest!

The highest concentration of ashwagandha extract available is KSM-66. It is extracted directly from the root of the ashwagandha plant, without the use of chemical solvents. This natural, organic approach ensures that the final product is most pure! It doesn’t contain any foreign chemicals that can contaminate its purity.

Exhaustive studies have shown that subjects who took a KSM-66 ashwagandha supplement over a 60 day period reported a 72.3% reduction in stress on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), as compared to those who took a placebo.

Ashwagandha has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic healing and is now finally being applied by Western medicine. Ashwagandha benefits for men, specifically, include:

• lowering stress,
• increasing sex drive,
• boosting testosterone,
• increasing in sperm count,
• and increased physical endurance.

Have you, a family member, or friend used ashwagandha? What benefits have you noticed in your body and mind?

Please feel free to share with the community in the comments below!