Cortisol is a primary stress hormone. It is a tool that helps you fluctuate your response to emergencies, high-stake situations and helps you leverage focus and vigilance. But like most tools, when it’s not managed properly, it can turn into a damaging instrument. Modern life influences chronically high-cortisol levels which over time, influence weight gain, anxiety, poor sleep hygiene and decreased mental performance.
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But, Ashwagandha is one practical option to manage a high-stress life. Ashwagandha is one of the most ancient herbs in Ayurveda, a form of alternative medicine based on Indian principles of natural medicine. Here are a few reasons why it can be a good remedy for chronically high cortisol levels:
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✅ Better Stress Response
Ashwagandha has been shown to significantly increased GABA receptors in the brain. GABA’s role is reducing neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. In other words, when nerve cells are activated too often, it increases restlessness and anxiety. GABA puts the brakes on this frantic brain state and reduces cortisol response.
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✅ Increased Concentration and Focus
Ashwagandha extract inhibits acetylcholinesterase. The enzyme responsible for breaking down the key neurotransmitter acetylcholine. With more available acetylcholine, you get a turbo boost on memory, learning, and cognition which tend to be key factors of “flow-state.” Flow-states, on average, also tend to be low-states of excessive cortisol.
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✅ Improved Endurance
In a study of 49 healthy amateur athletes, endurance was improved with 12 weeks of ashwagandha supplementation. In elite athletes, similar results were found after 8 weeks of supplementation. One theory behind this boost in endurance is that when cortisol levels are managed property, sleep quality regulates which has a direct impact on power output and mitochondria function.