Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, or winter cherry, is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withaniaare morphologically similar. It is used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine.
Names:
Botanical Name: WITHANIA SOMNIFERA | English Name: WITHANIA SOMNIFERA | Hindi Name:ASHWAGANDHA | Tamil Name: AMUKKURAM
Benefits: Ashwagandha is also used as an “adaptogen” to help the body cope with daily stress, and as a general tonic. Some people also use ashwagandha for improving thinking ability, decreasing pain and swelling (inflammation), and preventing the effects of aging. It is also used for fertilityproblems in men and women and also to increase sexual desire. Ashwagandha is applied to the skin for treating wounds, backache, and one-sided paralysis (hemiplegia). The name Ashwagandha is from the Sanskrit language and is a combination of the word ashva, meaning horse, and gandha, meaning smell. The root has a strong aroma that is described as “horse-like.”
Uses: Cooking, Medicinal Preparations, Extraction