Starwest Botanicals Organic Ashwagandha Root Powder for Women & Men - Dried Herb for Tea, Capsules, & Natural Herbal Blends, Certified Kosher, Non-GMO - Bulk 1 lb Bag

Update May 2018: After using several adaptogens over the last 12 months, I would summarize my experience:Rhodiola is better for stress, energy and working memoryAmerican ginseng is better for stress and energyAshwagandha is great for stress, correcting cortisol patterns and for calm. I find I sleep more restfully if I take some ashwagandha before bed. I am calmer during the day if I continue to take it during the day.Holy basil is great for stress and calm. I used to take it before bed for more restful sleep.They all help control stress eating.Eventually, I settled on ashwagandha and rhodiola as my go to adaptogens.Details follow.I attended a tutorial for MD's taught by Dr. Low Dog. She is an herbalist who went to medical school, became faculty at the Univ. of Arizona's Integrative Medicine Program. Then dissatisfied with herbal safety standards in the US (What! Nothing!), she started and Chaired the government committee that oversees herbal supplement efficacy and safety.I knew from personal experience that Ashwagandha will control cortisol levels reducing stress. But I was also using ginseng, rhodiola, and holy basil and didn't know which one was best. But I knew it was working because I am trying to fix up my memory which is so bad I experience brief periods of amnesia (I have ADHD). It turns out phosphatidylcholine is good for focus and concentration, phosphatidylserine is good for memory and recall. And adaptogens like ashwagandha are good for *working memory* and *processing speed* (yup, your brain's RAM and CPU). Stress will lower both. I had mine tested by one of the top people in the country and it was so bad I managed to shock someone who'd thought he'd seen it all (he is in his 70's). But the adaptogens worked great. Back then I was using a mixture that I put together in a panic1000 mg ashwagandha (from Pure Encapsulations)1000 mg American ginseng1800 mg rhodiolaMy memory was so messed up, I couldn't remember to separate the doses or time it so I just took all three simultaneously . And it worked! The first sign was the improvement in my driving. I went from slow, cautious, road-boulder driver to normal driving. Suddenly, I could merge into formerly, impossibly small gaps in the adjacent lane, match speeds smoothly, and my ability to react appropriately to sudden changes in road conditions went from non-existent to smooth. A friend of mine who usually grabs the wheel when I show up, exclaimed "You drove at ---- mph! You drove like a German. I am proud of you!". German? as in the Autobahn german????It took me weeks to figure out the improved driving was linked to better working memory and processing speed. Once, I figured this, I decided to test. I managed to memorize 16 digits, hold them in memory and add them all up. Just for background, the best I'd ever done even in elementary school was 5 digits.I experimented with adaptogens 3x and even 4x during the day. They all worked, although the rhodiola is so stimulating I couldn't take it past 4PM because it would keep me up to 2 AM and beyond. I noticed they all controlled my stress eating. I best describe this as "itchy teeth". I have no desire to eat a specific food and I'm not hungry but the desire to eat is satisfied by eating something crunchy.When I tried taking the ashwagandha at night, it was the first night of really restful sleep in years. I woke up with that "Aaghh!" feeling that I'd forgotten existed.Then I attended Dr. Low Dog's lecture and found out ashwagandha can fix "upside down" cortisol levels. Peoplewith this pattern are true night owls. Sleepy/groggy in the morning because they don't have enough cortisol to wake up and as the day goes by the level rises higher and higher until it reaches a peak at midnight or beyond when they decide to go fix the planet because they got enough energy. You need to take ashwagandha at least 3x per day (I went with 1500 mg of the Bulk Supplements ashwagandha, 3x day). for four weeks to correct this pattern. It took me about 7 weeks to see the pattern correct itself.It there something wrong? Well, the bulksupplements is an extract and it's probably true that they didn't include all the constituents. Dr. Low Dog specifically mentioned using the whole herb, so I decided to switch.It's only been about two weeks since I switched (I kept it at 1500 mg even though the herb is less concentrated), but all the other benefits - improved memory, sleep, eating remain intact. As a matter of fact, the eating is improved to the point where I can skip some of my allowed snacks (that's a first). The slow switch to a daytime cortisol pattern continues.I did add melatonin to the night time routine two weeks ago. 20 years ago I tried it and it was useless. Now with the cortisol pattern reversed to normal, suddenly the melatonin works great! Just don't start with the highest potency. Oh, my!

I always buy this brand in most of my herbs

Oh man, I love this stuff! I put it in my yogurt and my oatmeal. If I didn't have Starwest Botanicals and their Ashwagandha to turn to my hormones would be all kinds of out of sync! I am dependent on this stuff! I first started out with it to cure my toxic mold poisoning as recommended by a humble vitamin shop owner. I eventually ended up quitting smoking and have not touched a smoke in 4 years. I was able to restore my peripheral vision when I recovered from the mold toxins within the first month of use. Now I just take it to prevent hormonal acne, rashes from eczema, overall complexion and temperament, and especially keep my energy levels balanced and stress to a minimum. I buy it in bulk and rave about it to everyone I meet or know. I even try to give them some in a very motherly and forceful manner. I swear on my life this is a lifesaver and although most turn to ashwagandha for menopause related situations, I say get it anyway! I am in my early 20's, this is the one root powder that is at THE VERY TOP of my list!!!

Great organic, healthy quality!

I absolutely enjoy the products that I purchase from this company. If you are looking for good quality and pricing, this is the place for you. I highly recommend them. Oh the on-time delivery is awesome.

I have been taking this since September , came on time and exactly as expected but most of all it did what I wanted and Yes it worked! I noticed it really helped my body adapt to stress as a nightshift worker of 12hours it helped me fall a sleep after work and awake night with no health problems! My vital signs 100% God bless fine , I take this in my water during workout as well I had no side effects I drink alot of it exept I noticed that I pee frequently and drink more water which is good actually for kidneys!Ashwaghanda also helped me combat Anaxiety due to prolonged stressful events. Taking this amazing herb was the best decision I ever made If you going throw changes in your life and have lots stress while you still want be fit strong calm and healthy mentally physically take Ashwaghanda.Note: Pregnant /Nursing moms should not take this herb.

I find that by regular use of Ashwagandha my mind is clearer and calmer and I sleep better. I take it in warm water and it is very mild and even nutty in taste. For a bulk herb is is not bad (say compared to Amlaki which is very sour tasting) The benefits are worth it. It is a fantastic supplement for Vata imbalance which, as one ages, increases and is unavoidable no matter what your constitutional type.Also as an aging athlete I have a lot of joint, nerve, and muscle pains. Exercise which was my mood stabilizer most of my life, became very limited and it made me very irritable to not workout. The Ashwagandha gave me the patience and mental calmness to look more objectively at my current situation and see solutions other than frustration and misery. So I would say it is beneficial for the body, emotions and the mind.

Great priced supplement. I tried this out in my teas, will need to be added to each cup of tea as it settles to the bottom and should not be made ahead of time.