August 2026

Burnout

• What Is Burnout?
• Ashwagandha – Grounding Your Nervous System
• Skullcap – Finding Calm at the End of the Rope
• Lion’s Mane – Tending To Your Nerves

Ashwagandha is considered to be an adaptogen, a herb that helps the body adapt to stress. Many adaptogens are stimulants; they help by increasing energy when the body is depleted.

Ashwagandha – Grounding Your Nervous System

it means “the smell” (gandha) of a horse (ashva). The name alludes to the strong scent of the roots, which the Indians found similar to that of a sweaty horse. 

In Ayurveda, shwagandha is believed to impart the strength, vitality, and stamina of a stallion to whoever consumes it. 

The Latin name somnifera means “sleep-inducing”, pointing to the herb’s traditional use as a sedative. 

Botanical Family: Solanaceae or nightshade

Part used: Roots

Degree: Ashwagandha is a 3rd degree herb. It is used as a remedy only and will not be used as food (1st degree) or as seasoning (2nd degree). At the same time, it is not a toxic herb (4th degree)

Description

Ashwagandha is a short shrub up to 30 inches tall. 

Roots – Long, unbranched, and light brown.

Leaves are broad and elliptic, typically 2 inches long, and dull green.

Flowers – Inconspicuous bell shaped flowers grow in clusters of five and are pale green.

Seeds – A small, smooth, spherical berry that ripens from green to bright red. The seeds sit inside a papery casing that resembles a Chinese lantern. 

Growing 

Withania is native to India, Africa, and the Middle East, where it is perennial. It is not frost hardy; thus, it is winter-hardy only in USDA zones 8a to 12b, but can be grown as an annual in colder regions. It will thrive in full sun and well-drained sandy soil.

History and lore

Ashwagandha is a foundational herb in the Ayurvedic medicine system (Traditional Indian Medicine), where it is revered as a Rasayana herb, a herb that builds vitality and stamina. 

The earliest mention of the herb is found in the Charaka Samhita, a foundational medical text written by Ayurvedic practitioner Charaka, who lived between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. 

In Unani medicine, the medicine practiced in Persia, Greece, and the Middle East, Withania somnifera is called asgandh. It is  mentioned in many old Unani books for treating aging, stress, and improving fertility. 

Renowned physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna, c. 980 – 22 June 1037) writes about ashwagandha or Asgandh as it was known in the traditional Unani medicine. He favored using ashwagandha to treat the root causes of joint pain and inflammation rather than just masking symptoms, and noted its sedative effect. 

Energetic Architecture

Taste

Slightly sweet

Bitter

Astringent

Energetics

Temperature: Slightly warming, not as a stimulant but as a gentle warmth that feeds the flame of vitality in a cold, depleted, exhausted person. 

Fluids: slightly moistening, not in the sense of building mucus, but more when it nourishes depleted tissue. 

Tone: Neutral

Tissue State

Cold/ Depression – For low metabolic rate in people who might be recovering from illness and are weak, undernourished, and emaciated. A cold depression tissue state might manifest as a pale complexion, cold hands and feet, fatigue, hair loss, and brittle nails. Ashwagandha acts as a powerful adaptogen, stimulating cellular energy pathways.

Dry/ Atrophy – When there are insufficient fluids to carry nutrients into cells and remove waste products. In dry conditions, cell membranes lose flexibility, and compounds can’t flow in and out of the cell easily, leading to atrophy. People with a dry, atrophic state will have lethargic skin, thin, brittle hair, nails, and bones, and a dry mouth and tongue that might be cracked.  

Specific Indications

Ashwagandha is for the “wired and tired” person who is exhausted but can’t wind down. Although they might crash in the afternoon, they get a second wind at 10 pm and have a hard time falling asleep, even though they are fatigued. Their minds are constantly buzzing, unable to stop thinking. Anxious and exhausted. 

Pharmacology

Steroidal Lactones – Share the core foundational structure as the steroidal backbone that is common in many hormones, such as Cholesterol, cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen. Ashwagandha contains withanolides, a type of steroidal lactone that can interact with steroid hormone receptors in cells, modulate glucocorticoid signaling (which means they can influence how your cells respond to cortisol), and influence thyroid hormone synthesis. 

The steroidal lactones are trophorestorative; they build vitality over the long term. 

Alkaloids – are nitrogen containing compounds that act on the interface between different nerves and between nerves and muscles. Ashwagandha contains the following alkaloids: Withanine, Somniferine, Somnine, Withasomnine, Anaferine, and Isopelletierine. These alkaloids bind to GABA receptors on cells, providing acute calmness and a sedative effect. 

Sitoindosides – are produced when the steroidal lactone withanolides are bound to a sugar molecule, which increases water solubility and bioavailability. The Sitoindosides are antioxidants and have a protective effect on the brain. They also inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine, thereby promoting focus, memory, and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) function.

Flavonoids and Phenolics – Kaempferol,quercetin, rutin, chlorogenic acid, and withaniol are responsible for the antioxidant action of ashwagandha and its protective effects on nerves. They also provide an anti-inflammatory effect by modulating NF-κβ, cells’ inflammatory “on” response to threats. Quercetin may have a mast cell stabilizing effect. 

Actions

Foundational actions

Foundational actions are associated with the energetic pattern and can be experienced viscerally in the body.

Ashwagandha doesn’t cleanly fit into the six visceral foundational actions. The foundational actions of aromatics, astringents, demulcents, relaxants, stimulants, and bitters do not capture the essence of ashwagandha.

Primary actions

Primary actions relate to organs, systems, or tissues.

Nervous system tonic trophorestorative – Ashwagandha works when used long term in capsule or powder form, helps rebuild a depleted nervous system.

Nervine relaxant sedative – The alkaloid GABAergic activity provides relaxant action.

Mild Adaptogen – Ashwagandha has a normalizing effect on the HPA axis by modulating glucocorticoid receptors, thereby suppressing cortisol’s response. It is a relaxing adaptogen, unlike most adaptogens, which are stimulants. 

Thyroid trophorestorative – Studies suggest ashwagandha interacts with thyroid receptors likely through the Steroidal Lactones withanolides. Ashwagandha increased T4 production and improved T4 to T3 conversion, making it beneficial for hypothyroidism. 

Secondary actions 

Secondary actions imply an end result without specifying energetics or the system affected. 

Antioxidant – Flavonoid and phenolic compounds in ashwagandha reduce oxidative stress. 

Anti- inflammatory – By putting the brakes on neurotransmitter signaling, GABA protects the brain from allostatic stress. Reducing allostatic overload and promoting sleep reduces inflammation. 

Organ affinity

• Nervous system
• Thyroid
• Reproductive system
• Immune system

Clinical Pattern

Nervous System 

 The HPA Axis 

The stress response was meant to be an acute adaptive response to threats from the inner or outer environment. When an acute response becomes chronic, it stops being functional and starts to feed inflammation and tissue damage.

Stress is initated by an hormonal cascade that begins in the hypothalamus with the secretion of CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone), which stimulates the pituitary gland to produce ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone), a messenger hormone that initiates cortisol release by the adrenal gland. 

Cortisol got a bad PR. It is much more than a stress hormone; it is an alertness hormone that wakes you up in the morning and keeps you active and engaged until the evening, when it starts to fall. Cortisol does not work alone to keep you alert; it also affects other hormones in the body. Therefore, fluctuations in cortisol affect metabolism, sleep, cardiovascular health, mood, and reproductive health. 

A 2023 study suggests that ashwagandha root extract containing 2.5% withanolides can effectively reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol and increasing serotonin in healthy individuals with mild to moderate symptoms. By reducing cortisol and increasing serotonin, ashwagandha helps reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance cognitive and learning skills, and improve mood. 

Sleep

Cortisol and melatonin are hanging on the two sides of a seesaw; when one is elevated, the other is suppressed. By reducing cortisol, ashwagandha helps improve sleep quality and quantity. 

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving 400 participants found that Ashwagandha extract has a small but significant effect on overall sleep. Sleep onset was reduced, and so was the amount of disruptive movement during sleep. 

Supplementing with ashwagandha is associated with increased total sleep time and improved sleep efficiency.

The effects of supplementing with ashwagandha are significantly more prominent in individuals clinically diagnosed with insomnia compared to healthy sleepers.

Anxiety 

Ashwagandha reduces anxiety through two pathways:

HPA Axis modulation

By normalizing the nervous system, reducing stress and inflammation, and promoting sleep, ashwagandha reduces amygdala reactivity, enhances the hippocampus’s ability to contextualize threats as non dangerous, and increases prefrontal cortex volume and function.

GABAergic effect

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It makes the nervous system less reactive to incoming signals. 

When supplementing with medicines or herbs that bind to GABA receptors, you want to be cautious not to exceed the nervous system ceiling. Beyond a certain inhibitory effect, the brain will try to protect itself by reducing the number of GABA receptors. This is, for example, the case with Benzodiazepines and why they are so addictive. The inhibtory effect of benzodiazepines is so profound that the brain reduces the number of GABA receptors. When you remove Benzodiazepines, you have enough GABA but not enough GABA receptors for them to bind to. The withdrawal from Benzodiazepines takes as long as it takes the body to produce new receptors. 

Ashwagandha, however, works in a much gentler way that doesn’t reduce the number of GABA receptors. The alkaloids and sitoindosides exhibit partial agonist activity at GABA-A receptors, meaning they bind to GABA-A receptors and produce a mild response that reduces anxiety without downregulating the number of GABA-A receptors. 

Endocrine system

The endocrine system is like an orchestra. Each hormone has its own sound. When all hormones resonate, the music they create is harmonious. However, if one hormone is out of tune, it affects all the others. 

DHEA

Another hormone produced by the adrenal gland is DHEA, the mother hormone (or substrate) for estrogen and testosterone. DHEA has an interesting relationship with cortisol. It acts as a buffer to reduce the damaging effects of cortisol; for example, DHEA opposes cortisol’s catabolic effects on muscle and bone, supports immune function when cortisol suppresses it, and promotes neurogenesis when cortisol impairs it.

In early signs of stress, both DHEA and cortisol will be elevated because DHEA tries to hold back cortisol. Ashwagandha intake is associated with a significant reduction (approximately 8%) in DHEA-S levels in stressed adults.

However, in chronic stress and burnout, DHEA will be suppressed, which might affect estrogen and testosterone production, leading to reduced libido and zest for life and fertility issues in both men and women. 

The ratio between DHEA and cortisol may tell a story that is far more important than their isolated lab results.

Reproductive Hormones – HPG Axis 

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is the hormonal communication cascade governing reproductive function and sex hormone production across all sexes. Like the HPA axis, it operates as a hierarchical feedback system, but instead of cortisol as the endpoint, the endpoints are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone . 

High Cortisol levels directly affect the HPG by suppressing GnRH pulse amplitude and frequency, so the pituitary doesn’t get a clear resonant message. Moreover, cortisol reduces pituitary sensitivity to GnRH; even if the hypothalamus is sending appropriate pulses, the pituitary responds less vigorously. LH and FSH secretion diminishes.

In the ovaries and testicles, cortisol directly impairs the conversion of cholesterol into sex hormones, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, even when receiving adequate LH and FSH stimulation. 

By acting on GABA receptors in the hypothalamus, ashwagandha facilitates GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) expression, which, in turn, modulates the reproductive hormone cascade. 

In men, the results are a significant increase in testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which contribute to improved sperm count, motility, and overall fertility. 

Clinical trials in women have shown significant improvements in libido and satisfaction from sex. Ashwagandha may help normalize estrogen levels in premenopause, which contributes to the alleviation of menopausal symptoms like hot flushes.

Thyroid hormones

Ashwagandha demonstrated a normalizing effect on thyroid function in patients with hypothyroidism. It is believed to act directly on the hypothalamus pituitary thyroid (HPT) axis by directly stimulating the thyroid gland to secrete T3 and T4. As these hormone levels rise in the blood, they trigger a negative feedback loop that naturally reduces TSH secretion from the pituitary gland.

A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial involving 50 patients with subclinical hypothyroidism found that treatment with 600 mg of standardized Ashwagandha root extract daily for 8 weeks yielded significant increases in T3 (41.5%) and T4 (19.6%). At the same time, TSH levels decreased by 17.4%.

In studies on rats with induced hypothyroidism, ashwagandha extract (500 mg/kg/day) produced similar results to levothyroxine, a standard clinical treatment in restoring TSH, T3, and T4 levels.

Immune modulation

Ashwagandha exhibits significant immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties through several pathways.

The inflammatory cascade

NF-κB is the master switch that activates the immune system.  It regulates cytokine expression, wound healing, and genes involved in immune cell proliferation. Withanolides modulate NF-κB. By affecting the master switch, ashwagandha produces a broad effect across multiple types of immune cells simultaneously.

CRP (C-reactive protein) is produced by the liver in response to the presence of pro-inflammatory white blood cells (IL-6 and IL-1β) . It’s not itself causing inflammation, and it doesn’t tell you where the inflammation is located.  specifically

Studies suggest that ashwagandha reduces CRP by mitigating the inflammatory effects of sleep disturbances and insomnia and by improving metabolic health. 

By reducing stress and inflammation, ashwagandha reduces oxidative stress markers, such as lipid peroxidation, and inhibits superoxide production in human monocyte cells.

Adaptive immunity modulation

Studies suggest that ashwagandha supports the adaptive immune system by promoting T helper cells, T cytotoxic cells, and B cells.

Th1 and Th2 are adaptive immune cells. Th1 provides immunity against viruses and bacteria that invade cells, and Th2 promotes immunity against parasites and allergens in the extracellular matrix. An imbalance between Th1 and Th2 will lead to an overactive immune system. When Th1 becomes dominant, autoimmune disease will follow; when Th2 is dominant, allergies become an issue. 

In immune depleted states due to high cortisol, which suppresses Th1 and promotes Th2 dominance, ashwagandha may restore a more favorable balance by boosting Th1.

Human clinical trials have demonstrated that Ashwagandha supplementation can significantly increase immunoglobulin levels, including IgA, IgM, and IgG. 

The adaptive immune cells “live” in the lymphatic system, spleen, and thymus. Animal studies have shown that ashwagandha root tincture can increase the weight of the spleen and thymus.

Innate immunity modulation

Macrophages are innate immune cells that live in the lymphatic system. Part of their role is to engulf and destroy pathogens in a process called phagocytosis. Ashwagandha was found to promote phagocytosis. 

NK (Natural Killer) cells are immune cells that locate and destroy cancer cells and damaged cells. Studies suggest that ashwagandha increases the number of NK cells and improves their function. 

Preparation and dosage

The immune modulating polysaccharides and sitoindosides, responsible for much of the neuroprotective and cognitive activity, are poorly extracted with alcohol. They are absorbed much better when taken with water or in capsule or powder form. 

Standard decoction: 4-8 ounces, 3 times daily in coconut milk with honey.

Capsule: 2-6 capsules (1000-3000 mg) three times a day. I usually recommend my clients take 2 capsules three times daily.

Safety

Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Avoid using alongside any Barbiturates and anxiolytics because of Ashwagandha’s effect on GABA receptors, so it potentiates these meds.

Ashwagandha might interact with steroids.

Avoid in people with heat conditions (redness, heat, swelling, and pain). 

Avoid if you have sensitivity to plants in the Solanaceae botanical family.

Avoid in hyperthyroidism.

Avoid in hemochromatosis (excess iron)

The worst thing a burnout person can do is use stimulants. It is as if you owe the bank money, and, instead of committing to a payment plan, you borrow more.

For the burnout person, the best thing is to nourish, ground, and calm the nervous system.

Recipe For Remedy