Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract 5% withanolides - 5 g.

Ashwagandha, known in Polish as witania ospała or Indian ginseng, is a plant from the nightshade family, whose herbal raw material is primarily the dried root. This package contains not the ground root, but its extract - a standardized extract to 5% withanolides, which refers to the content of a group of steroid lactones considered to be the active ingredients of this raw material. The most well-known of these are withaferin A and withanolide D. The 5 g package is a trial portion: enough to check the taste, solubility, and measuring method before deciding on a larger quantity. You mix the powder in a thicker, warm medium, and you measure your portion on a scale, as a teaspoon is too imprecise for this raw material. This is a raw material for your own recipes, not a ready-made preparation with a specified portion: you measure the portion yourself, on a scale, and you decide what to combine the extract with. Below you will find what is known about this raw material: where it comes from, what the declared standardization means, what daily limit the Dietary Supplements Team indicated for withanolides, and who should not use ashwagandha.

Ingredients

Raw material in this package:

Ashwagandha root extract (Withania somnifera), standardized to 5% withanolides
Form: fine powder
Check the full composition and any additives on the packaging

What this raw material declares about itself fits in one line: extract from ashwagandha root standardized to 5% withanolides, 5 g in the package. Everything else depends on how you use it, and this is where the difference between raw material and ready-made preparation begins. With a capsule preparation, the portion size is specified on the label; with bulk raw material, you measure it yourself and you are responsible for how much you take. The reference point here is the position of the Dietary Supplements Team, which in resolution No. 7/2020 from February 7, 2020, indicated that the maximum content of withanolides cannot exceed 10 mg in the recommended daily serving of the product, and powdered root of Withania somnifera can be used in amounts below 3 g per day. These two values refer to different things (the first to withanolides, the second to the root raw material) and should not be confused or transferred from one to the other. You measure your portion yourself, on a scale, and within that limit.

Specification

Masa netto: 5 g
Form: powdered extract from the root
Raw material: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, root
Standardization: 5% withanolides
Composition: check the full list on the packaging
Daily portion: check on the packaging
Regulatory limit: a maximum of 10 mg of withanolides in the recommended daily portion of the product
Storage: a dry, cool, and dark place, packaging tightly closed
Do not use: in children, pregnant women, and during breastfeeding

How to use

You measure the portion yourself: check the recommendation for this extract on the packaging, and the limit remains as indicated by the Dietary Supplements Team: the maximum content of withanolides must not exceed 10 mg in the recommended daily portion of the product. The powdered extract dissolves poorly in cold water, so in practice, it is mixed with a thicker carrier.

Weigh the portion on a jewelry scale, not with a spoon - the powder varies in bulk density between batches.
Mix in warm milk, plant-based drink, smoothie, or yogurt, not in a glass of cold water
The taste is distinctly earthy and bitter - this is a normal characteristic of the raw material, not a defect of the batch.
Do not exceed the limit of withanolides indicated by the Dietary Supplements Team
Close the packaging after each use and keep it away from moisture

Who is it for

This package makes sense when you want to test the raw material before deciding on a larger quantity. Five grams is enough to get to know the taste (distinctly earthy and bitter), test what you can mix the powder in without lumps, and see if you prefer the bulk form over capsules. It's also a sensible choice if you use ashwagandha seasonally or add it to your own blend of adaptogens and need a small amount. However, this is not a product for someone who wants to open the package and simply take a ready portion: here you measure it yourself, on a scale, and that is a condition for entering the bulk form. Ashwagandha is not used in children, pregnant women, or during lactation, and for thyroid diseases, autoimmune diseases, and with sedatives, sleeping pills, and anticonvulsants, the decision to use it should be made after consulting a doctor who knows your health situation and other medications you are taking.

Frequently asked questions

How many withanolides can be consumed in a day?

The Dietary Supplements Team in resolution no. 7/2020 from February 7, 2020, indicated that the maximum content of withanolides must not exceed 10 mg in the recommended daily portion of the product. The same resolution allows powdered root in an amount below 3 g per day. The first value refers to withanolides, the second to the root raw material.

What should guide you when measuring the portion?

The limit indicated by the Dietary Supplements Team: the maximum content of withanolides must not exceed 10 mg in the recommended daily portion of the product. Measure the portion according to the recommendation of the preparation or recipe in which you use the extract, and weigh it on a jewelry scale, as the bulk density of the powder changes between batches.

How does the extract differ from the powdered root?

Powdered root is ground plant material, while extract is a concentrate in which the content of active substances has been thickened and brought to the declared level - here 5% withanolides. These are two different raw materials and they should not be used interchangeably measure for measure, as they differ in concentration.

How to store powdered extract?

In a tightly closed package, in a dry, cool, and dark place, out of reach of children. Moisture is the main problem here: the powder absorbs it from the air and starts to clump, and with such a small package, you will notice this immediately. Do not transfer the contents to a container that cannot be tightly closed.

Variants and category

You can also find the same extract in a medium package and in a large package - they differ only in net weight, the formula is identical. You can find the full offer in the category herbs.

More context on the blog: introduction to adaptogens for beginners and ashwagandha in drops or capsules.

Safety and storage

The Dietary Supplements Team recommends that the labeling of products containing Withania somnifera includes a warning stating: the product should not be consumed when taking medications with sedative, sleeping, and antiepileptic effects, do not use in children, pregnant women, and during breastfeeding. Additionally, there are situations where medical sources recommend caution or discourage the use of ashwagandha: thyroid diseases, autoimmune diseases, taking immunosuppressive medications, and liver diseases. The described side effects primarily concern gastrointestinal discomfort, and there have also been isolated cases of liver damage. If you are taking any medications regularly, consult your doctor before use. Store the packaging tightly closed, in a dry, cool, and dark place, out of reach of children.

Do not exceed the daily portion established by the manufacturer of the preparation in which you use this raw material. The herbal extract does not replace a varied diet or a healthy lifestyle.

Not sure how this extract compares to the capsule products you already know? Write or call - at u Bucha we advise before the purchase, not after.