The 6 Best Ashwagandha Brands Containing Withanolides That We Really Like

Ashwagandha, Withanolides: The 6 Best Ashwagandha Products With A Sufficient Amount Of Withanolides—At A Glance

You may have decided that it was finally time to start using an adaptogen to relieve stress, improve your sleep, or even support your fertility. If you’ve done enough digging, then you probably realized that ashwagandha is one of the best adaptogens available to date and that it’s been clinically validated for its wide range of health benefits.

While there are a fair amount of ashwagandha supplements available via D2C brands as well as on Amazon, there’s one major feature that you need to keep your eye out for – withanolides. You might have discovered an amazing all-natural, possibly even organic, ashwagandha supplement, but if its withanolides composition is too low (or not listed at all for that matter) you’re wasting your time and money on that product and should look elsewhere.

Here, I’ll take a deep dive into the topic of ashwagandha withanolides explain clearly why you need to pay attention to them and how they can make a huge difference towards your intended health goal. I’ll also review the best ashwagandha brands containing at least 3% withanolides content, but you may be shocked at how high the composition of withanolides is for the best brand of ashwagandha.

TL;DR: Why Withanolides Are Crucial To Getting The Best Ashwagandha Supplement

• Withanolides are the active ingredient in ashwagandha, a popular adaptogen that recently hit the DTC market.
• Many ashwagandha brands fail to list how much withanolides content is in their ashwagandha supplements. 
• Instead, some products will list ultra-high milligram counts while failing to mention withanolides content at all. 
• If you don’t see a percentage of withanolides on the ashwagandha supplement or there are no credible certificates, then it’s probably not worth your money.

What are withanolides?

Withanolides are the active ingredient in ashwagandha, a popular adaptogen sold in supplement form. Ashwagandha’s benefits work best when it includes a high concentration of withanolides, which research shows can be beneficial in inhibiting tumor growth and fighting inflammation.  

Let’s back up. Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb that provides benefits to your body and brain over time. Its botanical name is Withania somnifera as it comes from a small shrub with yellow leaves that’s native to India. The powder extracted from its roots and leaves supplies healing benefits such as reducing stress and cortisol levels. And within the powder, there should be a high concentration of withanolides—the active ingredient that gives ashwagandha its ability to help the body with mental and physical stress. 

Withanolides can also be called steroidal lactones, which are the biologically active chemical constituents of Withania somnifera. The root of the plant is believed to account for its exceptional medicinal properties because it contains a high concentration of bioactive compounds that reduce inflammation and stress and modulate metabolic processes. It’s important to look for withanolide potency in ashwagandha supplements because the withanolide concentration dictates the strength of its effects. But we’ll get to that in a bit.  

Withanolides Benefits

Withanolides are steroidal, meaning they have a physiological action. There are about 40 withanolides in Withania somnifera, each with a different neurochemical effect on the body. You’ll get a different mix of withanolides depending on whether you extract from the root or the plant’s leaf.  

The following are 3 of the most common withanolides and their specific health benefits.

Withanolide A

Withanolide A, extracted from the root, has been tested on mice to show its role in stress management, including immune function regulation. When it’s extracted from the leaf, it has been shown to have anticarcinogenic effects in human cells, meaning it may inhibit the development of cancer. 

Withaferin A

Withaferin A, as an active compound in ashwagandha, has been shown to have significant anti-stress activity. It’s also studied for its anti-cancer properties. 

Glycowithanolide

And then there’s Glycowithanolide, which can be extracted from the root or the whole plant and plays a role in anti-stress activity and may help to reverse the cognitive defects of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Withanolides And Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha contains withanolides and includes alkaloids, salts, steroidal lactones, and flavonoids. Research shows that the withanolides help to regulate metabolic hormone levels. It is beneficial in reducing stress and cortisol levels, but it may also mildly enhance sprinting capacity, increase motivation, and speed up one’s metabolism via increased thyroid hormone secretion over time. 

Purchasing ashwagandha based on withanolide content will actually make the supplement worth your while. Here’s a little extra info to help you learn why.

Are Withanolides Only Found In Ashwagandha?

You can find Withanolides in plants in the Solanaceous family. There are about 40 ashwagandha withanolides in the roots and leaves of Withania somnifera. The different chemical compounds of ashwagandha work together to produce benefits that are believed to reduce inflammation, reduce stress and anxiety, increase muscle mass, and contain anti-cancer properties. 

Why Does Withanolide Content Differ By Ashwagandha Product?

Withanolides don’t make up the entire ashwagandha supplement. There are other chemical constituents involved, such as alkaloids, steroidal lactones, salts, and flavonoids. Depending on the product or brand, you’re going to find different concentrations of withanolides in ashwagandha. 

Withanolide content also depends on where the ashwagandha is extracted from in the Withania somnifera plant (root or leaf). For instance, a product like Daily Nutra KSM-66 Ashwagandha is extracted and standardized from the root, creating a safe, low-toxicity form of ashwagandha. When a product has a high withanolide content, such as Toniiq Ashwagandha, the extract is likely to be from the whole plant.

As mentioned earlier, withanolides interact with the body in different ways depending on where they’re extracted from in the Withania somnifera plant. The leaves have different concentrations and types of withanolides than the root. For instance, leaf extracts contain high levels of Withaferin A, which acts as a cytotoxic. But the root has high levels of Withanolide A, which helps reduce stress and promote immune function. It’s important to read the labels of ashwagandha products so you know where it’s extracted from and what benefits you’re getting out of the active ingredients. 

Where Can You Find Withanolide Content Listed In Any Particular Ashwagandha Supplement?

After all this talk about withanolides, of course, we’re going to give you the tools to find the withanolide content listed on an ashwagandha supplement. It’s pretty simple. If you’re purchasing a product online, zoom over the “supplement facts” label of the ashwagandha product. Under the words “ashwagandha extract” you should see a percentage of withanolides. 

In some cases, it might also be listed on the front label  However, you should still read the “supplement facts” on the back for more detail.

The label should also tell you where the supplement is extracted from (roots or leaves), and the product should be accompanied with a certificate of analysis so that you know the source was thoroughly examined before purchase.

If you don’t see a percentage of withanolides on the ashwagandha supplement or there are no credible certificates, take the product out of your cart. It’s not worth your money. Read those labels! 

How Much Withanolide Content Should You Look For In Ashwagandha?

You want a high(ish) concentration of withanolides in ashwagandha because it’s the active ingredient that provides worthwhile, long-term benefits. So an increase in withanolide concentration dictates the strength of its effects. 

Ashwagandha dosage is usually in milligrams—the most common dose is about 300 mg-600 mg per capsule. But remember, it’s not just the amount of ashwagandha in a product that’s important, it’s the potency (or percentage of withanolides) of the ashwagandha that makes the difference. You want to look for about 2.5%-10% withanolides in your ashwagandha product, or about 10-50 milligrams of them, depending on the benefits you want to get out of the supplement.

Now that we understand why withanolide content is essential when choosing an ashwagandha product, we reviewed four supplements that are actually worth your money. 

It’s important to note that although ashwagandha is safe for most people, certain individuals (women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or those with an autoimmune disease) should consult their healthcare provider before taking it. 

6 Of The Best Ashwagandha Supplements: Brands Of Ashwagandha With Highest Withanolides

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Editor’s note: we are regularly updating this review. If you see any problems, weird interpretations of the data, or just want to say hi, please reach out to hello@the-unwinder.com.