The adaptogen to add to your supplement arsenal ASAP—plus, ways to make it work harder for you

Similar to how you had to do a bit of research to figure out how to actually pronounce it, there are still plenty of ashwagandha benefits that you may not even know about (considering it took a hot minute to decipher all of its syllables).

Firstly, ashwagandha is an adaptogen. “Adaptogens are herbs that are believed to help you cope better with the grind of life and all the challenges it throws your way,” Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD says. “That includes stress, inflammation, pollutants, fatigue—and the list goes on.” (Re: all the not-so-good stuff.)

What’s cool about ashwagandha is that could help lower levels of cortisol and overall stress. “That’s a good thing, because if cortisol (our stress hormone) gets out of hand, it can send your adrenal gland into overdrive, causing you to feel exhausted, fatigued, and weak,” Beckerman says. In order to reap all the potential ashwagandha benefits, though, it’s vital to choose the highest-quality organic ingredients, she adds.

“A supplement is likely the easiest way to get your daily dose of ashwagandha,” she says. Beckerman recommends one that contains 250-300 milligrams of extract per serving. UPGRAID, an all-natural, fully organic recovery aid, has 250 milligrams of turmeric mixed with 300 milligrams of ashwagandha—making it the ideal pop-in-your-mouth rejuvenation tool after an intense workout.

This ashwagandha-turmeric combo is Beckerman’s preference, as it delivers a one-two punch starting with reducing stress and then returning your body to a normal and healthy state of inflammation, she says. What can’t this adaptogen do? You’ll just have to watch the video to find out.

Take a peek at the video above for the ashwagandha benefits that’ll wow you into adding it to your daily supplement lineup.

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