Guyver Chuan Jin Tan^1,2, and Maurice Han Tong Ling^2,3,4*

¹Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, United Kingdom
²Management Development Institute of Singapore, Singapore
³Newcastle Australia Institute of Higher Education, University of Newcastle, Australia
⁴HOHY PTE LTD, Singapore

*Corresponding Author: Maurice Han Tong Ling, Management Development Institute of Singapore, Singapore.

Received: July 10, 2026; Published: July 30, 2026

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an Ayurvedic adaptogen now widely marketed for stress, sleep, physical performance, reproductive and broader health benefits, yet the supporting evidence is heterogeneous and spread across many health domains. Here, we aim to systematically evaluate the potential health benefits of ashwagandha. A systematic search of PubMed was conducted for studies between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2025. Of the 213 records identified; 30 were included, comprising 16 human studies (predominantly randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials) and 14 preclinical studies in mammalian and non- mammalian models, across five themes and comprising of fifteen sub-themes. Stress and anxiety showed the strongest and most repeated benefit, with consistent reductions in perceived stress across four trials and a placebo-adjusted reduction of up to 44% in the largest. Reproductive and topical dermatological outcomes were positive but were based off single trial each, and physical- performance effects were domain-specific, favouring resistance training while aerobic capacity were not identified. Cognitive, neurodegenerative, organ-protective and longevity benefits were supported only by preclinical models. A recurring dissociation between significant subjective improvement and non-significant objective biomarkers was observed, and the evidence base was further limited by industry-funded and non-independent trials, chemically distinct extracts, and uncertain preclinical-to-human translation. This suggests that ashwagandha may have measurable health-related benefits.

Keywords: Withania somnifera; Stress; Anxiety

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Citation

Citation: Guyver Chuan Jin Tan and Maurice Han Tong Ling. “A 20-Year Systematic Review (01 January 2006 to 31 December 2025) on the Potential Health Benefits of Ashwagandha". Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 10.8 (2026): 87-96.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Guyver Chuan Jin Tan and Maurice Han Tong Ling. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.