Spotlight on FIT Ingredient: Ashwagandha

Spotlight on FIT Ingredient: Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha

 

I think we can all agree that some days all we want to do is successfully wake up, go to work, eat well, feed the dog, take the kids to school, workout, and look amazing doing it. Even ifwe manage to pull it all off, what is left? Stress. If only there was something on this planet to help us!? Luckily, not only is it on our planet, it’s made by Mother Nature herself and it is found in FitTeam FIT’s proprietary blend. Let me introduce you to Ashwagandha and the 4 reasons it might help you reach your ideal day a little easier.

 

Ashwagandha or withania somnifera – was actually introduced to the world in 6000BC in one of the worlds oldest system of medicine, Indian Ayurvedic medicine –which is still practiced today, as a powerful herb and root extract that expanded happiness1. Modern research has actually sustained the ancient belief that ashwagandha is indeed a powerful herb!

 

  1. Supports lower stress and anxiety!

Even though stress is a normal survival mechanism, continual stress due to our hectic lifestyles can increase the risk of developing health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression, to name a few. Ashwagandha was shown to decrease cortisol levels2,1 (our “stress hormone”), improve sleep quality and overall quality of life2.

 

  1. Supports improved eating behaviors!

The use of ashwagandha in overweight and obese adults with chronic stress was shown not only to reduce stress but demonstrated secondary benefits of reduced food cravings and improved eating behaviorsas well as a statistically significantly reduction in body weight3.

 

  1. A great addition to your resistant-training regime!

Adding ashwagandha supplementation to a resistance-training regime was found to significantly reduce exercise-induced muscle damage5and body fat percentage5and significantlyincrease muscle mass4, and upper and lower body strength5,4.

 

  1. Support athletic endurance!

When ashwagandha was given to athletes, it was shown to improve cardiorespiratory endurance6meaning that your body can take in more oxygen for your muscles to use while you are exercising.

 

As you can see, ashwagandha certainly deserves the increasing amount of attention it has been receiving the past few years and the fact that it is found in FIT is all the more reason to enjoy your FitTeam FIT daily!

 

Maryann Walsh, MFN, RD

Registered Dietitian

 

Reference:

  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252722/
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32021735
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871210/
  4.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26609282
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30463324
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3545242/