KSM-66 Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an incredible adaptogenic herb with a huge range of scientifically proven health benefits. Please go here for detailed information on ashwagandha in general.

Over the past few years there have been amazing improvements in the quality of ashwagandha supplements available because of improved growing conditions and superior extraction techniques. The rest of this article will go into detail regarding the specific research and benefits of KSM-66 ashwagandha.

Overview

When having an intelligent conversation about ashwagandha supplementation, it’s essential to specify exactly which ashwagandha supplement you are referring to. The differences between all the various ashwagandha supplements are shockingly large.

KSM-66 ashwagandha is a certified organic and non-GMO form of ashwagandha root extract. It is also incredibly powerful with 5% withanolide content and a full-spectrum profile. There is a growing body of scientific research specifically on KSM-66. You can learn about all the double blind studies and health benefits below.

What are the health benefits of KSM-66 Ashwagandha?

Here we will list the scientifically proven health benefits of KSM-66 ashwagandha. Remember, ashwagandha (in various forms) has been used for thousands of years and there have been thousands of studies done on ashwagandha. KSM-66 ashwagndha in particular has all of the benefits of “regular” ashwagandha plus many more. Click here for a complete list of the benefits of ashwagandha.

KSM-66 has been studied extensively in double blind studies over the past few years and won several international awards. Toward the bottom of this article we go into the details of each study, but here we provide you a list so you can view quickly.

Benefits of KSM-66 Ashwagandha:

• Reduce anxiety
• Reduce stress and the stress hormone cortisol
• Improve memory and cognition (powerful nootropic)
• Increase muscle strength, endurance, and athletic performance
• Improve sexual function and libido in both men and women
• Increase testosterone levels significantly (in men only)
• Balance the hormones and improve health of men, women, and children
• Improve the immune system
• Increase longevity
• Help with weight control
• Improve mood and increase happiness

What is KSM-66 Ashwagandha and why is it better?

KSM-66 ashwagandha is an award winning ashwagandha. It is certified organic and non-GMO, it’s incredibly potent (5% withanolides with less than 1% withaferin A) all measured by HPLC. It is also amazingly safe and pure. It has been the most extensively researched ashwagandha with many extremely impressive double blind clinical studies to back up the benefits. See below.

To understand why KSM-66 is a better form of ashwagandha than other forms on the market, it’s essential we look at both the specifics of KSM-66 as well as look at what qualities make up the best ashwagandha and why.

When we evaluate ashwagandha in general, we look at:

• The particular strain of the plant
• The type of soil it’s grown in
• The climate and conditions it’s grown in
• The extraction procedures (water, harsh chemicals… etc)
• If the ashwagandha is organic or not
• If the ashwagandha has been genetically modified (GMO)
• The percentage of withanolides and other active ingredients
• The part of the plant which was used for extraction
• Whether or not the ashwagandha is “full spectrum”
• How the withanolide content is measured
• The purity of the finished product (mercury, lead, etc levels)
• The brand the finished product is sold under
• The clinical research done on the specific finished product

We searched every single form of ashwagandha on the international market and concluded that KSM-66 was far and away the best form. Here we will touch on each aspect and explain why it’s important.

Organic
KSM-66 ashwagandha is USDA certified organic ashwagandha. Many Canadians and Americans love this organic form, and it is rapidly growing in popularity. Most other ashwagandha on the market is not organic.

Non-GMO
KSM-66 is also certified Non-GMO. Some people mix this up with “organic”, but these are 2 separate things. KSM-66 is BOTH certified organic and 100% non-GMO.

Active ingredient standardization (potency)
KSM-66 is a very powerful standardized form of ashwagandha, and it is also incredibly safe. It is standardized to contain at least 5% withanolide content. The withanoloids are the main active ingredients of ashwagandha, and there are many different withanolides within this class. See below for more details on the withanolide profile.

Which part of the plant is processed?
KSM-66 is a standardized ashwagandha root extract. There are no leaves or any other cheaper or inferior parts thrown into the mix. This is why KSM-66 is also able to guarantee less than 1% withafarin A, a specific and potentially cytotoxic withanolide, even though they have over 5% total withanolides. This is excellent.

Is it full spectrum?
KSM-66 ashwagandha is truly full-spectrum ashwagandha. “Full spectrum” means that the ratios of all the active ingredients and other plant constituents are in the same ratios which are found in nature. This is extremely important. There are hundreds of different active ingredients in the root, the withanolide family being only one group, which work synergistically to give ashwagandha’s health benefits. Harsh extraction techniques isolate only one or two active ingredients and often destroy many others in the process. KSM-66 gives the entire natural active ingredient profile of the best ashwagandha.

HPLC measurement of active ingredient
This is important. Many companies will claim to have a high % of withanolides but they won’t tell you how they measure it. They often use a cheap form of measuring called “gravimetric analyisis”. This often overstates the amount of withanolides by a factor of 3. The reason is that gravimetric analysis is a crude form of measuring and it cannot distinguish between withanolides and certain other components of the plant. Everything gets counted by mistake. KSM-66 uses HPLC measuring to guarantee the 5% withanolide content. This is a precise form of measuring because it looks directly at the withanolides and it includes no other random constituents.

Quality of soil for plant growth
KSM-66 is grown in outstanding soil. It is grown in very well-drained light red soil with a PH between 7.5-8.0. The soil conditions the roots are grown in is probably just as important as the strain of ashwagandha because many bioactive molecules are absorbed from the soil and into the root. Ashwagandha grown in poor or average soil is almost useless clinically.

Climate plant is grown in
KSM-66 is grown in Rajasthan province in India during the rainy season. This is well-known for having the best conditions in the world to grow healthy and therapeutic ashwagandha. This is because of soil make up, rain, sunlight, elevation, and terrain.

Extraction methods – Green Chemistry

KSM-66 uses a patented extraction process in accordance with “green chemistry” principals. They don’t use any of the harsh chemical solvents which are used by most ashwagandha processors. This leaves the KSM 66 as a full spectrum and natural extract where no parts of the root are destroyed or altered in the process.

What is the scientific evidence for KSM-66 Ashwagandha?

KSM-66 ashwagandha has the most impressive human clinical research of any ashwagandha on the market. Here are brief descriptions of the KSM-66 human studies. Many more are also underway and we’ll keep this page updated.

Anti Anxiety and Stress relief

A famous study in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine showed that KSM 66 significantly reduced anxiety and stress levels compared with a placebo.

Serum levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, were reduced by 28% in the ashwagandha group. Also key levels of stress reduction, anti anxiety, anti depression, and insomnia reduction, were reported in the ashwagandha group compared with the placebo. This was across several tests such as the DASS (Depression and anxiety stress scale), the PSS (Perceived Stress Scale), and the GHQ (General Health Questionaire).

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“safely and effectively improves an individual’s resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.”

Sleep

This study showed that KSM 66 ashwagandha significantly benefited sleep quality and improved insomnia.

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“can improve sleep quality and can help in managing insomnia.”

Memory and Cognition

This study showed that KSM-66 was far superior to a placebo in mental functioning, focus and attention, and memory retention. This was illustrated in several important parts of the Wechsler Memory Scale.

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“may be effective in enhancing both immediate and general memory in people with MCI as well as improving executive function, attention, and information processing speed.”

Note: MCI means “Mild Cognitive Impairment”

Energy and Stamina

This study showed that KSM-66 was significantly better to a placebo for increase the VO2 max of athletes, in cardio-respiratory endurance, and also in the self-reported General Health Questionaire (GHQ)

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“enhances the cardiorespiratory endurance and improves QOL in healthy athletic adults.”

Note: QOL means “Quality of Life”

Muscle Strength, Size, and Recovery times

This study combines nicely with the above and the below studies. KSM-66 was far superior to a placebo in increased muscle size in the arms and chest, for increased strength (bench press and leg extensions), and shortened recovery time between intense workouts. It is an outstanding sports supplement.

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“is associated with significant increases in muscle mass and strength and suggests that ashwagandha supplementation may be useful in conjunction with a resistance training program.”

Sexual function and Testosterone Increases in Men

This study, and others, showed that KSM-66 increases testosterone by 17% in men when compared to a placebo. Luteinizing hormone (LH) also increased. It showed increased sperm motility, semen concentration, and semen volume.

The study concluded:

“The present study adds to the evidence on the therapeutic value of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), as attributed in Ayurveda for the treatment of oligospermia leading to infertility.”

Weight management, mood improvement, and increased happiness

This study showed KSM-66 was effective in lowering BMI (Body mass index), lowering cortisol levels (stress hormone), and also improving the scores on the Oxford Happiness Scale – showing improved overall mood, happiness, and optimism.

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“can be used for body weight management in adults under chronic stress.”

Female Sexual Functioning Improvements

This study showed that KSM-66 was effective compared to a placebo at increasing sexual arousal, lubrication, and orgasm intensity and satisfaction in women.

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“may improve sexual function in healthy women.”

Increased Longevity and increased immune function

Studies have been done on animals showing that KSM-66 is much more effective than a placebo in increasing the life span and immune system responses. This is very promising for humans as well. Remember, it’s very difficult to prove something increases the life of humans in a study because of the nature of designing studies and looking at how long humans live. But this is very promising and all arrows point to similarly impressive effects for humans.

The study concluded KSM 66 ashwagandha:

“extends the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans.”

Where can I buy KSM-66 Ashwagandha?

We source the freshest possible batches of KSM-66 ashwagandha and encapsulate it using the purest vegetarian capsules and include zero additives or stearates. Click here to purchase 88Herbs brand KSM-66 Ashwagandha