Does ashwagandha affect brain health?

Ashwagandha may have beneficial effects on brain health by promoting the formation of neurons and enhancing neuroprotection, but the clinical evidence is somewhat mixed. In studies where ashwagandha (200–400 mg daily for 1–3 months) enhanced CNS activity and cognition, other factors such as cortisol, quality of life, sleep quality, and subjective measures of stress also improved, as would be expected. However, outcomes such as appetite, anxiety symptoms, short-term memory, serum BDNF, impulsivity, and alertness also saw some benefits in these studies, but to a much lesser extent that can’t be generalized to the broader population at this time.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}