Ashwagandha is an Indian Ayurvedic herb that can induce sleep without any side effects. The sleep-inducing property of Ashwagandha is due to a compound called TEG.
Highlights
- An Indian herb called Ashwagandha contains an antioxidant that can induce sleep.
- Triethylene glycol (TEG) is a bioactive compound found in Ashwagandha that induces sleep.
- Ashwagandha could be a safe plant-based therapy for sleep disorders.
Bioactive Component in Ashwagandha Promotes Sleep
The research team investigated the effects of two types of Ashwangandha extract on sleep. The first one was the water extract of Ashwagandha leaf rich in triethylene glycol (TEG). TEG promoted non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and slightly changed rapid eye movement (REM). The second one was the alcoholic extract containing active withanolides, which had no effect on sleep.
The findings showed that sleep induced by TEG was similar to normal sleep. Thus the research team concluded that TEG is the active component in Ashwagandha that induces sound sleep. This study could revolutionize the natural plant-based therapies for insomnia and sleep-related disorders.
Sleep Disorder
Sleeplessness is a common complaint among the middle-aged population. Insomnia is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders, which affects 10 to 15 percent of the general population and 30 to 60 percent in the elderly population. Insomnia is linked to obesity, cardiovascular diseases, depression and anxiety.
The clinical application of TEG to treat insomnia is still not approved because the TEG is also used for industrial purpose and very little is known about its applicability and toxicity. Further research is needed to confirm the safety of TEG.
Reference:
- Mahesh K. Kaushik, Sunil C. Kaul, Renu Wadhwa, Masashi Yanagisawa, Yoshihiro Urade. ‘Triethylene Glycol, An Active Component of ASHWAGANDHA (Withania somnifera) Leaves, is Responsible for Sleep Induction.’ PLOS ONE (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172508