Key Takeaways
Ashwagandha can stay in your system for up to two days. How long ashwagandha stays in your body depends on the formulation and the concentration of its active components. Individual factors such as your age, gender, and medical conditions also affect how long ashwagandha stays in your body.
Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement that may help the body combat stress. Despite its growing popularity, there has been very little research into how long ashwagandha stays in the human body.
How Long Does the Effect of Ashwagandha Last?
- Expect ashwagandha to remain in your body for 10 to 50 hours (up to 2 days) after ingestion.
- The active components (parts) of ashwagandha have half-lives ranging from 2 to 10 hours.
- Half-life is the time it takes for half of a medication or substance to be eliminated from your body.
- It takes four or five half-lives for a substance to be considered out of your system.
Factors That Affect How Long Ashwagandha Stays in Your Body
Factors that affect how long ashwagandha stays in your body include the strength and formulation of the supplement, as well as your individual characteristics.
Ashwagandha products on the market have different concentrations of active components (withanolides).
Withanolides are a type of steroid found in the roots and leaves of the ashwagandha plant. They are responsible for the antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects of the supplement.
More potent ashwagandha products (those with higher concentrations of withanolides) stay in the body longer. For instance, an extract composed of 35% withanolides remains in the body up to four times longer than an extract composed of 2.5% withanolides.
Sustained-release capsules are formulated to deliver more ashwagandha into your bloodstream, thereby extending the supplement’s effects.
The time ashwagandha stays in your body also depends on characteristics such as your age, gender, weight, and medical conditions. These influence how quickly your body absorbs and removes ashwagandha and other medications.
How Long Do Ashwagandha Side Effects Last After Stopping?
Ashwagandha is likely safe when used for up to 3 months; however, there are insufficient long-term studies to determine its safety for more extended periods. Most side effects of ashwagandha are short-lived. These can include nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and drowsiness. Rarely, ashwagandha can cause liver toxicity, a profound side effect that can take much longer to reverse. Liver damage from ashwagandha can take from one to nine months to resolve after you stop taking ashwagandha. For optimal safety, consult your healthcare provider before adding ashwagandha or any other supplement to your medicine cabinet.
