Sexuality is a complex physiological phenomenon that encompasses vascular, neurological, and endocrine systems, as well as the realm of the psychological.

Much has been made of ashwagandha as a tonic libido booster for men. Less well-known are its powerful properties for improving sexual function in women, whose struggles with problems of sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and pain are not uncommon. A wide variety of factors gives rise to such problems. These can range from physiological, hormonal, and neurovascular issues to psychological causes and are often the result of chronic stress.

While the use of psychoactive pharmaceutical drugs provides one approach to resolving these problems, a natural herbal approach through adaptogens like ashwagandha offers a more dynamically wholistic way of dealing with female sexual dysfunction. With its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, ashwagandha normalizes the way the body handles stress triggers.

A recent study conducted over an 8 week period compared the effectiveness of St. Francis Herb Farm’s Ashwagandha Capsules with placebo for 50 healthy women with sexual dysfunction. The improvements from a number of critical baseline markers as follow in the group taking the ashwagandha were nothing short of amazing:

1. difficulties with desire (123% improved)
2. arousal (62% improved)
3. lubrication (59% improved)
4. orgasm (82% improved)
5. satisfaction (62% improved)
6. pain (77% improved)
7. overall (in terms of the formally established Female Sexual Function Index) (76% improved)

 
This article is for educational purposes only and does not advocate self-diagnosis. Due to individual variability, consultation with a licensed health professional, such as a naturopathic doctor is highly recommended prior to starting a natural treatment plan.

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Reference:

S Dongre et al, “Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study,” Biomed Research International 2015 (Epub 2015 Oct 4).