Best Ashwagandha Supplement

Maybe you find yourself struggling with anxiety (like over 40 million adults in the U.S.), or your focus and memory aren’t what they used to be.36 Or maybe you’re fighting tooth and nail for every rep in the gym and not seeing the results you'd expect. It turns out that a single botanical ingredient with roots in Ayurvedic medicine — ashwagandha, from the Withania somnifera plant — may be able to help with all of these issues and more.23 31

Based on popular claims, ashwagandha seems to do everything, from helping you relax or sleep better to improving your experience in bed and even boosting your energy. But are these claims too good to be true? In this guide to the best ashwagandha supplements of 2024, we’ll break down the pros, cons, details, and research to point you to the ashwagandha supplements that might be best for your needs.

If you’re in a hurry, here’s a look at our top picks:

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions involving staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing supplements that claim to alter your mental state, from nootropic compounds with dozens of ingredients to specialized products like ashwagandha. For this review alone, we read more than 50 scientific studies looking at the safety and efficacy of ashwagandha extract for a multitude of concerns, including stress, anxiety, cognition difficulties, low testosterone, and more. We also got hands-on with the products, ordering and trying them out for ourselves to pass on the most important details to you.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy. We’ll keep an eye on the latest science and shifting product options for ashwagandha supplements to ensure this guide stays up-to-date.

While it can play many different roles as a supplement, ashwagandha is widely considered to be a nootropic, which can influence your mind and cognitive functioning. Therefore, we judged ashwagandha using the same criteria we use for nootropic supplements:

• Safety
• Effectiveness
• Cost
• Convenience

Here’s how our top six ashwagandha supplements of 2024 fared in these criteria, including which came out on top in each.

Safety

Winner: Nootropics Depot Shoden

When it comes to the safety of supplements like ashwagandha, it’s important to note that the FDA doesn’t approve or regulate supplements like they do with prescription medications. The only time they’re actively involved is when they make sure the Supplement Facts label has proper nutrition information. Otherwise, the FDA only gets hands-on with dietary supplements if there are adverse effects being reported.32

Because of this, it’s up to supplement manufacturers to make sure that their products are safe and effective. Typically, this includes independent third-party testing, being made in facilities that adhere to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), avoiding allergens, and obtaining safety certifications — like from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), for example. Here’s how our top picks compare:

While all of our top picks undergo third-party testing and are manufactured in GMP-compliant facilities, only Nootropics Depot checks all the boxes. The company has additional ISO certification for its in-house testing lab, which also conducts testing on its products in addition to the third-party labs. On top of that, Nootropics Depot will give you the Certificate of Analysis (CoA) of your product if you provide the lot number to customer service.

Additionally, like most of our other picks, Nootropics Depot Shoden is vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. The only non-vegan option among our choices is Live Conscious ZenWell due to its milk ingredients, but it may still be suitable for some vegetarians.

Effectiveness

Winner: Nootropics Depot Shoden

One way we judge effectiveness is when a supplement can give you a big result from as little a dose as possible. That means adding less to your body and, in many cases, taking fewer pills to get the same effects. Nootropics Depot’s Shoden ashwagandha extract — which is the most potent, most bioavailable ashwagandha extract on the market at 35% withanolides — is the most effective by a long shot.25 No one else uses Shoden extract (because it’s significantly more expensive than other options), but it contains at least seven times as many withanolides as the most common extract, KSM-66. While other products (such as Live Conscious ZenWell) offer dramatically more ashwagandha per serving, you’re still getting the most of the compounds that matter with Nootropic Depot’s Shoden ashwagandha extracts, either in pill or powder form.

Nootropics Depot also recommends 1-2 capsules per day, which should be safe considering the small base dose of 120mg per capsule. When our testing team tried Shoden, they experienced strong calming effects from just one capsule; testers felt just as powerful an effect as they did from using Physician’s Choice, which has almost six times as much ashwagandha (and other compounds to increase bioavailability) in each serving.30

Cost

Winner: Transparent Labs KSM-66 Ashwagandha Extract

Breaking down the cost of an ashwagandha supplement is a little more complicated than you might think. We need to consider the dose of each supplement and the concentration of active ingredients within a given extract.

With ashwagandha, the price per bottle or dose isn’t the whole picture. The active component in ashwagandha — withanolides — doesn’t correlate in the same measure with every extract. Some extracting processes can result in supplements containing up to 40% withanolides. Such potent extracts are rare, with most available supplements averaging a 5% withanolide concentration (more on that later in this guide).

The chart below offers a look at how our top contenders compare based on price and withanolide content. (Note that the chart shows costs for one-time, single-unit orders for comparative purposes; you may get better deals by joining subscription programs or buying larger quantities.)

From this information, a few things become clear:

• Goli is the least expensive option upfront, but you only get 15mg of withanolides per dose.
• Physician’s Choice offers the most withanolides per serving, at 50mg, but it’s also the most expensive option per serving.
• Nootropics Depot Shoden powder can be the least expensive per serving, but you do have to pay more upfront to get that lower serving cost.
• Transparent Labs gives you a 2-month supply of ashwagandha with 30mg withanolides at the second lowest cost per serving. It also has one of the lowest upfront costs of our picks at $20 (or only $10 per month).

With that last point in mind, perhaps it becomes a bit more obvious why we chose Transparent Labs as our pick for cost. If you don’t have any concerns about using a powdered supplement or spending a bit more upfront, though, then Nootropics Depot Shoden powder is also a great choice for saving some money over time.

Convenience

Winner: Goli Ashwagandha Gummies

Ashwagandha supplements aren’t particularly inconvenient. Though it’s generally best to take them first thing in the morning, you don’t have to, and there’s no need to take them with food. Some forms are more convenient than others, though.

Powders are the least convenient — you have to have a kitchen scale or special scoop to measure exactly the right dose and then mix it into water. Pills are better, though you’ll need a beverage at hand to wash them down; luckily, most ashwagandha supplements use very small capsules, so people who have a hard time swallowing large pills needn’t worry.

Gummies are even easier to take than pills, and that’s why Goli is the clear victor in this category. To boot, Goli Ashwagandha Gummies have a surprisingly delicious flavor; one of our testers compared the taste to that of a Fruit Roll-Up.

Youtheory’s Liquid Ashwagandha is a close second for convenience, solely because liquids are easier to take than pills — or even gummies — for some people. These blueberry-flavored drinks are great for on-the-go supplementation, like when you’re traveling. However, those who can take gummies may still prefer them over having to open up a single-use (and not very environmentally friendly) packet to drink something.

The chart below offers a quick reference of how our top picks compare in several major ways, including their cost, serving counts, and more.

Ashwagandha comes from the plant Withania somnifera, sometimes referred to as Indian ginseng or winter cherry. It has roots in Ayurvedic medicine, dating back to at least 6,000 BCE, in which it was used to reduce inflammation, increase energy, and treat ailments like arthritis, anxiety, and respiratory difficulties.23 24 31

In recent years, studies have found that ashwagandha appears effective in reducing stress and anxiety,2 4 and some evidence suggests it may boost testosterone levels in men.5 Here are some of the biggest benefits researchers think ashwagandha may provide:

Withanolides from ashwagandha

Most ashwagandha supplements utilize a powdered form of the roots or leaves of the plant. These supplements have no serious issues with efficacy, but they aren’t as consistent as standardized extracts. That’s because a particular class of naturally occurring steroids in ashwagandha, called withanolides, make ashwagandha’s benefits possible.

Numerous studies on cells, animals, and humans have been conducted on withanolides, generally related to those found in ashwagandha.11 We’ve decided to focus on ashwagandha supplements that provide quantifiable amounts of withanolides per dose, which non-standardized powder supplements rarely provide.

There are three prominent branded ashwagandha extracts on the market: KSM-66, Shoden, and Sensoril. There are advantages and disadvantages of each, but we generally think Shoden is the best of the bunch. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Our testers did a side-by-side comparison of a KSM-66 and a Shoden ashwagandha supplement (from Physician’s Choice and Nootropics Depot, respectively). Both supplements had similar effects at similar intensities, but it’s important to note the difference in dose: 120mg of Shoden ashwagandha and 1,000mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha.

So, while you can easily find high-quality ashwagandha extracts, you may have to look for substantially higher doses of KSM-66 or Sensoril than you might anticipate to achieve the same effects as a lower Shoden dose.

What our testers experienced

When our testers tried ashwagandha supplements for the first time, the anti-anxiety effects were very clearly apparent within an average of 30 minutes. One of our testers who hadn’t had much luck when taking supplements with anti-anxiety effects noted that it felt like ashwagandha “put the anxiety in a steel box” — it was difficult to induce feelings of stress or anxiety, even when they tried by thinking of potentially stressful situations. After 2-3 hours, the anti-anxiety effects seemed to wear off, and our testers felt drowsier than normal for another 2-3 hours. Some other testers experienced a slight headache during the wear-off period, but no other side effects occurred among our testing team.

Ashwagandha is no replacement for prescription medication, nor is it a treatment or cure (or diagnostic measure). If you’re concerned about your daily anxiety levels or lack of sleep, reach out to your doctor first.

Ashwagandha supplements appear generally safe for most people, though not enough research has been published about long-term safety. Very few of the existing studies have reported significant adverse effects from ashwagandha.

Some of the common, mild side effects of ashwagandha include:28

• Upset stomach
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Transient drowsiness
• Dry mouth

A small proportion of people who take ashwagandha develop a fever shortly after taking it, though medical experts aren’t sure why this happens.28 You shouldn’t take ashwagandha if you have a fever, and if you develop one, stop using ashwagandha immediately.

As with any supplement, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before incorporating it into your regimen.

Who should stay away from ashwagandha?

Despite ashwagandha’s ability to stop anxiety, there are many people who won’t benefit from it.

People who are pregnant or lactating shouldn’t take ashwagandha. There’s some evidence that it could induce miscarriages in high doses.29

Ashwagandha doesn’t react well with prescription anxiety or sedative medications, including benzodiazepines like Valium or Xanax and sleep medications like Ambien. Mixing it with anything depressive that quiets your central nervous system in the same ways — including alcohol and surgical anesthesia — could result in serious harm.29

Likewise, ashwagandha interacts poorly with immunosuppressant medications since it seems to stimulate your immune system. It seems to affect kidneys and kidney transplants the most — one case study from 2020 found that a man with a kidney transplant experienced a full rejection of the organ after taking an ashwagandha supplement for 14 days.12 Therefore, if you have any kidney problems, need surgery, take an immunosuppressant medication, or have had an organ transplant (especially if it’s a kidney), we recommend you don’t take ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha may lower blood pressure as well (particularly when taken with milk).13 Some studies suggest it might also lower blood sugar by boosting insulin sensitivity, though more research is necessary.14 Neither finding is consistently replicated through the scientific literature, but if you have a metabolic disorder such as diabetes or high blood pressure (or take medications to lower your blood pressure or raise insulin sensitivity, such as beta-blockers or metformin), talk to your doctor before trying ashwagandha.

If you’re allergic to nightshade, stay away from ashwagandha supplements. Ashwagandha is in the same family as nightshade plants and is related enough to induce allergic reactions. If you don’t know whether you’re allergic to nightshade but experience itchy skin or a rash, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, cease use immediately and contact your doctor.

And children under 18 shouldn’t take ashwagandha, either.

Ashwagandha and the thyroid

Studies looking into ashwagandha as a treatment for hypothyroidism have shown promising results. In one study, eight weeks of supplementation at 600mg (a common dose of KSM-66) normalized thyroid indices that measure TSH, T3, and T4 hormones.15 Not every study finds changes in thyroid hormones, but it’s common enough to give us pause.16

Ashwagandha’s ability to increase these hormone levels has raised concerns that patients with hyperthyroidism may be at risk of thyrotoxicosis resulting from a dangerous excess of thyroid hormones in the blood.28 Therefore, we discourage anyone with thyroid issues from trying ashwagandha without speaking to their doctor first.

Best overall

Nootropics Depot is unique among the companies in our guide in that it offers the top three branded ashwagandha extracts on the market — Shoden, KSM-66, and Sensoril — as well as whole-plant options. Of the three extracts, we prefer Shoden, as its 35% withanolide concentration gives you more benefits from smaller doses. For example, each 120mg dose of Nootropics Depot Shoden gives you 42mg of withanolides. In comparison, Physician’s Choice has to provide 1,000mg of ashwagandha just to get you 50mg — only about a 20% increase in withanolides at a whopping 733% greater dose of ashwagandha.

Regarding supplement safety, Nootropics Depot conducts third-party testing of its supplements to make sure they’re all “pure, potent, and free from harmful contaminants.” The company’s lab partner, Omnient Labs, is ISO accredited, and its manufacturing partner, Supplement Logistics, is cGMP certified. Moreover, you can also request any product’s Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from Nootropics Depot’s customer service by providing your item’s lot number. All of this demonstrates Nootropics Depot’s commitment to customer safety — which we greatly appreciate.

Nootropics Depot ashwagandha pricing

Here are the best available prices per dose for Nootropics Depot’s ashwagandha supplements:

You can also get a sample pack of branded ashwagandha extracts and the whole plant option (5g of KSM-66, 5g of Sensoril, and 10g of whole plant) for $19.99.

Shipping from Nootropics Depot is only free if you spend more than $50. Individually, none of the company’s ashwagandha supplements meet the free-shipping threshold unless you buy more than one bottle per order. If you have to pay shipping, here are the current rates:

• FedEx 2-3 Day: $10.20
• USPS Priority: $10.25
• FedEx Ground (3-7 days): $17.91
• USPS Express (1-2 days): $45.20

Unfortunately, Nootropics Depot doesn’t have the best return policy in the world: you can return any unopened product within 30 days, minus the cost of shipping both ways. However, it’s leagues better than what the company offered a few years ago, which was only a return option if there was a significant problem with your order.

Best budget pick

Transparent Labs lives up to the name, as the company has a rigorous testing strategy and regularly updates a public online database with batch-specific third-party test results. This lets you compare the bottle in your hand to the results from its particular batch, ensuring purity, dose accuracy, and safety. Such a practice isn’t entirely unique in the supplements space, but most high-quality supplement manufacturers will only tell you that testing happens; Transparent Labs is one of the only companies on our list (including Nootropics Depot) that’s willing to show this information directly to you.

Transparent Labs uses KSM-66 ashwagandha in a 600mg dose. Every bottle contains 60 capsules, which is double the amount of most of our other top picks. Moreover, note that a serving equals one capsule, similar to Nootropics Depot. Most other ashwagandha supplements suggest taking two or three, so a 60-capsule bottle from competitors would amount to only 20-30 servings — about half or less of what Transparent Labs provides.

A one-time purchase of Transparent Lab’s KSM-66 Ashwagandha costs $19.99 (only $0.33 per serving). The company also allows you to add this ashwagandha supplement to a subscription program, which means you can save 10% (dropping the price to $17.99, or about $0.30 per serving) and get free shipping. This free shipping offer means a lot with Transparent Labs — without a subscription, shipping costs vary depending on your location, and you wouldn’t qualify for free shipping without spending at least $99. A couple of years ago, you could only get free shipping on orders over $149, so this decrease in the free shipping ceiling is nice to see. But because of this high threshold, you should know how shipping costs break down otherwise. This is how much delivery costs to an East Coast address:

• Standard (5-7 business days): $7.99
• USPS Priority Mail (two business days): $10.96
• FedEx Home Delivery (two business days): $18.13
• FedEx 2Day: $30.64
• FedEx Priority Overnight: $43.77

The prices for USPS Priority Mail ($10.47), FedEx 2Day ($27.52), and FedEx Priority Overnight ($42.60) are slightly less expensive for a West Coast address, but not by much. Since a subscription order saves you 10% and gives you free shipping — and Transparent Labs won’t give you a hard time when you try to cancel your subscription — we strongly recommend joining this program.

Best high-dose option

Physician’s Choice uses KSM-66, one of the most popular forms of ashwagandha extract. Most KSM-66 supplements offer it in a 600mg dose, but Physician’s Choice uses a 1,000mg dose. That delivers nearly twice as many withanolides to your system daily. While it also means the capsules are a bit larger compared to some competitors, each one is still less than a half-inch long and relatively narrow, and our testers didn’t find them difficult to swallow.

The Physician’s Choice KSM-66 formula also contains 15mg of black pepper extract (branded BioPerine). Black pepper extract is well-known to enhance bioavailability, making it easier for your body to use what’s in a supplement, so even more of those withanolides may readily make their way into your system.30

When we tried Physician’s Choice’s ashwagandha, we found that it gave us roughly the same effects as Nootropic Depot’s Shoden ashwagandha. This is impressive, considering it has significantly fewer withanolides; the inclusion of BioPerine here seemed to make a big difference in how our testers felt. If you’re on a tight budget and don’t care as much about taking two slightly larger capsules, this is a good alternative to our top pick.

Physician’s Choice also offers an organic ashwagandha supplement with a slightly higher dose (three capsules and 1,950mg of ashwagandha). Although this is almost double the dose of the KSM-66 version, we prefer the latter because the withanolide content of the organic supplement isn’t standardized, so we can’t speak to its quality or potential efficacy.

A single bottle of Physician's Choice KSM-66 costs $27.95 for a one-time purchase or $23.67 with a subscription. The organic formula costs nearly $8 less, and you can get some extra savings ($2 off per bottle) by making a bulk purchase of three bottles at a time (bulk purchases are only available for the organic formula).

Physician’s Choice KSM-66 is also available through Amazon and Walmart. We recommend buying this product via Amazon because you actually save money compared to buying directly, whether you opt for a subscription or a one-time purchase. The only advantage to buying directly is the 60-day return policy if you aren’t satisfied; that policy is on the longer side among our top choices (though nothing beats Live Conscious’ 365-day money-back policy).

Best blend with additional ingredients

Live Conscious has a slightly smaller offering of wellness products than some competitors, but that focus allows them to make what are generally very high-quality products. The company’s ZenWell ashwagandha supplement is ideal for those who want to improve their sleep quality. In addition to KSM-66 ashwagandha, ZenWell includes 200mg of Alphawave L-theanine. That’s on the lower side of the 200-400mg range used by researchers studying L-theanine’s effects on sleep, but it may have a greater impact because it’s paired with ashwagandha.

ZenWell also has 20mg of organic black pepper fruit extract, improving its bioavailability even beyond Physician’s Choice (though you’re getting 400mg less KSM-66 ashwagandha per serving). However, this supplement does contain milk, so it’s not suitable for vegans or those with lactose intolerance.

The big downside to ZenWell is cost. One bottle costs $24.99, which doesn’t seem like too much at first. But one bottle contains only 30 servings, whereas most other KSM-66 supplements in this price range offer 60 servings or more. However, you can save up to 40% by buying in bulk and setting up a subscription — a pretty massive discount that brings your price per serving down to the levels of other competitors.

Here’s how your purchasing options for Live Conscious ZenWell break down:

Live Conscious gives you a 365-day money-back guarantee, which is six times longer than our second-best guarantee. But there are some caveats — you can return any unopened product for up to a year. Opened product returns are limited to two bottles from no more than one order each. So, if you purchased a 6-month supply of ZenWell and decided to stop taking it after two months, you’d have another ten months to set up your return and still get a full refund.

Best gummy

Goli’s ashwagandha gummies are a tasty, easy-to-take supplement that our testers rather enjoyed. With anxiety-fighting ashwagandha and potentially mood-boosting vitamin D (if you have a deficiency), Goli’s gummies may offer those with depression and anxiety a bit of calming relief.33

However, while the KSM-66 ashwagandha dose is clinically relevant, each 2-gummy serving of Goli only contains 15mg of withanolides.34 This is the lowest amount of the active compound from our top picks, and, combined with the fact that gummies lose potency over time, you may also lose your investment if you aren’t taking these regularly.35

On a positive note, these gummies are relatively inexpensive compared to the upfront cost of our other top picks — plus, you can save money by bundling (in packs of three or five) or subscribing. Here’s how that works out:

When you bundle, the cost per bottle drops by a few dollars. With three bottles, it becomes $17.50 (or $14.88 with a subscription), and with five, it’s $17.00 each (or $14.45).

In terms of shipping, orders over $20 ship for free, and those that don’t will cost around $5. The return policy is the same length as those from most of our other picks — 30 days. Only Physician's Choice and Live Conscious beat the rest with policies of 60 and 365 days, respectively.

Best liquid

Youtheory Ashwagandha Liquid is a 12-pack case of packets filled with a blueberry-flavored KSM-66 ashwagandha drink. This 600mg (30mg withanolides) option is great for those who have trouble swallowing pills or chewing gummies, as its dosing is identical to two of our other top picks — Transparent Labs and Live Conscious ZenWell.

The big drawback of this product is its cost. Upfront, the $21 price doesn’t seem too bad, but with only 12 doses per pack, you’re paying $1.75 per serving. This is far more than any of our other picks; the next closest cost per serving is Physician’s Choice at $0.93 — almost a dollar less. On top of that, subscriptions are no longer available to reduce Youtheory’s costs.

Then, to make the price matter worse, if you don’t spend $40 to get free shipping, you’ll be charged a flat rate of $14.99. Buying two boxes of Youtheory’s Ashwagandha Liquid would put you over this threshold (and it’s only about $6 more than you’d be spending anyway with shipping), so it could be worth investing in at least two boxes if you plan on using them.

You can return unopened products within 30 days of purchase, but there’s another shipping-related caveat here: it’s unclear whether or not you’d be reimbursed for the initial cost of shipping, and you’ll have to pay another $14.99 for return shipping. So, we recommend being very sure that you want Youtheory’s products first before committing.

The products in this section were once among our top picks but have since been dethroned by others. However, they’re still recommendable in one way or another, so we compiled them here as honorable mentions.

Moon Juice Ashwagandha Root Powder

Moon Juice offers a wide variety of supplements for everything from hair health to cognition. The company describes its pure KSM-66 ashwagandha powder as having a “bitter, molasses-like flavor.” As such, it should work well in your coffee, and many anecdotally report that it doesn’t add any taste to a morning brew, particularly when you add a splash of milk.

Each quarter-teaspoon serving provides 600mg of organic KSM-66 ashwagandha. Because it’s KSM-66, you’ll get fewer withanolides per serving than a Sensoril or Shoden ashwagandha, but you’ll still have an average of 30mg per serving if you follow directions. And, since it’s a powder, you can adjust the number of servings you take in much smaller increments compared to a capsule or gummy.

One jar of Moon Juice’s KSM-66 ashwagandha powder costs $38 as a one-time purchase. A subscription drops the price to $34.20 per jar, and you can also use Afterpay to split your purchase into four payments.

Moon Juice offers a 45-day money-back guarantee, and shipping is free for subscriptions or orders over $65 to the contiguous U.S. Otherwise, your shipping costs are based on how much the package weighs and where you’re located. We found that standard ground shipping for just one container of KSM-66 ashwagandha costs $6.95 no matter where you live, or you could pay $12.50 (to the East Coast) or $9 (to the West Coast) for express three-day shipping.

Additionally, you can choose between a selection of charities at checkout, and Moon Juice will donate 1% of your order’s cost. Moreover, when you pick your shipping option, an additional $0.98 allows you to opt into using Route, which provides package protection and neutralizes your shipment’s carbon footprint.

Youtheory Ashwagandha Capsules

Youtheory Ashwagandha Capsules include a blend of 600mg KSM-66 and 400mg organic ashwagandha root powder. This brings the total ashwagandha dose up to 1,000mg, which is pretty impressive for its $21.99 price point. But without a way to quantify the withanolide content in the root powder, it’s hard to say how this would compare to competitors with similar doses like Physician’s Choice.

It’s worth noting that Youtheory’s ashwagandha capsules also contain 20mg of ginger root extract. While ginger root is great for improving digestion and calming an upset stomach, research is much more mixed when it comes to its effects on the brain. Some animal studies suggest ginger can play a critical role in improving cognitive function, especially in the presence of cognitive disorders.22 However, 5mg/kg was the lowest effective dose used in this research, and that’d be about 31mg when converted for a 170lb human — or 11mg more than Youtheory uses.

There are a handful of studies that suggest ginger can lessen the damage caused by oxidative stress and improve memory dysfunction, but almost all of these studies took place in mouse models, and converting the lowest potentially beneficial dose for a mouse to a 170lb human would amount to about 63mg — over triple what’s in this supplement.17 Additionally, while another study on mice found that ginger improved anxiety better than prescription Valium, that study used 200mg/kg of ginger root extract — meaning humans would need about 1g of ginger root extract to feel that effect.18 Overall, Youtheory’s 20mg dose doesn’t come close to what appears beneficial in the current research.

As mentioned before, one bottle of Youtheory Ashwagandha Capsules costs $21.99 (which is about a $3 increase since we first researched these supplements a couple of years ago). Like with Youtheory’s liquid ashwagandha, subscriptions used to be available for this product, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Free shipping kicks in when you order at least $40 worth of products — which is less than the threshold for many other brands — but if your purchase doesn’t add up to that, then you’re left paying a flat fee of $14.99 for shipping.

Xwerks Ashwa Gummies

Xwerks is a relatively fitness-oriented company, but not all of its offerings are exclusively for those who hit the gym hard (though ashwagandha may be able to boost testosterone).21 Several products, including the ashwagandha gummies, are suitable for anyone who’s just trying to feel better. And because the ashwagandha comes in a vegan gummy form (with a recognizable strawberry flavor), they’re easy for almost anyone to take.

Xwerks Ashwa gummies contain 1,500mg of ashwagandha from a 50mg extract per two-gummy serving. This may sound like a lot, but the label notes that these gummies only provide 3% withanolides — or a grand total of only 1.5mg (3% of the 50mg extract) per dose.

Another downside to these gummies is the sugar content. The ingredients list includes glucose syrup, sugar, and glucose, adding 6g of sugar to every two-gummy serving. That may take Xwerks Ashwa off the table for anyone on a Keto or low-sugar diet or those with diabetes.

One bottle of Xwerks Ashwa contains 60 gummies (30 servings or a one-month supply) and costs $19, making it a decent option for those on a budget. If you choose to subscribe, the cost per bottle comes down to $18.05. This price has stayed stable over the past couple of years.

Shipping from Xwerks is free if you purchase at least $75 of products. Otherwise, you’ll pay a $5 flat rate. You can return the product within 30 days of purchase for a full refund, no questions asked, which is a remarkably flexible return policy that lets you discover how you respond to this ashwagandha gummy before making the decision to return it.

Ashwagandha isn’t the best option for everybody. If you already take anti-anxiety medication, you’re waiting for a new kidney, or you’re just not sure that ashwagandha is the right supplement for you, there are plenty of other options you might consider. We’ll go into detail on a few of the major players below.

In general, individual ingredients like melatonin, magnesium, and L-theanine combined with ashwagandha in blended supplements tend to work best for sleep and anxiety, and testosterone boosters — like our own Testosterone Support supplement — combat low testosterone levels more directly than ashwagandha alone.

For sleep and anxiety

If you have difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, you might be interested in a blended supplement designed to promote slumber or calm. There are also plenty of nootropic supplement companies that make anxiolytic supplements, such as BrainMD’s Calm My Brain (magnesium, KSM-66 ashwagandha, and L-theanine). Many of these blends include ashwagandha since it’s such a potent and well-researched botanical option.

If you’re hoping to avoid ashwagandha altogether, we recommend looking at each individual ingredient in these blends to find a supplement that might work better for you. Below, we’ve pulled the most common ingredients and broken down what they do and when they might be most effective.

Testosterone boosters

If you’re looking into ashwagandha for its testosterone-boosting properties, we’d first recommend that you talk to your doctor and request a testosterone test to determine whether or not you’re actually low. It won’t do you any good to take a testosterone-boosting supplement if your testosterone is already within the normal range. (We can point you to the best at-home testosterone tests if you don’t want to wait weeks to see your provider.) You’ll also have access to more clinically efficient prescription medications and testosterone replacement therapies if you can confirm your levels.

If prescriptions aren’t your desired first course of action, there are lots of potential testosterone supplements out there, but surprisingly few are both safe and effective. This is why — after consistently finding supplements that didn’t quite hit the mark — we created our own option, Innerbody Testosterone Support.

Another decent product is TestoPrime, which has 56mg of branded ashwagandha per serving and a formula capable of being effective without breaking your budget. Roman’s testosterone support supplement is also recommendable with 600mg of ashwagandha, though it is unbranded ashwagandha. Roman is also an excellent one-stop-shop when there isn’t a clomiphene citrate shortage, because ordinarily you can access testosterone tests and prescription testosterone therapy services; these services are suspended at the moment, however. Roman also offers erectile dysfunction medications, generic Zoloft, hair loss treatment, skincare, and weight loss support within the same platform.

For more information, check out our guide to testosterone boosters, where we outline your best options in 2024.