Calm Teas

Herb record · Solanaceae

Ashwagandha tea: what the evidence says

Reviewed

An Ayurvedic root now common in 'stress' teas. The trials use concentrated extracts, often 600 mg/day or more for weeks, and the cautions list is long.

Ashwagandha plant with soft, oval green leaves
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 3:2, resized and converted to WebP (adaptation shared under the same license).

At a glance

Latin name
Withania somnifera
Evidence
Extract trials only Human trials exist, but they used extracts, capsules or supplements, not tea.
EU tea amount
The EU monographs we use list no tea preparation for this herb.
Cautions
Avoid in pregnancySeveral drug interactionsVery rare liver reports
In our index
2 teas

What did the studies actually test?

Each row says what form was given. Results from extracts or capsules don't automatically apply to a cup of tea, which usually contains a smaller and less standardized amount.

QuestionForm testedWhat was found
Stress & anxiety extract Nine trials (558 people) found ashwagandha formulations lowered perceived stress, anxiety scores and cortisol versus placebo. (Arumugam et al., 2024)
Sleep extract Five trials (400 adults) found a small effect on sleep, larger at 600 mg/day or more for at least 8 weeks. (Cheah et al., 2021)(NCCIH fact sheet)

Who should be careful with ashwagandha?

  • Avoid in pregnancy. Avoid in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. (NCCIH fact sheet)
  • Several drug interactions. Possible interactions with diabetes, blood-pressure, immunosuppressant, sedative, anti-seizure and thyroid medicines. Not recommended with autoimmune or thyroid disorders or before surgery. (NCCIH fact sheet)
  • Very rare liver reports. Rare cases of liver injury have been linked to ashwagandha supplements. (NCCIH fact sheet)

This list repeats what the cited sources say; it isn't a complete interaction check. A pharmacist can check your specific medicines.

Which calming teas contain ashwagandha?

Sources

  1. Arumugam et al. (2024). Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) on stress and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Explore (NY).
    Systematic review + meta-analysis · form: extract
    9 randomized trials (558 patients). Ashwagandha formulations lowered perceived stress, anxiety scores and serum cortisol versus placebo.
    Limits: Formulations were supplements; long-term safety data limited.
    checked against the abstract, 2026-10-21 · PMID 39348746
  2. Cheah et al. (2021). Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One.
    Systematic review + meta-analysis · form: extract
    5 randomized trials (400 adults). Ashwagandha extract had a small effect on overall sleep; larger in people with insomnia, at ≥600 mg/day and ≥8 weeks.
    Limits: Extract doses; serious-adverse-event data limited.
    checked against the abstract, 2026-10-21 · PMID 34559859
  3. NCCIH (NIH). Ashwagandha, updated March 2023.
    Government fact sheet
    Some preparations may help insomnia and stress; unclear for anxiety. Rare liver injury cases. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding; not recommended with autoimmune or thyroid disorders; possible interactions with diabetes, blood-pressure, immunosuppressant, sedative, anti-seizure and thyroid medicines.
    checked against the official page, 2026-10-21