Ashwagandha, the Potential Post Stroke Management Herbal Medicine

Stroke is a condition in which the brain function is interrupted rapidly due to the loss of blood supply as a result of the blockage of blood such as thrombosis and arterial embolism, or leakage of blood causes of the death of brain cells, according to the article of Mitochondria, oxidative metabolism and cell death in stroke by Sims NR, Muyderman H (September 2009).

In other words, stroke can be caused by either ischemia, due to lack of blood flow or hemorrhagic, due to bleeding.

A stroke is a medical emergency. Early intervention in most cases can minimize brain damage and potential complications.

There is a general belief that stroke is an accumulation over a long period of the unhealthy diet with red meat and processed meats in the induction of artery-clogging.

Some researchers suggested that increased intake of fruits and vegetables such as carrots accompanied with good fats such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel may have a substantial effect in reduced inflammation in the arteries, improved blood flow, and decreased the chance of blood clots.

Sadly, stroke is one of the most common causes of death worldwide.

In the US, according to statistics, approximately 800,000 people suffer a stroke of which 600,000 of these are first attacks, and 185,000 are recurrent attacks. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65.

Stroke is also the third leading cause of death. Approximate 1/4 of all stroke victims die as a direct result of the stroke or its complications.


Ashwagandha also is known as Withania somnifera is a nightshade plant in the genus of Withania, belonging to the family Solanaceae, native to the dry parts of India, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.

The herbal medicine has been considered as Indian ginseng and used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3000 years to treat tumors and tubercular glands, carbuncles, memory loss, and ulcers and considered as anti-stress, cognition-facilitating, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging herbal medicine.

In the urgency to discover a natural ingredient for the prevention of disease associated with plaque accumulated on the arterial wall, researchers examined the effects of Withania somnifera (WS), supplementation on middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced mitochondrial dysfunctions in an experimental model of ischemic stroke.


According to the tested analysis, before treatment with WS, tested mice showed an ischemia-reperfusion injury, leading to the increase of the oxidative stress indicated by increased reactive oxygen species and protein carbonyl levels, and low levels of antioxidant enzymes.

The untreated mice also exerted decreased antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, along with a reduction in GSH levels and the redox ratio, impaired mitochondrial functions, and enhanced expression of apoptosis markers.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury in the tested mice also induced mitochondrial dysfunctions.

Moreover, the levels of pro-inflammatory and apoptotic proteins were also increased in the untreated mice. The Y maze test also indicated a significant impairment in cognitive functions in the tested animal.


However, WS pre-supplementation ameliorated all parameters associated with the induction of MCAO such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunctions, apoptosis, and cognitive impairments.

Based on the evidence, researchers said, "WS pre-supplementation in ischemic stroke and are suggestive of its potential application in stroke management".

Taken altogether, Ashwagandha may be considered a supplement for stroke management, pending the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Indian Ginseng (Withania somnifera) supplementation ameliorates oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions in experimental model of stroke by Sood A1, Mehrotra A1,2, Dhawan DK3, Sandhir R. (PubMed)