Trial reportBioMed research international2015
Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Improving Sexual Function in Women: A Pilot Study.
Trial report in BioMed research international, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Ashwagandha on Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review of Sex-Specific Hormonal and Fertility Outcomes.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Pooled it
- Effects ofBioMed research international · 2018Pooled it
- A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study of Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract Capsule on Skin and Hair Health in Healthy Adults.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Trial
- Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera ) Root Extract Improves General Health in Elderly Men and Women: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Efficacy and Safety Study.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Trial
- Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract on sexual health in healthy Men: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2026Trial
- Superior Bioavailability of a Novel 1.5% Ashwagandha Formulation (Zenroot™): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Single-Dose, Comparative, Oral Bioavailability Study in Healthy Adults.Advances in therapy · 2025Trial
- A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha root extract (Frontiers in reproductive health · 2025Trial
- Evaluation of Potential Hormonal Activities of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Review
- Evaluating the Safety of Ashwagandha as a Food Additive: A Focus on Reproductive, Thyroid, and Immune System Effects.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Review
- Safety of 12-Months Administration of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera ) Standardized Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Prospective, Observational Study.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Observational
- Phytochemical-based nanomedicine as a promising therapeutic strategy for erectile dysfunction.Asian journal of andrology · 2026Review
- The Clinical Implications of Ashwagandha (Nutrients · 2026Review
- Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera): a comprehensive narrative review of its role in enhancing physical performance and health.Nutrition & metabolism · 2026Review
- Effects of Shatavari (International journal of women's health · 2026Article
- Biopsychological Effects of Ashwagandha (Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Understanding the intricate impacts and mechanism of actions of adaptogens on reproductive function.Cell biochemistry and biophysics · 2025Review
- Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) supplementation: a review of its mechanisms, health benefits, and role in sports performance.Nutrition & metabolism · 2025Review
- Emerging Vistas for the NutraceuticalPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Ayurvedic Herbal Medicines: A Literature Review of Their Applications in Female Reproductive Health.Cureus · 2024Review
- Is there a difference between the effects of phytoestrogens and non-phytoestrogens medicinal plants on sexual health? A systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of reproductive biomedicine · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMany women experience sexual dysfunction where there are orgasm disorders and sexual difficulties. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a herb known to improve the body's physical and psychological condition.
objectiveThe purpose of the study was to determine the efficacy and safety of a high-concentration ashwagandha root extract (HCARE) supplementation for improving sexual function in healthy females.
methodsIn this pilot study, 50 study subjects were randomized to either (i) HCARE-treated group or (ii) placebo- (starch-) treated group. The subjects consumed either HCARE or placebo capsules of 300mg twice daily for 8 weeks. Sexual function was assessed using two psychometric scales, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) Questionnaire and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS), and by the number of total and successful sexual encounters.
resultsThe analysis indicates that treatment with HCARE leads to significantly higher improvement, relative to placebo, in the FSFI Total score (p < 0.001), FSFI domain score for "arousal" (p < 0.001), "lubrication" (p < 0.001), "orgasm" (p = 0.004), and "satisfaction" (p < 0.001), and also FSDS score (p < 0.001) and the number of successful sexual encounters (p < 0.001) at the end of the treatment.
conclusionsThis study demonstrated that oral administration of HCARE may improve sexual function in healthy women. The present study is registered in the Clinical Trial Registry, Government of India, with a number CTRI/2015/07/006045.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.