Trial reportAmerican journal of men's health
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males.
Trial report in American journal of men's health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 7 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
40 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 86 citations in OpenAlex.
- Adjunctive Ashwagandha (Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Effects ofNutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Effects ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Do "testosterone boosters" really increase serum total testosterone? A systematic review.International journal of impotence research · 2024Pooled it
- Effects ofNutrients · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Hematological and Biochemical Markers, Hormonal Behavior, and Oxidant Response in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review.Current nutrition reports · 2023Pooled it
- Examining the Effects of Herbs on Testosterone Concentrations in Men: A Systematic Review.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2021Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in children and adolescents with mild attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Journal of medicine and life · 2026Trial
- Ashwagandha Root Extract Stabilises Physiological Stress Responses in Male and Female Team Sports Athletes During Pre-Season Training.Nutrients · 2026Trial
- Acute and Repeated Ashwagandha Supplementation Improves Markers of Cognitive Function and Mood.Nutrients · 2024Trial
- Effects of Ashwagandha (F1000Research · 2023Trial
- A proprietary blend of standardizedInternational journal of medical sciences · 2022Trial
- An Examination into the Anti-stress and Anti-fatigue Effects of an Ashwagandha Extract (Ashwa.30™) in Stressed Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.Advances in therapy · 2026Article
- Evaluation of Potential Hormonal Activities of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera).Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Review
- The interplay of Ashwagandha with hormonal dynamics and gut microbiota in women with breast cancer: a tri-axial perspective.Journal of natural medicines · 2026Review
- Protective effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) against chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced testicular damage in adolescent rats.Journal of molecular histology · 2026Article
- Alternative and Complementary Therapies: A Review Exploring the Role of Yoga and Ayurveda-based Herbal Medicines in Alleviating Hypothyroidism and Its Neuropsychiatric Manifestations.Annals of neurosciences · 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
- Understanding the Secular Decline in Testosterone: Mechanisms, Consequences, and Clinical Perspectives.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
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
Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) is a herb commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine to promote youthful vigor, enhance muscle strength and endurance, and improve overall health. In this 16-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, its effects on fatigue, vigor, and steroid hormones in aging men were investigated. Overweight men aged 40-70 years, with mild fatigue, were given a placebo or an ashwagandha extract (Shoden beads, delivering 21 mg of withanolide glycosides a day) for 8 weeks. Outcome measures included the Profile of Mood States, Short Form (POMS-SF), Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) questionnaire, and salivary levels of DHEA-S, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol. Fifty-seven participants were enrolled, with 50 people completing the first 8-week period of the trial and 43 completing all 16 weeks. Improvements in fatigue, vigor, and sexual and psychological well-being were reported over time, with no statistically significant between-group differences. Ashwagandha intake was associated with an 18% greater increase in DHEA-S ( p = .005) and 14.7% greater increase in testosterone ( p = .010) compared to the placebo. There were no significant between-group differences in cortisol and estradiol. In conclusion, the intake of a standardized ashwagandha extract (Shoden beads) for 8 weeks was associated with increased levels of DHEA-S and testosterone, although no significant between-group differences were found in cortisol, estradiol, fatigue, vigor, or sexual well-being. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to substantiate the current findings.
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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.