Ashwagandha Explained: From Root to Extract

What this ancient botanical is, what withanolides are, and why not all ashwagandha extracts are the same

 

Ashwagandha has become one of the most recognizable botanicals in modern wellness.

You'll find it in capsules, powders, drink mixes, gummies, and increasingly in functional foods and beverages. Its name often appears alongside words such as adaptogen, stress, sleep, and balance.

But an ingredient label that simply says “ashwagandha” tells only part of the story.

Is it powdered root or an extract? Was the extract made exclusively from the root, or from both root and leaf? How concentrated is it? Has it been standardized for particular compounds? And what does a name such as KSM-66®, Sensoril®, or Shoden® actually mean?

To understand those differences, it helps to begin with the plant itself.

What Is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a small evergreen shrub belonging to the nightshade, or Solanaceae, family. It grows in dry regions of India and is also found in parts of Africa and the Middle East. It has a long history of use in Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India.

The plant produces green leaves, small flowers and orange-red berries, but traditionally the root has been an especially important part of the plant.

The name ashwagandha is Sanskrit and is commonly associated with the strength or characteristics of a horse - one reason the botanical has historically been regarded as a restorative or strengthening herb.

Today, however, modern ashwagandha supplements can look very different from traditionally prepared root.

From Plant to Harvest

Ashwagandha is well adapted to relatively dry growing conditions.

After the plant matures, its roots can be harvested from the soil, cleaned and dried. The dried root can then be ground into a powder or processed further to create a concentrated extract.

This distinction matters.

Ashwagandha root powder is essentially dried plant material that has been milled.

An ashwagandha extract, by contrast, uses a manufacturing process to extract and concentrate selected constituents from the plant material. The resulting ingredient may then be standardized so that each batch contains a defined amount of certain compounds.

And among the compounds receiving the greatest attention are the withanolides.

What Are Withanolides?

Withanolides are naturally occurring compounds found in Withania somnifera. They are generally described as steroidal lactones and are among the principal phytochemicals studied in relation to ashwagandha's biological activity.

But “withanolides” isn't the name of one molecule.

It refers to a family of related compounds.

That distinction becomes important when comparing extracts because different plant parts and extraction processes can produce different phytochemical profiles.

This is also why seeing:

     Ashwagandha - 300 mg

on two supplement labels doesn't necessarily mean the products are equivalent.

One could contain ordinary root powder.

Another could contain a standardized root extract.

Another could contain a much more concentrated root-and-leaf extract.

The milligram number alone doesn't tell the entire story.

Why Is the Root So Important?

Ashwagandha's root has a long history of traditional use, and many modern extracts continue to use it exclusively.

This has led to an important distinction in today's supplement market:

root-only extracts versus root-and-leaf extracts.

Neither description alone tells you whether an ingredient is “good” or “bad.” Rather, they represent different approaches to producing an extract.

The plant parts used, extraction process, phytochemical profile, degree of standardization and most importantly, the clinical evidence for the specific extract all deserve consideration.

This brings us to three names consumers increasingly encounter.

KSM-66®, Sensoril® and Shoden®: What's the Difference?

These aren't three different species of ashwagandha.

They're branded, standardized ashwagandha extracts.

And they shouldn't automatically be treated as interchangeable.

KSM-66®

KSM-66 is a root-only ashwagandha extract, standardized to at least approximately 5% withanolides. It is one of the more extensively studied branded ashwagandha ingredients. Research has examined KSM-66 in areas including perceived stress, sleep, cognition and other outcomes. NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements, for example, discusses trials using KSM-66 root extract at 300–600 mg per day.

Its defining characteristics are therefore not simply “5% withanolides,” but the combination of:

root-only sourcing + standardized extract + its specific manufacturing process + clinical research conducted on that extract.

Sensoril®

Sensoril takes a different approach.

It is made using both the root and leaves of ashwagandha and is a more concentrated standardized extract than typical root-only preparations.

That means the amount of Sensoril used in a finished product may be substantially smaller than the amount used for another type of ashwagandha extract.

Again, that doesn't make one automatically superior to another. The relevant question is whether the specific extract and dose are appropriate for the intended formulation and supported by appropriate evidence.

Shoden®

Shoden is another highly concentrated standardized extract produced from root and leaf.

It is standardized to 35% withanolide glycosides, making its stated concentration considerably higher than that of many conventional ashwagandha extracts. Consequently, clinical studies can use much smaller quantities of the extract; NIH notes a sleep study using 120 mg/day of Shoden.

This illustrates an important principle:

More milligrams does not necessarily mean more potent - and a higher percentage does not automatically mean a better product.

The type of extract matters.

So Which Ashwagandha Is “Best”?

There isn't a responsible universal answer.

Different standardized extracts have been studied at different doses, using different populations and outcomes.

Rather than judging an ashwagandha ingredient solely by the number of milligrams printed on the label, it is more useful to ask:

• What part of the plant is used? Root only, or root and leaf?
• Is it an extract or simply powdered plant material?
• What is it standardized to?
• How is the standardization measured?
• What dose of that specific extract has actually been studied?
• Is there human clinical research on the branded ingredient itself?
• Does the amount in the finished product correspond meaningfully with that research?

Those questions tell us much more than milligrams alone.

What Does the Research Say Ashwagandha May Be Useful For?

Ashwagandha has been investigated for a surprisingly broad range of outcomes, but the evidence isn't equally strong for all of them.

According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, some clinical research suggests that certain ashwagandha preparations may help with stress and sleep, although studies vary substantially in the extracts, doses, populations and methodologies used. Evidence for many other proposed uses remains limited or uncertain.

That's another reason not to talk about “ashwagandha” as though every preparation were identical.

A study performed using one standardized extract at a particular dose doesn't automatically establish that every ashwagandha powder, gummy or beverage will produce the same result.

Traditional Botanical, Modern Ingredient

Perhaps the most interesting thing about ashwagandha is the meeting of two worlds.

Its use reaches back through a long tradition of botanical practice.

Modern analytical methods now allow researchers and manufacturers to identify its constituents, standardize extracts, compare phytochemical profiles and study specific preparations in controlled human trials.

Neither story needs to erase the other.

Understanding ashwagandha today means understanding both the plant and the extract.

So the next time you see Withania somnifera on a supplement label, look beyond the number beside it.

Ask where it came from.

Ask which part of the plant was used.

Ask whether it was extracted and standardized.

Ask what the research actually studied.

Because when it comes to botanicals, the name of the ingredient is often only the beginning of the story.

 

A Note on Responsible Use

Botanical ingredients can interact with medications and may not be appropriate for everyone. Individual needs and circumstances vary, so anyone who is pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition, taking medication, or uncertain whether ashwagandha is appropriate for them should speak with a qualified healthcare professional.

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Ashwagandha-HealthProfessional/