A large-scale clinical trial published in Frontiers in Medicine has confirmed that daily administration of a standardised Ashwagandha root extract over 24 weeks is safe and well tolerated, showing no evidence of liver or kidney damage. Conducted across seven sites in India by a 45-member multidisciplinary research team from 9 major institutions—including CCRAS, All India Institute of Ayurveda, and Savitribai Phule Pune University—the study evaluated 1,200 healthy adults vaccinated with COVISHIELD.
Participants received either 500 mg of standardised aqueous Ashwagandha root extract daily (equivalent to 4 grams of raw root) or a placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a 4-week monitoring period. Laboratory assessments showed liver enzymes, bilirubin, creatinine, and blood urea remained within normal physiological ranges. Additionally, Ashwagandha did not interfere with vaccine-induced immunity, with neutralising antibody activity remaining above 85% across both cohorts.
Ministry of Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, lead author Dr. Arvind Chopra, and co-authors Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan and Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya emphasized that such rigorous, double-blind clinical trials strengthen the scientific foundation of traditional Ayurveda, enabling its responsible global integration into modern healthcare.
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