How Does Ashwagandha Work?
Ashwagandha is a popular herb typically used in Ayurvedic medicine. It contains Withaferin A as the main pharmacological compound and 35 other unique chemicals, making it difficult to establish a pharmacological profile for ashwagandha.
What is clear is that ashwagandha has widespread benefits for human health [1]. Scientifically known as Withania somnifera, ashwagandha can modulate the body’s stress response through its adaptogenic properties. These effects attract the attention of the health-conscious community as a supplement to help balance stress hormone levels and reduce anxiety [2, 3].
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Ashwagandha can modulate neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and GABA, contributing to improved mood and relaxation. This modulation of neurotransmitters can have a positive impact on mental health symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, stress, sleep and Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) [4, 5, 6].
Ashwagandha reduces inflammation, modulates the immune system and has antioxidant properties that improve health across a spectrum of systems. For example, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties can protect against neurodegenerative conditions, cancer and Polycystic ovarian syndrom (PCOS) [5].
How Does Prozac Work?
Prozac, named fluoxetine, was first discovered in the 1970s by Eli Lilly and was first marketed and approved in 1987 [7].
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Prozac is a broad-acting antidepressant used to treat not only depression but also anxiety, bulimia nervosa, panic attacks and binge eating disorder, among others [8].
Novel antidepressants improve mood by increasing serotonin levels, a critical regulator of mood, appetite, and alertness, throughout your brain. Prozac, as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), achieves this by blocking serotonin’s reuptake (re-absorption) and increasing the amount of free serotonin in the brain. Due to the role of serotonin in the brain, increasing serotonin can improve mood and reduce anxiety [9].
It’s worth noting that Prozac doesn’t cure depression, but it can help manage the symptoms.
What are Ashwagandha and Prozac Used for?
Prozac is a synthetic prescription SSRI that the FDA approves for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Off-label Prozac is also used for OCD, panic disorder, premenstrual dysphoria and vasomotor symptoms of menopause [8].
Ashwagandha has been an essential herb in Ayurveda, a form of traditional Indian medicine, for thousands of years. Ashwagandha has primarily been used to reduce stress and anxiety, improve energy, reduce fatigue, ease pain, and decrease inflammation [5].
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Nonetheless, as an herbal supplement, the FDA does not regulate Ashwagandha, and its therapeutic profile and side effects have not been studied in a controlled and systematic way [10].
Despite not being FDA-approved, Ashwagandha can improve mood and moderate anxiety, similar to the effects of Prozac [11]. Ashwagandha improves sleep and brain function, which are common symptoms of depression. It can also improve blood sugar regulation, which can be beneficial in eating disorders such as bulimia or binge eating disorder [12].
There is preliminary evidence that ashwagandha can be beneficial in managing symptoms of OCD for which Prozac remains the first-line antidepressant drug [13].
Can Ashwagandha Replace Prozac?
Ashwagandha is unlikely to be as effective as Prozac in improving mood and treating symptoms of psychiatric diagnosis. You should consult a healthcare professional if you feel like you may have depression and not self-medicate with ashwagandha.
Despite this, ashwagandha may be an excellent supplement to take preventatively to support your mental health before you notice symptoms of depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders or OCD.
Do Ashwagandha and Prozac Interact?
There isn’t yet sufficient evidence to determine exactly whether Ashwagandha and Prozac pharmacologically interact [14]. However, based on the available information, Ashwagandha can interact with antidepressant drugs very similar to Prozac [15].
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