Ashwagandha for subclinical hypothyroidism

Posted on Tue, 19 Sep 17

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has been used to treat thyroid dysfunction for many years and a new clinical trial in people with subclinical hypothyroid supports this use. 

The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism is 3% to 18% in the adult population (up to 11 million people), with more women affected than men. Many people with subclinical hypothyroidism do respond to conventional treatment with thyroxine, which is a controversial treatment. 

Ashwagandha has been used for many years as a natural treatment for hypothyroidism with mostly experimental evidence and traditional indications to support this use. For the first time, a research study has tested the effects of ashwagandha in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism, and with good effect.  

In the study, patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (elevated serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels of 4.5-10 μIU/L) were given ashwagandha (600 mg of extract/ daily) or placebo for 8-weeks.

Treatment with ashwagandha significantly improved serum TSH, T3, and T4 levels compared to placebo. By the end of the 8-weeks Ashwagandha treatment had effectively normalized the serum thyroid hormones. The herb was safe and well tolerated. 

The study authors propose that these benefits might be due to improvement of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA)/ hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis. “Chronic stress activates HPA axis by increasing cortisol levels, which in turn inhibits HPT axis and reduces serum T3 and T4 levels,” they observed. “Treatment with ashwagandha lowers serum cortisol levels by downregulation of HPA axis, which in turn upregulates HPT axis to normalize the levels of the thyroid indices.”

In conclusion, wrote the authors, “the outcome of the present study highlights the beneficial role of ashwagandha root extract for normalizing thyroid hormone levels in subclinical hypothyroid patients; however, further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ashwagandha.”

Reference: 

Sharma AK, Basu I, Singh S. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2017 Aug 22. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0183. [Epub ahead of print]