Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Real stress-reduction evidence; zero direct evidence for AGA. Included in supplements on inferential 'stress → hair loss' logic.
How Ashwagandha works — and how well we know it
Adaptogenic herb with documented modest cortisol-reduction effects in stressed adults. Marketing leans on the inference that lowering stress lowers cortisol, which protects hair follicles from telogen effluvium.
oral
300–600 mg/day standardized extract (in stress studies).
Marketed as a dietary supplement for stress reduction. Included in Nutrafol on the 'stress causes hair loss' inference.
Stress reduction in patients dealing with stress. Not a targeted AGA intervention.
Evidence distribution across 1 claims
Why the grade is F. No AGA-specific RCT or even open-label trial. Hair-loss inclusion is purely inferential — stress → cortisol → hair loss → therefore ashwagandha helps hair loss.
Every claim, traced back to its source
We took every major claim made about Ashwagandha and matched it to the specific experimental model behind it. Click a claim to see the model, the finding, and our assessment of how much weight it deserves.
1 claims · evidence-by-evidence breakdown
1Open-LabelWeight: ModerateAshwagandha modestly reduces cortisol in stressed adults — but this does not translate to AGAModest stress-reduction effect that does not translate to AGA in any direct evidence.
Multiple RCTs of ashwagandha for stress and cortisol show modest reductions in stressed populations.
Cortisol reduction is real; effect size is modest. Stress and hair quality may improve subjectively.
AGA — the dominant adult hair-loss condition — is androgen-driven and not particularly cortisol-responsive. Stress-induced telogen effluvium is a separate, transient condition that resolves on its own. Inferring that ashwagandha treats AGA from its stress-reduction effect is several logical jumps that the evidence does not support.
- Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S (2012). Indian J Psychol Med PMID 23439798
What's still missing from the science
- Any direct AGA evidence — none exists.
Our verdict on Ashwagandha
Not in our formulary yet
We don't carry this ingredient. We only formulate around actives where the evidence — and the safety profile — is strong enough to recommend with confidence. As the data matures, we may revisit.
Related treatments
How does Ashwagandha stack up against its closest peers?
A genuine cause of reversible hair shedding in iron-deficient patients — but useless and potentially harmful if your iron stores are normal.
Read the breakdown →A botanical 5-alpha reductase inhibitor whose only high-quality trials (in BPH) showed no benefit over placebo; the positive AGA data are small and low-quality.
Read the breakdown →One small Malaysian RCT showed a hair-count increase. Never replicated. Used by Nutrafol to justify its tocotrienol content.
Read the breakdown →