India, UK to conduct clinical trial for ‘Ashwagandha’ to assist recovery after Covid-19

New Delhi: The traditional Indian herb ‘Ashwagandha’ (Withania somnifera), commonly known as ‘Indian winter cherry’, helps boost energy, reduces stress and makes the immune system stronger. The herb is widely used as a customary medicine especially for weakness. It is an easily accessible, over-the-counter, safe nutritional supplement in the U.K. The positive effects of ‘Ashwagandha’ have been observed in Long COVID, which is a multi-system disease.

Now, The Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with the U.K.’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to conduct a study on ‘Ashwagandha’ for promoting recovery from COVID-19.

A Ministry release said that the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, and the LSHTM recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct clinical trials of ‘Ashwagandha’ on 2,000 people in three U.K. cities.

“While there have been several studies on ‘Ashwagandha’ to understand its benefits in various ailments, this is the first time the Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with a foreign institution to investigate its efficacy on COVID-19 patients,’’ the Ministry added.

AIIA director Tanuja Manoj Nesari, a co-investigator in the project stated that the participants in the trial will be randomly selected. He further briefed, “For three months, one group of 1,000 participants will be administered Ashwagandha (AG) tablets while the second group of 1,000 participants will be assigned a placebo, which is indistinguishable from AG in looks and taste. Both patients and the doctors will be unaware of the group’s treatment in a double-blind trial”.

The participants will have to take 500mg tablets of Ashwagandha twice a day, followed by a monthly medical check up regarding quality of life, impairment to activities of daily living, mental and physical health symptoms, supplement use and adverse events will be carried out.

After the trial’s success, Ashwagandha will be a proven medicinal treatment to prevent infection and be recognized by the scientific community worldwide.