Ashwagandha

The short answer

Ashwagandha is a root used in Ayurvedic practice. In a 60-day placebo-controlled trial of 64 adults with chronic stress, 300 mg of root extract twice a day lowered perceived stress scores by 44% against 5.5% on placebo. The trials used concentrated extracts; Cove is the organic root itself.

The form, and why it matters

There are two things sold as ashwagandha: the dried root, and concentrated extracts made from it. The trials mostly used extracts. Cove is organic ashwagandha root, 650 mg a capsule, with 5 mg of organic black pepper. Mast carries 100 mg of a 30:1 root extract.

Typical dose

The trials used 240 to 600 mg of concentrated extract a day. Cove's directions are one capsule twice a day, which is 1,300 mg of root. Root and extract are different measures, so the numbers do not convert one to one.

What the research shows

In 64 adults with chronic stress, 300 mg of extract twice a day for 60 days lowered stress scores 44% and cortisol 27.9%, against 5.5% and 7.9% on placebo. A second trial in 60 adults found lower stress scores and cortisol at both 250 mg and 600 mg a day. A third, at 240 mg a day, found lower anxiety scores and a 23% fall in morning cortisol. A meta-analysis of five trials and 400 people found a small but significant improvement in sleep, clearer at 600 mg a day or more and after eight weeks.

Who should be careful

Do not take ashwagandha if you are pregnant or nursing. Talk to your clinician first if you have a thyroid, liver or autoimmune condition, or take thyroid medicine, sedatives, or blood pressure or blood sugar medicine. Ashwagandha is in Cove, Mast and Keel, so pick one of the three.

Where it sits in our formulas

Sources

• Chandrasekhar et al., A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root, Indian J Psychol Med
• Salve et al., Adaptogenic and anxiolytic effects of ashwagandha root extract in healthy adults, Cureus
• Lopresti et al., An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha extract, Medicine
• Cheah et al., Effect of ashwagandha extract on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis, PLoS One

Figures checked against the sources above on 21 September 2026.