Meet Shatavari Root - an ancient natural remedy with amazing benefits for women.
What is Shatavari?
Shatavari has been used for many centuries in Indian Ayurvedic Medicine. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one of India’s traditional health care systems.
Ayurvedic treatment combines products (mainly derived from plants, but may also include animal, metal, and mineral) with diet, exercise, and lifestyle to promote optimal wellness.
Shatavari root is actually a species of the Asparagus plant, and is also known as ‘Asparagus Racemosus’ or ‘wild asparagus’. It is native to tropical and subtropical India, Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Africa and Northern Australia.
In Ayurveda, this plant is known as the ‘queen of herbs’, and is considered a general health tonic but is widely used today as a female reproductive tonic.
Its use dates back centuries, but still today, it is widely used by local people in India and Southeast Asia. In modern medical research, Shatavari has been found to be a natural remedy for a spectrum of health concerns, particularly in females.
5 Health Benefits of Shatavari Root
Shatavari is safe to eat in small amounts but is rarely consumed fresh outside of its native India. Instead, most people enjoy the health benefits of Shatavari as a powder, supplement or extract.
When consumed often, Shatavari can have a number of health benefits. Let’s explore five benefits of Shatavari for female health and hormonal balance.
It is nutritious!
There are various minerals present abundantly in Shatavari roots such as zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and potassium. Apart from minerals, Shatavari also contains vitamins such as vitamin A and vitamin C.
Shatavari contains essential fatty acids such as gamma-linolenic acid. Gamma-linolenic acid is very beneficial for the management of arthritis, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol levels, heart disease and depression.
It’s anti-inflammatory properties mean that Shatavari can help to manage unplesant female issues such as period pain and cramps, bloating, headaches and migraines.
Helps manage the symptoms of menopause
Shatavari is well known for its phytoestrogenic properties and use as a hormone modulator (1). Phytoestrogens are any plant compound structurally or functionally similar to estrogens, and therefore can help support hormone balance.
This is especially important for women in menopause who often experience a decline in their quality of life due to sleep deprivation, mood swings, lack of concentration and other factors associated with declining estrogen levels.
One study found that women taking Shatavari felt 50% relief in irritability, 40% relief in bone and joint pains, and 37% relief in hot flushes (1). Shatavari is also an adaptogen, meaning it supports our ability to manage stress, making it especially helpful if hormone imbalances are stress related.
Improving reproductive health
Shatavari supports women through every stage of their life. Shatavari contains steroidal saponins, compounds which work in the body as an estrogen regulator.
This modulation helps to regulate menstrual cycles, manage PMS symptoms, alleviate menstrual cramps and control the amount of blood lost. It may also help with fluid retention and uncomfortable bloating often suffered before a period.
A review of studies demonstrated that this plant may improve conditions such as hormonal imbalances and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) (2).
Anti-anxiety effects
Research has shown that treatment with Shatavari extract improved the production of chemicals in the brain that have anti-anxiety, anti-stress and anti-depressant effects (3).
The anti-stress properties of Shatavari are due to the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols and saponins. They reduce the production of stress hormones and increase the production of hormones or chemicals that makes us feel calm and happy. This makes Shatavari an excellent choice for the management of mood and stress disorders.
Antioxidant effects
Antioxidants help to prevent free-radical cell damage. They also battle oxidative stress, which is often the root causes of disease.
Shatavari is high in saponins - compounds with potent antioxidant abilities. Antioxidants help to support a healthy immune system and are also protective against all kinds of damage in the body.
A diet rich in antioxidants can also help to reduce the visible signs of ageing, protecting hair and skin from environmental toxins so that we can look younger for longer.
Balance Tonic Superfood Blend with Organic Shatavari Root 🌸
You will find Shatavari root in our Balance Tonic superfood blend - which is a blend of 6 superfoods rich in natural vitamins, minerals and powerful adaptogens.
It contains organic wild blueberry, hibiscus and baobab as well as three potent adaptgens: shatavari, maca and KSM-66 ashwagandha.
Each ingredient was chosen to help provide a natural, root-cause solution to help manage stress and promote optimal female health. You can read more about Balance Tonic in our blog posts below.
🌱 Balance Tonic: A natural tonic for female health
🌱 3 of the Best adaptogens for female balance
1) V, Ashajyothi. (2009). ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS – A PHYTOESTROGEN. International Journal of Pharmacy and Technology.
2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29635127/
3) Pharmacological Evaluation for Antidepressant-like activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd. In miceDinesh Dhingra and Vaibhav Kumar
