Ashwagandha root extract linked to improved ADHD symptoms and executive function in children
A randomized controlled trial of 58 children with mild ADHD found that 300 mg/day of ashwagandha root extract for 56 days was associated with significant reductions in inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and total ADHD symptom scores compared to placebo, alongside improvements in executive function and anxiety.
Researchers randomly assigned 58 children and adolescents with clinically diagnosed mild ADHD to receive either 150 mg of ashwagandha root extract or matched placebo gummies twice daily (300 mg/day total) for 56 days in a double-blind, parallel-group design. At day 56, the ashwagandha group showed significantly lower scores on the ADHD-RS-IV total scale and its inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity subscales (P < 0.001) compared to placebo.
Secondary measures also favored ashwagandha: the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF-2) revealed significant improvements across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive regulation indices and global executive composite scores (P < 0.001). Patient-reported outcomes measured by the PROMIS scale showed ashwagandha was associated with significant reductions in sleep disturbance and anxiety scores relative to placebo (P < 0.001). The study assessed safety through routine clinical laboratory parameters at baseline and day 56; no significant between-group differences or clinically meaningful safety changes emerged, and no serious adverse events were reported. The trial was limited to children with mild ADHD in a relatively small sample over a relatively short duration, so findings may not generalize to moderate or severe ADHD or older adolescents.
The improvements in ADHD-RS-IV scores were substantial: inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity subscales both showed P < 0.001 significance favoring ashwagandha over placebo. The executive function benefits extended across multiple domains—behavioral regulation (impulse control and shift flexibility), emotional regulation (managing emotions), and cognitive regulation (working memory)—suggesting ashwagandha may act on distributed prefrontal and limbic circuits implicated in ADHD. The ancillary finding that sleep disturbance and anxiety both improved is noteworthy because sleep and anxiety dysregulation often co-occur with ADHD and can amplify inattention; ashwagandha may address these comorbidities through its purported anxiolytic and adaptogenic properties. The study's main limitations are its small sample size, short 56-day duration (insufficient to assess sustained benefit or tolerance), restriction to mild ADHD (moderate and severe cases may respond differently), and lack of comparison to standard pharmacotherapy like methylphenidate. A larger, longer trial including moderate-to-severe ADHD and head-to-head comparison with stimulants would substantially strengthen the evidence.
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- Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in children and adolescents with mild attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. — Journal of medicine and life (Read the original)