{"id":320342,"date":"2026-03-03T22:58:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/320342\/"},"modified":"2026-03-03T22:58:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T22:58:08","slug":"ashwagandha-was-supposed-to-boost-my-health-instead-it-wrecked-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/320342\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashwagandha was supposed to boost my health. Instead, it wrecked it."},"content":{"rendered":"

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I used to start my day drinking a bright-green smoothie. I didn\u2019t particularly enjoy the taste of pulverized kale or protein powders with mysterious ingredients, but I thought I was being healthy. My daily routine was immaculate: I exercised every day, walked 10,000 steps, got eight hours of sleep, and tried to take the right supplements. I spent my evenings scrolling online or on social media for health information to be certain I was doing all the right things.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I thought it was a great idea to add products containing spirulina, a nutrient-dense algae, and ashwagandha, a root often used in Ayurvedic healing, to my morning green potion. Herbs like these promise everything from stress reduction to a fortified immune system\u2014the key selling point, at least on the TikToks I watched.<\/p>\n

This past February, after months of mysterious symptoms, I was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disease causing severe muscle weakness and skin rashes. The diagnosis came after a six-month stretch that began with unusual fatigue and brain fog and ended last November when I woke up one day unable to move. I couldn\u2019t get up from my bed. Pain radiated through my body, my neck was immobile, and my hands turned blue. I also developed neurological symptoms, including light flashes, balance issues, and facial numbness\u2014a confusing set of signs that ultimately pointed to an autoimmune crisis.<\/p>\n

It was only when I met with a leading dermatomyositis expert that I learned the catalyst for my crippling symptoms. \u201cIs ashwagandha in your protein powders? Spirulina in your smoothies? Echinacea in your tea blends?\u201d dermatologist Victoria P. Werth asked me on one desperate visit to her Pennsylvania clinic. By answering yes, I learned a terrifying truth: Various products I thought I was consuming for my health had likely triggered my condition. I\u2019m not alone: In one study<\/a>, Werth followed 637 patients with dermatomyositis or lupus and treated them with supplements including spirulina, elderberry, ashwagandha, echinacea, chlorella, and alfalfa. For dermatomyositis patients like me, 31 percent experienced a disease onset or exacerbation after the supplement treatment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that I have always lived with a genetic predisposition to autoimmunity. I have polycystic ovary syndrome, Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis, and Raynaud\u2019s syndrome, and my parents have their own autoimmune conditions. But I didn\u2019t realize my self-care ritual was a ticking time bomb. When I felt unwell, I sought out \u201cimmune-boosting\u201d products to make me feel better. I didn\u2019t realize that a boosted immune system was, in fact, my entire problem.<\/p>\n

The irony was devastating. By consuming ingredients like ashwagandha, spirulina, and echinacea, I was convincing my system to attack its own tissues. My genetics provided the foundation, but these supplements turned a predisposition into a chronic, irreversible attack on my healthy cells. Today, in order to prevent further flares, I have to live by one strict rule: total avoidance of these immunostimulatory herbs.<\/p>\n

For me, the consequence of consuming products that contained one or all of these herbs was a life-altering autoimmune flare. But for others, the outcome is even more severe.<\/p>\n

Naveen Kathuria, an attorney and health care consultant from West Bloomfield, Michigan, was taking 150 milligrams of ashwagandha daily to help with stress and sleep when it triggered a health crisis. Late last year, the supplement left him severely jaundiced, emaciated from losing over 40 pounds, and bedridden for months. At one point, his bloodwork showed his bilirubin\u2014a pigment that builds up when the liver can\u2019t properly filter waste\u2014had skyrocketed to 38 times the normal level, and he was evaluated for a liver transplant. \u201cI was taking a standard dosage of ashwagandha. It wasn\u2019t like I was consuming an excessive amount, yet it affected me quite adversely,\u201d Kathuria said. \u201cI forgot to mention it to the first few doctors I saw, so they suspected I may have colon cancer, instead of what was going on with my liver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kathuria emphasized how difficult it can be for patients to connect new or worsening symptoms to something as seemingly harmless as a supplement. Many people cycle through multiple doctor visits before anyone considers that a vitamin, powder, or herbal blend could be contributing to the issue. Often, supplements aren\u2019t even mentioned during appointments, either because patients forget or because they don\u2019t view them as medically relevant, which can significantly delay answers.<\/p>\n

In two<\/a> separate<\/a> instances last year, New Jersey residents Katie Mohan and Robert Grafton ended up in the news for hospitalization due to turmeric supplements. Their cases have drawn increased attention to potential harm, illustrating the unpredictable nature of supplement-induced liver injuries. The issue, as Werth put it, is that unless a provider specifically \u201cdrills down and physically gives them a sheet,\u201d patients don\u2019t think to disclose their supplement use. As John Fontana, a leading global authority on drug-induced liver disease and a professor of medicine at the University of Michigan, told the Guardian<\/a>, genetics play a crucial role in these adverse reactions. \u201cWhen you take a herbal supplement, you\u2019re playing Russian roulette with your genetic ability to tolerate it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Ashwagandha has been around for 6,000 years. Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system of India, considers ashwagandha to be a powerful, restorative builder herb used to increase stamina, reduce chronic inflammation, and lower cortisol levels, among other benefits. Much more recently, it\u2019s been touted by wellness influencers, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow<\/a> and Oprah Winfrey<\/a>, and lifestyle entrepreneurs like Emily McDonald<\/a> and Kunal Sood, aka Doctor Soood<\/a>, as a harmless, natural panacea. Its contemporary popularity seems to have spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people desperately sought ways to boost their immunity. The year 2020 alone saw herbal supplement sales jump by a record 17 percent<\/a> to an unprecedented $11.3 billion. Market research<\/a> estimated dietary supplements were a $74.3 billion global industry by 2024, and are expected to reach $170 billion by 2034. Today, you can find the ancient Ayurvedic herb in teas, protein powders, and trendy lattes. At The Alchemist\u2019s Kitchen<\/a>, a coffee shop in New York City, an Iced Ayurvedic Cacao\u2014a blend of cacao, ashwagandha, ginger, chaga, reishi, and lion\u2019s mane mushrooms\u2014costs $8 before tax and tip.<\/p>\n

Most wellness influencers don\u2019t clarify any nuances when they recommend a beloved herb. For clinical herbalist Maddie Miles<\/a>, when people experience negative effects, the culprit isn\u2019t the herb at all. Instead, it\u2019s the quality of the supplement, or the lifestyle of the user. On her podcast peace.love.hormones<\/a>, she asked listeners to ponder: \u201cWas it a standardized extract? Is the culprit more likely the person\u2019s diet? Does the person need to detoxify?\u201d She argues that if the body has not properly eliminated \u201ctoxins\u201d or if a person is already dealing with chronic inflammation, poor diet, or an \u201canger-filled lifestyle,\u201d a restorative builder herb like ashwagandha will only make things worse.<\/p>\n

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\n Kristen Martin
\n So Should You Trust Peter Attia, the Bestselling Author of Outlive? Here\u2019s What I Found When I Read the Book.
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Everyone Told Me It Would Lower My Stress and Improve My Health. It Did Absolutely Anything But.
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Even when nuance is articulated, a social media follower isn\u2019t necessarily going to read the fine print. Sood, a double board-certified physician, posts videos<\/a> detailing how ashwagandha is an adaptogen that can benefit people with anxiety and help with stress. These mentions are often framed with the positive, powerful language of \u201cresilience\u201d and \u201ccore defense\u201d systems. While Sood responsibly caveats these claims\u2014noting evidence for cognitive benefits is \u201cinconsistent,\u201d and warning of serious side effects like liver damage and increased thyroid hormone\u2014the positive hook is what grabs the consumer. The positive hook is what grabbed me. Similarly, lifestyle content creators like McDonald promote entire lists<\/a> of these adaptogens, including ashwagandha and elderberry, in the context of solving modern problems like burnout. The messaging is simplistic and seductive: Take this if you\u2019re not feeling well and you\u2019ll feel better. And who wouldn\u2019t want to feel better?<\/p>\n

I know I did. But it wasn\u2019t as simple as buying a powder and calling it a day. For me, as soon as I stopped taking these herbs, my rashes faded, my energy improved, and the pins and needles across my body eased. Thanks to time, prescribed medications, and guidance from my health care team, I\u2019ve reached a place where I can manage my autoimmune diseases effectively. For anyone navigating chronic conditions, this experience is a reminder: The safest path is often the simplest: Trust your doctors, be cautious with unregulated supplements, and give your body the care it truly needs.<\/p>\n

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