Herbs and plants have been used throughout history for their beneficial properties. Over 5,000 years ago Eastern civilizations began using natural herbs, practices, and recommendations for the entire spectrum of health needs, including stress.

Ashwagandha is one of the most important ancient herbs. It has been used to relieve mild stress, maintain energy levels, and support concentration. Recently, holistic practices for health have become popular across the world, and Ashwagandha has enjoyed a worldwide resurgence.

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a small shrub with yellow flowers found primarily in Asia and Africa. Its name is Sanskrit for “smell of the horse” because of the herb’s scent. Although it’s traditionally ingested by making tea from the root, it is now commonly available as a supplement.

Ashwagandha is an example of an adaptogen. This class of substances can support the body’s natural resistance to occasional stress. You can think of adaptogens as “bioregulators” that help support your body when dealing with minor stress in the environment.

Ashwagandha exhibits these adaptogenic properties:

1. Non-specific effect on the body. Ashwagandha doesn’t target a single mechanism or biochemical pathway. It supports the body’s resistance to occasional stress broadly and exhibits a variety of benefits.
2. Does not harm the usual function of the body.

Adaptogens can contain a variety of phytonutrients. The active compounds in Ashwagandha include alkaloids, lactones, and saponins.

Benefits of Ashwagandha

Your body has a built-in process for dealing with occasional stress called the general adaptation syndrome (GAS). This process has three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion.

The stimulating effect of Ashwagandha maintains the resistance phase and buffers the exhaustion phase. Instead of a hard crash at the end of the stress response, Ashwagandha supports the transition from the resistance phase into a balanced state of homeostasis. This new state of balance allows the body and mind to carry on, even during a slightly stressful event.

The benefits of Ashwagandha may include:

• Antioxidant activity
• Supports calm feelings
• Helps maintain healthy brain function
• Supports normal levels of cortisol and neurotransmitters
• Supports resistance during mild stress
• Supports healthy sleep
• Supports athletic performance

Ashwagandha “hacks” your body’s natural stress response. It initiates the same physiological responses that a little bit of stress would—without harming the body. This increases the body’s resilience and helps you maintain balance during occasional physical, mental, or environmental stress.

Research Behind Ashwagandha

Although Ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years, western scientists have just begun studying all its benefits and applications. As modern research catches up, many of their findings support the way Ashwagandha has been traditionally used.

One study conducted in 2012 broke patients into two groups: one group received a capsule of high-concentration ashwagandha root extract twice a day; the other group was given a placebo capsule twice a day. The study lasted for 60 days, over the course of which participants filled out stress-measuring questionnaires and had their cortisol (a hormone related to stress) levels measured.

After 60 days, the study participants who received ashwagandha had lower cortisol levels than those who received a placebo. This result suggests that ashwagandha may be effective at reducing occasional stress in individuals—a conclusion that is supported by a number of other studies as well.

Additionally, a 2019 study found that participants who were given ashwagandha twice daily experienced improved sleep compared to participants in the placebo group. Given the stress-managing effects of ashwagandha, this result isn’t terribly surprising, but it does illustrate another possible application for ashwagandha: supporting healthy sleep.

The only possible side effect noted from consumption of Ashwagandha was minor stomach upset. It is also not recommended during pregnancy.

Resist Occasional Stress with Ashwagandha

The best way to decide if you’ll benefit from Ashwagandha is to try it out. Add a cup of Ashwagandha tea to your morning routine. Or maybe try a supplement daily for a week.

Whether it’s work, family commitments, or just life in general, Ashwaghanda could be the support you need to get through a difficult time.

When it comes to nutrition, one phrase pops up time and time again: eat your fruits and veggies. This bit of conventional wisdom seems simple, but it’s actually a great piece of advice. Fruits and vegetables, it turns out, are rich in vitamins and minerals also known as micronutrients.

What Are Micronutrients?

The nutrients your body needs are classified as either macronutrients or micronutrients. Macronutrients are the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates that give you energy and make up the building blocks of many of your body’s structures. Micronutrients include all the essential vitamins and minerals you eat that play a vital role in your health—everything from bone development to immune system function.

Needless to say, it’s important to have sufficient quantities of various micronutrients in your diet. If your body isn’t getting enough of a particular micronutrient, you have a dietary deficiency. Too little iron, for instance, causes an iron deficiency. Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) can have devastating effects on your health when left unaddressed. And unfortunately, they are incredibly common around the world. This article breaks down some of the most common micronutrient deficiencies in various regions around the globe, explores the causes of these MNDs, and offers some strategies to address micronutrient deficiencies in your own diet.

Common Micronutrient Deficiencies Around the Globe

Although micronutrient deficiencies can—and do—affect anyone, they pose the biggest threat to infants, children, and pregnant women. And much of the data gathered from various global studies focuses on these three areas. Most of the time, however, it’s safe to assume the dietary trends presented in these groups also reflect the trends of the region’s general population.

Let’s look at some of the most common MNDs around the world:

Iron: Roughly two billion people do not have enough iron in their diet, making iron deficiency the most common micronutrient deficiency across the globe. This can lead to anemia and may affect the regular function of the immune and endocrine systems.

Iron deficiency is most common in Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. Globally, the rates of anemia—an indicator of iron deficiency—have been dropping amongst pregnant women and children for the last 20 years.

Iodine: When it comes to growth and development, there’s nothing as important as the thyroid. And for your thyroid to function properly, your body needs iodine—a mineral that does not naturally occur in many foods. To combat iodine deficiency, many countries have iodine fortified table salt. But more on that later!

Although most countries have taken steps to combat iodine deficiency, it remains a pressing global issue. Almost a third of all school-aged children don’t get enough iodine. This deficiency is most common in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Though the global rate for iodine deficiency has been on a downward trend for the last 30 years thanks to fortification efforts.

Vitamin A: A jack-of-all-trades, this vital vitamin plays a role in vision, bone development, and immune function. Vitamin A deficiency, sometimes called VAD, is linked to visual impairments (especially night blindness) and increased susceptibility to infection.

Vitamin A deficiency data shows VAD is most common among children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of millions of children are blind as a result of vitamin A deficiency—and half will die within a year of the onset of their blindness.

Zinc: As with most micronutrients, zinc’s role in the body is multifaceted. It aids immune function, DNA synthesis, childhood and adolescent growth and development, and more.

Zinc deficiency is thought to be one of the leading causes of nutrition-related deaths around the world. In developing nations, improper zinc intake has been tied to higher mortality rates from diarrhea, malaria, and respiratory infections. Additionally, zinc deficiency is associated with increased maternal and newborn mortality rates. It’s common in impoverished areas and is most prevalent in parts of Indonesia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Folate: Vitamin B9 comes in many forms—collectively known as folate. While folate does occur naturally, more than 75 countries have started fortifying foods with a synthetic form known as folic acid. Functionally, folate and folic acid are identical.

Folate’s main role in the body is to help produce new cells, but it also plays an important part in fetal and newborn health in pregnant women. Folate deficiency in pregnant women increases the chances of premature birth, low birthweight, and neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Causes of Micronutrient Deficiencies

The causes of MNDs vary, but there’s almost always a common denominator: poverty. Across the board, rates of micronutrient deficiencies are highest in low-income and developing nations. And within wealthier countries, micronutrient deficiencies are most common in impoverished communities.

This raises one big question: why is poverty tied to micronutrient intake? The answer is simple. Money affords people the ability to eat varied diets. Micronutrients occur naturally in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, animal products, and more. To obtain all the micronutrients you need, you should be eating a well-balanced, varied diet. In poorer areas, people often eat energy-dense foods with little nutritional variety. Over time, this leads to micronutrient deficiencies.

Some micronutrient deficiencies are caused by specific dietary choices. Anemia, as mentioned above, stems from an iron deficiency. Iron comes in two forms, heme and nonheme. The former is found in meats and fish, whereas the latter is found in plants. Heme is far easier for the body to process than nonheme—and a diet supplemented with meat and fish tends to give the body more iron than, say, a plant-based diet. This doesn’t mean vegetarians and vegans inherently have iron deficiency, but followers of these diets should consider taking an iron supplement.

Addressing Micronutrient Deficiencies: Individual and Collective Strategies

Micronutrient deficiencies exist on two levels: individual and global. The former focuses on your personal diet. How can you ensure you’re getting the micronutrients you need? The latter deals with global dietary trends. How can governments and other organizations implement changes to help address micronutrient deficiencies on a global scale? Naturally, the strategies associated with each level are very different.

MNDs on the Collective Level

For the past several decades, nearly every micronutrient deficiency discussed in this article has been on the decline globally. This is thanks largely to food fortification programs. Fortification is the process of adding a nutrient to a food that otherwise would not contain it. One common example is adding iodine to table salt, but many countries have started fortifying cereals and other staple foods with zinc, folate, and iron as well.

Because poverty is one of the driving factors behind malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, global efforts to combat MNDs are inevitably tied to poverty-reducing measures. Other strategies include increasing access to fresh produce and implementing nutrition education programs within at-risk communities.

MNDs on the Individual Level

Global nutrition takes time, cooperation, and resources. Focusing on your individual nutrition is far easier. The best way to get the right amount of essential micronutrients in your diet is to eat a wide variety of foods from the five food groups: dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and proteins.