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Ashwagandha dosage: how much per day, according to the trials

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

Most ashwagandha trials used 600 mg a day of root extract, taken as 300 mg twice a day for 6 to 12 weeks. NIH notes that results looked larger at 500 to 600 mg than at lower amounts. Extracts differ in strength, so 600 mg on one label is not a match for 600 mg on another.1,2,3

Key facts

  • One trial tested 250 and 600 mg a day side by side, and the larger amount moved stress scores and cortisol further.3
  • The smallest extract amount in NIH's review of stress trials was 240 mg a day and the largest was 1,250 mg.1
  • Capsules on the market often hold 150 to 600 mg and are taken one to three times a day.4
  • No upper limit has been set, and NIH says safety beyond about 3 months of use is unknown.1,5

The amounts used in trials

Most trials gave 600 mg a day of root extract, usually as one 300 mg capsule twice a day, for 6 to 12 weeks.1,2,6,7

Across seven stress trials, daily amounts ranged from 240 to 1,250 mg of extract. One trial used 12,000 mg a day of whole root granules, equal to about 6,000 mg of root powder.1

Daily amounts in selected ashwagandha trials1,2,3,6,7,8
Who took partExtractDaily amountLength
64 adults under long-term stressRoot extract600 mg, as 300 mg twice a day60 days
60 stressed but healthy adultsRoot extract250 mg or 600 mg8 weeks
60 adults with diagnosed sleep problemsRoot extract600 mg, as 300 mg twice a day10 weeks
50 adults aged 65 to 80Root extract600 mg, as 300 mg twice a day12 weeks
130 adults under stressSustained-release root extract300 mg once a day90 days
150 adults with sleep complaintsRoot and leaf extract120 mg, as two 60 mg capsules6 weeks
1,002 adults in a safety trialRoot extract600 mg in two doses8 weeks

Trials of other extracts used 120 mg a day of one root and leaf extract, 225 or 400 mg a day of another, 300 mg once a day of a sustained-release root extract, and 400 to 700 mg a day of other root extracts.1

Does a bigger dose do more?

In several studies, results looked larger at 500 to 600 mg a day than at lower amounts. In the one trial that compared two amounts directly, stress scores and cortisol fell further on 600 mg a day than on 250 mg.1,3

In sleep studies, the effect was larger at 600 mg a day or more, taken for at least 8 weeks.9,10

Few trials compared amounts, and those that did were small. Above 600 mg a day there is little trial evidence: a 2022 pooled analysis of 12 trials saw a favorable stress effect at 300 to 600 mg a day, and the largest extract amount in NIH's review was 1,250 mg a day.1,11

Strength training trials stayed at 600 mg a day as well. A 2026 pooled analysis of exercise trials named 500 to 600 mg a day as the extract range with the most evidence behind it.12,13

Why 600 mg is not the same everywhere

Extracts are standardized to different amounts of withanolides. Among the root extracts NIH describes, the share ranged from under 1% to about 5%, and one root and leaf extract held 21 mg of withanolide glycosides in a 60 mg capsule.1

Because studies used different preparations, made with different extraction and standardization methods, NIH says it is hard to name a specific extract or a recommended amount.1

When you compare labels, check the plant part, root or root and leaf, and the withanolide percentage as well as the milligrams. A product made from whole root powder rather than an extract is a different thing again: the one trial of root granules used 12,000 mg a day.1

What's in ours

What’s in ours

Two capsules of Ashwagandha Complex give 600 mg of a branded root extract standardized to 5% withanolides, which matches the daily amount in most of the trials in the table above.2,6

Higher amounts, and who should not take it

No upper limit has been set for ashwagandha, and NIH says its safety beyond about 3 months is not known, so there is no tested amount for long-term use.1

In five reported cases of liver injury, people had taken 450 to 1,350 mg a day for 1 week to 4 months.1

One reported case of an overactive thyroid involved an unusually high amount, 1,950 mg a day for more than 2 months, and it resolved when the person stopped.1

  • Do not take it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding5
  • Ask your doctor first if you have liver disease or a thyroid condition1,4
  • Ask first if you take thyroid hormone, sedatives, or medicines for diabetes or blood pressure1,5
  • Ask first before giving it to anyone under 18: the trials enrolled adults8

Questions people ask

Is 1,000 mg of ashwagandha a day too much?

There is no official cutoff, because no upper limit has been set. Most trials used 600 mg a day, and amounts above that have little trial data. The five liver injury cases NIH describes involved 450 to 1,350 mg a day, so ask your doctor before taking more than a label directs.1

Is the dose different for women and men?

The trials did not set different amounts by sex. A strength trial in men and women gave both 600 mg a day, and trials in women around menopause used 250 to 600 mg a day.14,15,16

How much ashwagandha per day for testosterone?

We do not give an amount for this. NIH notes that ashwagandha might raise testosterone, and that is a reason some people should avoid it, including men with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.1,5

See what we make

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Sources

  1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Ashwagandha: Is it helpful for stress, anxiety, or sleep? Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated May 2, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-262. Opened 2026-10-01.
  3. Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D. Adaptogenic and anxiolytic effects of ashwagandha root extract in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466. Opened 2026-10-01.
  4. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Ashwagandha. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Last update December 3, 2024. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ashwagandha. Last updated March 2023. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study. Cureus. 2019;11(9):e5797. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Kelgane SB, Salve J, Sampara P, Debnath K. Efficacy and Tolerability of Ashwagandha Root Extract in the Elderly for Improvement of General Well-being and Sleep: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study. Cureus. 2020;12(2):e7083. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Pakhale K, Salve J, Ademola J, Parraca J, Langade D. Safety of 8-Week Administration With Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Adults With Stress and Anxiety: Findings From a Prospective, Randomized, Multi-Center, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study. Phytother Res. 2026;40(8):5005-5015. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Ashwagandha: Is it helpful for stress, anxiety, or sleep? Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated December 4, 2023. Opened 2026-10-07.
  10. Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L, Abdul Rahman R. Effect of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2021;16(9):e0257843. Opened 2026-10-01.
  11. Akhgarjand C, Asoudeh F, Bagheri A, et al. Does Ashwagandha supplementation have a beneficial effect on the management of anxiety and stress? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytother Res. 2022;36(11):4115-4124. Opened 2026-10-07.
  12. Wankhede S, Langade D, Joshi K, Sinha SR, Bhattacharyya S. Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:43. Opened 2026-10-01.
  13. Li X, Li H, Yao S, Hou Y, Chi A. Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Supplementation on Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2026;18(12):1915. Opened 2026-10-07.
  14. Verma N, Gupta SK, Patil S, Tiwari S, Mishra AK. Effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) standardized root extract on physical endurance and VO2max in healthy adults performing resistance training: an eight-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. F1000Res. 2023;12:335 (revised version published April 8, 2024). Opened 2026-10-01.
  15. Gopal S, Ajgaonkar A, Kanchi P, et al. Effect of an ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) root extract on climacteric symptoms in women during perimenopause: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2021;47(12):4414-4425. Opened 2026-10-07.
  16. Pingali U, Nutalapati C, Wang Y. Ashwagandha and Shatavari Extracts Dose-Dependently Reduce Menopause Symptoms, Vascular Dysfunction, and Bone Resorption in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. J Menopausal Med. 2025;31(1):21-34. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.