Sartaj Jhooty, Paul Barkhaus, Andrew Brown, Javier Mascias Cadavid, Gregory T Carter, Jesse Crayle, Terry Heiman-Patterson, Xiaoyan Li, Elise Mallon, Christopher Mcdermott, Tasnim Mushannen, Gary Pattee, Dylan Ratner, Paul Wicks, Martina Wiedau, Richard Bedlack
ALSUntangled reviews alternative and off-label treatments on behalf of people with ALS (PALS) who ask about them. Here, we review withania somnifera (WS) commonly known as ashwagandha or winter cherry. WS has plausible mechanisms for slowing ALS progression because of its effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy, mitochondrial function, and apoptosis. Preclinical trials demonstrate that WS slows disease progression in multiple different animal models of ALS. Of the five individuals we found who described using WS for their ALS, two individuals reported moderate benefit while none reported experiencing any significant side effects...
February 6, 2024: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration