Ashwagandha is having a moment—researchers want to take this shrub further

Ashwagandha is a small shrub that's having a big moment. Used in traditional Indian medicine for thousands of years, ashwagandha is now one of the most popular herbal supplements in the U.S. because of its professed benefits for sleep and stress. In the U.S. alone, ashwagandha was the third-most purchased herbal supplement, with sales totaling $144 million in 2024, according to the American Botanical Council. It's also one of the precious few medicinal herbs that has received the National Institutes of Health's stamp of approval.