NOW Foods Ashwagandha 450mg 180 Veg Capsules

What this is

NOW Foods Ashwagandha 450 mg is a single-ingredient herbal capsule: a standardized extract of Withania somnifera, 450 mg to a veg capsule, 180 capsules to the bottle. The Supplement Facts panel declares one active row, and the rest of the label is the capsule shell and two processing ingredients. The colored band across the top of the panel reads Botanicals/Herbs, which is the shelf this belongs on and the reason we list it under Herbs & Botanicals.

The front of the bottle prints Standardized Extract, 450 mg, 180 Veg Capsules, A Dietary Supplement, Vegetarian/Vegan and a Non-GMO mark. Those are the descriptors the manufacturer puts on the pack, and they are the ones repeated here.

What the panel actually declares

The whole formula is one line, and that line carries two parentheses which do most of the work. Read in full it is: Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera) (Root and Leaf) (min. 2.5% Total Withanolides - 11 mg), 450 mg.

• (Root and Leaf) — the plant part, named on the panel. The label does not leave the tissue unstated: this extract is declared as coming from root and leaf, and that is printed inside the Supplement Facts box rather than in marketing text elsewhere on the bottle.
• (min. 2.5% Total Withanolides - 11 mg) — the standardization. Withanolides are a group of naturally occurring compounds found in the plant, and this panel uses them as its measure: it prints a stated minimum rather than a typical figure. The two numbers check against each other — 2.5% of 450 mg is 11.25 mg, which rounds to the 11 mg printed.
• 450 mg — the extract weight per capsule, carrying a double asterisk against the footnote "Daily Value not established." No percentage is printed on this row, because no Daily Value has been set for ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha is a plant long used in Ayurveda, the traditional herbal system of India, and that history is the reason it turns up in botanical ranges at all. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health publishes a general background page on ashwagandha, and NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements keeps a broader one on botanical dietary supplements covering what standardization figures mean on a label. Both are independent reference material about the plant and the category — neither is a comment on this product.

Below the panel the label lists three other ingredients: Hypromellose (cellulose capsule), which is the shell itself; Rice Flour; and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). The panel assigns no role to the rice flour or the stearic acid, so neither do we. The bottle also notes that natural color variation may occur in this product.

Supplement Facts

How to use it

The label's Suggested Usage reads: Take 1 capsule 2 to 3 times daily. That is the whole of the printed direction. The bottle gives no instruction about food, no time of day and no cycling schedule, so this page does not supply one either. Storage is printed as well: store in a cool, dry place after opening.

Because the direction is a range rather than a fixed daily serving, the 180-capsule bottle covers a span rather than a single number. At three capsules a day it is a 60-day supply; at two a day it is a 90-day supply. That arithmetic is ours, worked from the printed count and the printed range — the bottle itself states neither figure.

Who it's for

This is a product for adults 18 and over who want ashwagandha on its own rather than folded into a multi-ingredient formula. The panel declares a single active row, so what you are judging is one extract at one strength: 450 mg, standardized to a minimum of 2.5% total withanolides, in a vegetarian capsule. It sits in our Supplements range next to other single-herb capsules.

The label is explicit about who should not use it: it is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, and it is for adults only.

Good to know

The bottle prints a full caution block, and it is worth reading before you buy rather than after. As printed: for adults only; not recommended for pregnant or nursing women; consult a physician if taking medication (especially thyroid hormones) or if you have a medical condition (especially thyroid, liver and gastrointestinal conditions, including ulcers). The label adds that the product may cause digestive upset in some sensitive individuals, that you should stop using it if you experience gastrointestinal discomfort, that you should stop if rash or itching occurs, and that it should be kept out of reach of children. NCCIH keeps a general page on herbal supplement safety that is worth reading alongside any new botanical.

The allergen line is printed in full on the panel: not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.

Origin, as printed: made and quality tested in the USA with globally sourced ingredients, manufactured for NOW Foods, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA. The bottle itself is printed as being made from 100% PCR (post-consumer recycled) resin. For label records across the category generally, NIH maintains the Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much ashwagandha is in one capsule?

One veg capsule supplies 450 mg of ashwagandha extract. The panel standardizes that extract to a minimum of 2.5% total withanolides, which it prints as 11 mg, and it carries the footnote "Daily Value not established" because no Daily Value has been set for this ingredient.

Is this made from the root, or from root and leaf?

Root and leaf — the panel declares both. The full printed line is "Ashwagandha Extract (Withania somnifera) (Root and Leaf)", so the plant part is stated inside the Supplement Facts box and does not have to be inferred from the product name.

Are these capsules suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

The label states so directly: the bottle front prints "Vegetarian/Vegan", and the panel declares the shell as hypromellose with the parenthetical "(cellulose capsule)" rather than gelatin. The same panel prints that the product is not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut or sesame ingredients, but is produced in a facility that processes those allergens.

How many days does one bottle cover?

Between 60 and 90 days, depending on where you sit in the label's range. The printed direction is 1 capsule 2 to 3 times daily, so 180 capsules divides out to 90 days at two a day, or 60 days at three a day.

How is the order packaged?

Orders ship in plain outer packaging. It will not show the Gear Isle name. Inside is the manufacturer's own bottle with its printed label intact.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.