Over the last few years, ashwagandha has become the en-vogue supplement in the West for those seeking a natural remedy for stress and anxiety. The herb — which grows in India, the Middle East and parts of Africa — has got people on Twitter lauding it as a “miracle,” crediting it with making their “IDGAF” energy go “through the roof” and declaring it as their new “kink.” It’s been endorsed by some of the wellness industry’s fave celebs (yes, Gwyneth Paltrow), and has been touted as a libido-boosting marvel. But does it actually make you horny? And, if so, where can you buy it?
Ashwagandha is one of the star herbs in the Indian holistic healing system, Ayurveda. According to Healthline, it’s been used for thousands of years to relieve stress, increase energy levels and improve concentration. Ashwagandha is made from the root of withania somnifera (the latter of which means “sleep-inducing” in Latin, hence its supposed stress-reducing effect), described as an “erect, grayish, slightly hairy evergreen shrub.” Already sexy! What’s more, roughly translated from Sanskrit, ashwagandha means “smells like a horse” — also, obviously, very sexy.
Its claim to horniness is multifaceted. Some allege that its stress-decreasing powers have the subsequent effect of improving sexual desire — based on the logic that if you’re less stressed, you’re more up for sex (true). A 2015 study also found that ashwagandha has some direct benefits for women struggling with sexual dysfunction, improving their arousal, lubrication, orgasm and overall sexual satisfaction. Furthermore, a 2019 study reported that ashwagandha increased testosterone levels in men aged between 40 and 70 (higher levels of testosterone can boost sexual drive and desire). It’s worth noting, however, that the study concluded that “supplementation had no significant effect on sexual well-being.”
There’s also a bunch of anecdotal evidence to suggest ashwagandha makes you horny — though, of course, this can’t be taken as gospel. One person reported that ashwagandha calmed their mood but made them “abnormally horny.” Another described the supplement as making them “violently horny all day.” A redditor even took to the r/sex subreddit to complain that when her boyfriend — who’s been “super horny” and able to last a long time on ashwagandha — doesn’t take the supplement, he “cums in [her] vagina almost immediately after sticking it in.”
Confusingly, there’s also reports of ashwagandha lowering people’s sexual desire. One guy wrote on Reddit that it made him feel “very numb emotionally,” which led to his sex drive plummeting. Another said ashwagandha reduced their libido and made their balls feel “dull.”
As there isn’t enough scientific evidence to support the claim that ashwagandha is an aphrodisiac (it also isn’t one of its main supposed benefits of the supplement, aside from its relation to stress-reduction), I wouldn’t get your hopes up that it’s a horny miracle pill. Still, it’s available in most health stores for around $20, so it wouldn’t break the bank if you wanted to give it a try — just don’t take too much of it, as that can cause vomiting and diarrhea, which is definitely not sexy.
Brit Dawson
Brit Dawson is a London-based journalist who mostly writes about sex, women's rights and sex work. She is also the staff writer at Dazed.
