Shatavari, Translated "with one hundred husbands"
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosa): Supporting Women Naturally
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosa) is an herb that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Its name, which means “with one hundred husbands,” reflects its traditional role as a female tonic, supporting women’s health, fertility, and hormone balance.
Quick Facts
In Ayurvedic medicine, Shatavari is revered as the ultimate female tonic, while Ashwagandha is traditionally celebrated as a male tonic. Ashwagandha is better known in the U.S. It has over 1,800 studies and is one of the top five herbs in U.S. commerce, according to HerbalGram. Its global market value was $670–690 million in 2023.
In contrast, Shatavari focuses on women’s health. It doesn’t rank in the top 25 herbs in the U.S., but it still has a global market value of $635 million. Shatavari is known for supporting fertility, hormone health, and menopause relief, making it an important herb for women.
Getting to know Shatavari
Shatavari is a plant native to Asia and Northern Africa. The root is the part of the plant used in medicine. Shatavari has properties that are salty, cool, moistening, and slightly astringent, which help balance and nourish the body.
What Does Shatavari Do?
Aphrodisiac: Helps improve sexual health.
Tonic: Restores energy and balance.
Galactagogue: Supports milk production for breastfeeding mothers.
Adaptogen: Helps the body manage stress.
Traditionally, Shatavari is taken as a powder mixed with ghee, honey, or milk. Today, it’s also available as capsules or tablets. Its active ingredients are water-soluble, meaning they dissolve in water and are easy for the body to use. Tincture is not an effective way to take Shatavari.
A Unique Feature
In herbal traditions, there is a concept called the doctrine of signatures says that a plant’s appearance,texture, color, characteristics can give us clues as to how it helps the body. Interesting enough, Shatavari’s fern-like leaves look like cervical mucus under a microscope. Although our ancestors would not have had this technology. When added to water Shatavari becomes sticky like fertile cervical mucus. It is rich in carbohydrates and mucilage similar to herbs marshmallow and aloe.
Shatavari’s Benefits Backed by Research
Although Shatavari doesn’t have as many studies as Ashwagandha, research shows that it offers real benefits for women.
Helping with Menopause:
A study in India tested Shatavari extract on women with menopausal symptoms:
Dosage: Women took 250 mg of Shatavari extract twice a day.
Results:
Their Quality of Life (QOL) scores, which measure well-being, improved from 70/120 to 95/120 after 60 days.
Hot flashes, night sweats, and emotional distress were reduced.
Stress, anxiety, and depression scores (DASS-21) were cut in half, while the placebo group didn’t improve.
Improving Strength:
In another small study of 20 women, participants took 500 mg of a 10:1 Shatavari extract twice daily. This is the equivalent of 5 grams of dry powdered herb. Over time, their grip strength
improved, showing that Shatavari might help with physical strength and resilience.
Final Thoughts
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosa) is an important herb for women’s health. It helps with fertility, hormone balance, and menopause symptoms, and even improves physical strength.
Although Ashwagandha is often in the spotlight, Shatavari shines in its own right as a powerful female tonic. With deep roots in Ayurvedic tradition and growing support from modern research, Shatavari offers women a natural and effective way to support their health and vitality.
Resources:
O'Leary MF, Jackman SR, Sabou VR, Campbell MI, Tang JCY, Dutton J, Bowtell JL. Shatavari Supplementation in Postmenopausal Women Improves Handgrip Strength and Increases Vastus lateralis Myosin Regulatory Light Chain Phosphorylation but Does Not Alter Markers of Bone Turnover. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 27;13(12):4282. doi: 10.3390/nu13124282. PMID: 34959836; PMCID: PMC8708006.
Gudise VS, Dasari MP, Kuricheti SSK. Efficacy and Safety of Shatavari Root Extract for the Management of Menopausal Symptoms: A Double-Blind, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial. Cureus. 2024 Apr 8;16(4):e57879. doi: 10.7759/cureus.57879. PMID: 38725785; PMCID: PMC11079574.
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