Does Ashwagandha Increase Testosterone? What the Trials Measured

In men, ashwagandha has raised testosterone a little: about 57 ng/dL more than placebo across 23 pooled trials, within the normal range, and not in women. Two single trials found no difference from placebo, and one that found a rise saw no difference in vigour or sexual well-being. Men with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer should ask their specialist first.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} Part of the Wellgard ashwagandha guide.

Evidence at a glance

• Trials: 23 randomised trials pooled for hormones in 2026 (1,706 people), and 20 pooled for testosterone, strength and thinking (1,249 people).^{1, 7}
• Largest single trial: 100 healthy men aged 30 to 50 for 8 weeks, measuring semen and sexual function.⁸
• Strongest measured outcome: testosterone about 57 ng/dL higher than placebo in men across the pooled trials.¹
• Not tested: whether the rise changes symptoms of low testosterone, or any effect beyond 12 months.

Sources checked on 13 October 2026.

Does ashwagandha increase testosterone?

On average, in men, by a small amount. Across 23 randomised trials pooled in 2026, men taking ashwagandha had testosterone about 57 ng/dL higher than men on placebo; a second 2026 pooling of 20 trials found the same direction, a standardised effect of 0.33.^{1, 7} A 2024 review of 52 studies of 27 ingredients sold to raise testosterone judged ashwagandha, on three studies, possibly effective in healthy men; most of the ingredients it covered did not raise total testosterone against placebo in the groups tested.⁹ How the rise happens is not known: cortisol was lower in the same pooled trials, but no trial has tested whether one causes the other.¹

The single trials in men differ, and two found no difference from placebo:

How big is the rise, and does it matter?

Small. A review of 23 trials of root extract in 2,317 healthy adults, pooled by a team that included two authors from UK supplement companies, found testosterone rises stayed within normal ranges.² In the 57 older men, in a maker-funded trial, saliva testosterone rose 14.7% more than on placebo, yet fatigue, vigour and sexual well-being did not differ.⁵ No trial has enrolled men diagnosed with low testosterone: a PubMed search on 13 October 2026 found none.

The NHS says testosterone falls steadily, about 1% a year from around 30 to 40, which is "unlikely to cause any problems in itself". Low sex drive, erection problems and mood swings may be the result of stress, depression or anxiety; a GP can ask about them and order a blood test, and a specialist may offer testosterone replacement if a deficiency is confirmed.¹² The testosterone figure is not a reason to start or stop any prescribed hormone.

Does ashwagandha help build muscle and strength?

In people who train, strength gains have been larger than on placebo, with caveats. Across 20 trials, strength rose more than on placebo (standardised effect 0.58): 1.03 in physically active people, and not significantly in untrained people or special populations; body weight and body-fat percentage did not change.⁷ Both training trials in the table found larger bench-press gains than placebo.^{10, 4} Pooled from three manufacturer-funded or supplied trials of 161 people doing resistance training, strength gains were larger than placebo at low certainty, and lost significance under a stricter test.¹³ Across 13 trials of 599 mostly young adults or athletes, exercise performance improved on average, most consistently for endurance, but not in every setting.¹⁴

Does ashwagandha improve sperm count and male fertility?

Semen measures improved in small trials; no trial has counted pregnancies against placebo. In 46 men with low sperm counts, 675 mg a day of root extract for 90 days took sperm count from 9.6 to 25.6 million per mL, with minimal change on placebo.¹⁵ In 100 healthy men aged 30 to 50, 600 mg a day for 8 weeks improved semen volume, sperm number, concentration and shape more than placebo, on an extract supplied by its maker.⁸ In 76 healthy men on the same dose, ejaculate volume rose 36%, total sperm count 38% and motility 87% over 8 weeks.¹⁶ A 2018 review of four trials, only one randomised, called the data, though promising, "too limited" for robust evidence of benefit.¹⁷

Does ashwagandha increase libido?

In three trials of men on 600 mg a day for 8 weeks, sexual desire or function scores rose more than on placebo: 50 men with lower desire, and 100 and 76 healthy men.^{11, 8, 16} The trial in 57 older men found no difference in sexual well-being.⁵ In 80 women with low sexual desire, sexual function scores rose from 14.2 to 22.6, against 14.2 to 19.3 on placebo.¹⁸ The NHS notes erection problems can have physical causes, such as smoking or heart problems, so persistent ones are a GP conversation.¹²

How much ashwagandha did the testosterone trials use?

Most used 300 mg of root extract twice a day for 8 weeks; the fertility pilot used 675 mg a day in three doses for 90 days, and the 240 mg once-daily trial found no testosterone difference from placebo.^{10, 15, 3} None of these trials compared doses or extracts, so no amount or extract is recommended here; how extracts differ: types of ashwagandha compared. Timing, food and label reading: how to take ashwagandha.

Who should not take ashwagandha for testosterone?

Men with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer should ask their specialist first: the US drugs and lactation database says such men should use it cautiously.⁶ Thyroxine rose in the pooled trials, so anyone with a thyroid condition or on thyroid medicine asks a GP first.¹ The NHS says not to take herbal medicines with kidney or liver problems, and to check with a pharmacist first if you take other medicines.¹⁹ The full list: who should not take ashwagandha.

What we don't know

• No trial has enrolled men diagnosed with low testosterone (PubMed, 13 October 2026).
• No trial has tested whether the rise changes tiredness, sex drive or other symptoms of low testosterone.
• The only 12-month study, of 191 adults, had no placebo group.²⁰
• No trial has compared ashwagandha with creatine, shilajit or any other ingredient for testosterone (PubMed, 13 October 2026).
• All three trials pooled in 2026 for strength with resistance training were funded or supplied by extract manufacturers.¹³

Frequently asked questions

How long does ashwagandha take to raise testosterone?

Most trials measured it after 8 weeks; none tracked how soon a change appears. In the 90-day trial, funded and run by the extract's manufacturer, men's testosterone rose from their own starting point but no more than on placebo.⁴

Does ashwagandha raise testosterone in women?

Not significantly: in the pooled trials the difference in women was about 5 ng/dL, against about 57 ng/dL in men, and oestradiol did not change in either sex.¹ The women's trials are in ashwagandha for women. It must not be taken in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, when the NHS says not to take herbal medicines.¹⁹

Is creatine or ashwagandha better?

No trial has compared them; each has its own trials, measuring different things. See creatine for men, and what you can take with ashwagandha for taking them together. The same goes for shilajit: what shilajit does for men.

What happens if a man takes ashwagandha every day?

The trials gave it daily, mostly for 8 weeks. In a 12-month study of 191 adults with no placebo group, free and total testosterone rose and 18 mild adverse events resolved without treatment.²⁰ Breaks and stopping: is ashwagandha safe to take daily.

Sources

1. Fornalik et al., 2026. Pooled analysis, 23 randomised trials, 1,706 people; no conflicts declared. PubMed 41740946.
2. Coope et al., 2026. Systematic review, 23 trials, 2,317 healthy adults; two authors at UK supplement companies. PubMed 42198398.
3. Lopresti et al., 2019 (Medicine). Randomised trial, 60 adults, 60 days; maker-funded. PubMed 31517876.
4. Thanawala et al., 2026. Randomised trial, 84 active adults, 90 days; funded and run by the extract's manufacturer. PubMed 42780946.
5. Lopresti et al., 2019 (Am J Mens Health). Randomised crossover trial, 57 men, 8 weeks per phase; maker-funded. PubMed 30854916.
6. Drugs and Lactation Database. Withania, revised 15 December 2024. Reference entry. PubMed 30000965.
7. Zhu et al., 2026. Pooled analysis, 20 randomised trials, 1,249 adults. PubMed 42199854.
8. Mutha et al., 2025. Randomised trial, 100 healthy men, 8 weeks; extract supplied by its maker. PubMed 40582043.
9. Morgado et al., 2024. Systematic review, 52 studies of 27 ingredients; funding not checked. PubMed 37697053.
10. Wankhede et al., 2015. Randomised trial, 57 men, 8 weeks; extract supplied by its maker. PubMed 26609282.
11. Chauhan et al., 2022. Randomised trial, 50 men, 8 weeks; extract supplied by its maker; testosterone change from the full text. PubMed 35873404.
12. NHS. The 'male menopause'. Page last reviewed 13 October 2022 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
13. Lee and Heo, 2026. Pooled analysis, 3 randomised trials, 161 adults; all three manufacturer-funded or supplied. PubMed 42738987.
14. Li et al., 2026. Pooled analysis, 13 randomised trials, 599 people; no conflicts declared. PubMed 42356302.
15. Ambiye et al., 2013. Randomised pilot, 46 men, 90 days; funding not stated. PubMed 24371462.
16. Khanna et al., 2026. Randomised trial, 76 healthy men, 8 weeks; no funding declared. PubMed 41766918.
17. Durg et al., 2018. Systematic review, 4 trials, one randomised. PubMed 30466985.
18. Ajgaonkar et al., 2022. Randomised trial, 80 women, 8 weeks; funding not stated. PubMed 36447681.
19. NHS. Herbal medicines and complementary therapies. Page last reviewed 1 May 2026. nhs.uk.
20. Salve et al., 2026. Observational study, 191 adults, 12 months, no placebo. PubMed 41063394.

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