Loose Women: Dr Hilary discusses how to live longer

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As medicine, healthcare and technology has improved over the years, so have life expectancies. The average person in the UK is now predicted to live to around 80 years, however, this is still reliant on a number of factors. But there is one ancient medicinal herb thought to have life-extending properties.

Ashwagandha is a shrub native to India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.

For thousands of years extract from the plant has been used to manage stress and boost energy.

However, it is also believed it could help improve life expectancy.

A study, published in the Annals of Neurosciences journal in 2013, tested this theory on worms.

It explained: “In the ancient Indian herbal medicine system several ayurvedic preparations are claimed to have longevity enhancing effects.

“But, so far, no clear scientific evidence has been provided.

“One among them, is the roots of the plant, commonly known as ashwagandha (Withania somnifera Dunal), which is supposed to have a myriad of beneficial effects including long life.”

As part of the research, the team evaluated both the root extract and its purified ingredients on caenorhabditis elegans – a type of worm – as well as mutant worms.

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“We used wild type c. elegans and mutant worms and analysed their lifespan assay in ashwagandha extract spreaded on plates containing bacterial lawns,” it said.

The extract was shown to extend lifespan by up to 20 percent on the mutant worms.

The study concluded: “Strangely, while there was no effect on the wild type worms, the mutant for the human nicotinic acetylcholine receptor showed around 20 percent lifespan extension when treated with the purified ingredients.

“Thus, we are able to show that one of the age-old healthy longlife supplements, ashwagandha, does extend the lifespan of c. elegans.”

Separate research, published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine in 2012, established that ashwagandha could ease symptoms of stress and anxiety in adults, factors that have been proven to lower life expectancy.

A total of 64 participants with a history of chronic stress were enrolled into the study.

They were split into two groups – a placebo group and one that took a capsule containing 300mg of ashwagandha root extract.

Both groups took the one capsule twice a day for 60 days.

The group that was given the ashwagandha root extract exhibited a “significant” reduction in scores on all the stress-assessment scales on day 60, compared to the placebo group.

The study added: “The adverse effects were mild in nature and were comparable in both the groups. No serious adverse events were reported.”

It concluded: “The findings of this study suggest that a high-concentration full-spectrum ashwagandha root extract safely and effectively improves an individual’s resistance towards stress and thereby improves self-assessed quality of life.”

Ashwagandha can be consumed in supplement form or as a tea found in health stores.

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