India and UK to conduct clinical trials of Ashwagandha for promoting COVID-19 recovery
MoU signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda (under the Ministry of Ayush) and the UK’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with the UK’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to conduct a study on Ashwagandha for promoting recovery from COVID-19, a statement has said.
It also said that the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush and LSHTM recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct clinical trials of Ashwagandha on 2,000 people in three UK cities – Leicester, Birmingham and London (Southall and Wembley).
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), commonly known as ‘Indian winter cherry,’ is a traditional Indian herb that boosts energy, reduces stress and makes the immune system stronger. It is an easily accessible, over-the-counter nutritional supplement in the UK and has a proven safety profile. The positive effects of Ashwagandha have been observed in long COVID, which is a multi-system disease with no evidence of its effective treatment or management, according to the statement.
It also mentioned that the successful completion of the trial can be a major breakthrough and give scientif