If you’ve looked into stress supplements over the past few years, chances are you’ve heard something about ashwagandha’s benefits. The ancient herb—a staple in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries—is now routinely name-dropped on health podcasts, integrated into supplement stacks, and pushed by influencers promising calmer nerves, better gains, and maybe even a bump in testosterone. For men—especially those worried about burnout or low T—the pitch is hard to ignore. But does it actually deliver? What is ashwagandha? Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is one of the most revered herbs in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian health system. “Classical texts describe ashwagandha as an herb that supports strength, stamina, recovery, reproductive health, and longevity,” says Nidhi Pandya, certified advanced Ayurvedic practitioner and author of Your Body Already Knows. It’s classified as an adaptogen, a category of herbs thought to help the body better regulate stress and maintain equilibrium. By now, it’s clear that keeping your stress in check has no shortage of benefits for overall health and well-being. “Stress is understood to affect multiple systems of the body: sleep, metabolism, …