Ashwagandha for PCOS: Does It Help? Evidence, Testosterone and Safety

PCOS is now called PMOS

The NHS now uses the name polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) for the condition previously called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), reflecting its hormonal and metabolic effects. Symptoms can include irregular periods, excess hair growth or hair loss, acne, weight gain, difficulty getting pregnant, tiredness and low mood or anxiety.

Does ashwagandha help PCOS? The evidence

The honest summary: ashwagandha may help with the stress and sleep side of living with PCOS, but there’s no reliable evidence it treats the condition itself.

Does ashwagandha raise testosterone in women?

This is a common worry, because high androgens (male-type hormones) drive symptoms such as acne and excess hair in PCOS, and ashwagandha has been shown to raise testosterone in some studies of men. A 2026 review of ashwagandha and women’s hormones found that this effect appears to be sex-specific: it doesn’t seem to raise testosterone in women. Research in women with PCOS is still limited, so if you notice changes in acne or hair growth, stop and speak to your GP.

Stress, sleep and PCOS

People with PCOS are more likely to experience anxiety, low mood and poor sleep, and stress can make it harder to stick to the lifestyle changes that help. Ashwagandha has the strongest evidence of any adaptogen for everyday stress: in a 2012 trial, 64 stressed adults taking ashwagandha root extract for 60 days had lower stress scores and lower cortisol than placebo. Read more in CBD and ashwagandha and ashwagandha vs magnesium.

Safety: thyroid, pregnancy and fertility

• Thyroid: in a 2018 trial, ashwagandha raised thyroid hormone levels in people with an underactive thyroid. Thyroid problems are more common in people with PCOS, so check with your GP if you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication.
• Pregnancy: don’t take ashwagandha if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Trying to conceive: many people with PCOS are. There isn’t enough safety research, so speak to your GP or fertility clinic before taking it.
• Liver: rare cases of liver injury have been reported. Stop and see a doctor if you notice yellowing skin or eyes or dark urine.
• Medicines: it may interact with sedatives, thyroid medicine, immunosuppressants and medicines for diabetes or blood pressure, including metformin.
• UK review: the Food Standards Agency has asked the UK’s Committee on Toxicity to review ashwagandha’s safety; no decision has been published yet.

See our full guide to ashwagandha side effects and ashwagandha and breastfeeding.

How to take ashwagandha

• Choose a root extract with a stated dose; trials often used 240 to 600mg a day.
• Start at the lowest dose and take it daily; effects build over 4 to 8 weeks.
• Take it in the evening if it makes you drowsy.
• Take breaks, for example 8 to 12 weeks on, then a few weeks off.

Our Flow CBD Oil combines broad spectrum CBD with ashwagandha and maca for daytime stress. For an evening routine without ashwagandha, see our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex and magnesium for PCOS.

How it fits with NHS treatment

There’s no cure for PCOS, but NHS treatments include the contraceptive pill or IUS for irregular periods, metformin, weight loss medicines, medicines for excess hair growth, fertility treatment and acne treatments. A balanced diet, regular activity and, if you’re overweight, losing weight help many people. Supplements like ashwagandha can sit alongside these but shouldn’t replace them. Tell your GP about any supplement you take.

Related guides

• PCOS new name: what PMOS means.
• Inositol: benefits, dose and side effects, another supplement often discussed for PCOS.
• Ashwagandha benefits for women: what the trials really show.
• Ashwagandha safety in the UK, including the liver and thyroid.
• If poor sleep is part of the picture, see ashwagandha for sleep, including whether it makes you sleepy.
• For morning vs evening, with food and how long to take it, see the best time to take ashwagandha.