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Can Ashwagandha gummies help kids focus better?

Patil University School of Medicine (India), March 16 2026 (News-Medical)

Stimulant medications, such as dexamphetamine, are commonly used to treat attentional difficulties in children. However, many medications can cause adverse effects, including sleep issues, appetite loss, gastrointestinal problems, and headaches. This has led to interest in herbal remedies with potentially lower toxicity. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an adaptogenic herb traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine and widely studied for potential stress-reducing and cognitive-supporting effects, and is an Ayurvedic Medhya Rasayana, traditionally used to boost cognitive abilities and memory.

An eight-week placebo-controlled trial assessed the safety and cognitive effects of ARE supplementation in children aged 6 to 12. This trial was conducted at two sites: India and Australia.

Eligible children were healthy, hand had parent-reported attention or memory concerns, rather than diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD. The intervention used Ashwagandha (standardized root extract) supplied as gummies (150 mg per gummy).

After eight-weeks, participants receiving ARE supplementation demonstrated significant improvements in cognitive performance relative to the placebo group, especially in speed of processing and choice reaction time. Additionally, the ARE group made meaningful progress on tasks related to verbal memory recall and executive function.

However, both groups performed similarly on measures of overall attention accuracy and episodic memory accuracy. These findings suggest that the benefits of ARE are more pronounced in speed and efficiency than in accuracy. These outcomes indicate that ARE supplementation could selectively boost specific aspects of cognitive functioning.