Expert Answer
How much ashwagandha should you take per day?
Quick Answer
Huberman's protocol is 300mg twice daily (600mg total) of a standardized extract to lower cortisol, cycled off after about 30 days and monitored with bloodwork - and Attia lands on the same 600mg in his own nightly stack. Most standardized-extract studies use 300-600mg/day. Start at 300mg to assess tolerance.
Strong Consensus
on Ashwagandha overall
What Researchers Say
Recommends 300mg twice daily (600mg total) for cortisol reduction across 8 videos; the only expert to specify a cycling protocol - cycle off after ~30 days and monitor via bloodwork. Takes it in the evening with apigenin.
“If you're interested in using ashwagandha as an adaptogen, I would restrict it to later in the day if you can and not before exercise. Divide it into two doses of 250 to 300 milligrams.”
Andrew Huberman, on the record @ 15:09
Takes 600mg in his own nightly stack, alongside 2g of glycine - the same daily total Huberman reaches, but without a cycling protocol.
“in the night I take, um, ashwagandha. I take 600, uh, milligrams of ashwagandha. I recently switched to the Solgar brand.”
Peter Attia, on the record @ 06:08
Includes it in his Blueprint stack for anxiety and sleep - but takes it in the morning, a direct timing disagreement with Huberman and Attia.
“this is ashwagandha, it helps with anti-anxiety, improved cortisol management, improve sleep, and increase testosterone. 600 milligrams once a day.”
Bryan Johnson, on the record @ 01:47
Recommends it as an adaptogen for adrenal support and stress resilience, often paired with rhodiola, magnesium, and B vitamins.
Does not cover ashwagandha directly in her analyzed videos.
Detailed Answer
Two of the five give a number, and they agree on it. Andrew Huberman recommends 300mg twice daily (600mg total) of a standardized extract to lower cortisol, and he's the most detailed voice on it across 8 videos; Attia takes 600mg in his own nightly stack alongside 2g of glycine, without publishing a cycling protocol. Two things make his protocol distinctive. First, he explicitly says to cycle off after about 30 days and monitor via bloodwork - the only expert to specify a cycling protocol. Second, he takes it in the evening, pairing it with apigenin for cortisol management.
Peter Attia includes ashwagandha in his personal nighttime routine alongside glycine and magnesium L-threonate but doesn't publish a specific dose. Mark Hyman recommends it as an adaptogen for adrenal support and stress resilience, often paired with rhodiola, magnesium, and B vitamins. Bryan Johnson includes it in his Blueprint stack - but notably takes it in the morning, a direct timing disagreement with Huberman and Attia. Rhonda Patrick doesn't cover ashwagandha herself.
On form, no expert specifies KSM-66 versus Sensoril; both are standardized extracts, and most clinical studies use 300-600mg/day of a standardized root extract. The practical protocol: start at 300mg once daily to assess tolerance, move toward 300mg twice daily if needed, take it in the evening for cortisol and sleep (or the morning if you follow Johnson's approach), and cycle off after about a month.
Related Questions
Should you cycle ashwagandha?
Huberman explicitly recommends cycling off after about 30 days and monitoring via bloodwork - the only expert to specify a cycling protocol.
Should you take ashwagandha in the morning or at night?
Huberman and Attia take it in the evening for cortisol and sleep; Johnson takes it in the morning. It's a genuine timing disagreement - evening is the more common choice for stress and sleep.
Is 600mg of ashwagandha too much?
300mg twice daily (600mg total) is Huberman's stated dose and sits within the range used in most standardized-extract studies. Start at 300mg to assess tolerance.
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