Ashwagandha and Testosterone: What the Research on Male Fertility Shows

Does ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) raise testosterone? The honest answer fits in one sentence: a few small clinical trials report a modest rise, in specific populations — aging overweight men, men with oligospermia — but nothing supports treating it as an infertility treatment or a substitute for a urologist's opinion. This article details the scientific data available on this specific question; for ashwagandha's general benefits (stress, sleep) and usual dosage, see our fact sheet on ashwagandha: benefits and dosage.

Ayurveda traditionally classes brahmi/">ashwagandha among the vajikarana herbs, the branch devoted to sexual vitality and male fertility. Modern research has taken up the topic over the past fifteen years, with interesting results that need to be read without overenthusiasm.

The landmark study on ashwagandha, testosterone and male aging

The most frequently cited trial in this specific area is the one by Lopresti, Drummond and Smith, published in 2019 in the American Journal of Men's Health. It was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, conducted in overweight men aged 40 to 70 with mild fatigue. Participants received a standardized tulsi-how-long-to-work/">ashwagandha extract or a placebo for 8 weeks. The researchers observed an increase in testosterone and DHEA-S (a precursor hormone produced by the adrenal glands) under tulsi-dosage/">ashwagandha, with no significant difference in cortisol, estradiol, fatigue, vigor or sexual well-being between the two groups (study available on Google Scholar).

That last point deserves emphasis: the hormonal rise measured in the lab did not translate into a felt improvement in vitality or sex life in this trial. It is a nuance that many commercial summaries leave out.

Ashwagandha and sperm quality: what does the oligospermia trial show?

A second, older trial looked specifically at male fertility: the one by Ambiye, Langade, Dongre and colleagues, published in 2013 in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It enrolled 46 men with oligospermia (low sperm concentration), who received an ashwagandha root extract or a placebo for 90 days. The treated group showed, on average, an increase in sperm count, ejaculate volume and sperm motility, markedly greater than the placebo group (study available on Google Scholar).

These results are encouraging, but three caveats apply: the sample was small (46 men total), the study was a pilot trial — meaning an initial exploration, not a definitive confirmation — and it was conducted in a population already on a fertility journey, not in healthy men trying to "boost" their testosterone. Extrapolating these results to the whole male population would be a classic misreading.

Why these results still call for caution

• Small sample sizes: these trials involve a few dozen participants, far from the thousands of subjects that would give solid statistical certainty.
• Specific populations: aging overweight men on one side, men with oligospermia on the other — not young, hormonally healthy men.
• Modest effect: the testosterone increases measured in the Lopresti et al. trial were on the order of a few percentage points — far from an "anabolic" effect or anything comparable to hormone treatment.
• Mechanism still debated: the most cited hypothesis is an antioxidant effect reducing oxidative stress at the testicular level, alongside a possible action on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis — but nothing is formally established.
• Few independent replications: the body of evidence remains limited compared with what exists on ashwagandha and stress, a much better-documented topic (see our article on Ayurveda and science for a broader critical look at studies on Ayurvedic herbs).

In other words: this data suggests a lead worth following, it does not prove anything definitive at the level of the general population.

Ashwagandha, testosterone and libido: two topics not to confuse

A biological rise in testosterone does not automatically mean more desire or better sexual performance — the 2019 trial makes that clear, since no improvement in sexual well-being was detected despite the hormonal rise. The question of libido follows a different logic, where ashwagandha acts mainly through its anti-stress effect rather than a direct hormonal action. Our article on libido and vitality: Ayurveda's vajikarana approach details that distinction and the other herbs traditionally associated with this area.

Should you take ashwagandha for testosterone or fertility?

If you are on a fertility journey or a semen analysis has revealed an abnormality, ashwagandha is in no way a treatment for infertility: that is a matter for a urologist or fertility specialist, the only professional qualified to investigate the causes and propose appropriate care. An herbal supplement never replaces that evaluation.

For a healthy man with no identified fertility issue who wants to try ashwagandha for general vitality, the same dosage guidelines as for anti-stress use apply — see our fact sheet on ashwagandha dosage for usual doses and available forms. There is no validated "testosterone-specific" protocol that differs from ordinary use.

Precautions to know before a course

Ashwagandha's general precautions apply in full here, and some deserve particular attention:

• Pregnancy and a couple's fertility plans: the herb remains contraindicated during pregnancy; if your partner is pregnant or trying to conceive, taking it yourself is not itself a concern, but any self-medication within a couple deserves a joint discussion with a doctor.
• Thyroid: ashwagandha can stimulate thyroid hormones — caution in cases of hyperthyroidism or ongoing thyroid treatment.
• Interactions: sedatives, immunosuppressants, and treatments for diabetes or blood pressure — medical or pharmacist advice remains necessary before starting.
• Known hormonal condition (hormone-sensitive cancer, endocrine disorder): medical advice is essential before any course, since the herb has a documented hormonal action.

The full detail of these precautions, including at-risk populations and warning signs, is in our article on ashwagandha dangers and side effects and our safety guide, to read before any course.

In summary

Research on ashwagandha, testosterone and male fertility is real but preliminary: two randomized clinical trials, with modest sample sizes and targeted populations, report positive but measured results. That is enough to justify the scientific interest in this herb — not enough to turn it into a promise of virility or a cure for infertility. Underlying fatigue, chronic stress or a fertility concern deserve, first, an evaluation with a health professional; ashwagandha can, at best, accompany that process.