Ashwagandha is a trusted botanical for managing stress and promoting healthy sleep, however, not all Ashwagandha extracts on the market actually contain the bioactives they claim. This month, Nootropics Depot owner Paul and Science Director Ellie join Emiel and Erika to discuss the complexities of the Ashwagandha plant, lab testing practices that ensure high quality supplements, and which Ashwagandha extract is the right fit for you. Nootropics Depot tests every Ashwagandha product to ensure that our supplements always contain the beneficial compounds we claim, and in this podcast, you'll learn how easy it is to access the testing data for your supplements on our new website! Click here to watch the podcast premiere on YouTube on August 5th 2025 at 10:00 am MST.

Podcast Chapters

0:00 Introduction - Welcoming Ellie!

1:20 Nootropics Depot’s Cell Culture Lab

3:25 Taking Shoden Ashwagandha

9:27 KSM-66 - What Sets It Apart?

16:14 Anhedonia from Ashwagandha

23:39 Ellie’s Ashwagandha History

26:39 The Science behind KSM-66

29:34 Why Do Solvents Matter?

44:12 Nootropics Depot’s Ashwagandha Extract

52:47 OUR VERY SPECIAL GUEST

53:28 Consumer Lab Results

58:55 Working with Arjuna to Make the Shoden Method

1:05:10 Comparing Nootropics Depot’s Lab Testing vs. Consumer Labs

1:12:13 Consistency Is Essential 

1:14:30 The Production Process 

1:19:30 Leading By Example 

1:22:30 Ashwagandha Chromatograms