Herb module
Nan Fei Zui Jia
AshwagandhaWithania somnifera
A calming root from India's healing traditions, used in Resilience | Fós to build Qi, strengthen protection, and settle the Spirit.
Nan Fei Zui Jia is ashwagandha, a root that has long been treasured in India and is now part of Zoi's Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas. It is used to tonify Qi and Wei Qi, the protective energy at the surface of the body, and to calm the Shen. In Resilience | Fós it pairs with rhodiola to help the body stay both strong and settled through stressful times.
Best functions
- Traditionally used to tonify Qi and Wei Qi, the body's protective Qi
- Used to strengthen Lung Qi and the Spleen
- Used to nourish Jing, the deep reserve energy
- Used to calm the Shen and settle the Spirit
- Considered an adaptogen; human studies suggest it may support a calmer, more balanced stress response
Fascinating facts
- The name ashwagandha comes from Sanskrit and is often translated as 'smell of a horse,' after the earthy scent of the fresh root.
- Ashwagandha belongs to the nightshade family, the same family as tomatoes and peppers. It grows as a small shrub with orange-red berries tucked inside papery husks, which is why it is sometimes called winter cherry.
- Ashwagandha comes from India's Ayurvedic tradition, and it has also found a home in Traditional Chinese Medicine study, where it is grouped with the tonic herbs and described as sweet and bitter in taste.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine
Nan Fei Zui Jia is a tonic herb with a sweet and bitter flavor. It enters the Lung, Heart, and Spleen meridians.
Biomedical deep dive
Nan Fei Zui Jia Ashwagandha
From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.
On the fact sheet
- Nan Fei Zui Jia (Ashwaganda, Withania somnifera) enters the LU, HT and SP meridians; tonifies Qi and Wei Qi, tonifies Lung Qi, Spleen, and Jing, and calms the Shen. Resilience | Fós sheet
Key active constituents
The fact sheets don’t name constituents for this herb.
Pharmacology and mechanisms
- As one of Resilience's adaptogens (herbs that help the body adapt to stress), it belongs to a group studied for neuroprotective, anti-fatigue and cortisol-regulating activity.
- With schisandra, Siberian ginseng and rhodiola, it has been reviewed for specific effects on the brain and nervous system.
- Withanolides (key compounds) reduce neuroinflammation and cross the blood-brain barrier. Noa’s notes
- Adaptogenic, with cortisol reduction and HPA axis (stress-hormone system) modulation. Noa’s notes
- Anti-fatigue and anxiolytic (calming) in multiple human randomized controlled trials. Noa’s notes
What the research says
- With schisandra, Siberian ginseng and rhodiola, ashwagandha extended the lifespan of stressed animals, supported memory and learning, and lowered stress sensitivity (Wróbel-Biedrawa & Podolak, Molecules 2024).
- In animals, ashwagandha decreased neuroinflammation (brain inflammation) linked to cognitive impairment and drug abuse (Wróbel-Biedrawa & Podolak, Molecules 2024).
- One study found ashwagandha decreased inflammation better than hydrocortisone (Mishra et al., Altern Med Rev 2000).
Safety, interactions and cautions
- Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.
- The Resilience fact sheet cautions: if you have a medical condition or take medication, check with your doctor first; if it interferes with sleep, take the last dose 3 or more hours before bed.
- Use caution in hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid) states. Noa’s notes
- Use caution with sedative medicines. Noa’s notes
- Caution in pregnancy, depending on form and dose. Noa’s notes
In these Zoi formulas
- Resilience | Fós (#9 on the fact sheet)
