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Head-to-head evidence comparison — which supplement is right for you?
Ashwagandha vs Lavender: Lavender has the stronger overall evidence (7.2 vs 7.5/10); they're alternatives for reduce anxiety & stress — the best pick depends on your goals. Take the 60-second quiz for a pick tailored to your goals.
Lavender wins 2 of 3 categories. Both are solid choices — the best pick depends on your specific goals.
Verdict
Likely helps
4 of 4 studies with measurable effects showed benefit.
Top outcomes
Verdict
Too few graded studies
Top outcomes
Shared outcomes (1)
Outcomes where both Ashwagandha and Lavender have evidence — compare verdict strength side-by-side.
300-600mg daily (standardized extract)
Morning for daytime stress, Evening for sleep support
KSM-66 or Sensoril standardized extract
80 mg oral Silexan daily OR aromatherapy inhalation 30–60 min sessions
Evening before bed for sleep and anxiety, Acute use before stressful procedures or events
Oral Silexan capsule (80 mg) for systemic/psychiatric use
2-4 weeks
2-4 weeks
2-4 weeks
First week
1–4 weeks
1–3 weeks
4–8 weeks
Acute to 2 weeks
Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) on stress and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Explore (NY) (2024) · Meta analysis · n=558
Significant effect on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (MD = -4.72, 95 % CI = [-8.45 to -0.99]).
Effects of Withania somnifera Extract in Chronically Stressed Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nutrients (2024) · Rct · n=131
8-week double-blind RCT in adults with self-reported high stress comparing an aqueous root and leaf extract at 125, 250 and 500 mg a day with placebo (131 enrolled, 98 analysed).
Plant-derived nootropics and human cognition: A systematic review
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition (2023) · Systematic review
Bacopa monnieri improves language, learning and memory.
Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology (2019) · Meta analysis · n=3964
65 RCTs and 25 non-randomised studies were reviewed, and 37 RCTs (3,964 participants) were pooled.
Efficacy of Silexan in patients with anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials.
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience (2023) · Meta analysis · n=1213
Five double-blind placebo-controlled trials of Silexan 80 mg/day for ten weeks in adult outpatients with subthreshold anxiety, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder or generalised anxiety disorder were pooled (n = 1,213).
Efficacy of Silexan in subthreshold anxiety: meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials.
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience (2019) · Meta analysis · n=697
Pooled individual patient data from three placebo-controlled trials in subthreshold anxiety (697 patients), Silexan 80 mg/day for 10 weeks.
The points come from one 8-week dose-comparison RCT of an aqueous root and leaf extract at 125, 250 or 500 mg a day against placebo in adults with self-reported high stress (PMID 38732539, 131 enrolled, 98 analysed). All three doses reduced perceived stress and were reported as safe, and the authors describe the effect as dose-dependent. The abstract gives no per-dose effect sizes, so the curve shows only that ordering, not how large each step is. It also does not show whether doses above 500 mg add more. Trials of other extracts (root-only extract at 600 mg a day, PMID 23439798, and a 240 mg extract, PMID 31517876) are not on this axis because milligrams of different extracts are not equivalent.
AI-estimated from published studies. Interpret as directional guidance.
Lavender has a higher evidence score (7.2/10 vs 7.5/10) and wins in 2 of 3 categories.
For reduce anxiety & stress, Ashwagandha has a higher relevance score (95 vs 90).
No documented interaction was found in the data searched. This does not establish that this exact combination is safe.
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The right pick depends on your goals. Answer a few quick questions for a personalised recommendation — or dig into the full evidence on each.