The winter cherry, scientifically known as Withania somnifera, is an excellent medicine when it is used under medical supervision or in small quantities. It is a very strong drug and hence it is recommended to only consume about 50-250 mg of the winter cherry. The winter cherry juice is extracted from the roots of the winter cherry and is used to treat several conditions in people: it helps you to ease anxiety, it works to improve a depressed mood due to stress, and also reduces nervous tension in people. The usage of the winter cherry promotes relaxation in a person and also helps you maintain a healthy neurological functioning within yourself. As with any drug, there are side effects to its usage. However, these are mild and can easily be averted with proper care. Winter cherry must be only taken by adults as there are no clinical trials to support its use by children. Also, there is no research conducted on how pregnancy could be affected by consumption of the winter cherry. Here are a few side effects that accompany the winter cherry:
Over dosage can cause over stimulation
Taking adequate amount of the juice of the winter cherry can help you stimulate your nervous system and indeed make you feel energetic. However, the quantity of winter cherry juice to be safely consumed could differ as per your gender, age as well as the weight of a person. It is of paramount importance that you consult a medical practitioner before taking the winter cherry juice on a regular basis. Most average grown ups can take up to 200 mg of the winter cherry safely. It is advisable to take this during the early hours of the day so that the energy can be utilized effectively. At times, there could be over stimulation as a result of over consumption of the winter cherry. This will be a short term effect and this will wear off in a couple of hours. If its stimulating effect makes it difficult to sleep at night, you should reduce the dosage or even discontinue use for a few days.
Nausea
People react differently to various things. This is because every individual is built differently. This is one important criteria that one must keep in mind while taking winter cherry juice. The winter cherry juice can create a general discomfort in the upper stomach. It could also make you nauseous. Most women in their early thirties or who are middle aged have such a reaction to this drug. Nausea and vomiting are a result of consuming more winter cherry juice than your body can absorb at one time. Also, if you have taken the winter cherry juice with an empty stomach, it could make you nauseous. It is advisable to avoid taking the juice of the winter cherry while traveling as it could stimulate your body and create unease while traveling. The nauseous sensation is temporary and would not last for more than an hour or two. You should stop its consumption for a day or two before resuming taking a lesser dose of the winter cherry juice. If this condition persists, it is advisable to consult a doctor and treat it with the relevant medication.
Drowsiness
Feeling sleepy or tired is termed as drowsiness. The juice of winter cherry is a remedy to sleeplessness, however, at times it could cause drowsiness in a person. This could vary from person to person as the reaction of your body to a certain amount of winter cherry juice could depend upon your age, weight as well as the time of the day when it is being taken. Also, there could be a sense of lethargy, lack of mental agility and weakness if large quantities of the winter cherry juice are consumed at one time. This is a side effect that is seen in both men as well as women. But, this condition remains on an individual for a very short duration, of about less than an hour or so, hence this is considered to be a mild side effect of the very useful winter cherry. Since this is easily procurable in most locations in the world, the juice of the winter cherry can be used to treat small ailments.
Gastrointestinal discomfort
Consuming winter cherry juice can sometimes have an adverse effect on a person. This is due to specific allergy that an individual may have to the winter cherry. If you notice any such gastrointestinal discomfort or pain, the juice of the winter cherry should be immediately discontinued, no food should be partaken and you should immediately consult a doctor. It is vital to be attentive to the language of your body as every drug may not be acceptable in the same manner to every individual. However, there are no major repercussions of consumption of the juice of winter cherry. This condition can be cured by taking the necessary medication and by discontinuing the use of this drug. This side effect of the winter cherry juice is not gender specific and it could also affect people of all age groups.
Adverse reactions
The winter cherry can cause allergic reactions to some people. You should be careful to consult a medical practitioner in the event of an allergic reaction. Research shows that children are more prone to allergic reactions and hence it is better to avoid giving children and teenagers a dose of winter cherry. If you have a rashes or skin irritation, you should discontinue use and consult a doctor. Also, if you are on a prescription of benzodiazepines, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or certain serotonin reuptake inhibitors, you should avoid taking winter cherry juice as it could prove harmful.
Thyrotoxicosis
Thyrotoxicosis refers to hyper-metabolic clinical syndrome which results from the serum elevations in your thyroid hormone levels, mainly free thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Continued usage of the winter cherry juice can lead to thyrotoxicosis as it can lead to over stimulation of the thyroid gland in your body. However, this is a very rare case and it may occur in about 1 out of 10 cases of people who use juice of the winter cherry. If you use winter cherry juice on a routine basis, it is safe to get a medical checkup done on a regular basis. This is just to rule out any possibilities of increased thyroxine levels in your body.
Diarrhea
Continued usage of the juice of the winter cherry could lead to mild stomach pain and even diarrhea in some cases. This could be due to over dosage as your body can not generally absorb more than 250 mg of the juice of the winter cherry. If you are suffering from diarrhea, you should discontinue its use and contact a doctor in order to treat the condition at the earliest. Delay could lead to dehydration and general weakness in a person. The winter cherry juice creates a lot of heat in the body, as there is increased metabolism. Hence, it is essential to consume a lot of fluids and keep the body hydrated. Most men are prone to having diarrhea due to the winter cherry consumption as they do not generally hydrate themselves enough.
Aggravates acute illnesses
If you are suffering from any acute illness such as tuberculosis, cancer, etc., it is not advisable to consume the juice of the winter cherry. Taking winter cherry juice to stimulate yourself, could cause complications and hence it is not appropriate to administer its juice to patients who have a serious medical condition. Most doctors would suggest an overall medical checkup before you begin a routine dosage of the juice of the winter cherry.
Stops lactation
Although there isn’t much data to prove the same, it is believed that consumption of the juice of winter cherry can pose a threat to pregnant women and also affect lactation in nursing mothers. There are no clinical trials conducted in this area, and thus it is best to avoid exposure to the winter cherry if you are a nursing mother or going through your pregnancy tenure. Most women in the age group of 25-40 do not prefer using this drug, as it is believed that it could lead to complications in child birth. If you are under a dosage of the winter cherry juice and are nursing an infant, it is advisable to discontinue usage and consult a gynecologist.
