Is it better to take ashwagandha in the morning or in the evening?

Before you think about the best timing, something more important first: several regulators advise against ashwagandha. The Dutch RIVM warned against it in 2024, especially during pregnancy, because of possible liver, thyroid and adrenal problems. Denmark banned ashwagandha in food supplements in 2023 because no safe intake could be established, and France and Sweden impose restrictions. At EU level a procedure (Article 8) is also under way that could lead to a broader ban. Anyone who uses it is therefore going against the advice of these authorities.

As for the question itself: no study has directly compared morning versus evening intake of ashwagandha. There is therefore no scientific basis for a preference on timing.

What the studies do show is that ashwagandha has demonstrable effects on stress hormones, sleep and hormone levels, regardless of timing. At a dose of 240 mg per day, morning cortisol (the stress hormone that peaks in the morning) decreased significantly after 60 days. At 600 mg per day, sleep quality and recovery improved in female athletes after 28 days. And a standardised extract produced higher DHEA-S and testosterone levels in older men after 8 weeks. In all of these studies, the timing of intake was not an investigated variable.

From a practical standpoint: if you choose to use it despite the warnings, it is not known whether you benefit more in the morning or the evening, because no study included timing as a factor. In that case choose the moment at which you are best able to keep up consistent use. Some people take it in the evening because of its calming effect, but that too is not supported by direct comparative studies.