LiverTox: Ashwagandha

Clinical resourceGovernment health research

Source type: Clinical resource
Access type: Official
Publisher: NIDDK LiverTox
Added: 2026-07-01

Trust profile

VV Source Trust Matrix v1.0

VV Source Trust Matrix v1.0 asks whether this source is trustworthy for the claim lane being used, not whether every possible claim from it is equally strong.

Government health research

Publisher type: Government research
Bias profile: Low

This source is strongest for safety and clinical outcomes and weaker for consumer context and regulatory status.

VV Source Fit Score 1.0

Fit by use case

Fit scores are role-specific. A source can be excellent for one claim lane and weak for another.

Frameworks ->

Regulatory status: 66/100; Context Source
Clinical outcomes: 90/100; Primary Anchor
Mechanism: 90/100; Primary Anchor
Safety: 92/100; Primary Anchor
Consumer context: 88/100; Strong Support
Trial discovery: 89/100; Strong Support

Best used for

Research synthesis
Public-health context
Safety resources

Weak for

Primary endpoint extraction when a study is available

Used in Viral Vitalism

Supporting evidencesignal3 references

Cortisol Is Real. The Internet Turned It Into a Boogeyman.

Roles: Supporting evidence

Show section-level references

Supporting evidencestudy1 reference

Roles: Supporting evidence

Show section-level references

LiverTox: Ashwagandha

Claim ledger

Claims supported

Reviewed claim cards that cite this source in the evidence graph.

supported91/100

cortisol: Adrenal fatigue is not a recognized medical diagnosis, and

Adrenal fatigue is not a recognized medical diagnosis, and no scientifically supported test can diagnose it.

Strong human evidence8 sources

partly supported87/100

cortisol: Puffy face or facial changes should not be self-diagnosed

Puffy face or facial changes should not be self-diagnosed as cortisol face from social media; true cortisol excess is a clinical condition requiring medical evaluation.

Expert context8 sources

partly supported87/100

cortisol: Adrenal support supplements are not automatically safe; some products

Adrenal support supplements are not automatically safe; some products marketed for adrenal support have been found to contain thyroid or steroid hormones.

Early human evidence8 sources

partly supported86/100

cortisol: Routine cortisol testing for vague wellness symptoms is often

Routine cortisol testing for vague wellness symptoms is often misleading; cortisol varies by timing and context and is most useful when a clinician suspects endocrine disease.

Expert context8 sources

partly supported80/100

cortisol: Coffee does not destroy adrenal glands; caffeine can affect

Coffee does not destroy adrenal glands; caffeine can affect alertness and stress physiology, but adrenal destruction is not the mechanism behind normal caffeine use.

Expert context8 sources

partly supported79/100

cortisol: Cortisol can relate to appetite, glucose, stress physiology, and

Cortisol can relate to appetite, glucose, stress physiology, and fat distribution, but cortisol belly is an over-simple explanation for body-fat changes.

Observational signal8 sources