The National Center for Drug Documentation and Information (CENADIM in Spanish) has published a news item related to the risk of liver damage from consuming ashwagandha.
“In September 2023, the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center (Lareb) reported cases of liver toxicity associated with products containing Withania somnifera (L.) Dunai, commonly known as “ashwagandha” or “Indian ginseng.” In June 2025, Lareb updated the information with new reports of liver damage associated with the use of ashwagandha received up to that date.
Ashwagandha is a plant that has been used in traditional Indian medicine for thousands of years. It is said to promote better sleep and have beneficial effects against physical and mental stress. In the Netherlands, products containing ashwagandha are classified as dietary supplements and therefore do not require the pre-marketing authorization required for medicines”.
In Peru, there are current health records for pharmaceutical products containing ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as a dietary supplement and natural product in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, chewable gel, and gummies, which are sold over the counter without a prescription.
Healthcare professionals are urged to report any suspected adverse reactions related to the use of products containing ashwagandha to the Peruvian Pharmacovigilance and Technovigilance System through NotiMED (https://vigiflow-eforms.who-umc.org/pe/sra).
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