Traditional medical practitioners in South Africa frequently prescribe ashwagandha extracts to treat gonorrhea. A sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhea, it can lead to more serious conditions such as prostatitis in men and pelvic inflammatory disease in women.22
Lab studies lend scientific support to ashwagandha's antibacterial effects against gonorrhea. Water extracts from the plant at 10 mg/ml potency completely blocked the growth of the gram negative bacteria that cause gonorrhea.22