Herb library · Herb · Saraca asoca (syn. Saraca indica)
Ashoka
A flowering tree sacred in Indian tradition whose bark is a classic Ayurvedic remedy for women's complaints. There is no study of the bark on its own in people, and most bark sold in Indian markets was found not to be ashoka at all.
Traditional use
Dutt's 1877 compilation from Sanskrit medical works records that Hindu physicians used the bark for uterine complaints and especially heavy menstrual bleeding, as a decoction boiled in milk and taken in divided doses through the day, and in Asoka ghrita, a medicated ghee with aromatic herbs. He notes the tree is famed in Hindu tradition as the grove where Ravana held Sita. Today it is an ingredient in Ayurvedic products sold for heavy periods, such as syrups.
What studies show
No studies in people of this herb on its own yet. What is known of it comes from the traditions that use it.
- Insufficient
Heavy periods and other uses: no study of ashoka on its own in people was found. A 2023 review says more research is needed on its clinical properties and safety. A 2026 study of a syrup that contains ashoka among other ingredients had no placebo group and cannot show what ashoka itself does.
Be careful of
Cautions
- NoteThe wrong plant is common: a 2016 survey of bark bought from 25 shops, mostly in southern India, found that more than 80 percent of the samples were not ashoka but material from at least 7 other plant families. The tree is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, and scarce supply is one reason for the substitution.
- PregnancyNCCIH advises talking with your clinician before using Ayurvedic products while pregnant or nursing.
- NoteSome Ayurvedic preparations include metals. The FDA warns that this makes some Ayurvedic products potentially harmful, and a 2015 survey found high lead or mercury levels in some of the supplements tested.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“It is famed in Hindu mythology from the circumstance of Sita the wife of Rámchandra, having been confined by Rávana in a grove of asoka trees. The bark is much used by native physicians in uterine affections and especially in menorrhagia.”
Sources
- A comprehensive review on Saraca asoca (Fabaceae) - Historical perspective, traditional uses, biological activities, and conservation (2023) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- DNA barcoding and NMR spectroscopy-based assessment of species adulteration in the raw herbal trade of Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd, an important medicinal plant (2016) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Efficacy and safety of an Ayurvedic Menohelp syrup in the management of heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia): an open-label clinical study (2026) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
- Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth (opens in a new tab) · NCCIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.