Ashwagandha extract grades explained: withanolide percentages and what to ask for
By PuraVida Natural · 25 September 2026
Ashwagandha extract is sold by withanolide content, commonly 1.5%, 2.5%, 5% or 10%. A higher percentage means more of the marker compound per gram, not automatically a better product. Ask which plant part was used, which test method measured the withanolides, and for the batch certificate of analysis.
What the percentage means
Withanolides are the group of active compounds used as the quality marker for ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). A grade of 5% means the extract is standardised so that about 5% of its weight is withanolides.
Because the marker is measured, two suppliers can both sell "5%" and still differ in how it was measured and what else is in the powder.
Common grades
Grades in the market include:
- 1.5% to 2.5%: the traditional strength, often from the root, common in general wellness capsules and powders.
- 5%: a widely used middle grade for tablets and capsules where the dose needs to stay small.
- 10% and above: concentrated grades; check the test method, because a very high figure by UV can read differently from the same material by HPLC.
Root or leaf
Traditional use centres on the root. Some extracts include leaf, which changes the withanolide profile. Ask which part was used and make sure it matches what your product label and your market's rules say.
Five things to ask any supplier
- Which plant part, and is it root only?
- Which method measured the withanolides (HPLC or UV), and against which reference standard?
- Can I see the certificate of analysis for the batch I will receive?
- What is the carrier or excipient, if any (for example maltodextrin)?
- What are the heavy-metal, pesticide and microbial limits for the batch?