6 orange pumpkins placed around the backdrop with black bats and black and orange spiders on a grey background

10 fun facts you may not have known about Halloween!

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    1. Halloween was originally a Celtic festival called Samhain ("summers end") held around the 1st of November which was recognised with a feast to acknowledge the final day of fall harvest and spirits crossing over. The people of Ireland, UK and Northern France would light sacrificial bonfires, wearing customers to ward off ghosts as they believed during this time the veil between the living and the spirit world was at its thinnest.

    2. Trick or treating was originally known as 'guising' in medieval times of Scotland and Ireland. The young used to dress up in costumes and go from door-to-door looking for food or money in exchange for songs, poems or "tricks" they may perform.

    3. Jack-'o-lanterns came from the Irish! The story of the Jack-'o-lantern is believed to have come from an Irish man called "Stingy Jack" who was believed to have tricked the devil and was therefore not allowed into either heaven or hell. So, he spent his days wandering the earth, carrying a lantern, and went by the name, "Jack of the Lantern".

    4. Irish immigrants who fled the potato famine in their country in the 1840s brought over their Halloween traditions to America.

    5. Candy corn was originally called chicken feed!

    6. Single ladies during the 18th century used to devise plans to help them find a romantic match during Halloween. This involved bobbing for apples at parties, where the winner would marry first. Some women would throw apple peels over their shoulder hoping to see their future husbands initials in the pattern that landed no the ground, while others would stand in a dark room, holding a candle in front of a mirror hoping that their future husbands face would appear in the glass.

    7. Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in America, second to Christmas. In 2020, Americans spent over $8 billion for the holiday! 

    8. In the Irish culture there is a traditional Halloween bread called "barmbrack" or "brack". A sweet loaf containing dark and golden raisins, as well as a small hidden toy or ring. Tradition goes that the person who finds the item will come into good fortune in the year ahead.

    9. The state of Illinois, America produces more than 500 million pounds (22679618510 kilograms) of pumpkins annually! The farms of Illinois have more than 15,000 acres devoted to growing these pumpkins!

    10. Harry Houdini, the famous magician and illusionist died from peritonitis, caused by a ruptured appendix on Halloween in 1926!

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    What It Actually Does

    Ashwagandha is classified as an adaptogen - a substance that helps the body adapt to physical and psychological stress. But that description undersells the specificity of the evidence.

    In peer-reviewed clinical trials, ashwagandha root extract has been shown to:

    01

    Reduce serum cortisol levels significantly in adults under chronic stress

    02

    Support testosterone levels and muscle recovery in resistance-trained adults

    03

    Improve subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and wellbeing

    04

    Improve subjective measures of stress, anxiety, and wellbeing

    05

    Improve sleep quality and reduce time to sleep onset

    Why The Form Matters

    Here is where most supplement labels become misleading.
    The clinical trials that produced the evidence above didn't use generic ashwagandha root powder. They used standardised, patented extracts - specifically KSM-66® and Sensoril®, both of which are produced from roots using proprietary extraction methods that concentrate the active withanolides to a consistent, clinically meaningful level.
    Generic ashwagandha powder can contain anywhere from 1% to 8% withanolides. KSM-66® is standardised to a minimum of 5% withanolides with a full-spectrum root extract, which means it retains the natural balance of the plant's compounds rather than isolating one component.
    When you buy a supplement that says "ashwagandha" without specifying the extract form, you have no way of knowing whether it contains enough active compounds to do anything at all.
    At Arise, we use KSM-66® in every formula that contains ashwagandha. It's more expensive. It's worth it.

    Third-party Testing

    Supplements are not regulated the same way pharmaceuticals are. In most markets, a supplement company can put almost anything in a capsule and make almost any claim about it, as long as they don't claim to treat a specific disease.
    This is why third-party testing matters. It means an independent laboratory - one with no financial relationship to the supplement company - has tested the product to verify that:

    1. The ingredients listed are actually present
    2. They're present at the stated concentrations
    3. The product doesn't contain contaminants, heavy metals, or undisclosed substances

    Look for: NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, or USP Verified certification on any supplement you take. These are the most rigorous third-party standards available.
    Every Arise formula is third-party tested before it reaches you. The results are available on request.

    The Honest Bottom Line

    Ashwagandha works. The evidence is genuinely strong. But the quality of the extract determines the quality of the outcome — and most of what's available on the market doesn't use the forms that the clinical research actually studied.
    Read the label. Ask for the extract form. Expect a specific answer.