|
| Astragalus has been used as an immunity booster in China for nearly 4,000 years. Like the American herb Echinacea, astragalus stimulates phagocytosis, or the production white blood cells, as well as the production of interferon, so that it has both anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Astragalus also helps to restore depleted red blood cells in the bone marrow.
According to herbalist Michael Tierra, author of Planetary Herbology, astragalus helps to support digestion, raise metabolism, strengthen the immune system, and promote wound healing. Historically, it has also been used to treat chronic weakness of the lungs, shortness of breath, low energy, prolapse of internal organs, spontaneous sweating, chronic lesions, and deficiency edema.
Typically, astragalus is used as an adaptogen to tonify and strengthen the immune system in the long term. But studies in the last ten years conducted by 6 American Cancer Institutes have shown that astragalus can be important in cancer treatment protocols. Astragalus does not directly affect cancer cells, rather it strengthens the immune system of cancer patients. In essence, it helps cancer patients in three ways: 1) by increasing the production of white blood cells. Research has shown that immune system response in cancer patients increases by 2 to 3 fold after taking astragalus. 2) Astragalus helps the immune system recover faster after chemotherapy and radiation treatments, both of which weaken the immune system. And 3) astragalus promotes adrenal cortical function, which also is critically diminished in cancer patients.
Copyright 2001 by Chip Engelmann
|
