Astragalus

The ever-useful astragalus plant is scientifically known as astragalus membranaceus, but commonly known as Chinese milk vetch and Huang Qi. It is a native of Asia, where it is revered as one of the essential herbs in Chinese herbal medicine. Actually, only the root of the plant is revered-for the immunity-boosting affects of the root's sweet tonic. The process of harvesting four-year-old plants during the fall and then drying them appears to yield the most beneficial immunity-enhancing influences.

It is not surprising, then, that a well-known doctor of alternative medicine recommends that those prone to "bugs" take astragalus daily during the winter in order to build up their immune systems. As a result, the herb takers will be better able to resist colds. Even if a cold is able to get through the astragalus screen, it will likely be of short duration.

It has been found that while it wards off colds, it also increases stamina-a boon to athletes, but beneficial to everyone. (Who couldn't use more stamina?) In addition, it raises the number of white blood cells in those with chronic low-white-blood-cell counts.

Though available by itself, astragalus may also be blended with other herbs, such as Lomatium root, Pau D'Arco bark and Forsythia (Lin-Qiao) fruit to boost the benefits and minimize challenges that may occur while ingesting the herb alone. As with all nutritional supplements, make sure to check the label for dosage recommendations.
Some users who ingest the herb by itself may not tolerate it well. Taking astragalus as part of an herbal blend is a likely solution. Users should also make sure that their astragalus products are pure, not made up of fillers and flow agents, or the product may not be as effective. For the same reason, freshly harvested astragalus that has not been dried may result in less-than-optimal benefits.
Speaking of benefits, let us look at some more. This useful root tonic is also used in treating, helping, and/or preventing:
* High blood pressure and blood sugar levels
* Kidney ailments
* Allergies
* Senility
* Angina
* Cardiac function
* Cancer

The Chinese are right to place a high value on astragalus. Of course, they've known the benefits of this miraculous plant for thousands of years. Fortunately, now the rest of the world knows about them, too. Now all of us can start taking care of ourselves by taking advantage of the powerful benefits of astragalus.

Source:
Nutrition for a Living Planet, "Astragalus" at http://www.diet-and-health.net/Naturopathy/AstragalusMembranaceus.html

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