Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceous

Astragalus is native to Northern China and the elevated regions of the Chinese provinces. The Chinese name huang qi translates as "yellow leader," referring to the yellow color of the root and its status as one of the most important tonic herbs. Traditional Chinese Medicine used this herb for night sweats, deficiency of chi (e.g., fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite), and diarrhea.

ADAPTOGENIC - Astragalus is a tonic herb and exerts anti-stress effects helping to build energy, strengthen digestion, improve memory, learning, and resistance to disease.
IMMUNE SUPPORT - Astragalus has been shown to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms in acute treatment of the common cold as well as raise white blood cell counts. Astragalus works by stimulating several factors of the immune system: phagocytic activity, interferon production, and natural killer cell activity, T-cell activity, and other anti viral mechanisms.
ANTI-VIRAL - Astragalus has anti-viral properties and has been shown to inhibit the replication of coxsackie B-3 virus, shown to a causative factor in myocarditis.
CARDIO-TONIC - Astragalus increases cardiac output in patients with angina pectoris. It has also been found to alleviate chest distress, improve left-ventricular function, and has therapeutic effects on sodium and water retention thus improving renal function.
DIGESTIVE FUNCTION - Astragalus strengthens the movement and muscle tone in the intestine, especially the jejunum, to increase overall gastro-intestinal function.
LIVER/KIDNEY PROTECTIVE - Extracts of astragalus have been shown to alleviate liver injury and protect hepatic cells from pathological changes. Astragalus has demonstrated positive effects in protecting the kidneys from acute renal injury.
CELL-PROTECTIVE - Astragalus appears particularly helpful in cases where the immune system has been damaged by chemicals or radiation e.g. chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The use of astragalus has been shown to fully correct T-cell function deficiency found in cancer patients. Astragalus injection supplemented with chemotherapy has been shown inhibit the development of tumor, decrease the toxic-adverse effect of chemotherapy, elevate the immune function and improve the quality of life in patients.

Dosage

400mg one to three times daily. Higher levels may be required in supporting certain cases.

Potential applications

The herb has been used for respiratory infections, immune depression, cancer, heart failure, viral infections e.g. herpes simplex, liver and kidney disease such as nephritis, and as a diuretic. In Chinese medicine astragalus has been used alone and in combination for liver fibrosis, acute viral myocarditis, heart failure, lung cancer, and amenorrhea.

Known contraindications

Caution should be taken with transplant patients and those with autoimmune disorders.

Interactions

Astragalus exerts fibrinolytic effects and so patients taking anticoagulants, antiplatelet, or anti-thrombotic agents should consult their physician.

Use in conjunction with

Immune support - Echinacea, Vitamin C, E, Zinc, Beta carotene
Stress - B complex, liquorice, vitamin C, Cal/mag/zinc

Note

Echinacea and Astragalus both exert broad spectrum effects on the immune system through slightly different mechanisms and are in many ways the prototypes for hundreds of immune supportive plants.

REFERENCES

Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr & Michael T. Murray. Textbook of Natural Medicine. Vol. 1. 2nd Edition. 1999
Simon Mills & Kerry Bone. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Modern Herbal Medicine. 2000.
PDR for Herbal Medicines. Second Edition. 2000
Melvyn R. Werbach & Michael T. Murray. Botanical Influences on Illness. A source book of clinical research. 1994

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