Astragalus is an adaptogen, or tonifying herb, that is of high importance in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
It contains hundreds of active compounds, (R) and broadly fights inflammatory disease in the heart, brain, kidney, liver, lung, and intestines. (R)
In addition to powerfully fighting inflammation, it also boasts high antioxidant activity and modulates the immune system in complex ways. (R)
Read on to learn if this mighty herb is suited to your health goals.
The Astragalus I use
NOW Supplements Astragalus (Amazon)
Dosing/How to Take
Studies on astragalus use doses in the range of 10-200mg per kilogram of body weight. (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5)
As an example, if you weigh 150lbs, or 68 kilos, that would give a dosage range of 680mg-13.6gms a day.
One metastudy concluded that we don’t really know what the ideal astragalus dose is; it depends on the user’s age and health. (R)
We know that doses toward the higher end have especially potent effects on the immune system.
Astragalus is stimulating and should be taken in the morning. Start low and increase slowly, watching for insomnia. As I learned the hard way, starting with a high dose may induce nausea and is just not viable.
Contraindications
Researchers caution against pregnant or nursing women taking astragalus.
Very high doses of astragalus suppress the immune system, so those on immune-suppressing drugs should be cautious when using it.
Those with autoimmune disorders, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, should not take astragalus either. (R) High doses of astragalus increase activity of immune cells involved in autoimmunity (Th17 cells). (R)
Astragalus boosts the immune system
Astragalus broadly boosts the immune system’s response to vaccines, making them more effective. (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6)
It improves immunity both within cells and outside them, such as the blood. (R1, R2, R3)
Astragalus improves cellular immunity by boosting the production and fighting power of natural killer, or NK cells. (R) It also increases production of T cells (R) and activity of macrophages. (R1, R2)
In aged or toxically stressed animals, astragalus increased the size of the thymus and spleen, which produce and store immune cells. (R1, R2)
Astragalus as an antioxidant
Astragalus reduces oxidative stress in the brain. (R)
It increases levels of the antioxidants the body produces, such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase, while reducing markers of oxidative stress (i.e. MDA and reactive oxygen species). (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16)
Part of astragalus’ antioxidant action involves pulling iron and copper out of the body, which would otherwise create oxidative stress. (R1, R2)
Astragalus fights oxidative stress (nitric oxide and iNOS) that endotoxins (parts of bacteria) produce. (R1, R2, R3, R4)
Astragalus fights allergy
An animal study of asthma found that astragalus strongly fights mucus and reduces inflammation associated with the immune cells eosiniphils and neutrophils in airways. (R)
Astragalus shifts the immune system away from producing Th2 cells, or T helper 2 cells, the immune cells behind allergy. (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5)
In doing so, it strengthens immune responses to infections within cells – eg, herpes. (R)
It also reduces counts of immunoglobulin E (IgE), (R) a key antibody in the allergic response. (R)
Astragalus fights aging
Astragalus delayed aging in rats, probably via its antioxidant action and its effects on the immune system. (R)
In another animal study, astragalus reversed aging-induced changes in motor responses and memory. (R)
Astragalus protects the aging brain from loss of receptors found in neurons. (R)
Astragalus protects the brain
In animals with diabetes, astragalus resolved memory loss while improving fasting glucose, insulin, and other diabetes markers. (R)
Astragalus also reversed memory and learning issues in animals caused by injury, poor blood flow to the brain, and amyloid proteins, additionally preventing cell death in the case of injury. (R1, R2, R3, R4)
Astragalus protected the brains of animals from losing axons and synapses in the brain due to amyloid proteins. (R)
Amyloid proteins are linked with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. (R)
Astragalus prevents death of neurons via a process called excitoxicity, (R1, R2, R3, R4) where the brain’s stimulating neurotransmitters overwhelm cells. (R)
Studies show that astragalus prevents activation of the brain’s immune system, which may make it useful in treating inflammation of the brain (R1, R2, R3).
Astragalus is anti-inflammatory
Astragalus prevents expression of most inflammatory proteins and enzymes, including IL-1β, iNOS, MCP-1, IL-6, CD11c, (R) IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-alpha. (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7)
Astragalus protects against sun damage
Astragalus reduces the hit to collagen (the protein which produces wrinkles by degrading with age [R]) with sun or UV exposure.
It does this by preventing expression of an enzyme called MMP-1 and improving communication among proteins called TGF-beta and Smad. (R1, R2)
Astragalus also prevents inflammation caused by sun exposure by inhibiting the key protein complex NF-kB and the enzyme MAPK. (R)
Astragalus improves cell function
Astragalus prevents cell death by affecting the way potassium and calcium flow into and out of cells. (R1, R2, R3)
It improves the function of mitochondria strained by low oxygen/low glucose conditions, (R1, R2) as well as those exposed to amyloid proteins. (R)
Astragalus’ antioxidant action also protects mitochondria. (R)
It also aids in the production of ATP, (R) which is your cells’ energy currency.
Miscellaneous
Astragalus improved endurance in animals with chronic fatigue and corrected shifts in the animals’ immune systems. (R)
An animal study found that astragalus increased HDL cholesterol, lowered total and LDL cholesterol, and decreased fatty streaks on aorta. (R)
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