Astragalus is an immune booster that has many benefits. It can help fight off infection, boost energy, and improve overall health. Athletes, people who work in close contact with others, and anyone looking for an easy way to improve their immunity should consider adding astragalus to their daily routine.
Astragalus is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine for millennia.
Traditionally, it was used to treat wounds, anemia, fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite.
Today astragalus is commonly used to support immune health - and for good reason! Research shows that it has strong immune-health supporting benefits.
In this article, we will look at astragalus and its various health benefits.
Astragalus Benefits
Astragalus offers several different health benefits, in fact, some people even consider it to be an adaptogenic herb due to its ability to support the body in many different ways.
The majority of the scientific research on this plant has been conducted using test-tube or animal studies. However, there are a handful of human clinical trials, the gold standard when it comes to medical research, that have looked at the benefits of astragalus.
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1. Immune Support
Astragalus has been shown to support the immune system via its immunoregulatory properties.
Research suggests that astragalus can help to increase macrophage activity. Macrophages are immune cells that play a key role in the innate immune system. Your body's innate immunity is your immune system's quick response team, it works to quickly attack and destroy invading pathogens.
One study found that astragalus has significant immunological activity in the body, which is key for maintaining a healthy immune system.
A lab study revealed that astragalus has anti-influenza virus activity. This anti-viral property could provide a major benefit for those looking to boost immune health.
Astragalus has also been found to be helpful against Epstein-Barr virus in a lab-based study.
If you're looking to support your immune health, adding Astragalus to your diet is a smart choice.
2. May Support Heart Health
Astragalus has been extensively studied for its ability to support heart health.
Research indicates that astragalus may be able to support heart health through its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
Most of the clinical research on astragalus and heart health has been conducted in China. In these studies, a traditional patented form of astragalus is administered via an IV drip.
A meta-analysis of astragalus and heart health, which involved over 2,522 participants across 28 clinical trials, found that astragalus significantly reduced serum myocardial enzymes and cardiac troponin I levels and improved clinical treatment efficiency compared with the control group.
The researchers noted that astragalus was found to be safe across all of the various trials.
If you're looking to support your heart health, consider Astragalus.
3. May Have Anti-Cancer Properties
In recent years, Astragalus has been studied in the laboratory for its potential anti-cancer properties.
Over 20 different studies have looked at astragalus and its potential for helping fight against cancer in recent years.
It's thought that astragalus works by increasing the body's immune response to cancer cells.
Additionally, a clinical trial involving 120 individuals found that astragalus helped to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Researchers noted that it also helped to reduce the toxicity of the treatment.
According to researchers, astragalus may halt tumor development, minimize chemotherapy's toxic-adverse effect, boost immunity levels and enhance patients' quality of life when combined with chemotherapy.
Although it's too early to tell, it appears that taking Astragalus may help to benefit your body at a cellular level.
4. Healthy Aging
According to research, astragalus helps the body to age healthily due to its high antioxidant content.
Antioxidants are thought to help reduce free radical damage. Research shows that free radicals (i.e. unstable molecules) in the body can break down healthy cells, which accelerates the aging process.
Astragalus has potent antioxidant qualities that may contribute to its role in promoting healthy aging.
A lab study found that astragalus and angelica (Angelica sinensis) combine to offer antioxidant protection, as well as the ability to scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and chelate iron ions.
Another in vitro study found that astragalus increases superoxide dismutase, the body's front line defense against reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the researchers found that it blocks the production of malondialdehyde, a reactive molecule that is used as a marker for oxidative stress.
An animal study found that astragalus helped to improve glutathione and total antioxidant capacity. This is a key finding since glutathione is the body's master antioxidant.
Thus, it appears that astragalus is helpful if you are looking to age well.
How to Add Astragalus to Your Diet
Adding astragalus to your diet appears to be a no-brainer, based on the variety of health benefits listed above.
So what is the best way to add this herb to your life?
The best way is by buying dried astragalus root. You can either but it as a powder that can be added to your morning smoothie, or you can get an encapsulated version of it.
Taking it as a daily supplement helps to ensure that you help to build your body's immune defenses.
At Earth Fed Muscle, we include Astragalus in our Earth Fed Armor formula. This immune formula contains the ingredients you need for daily immune support, including:
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Vitamin D3
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Vitamin C
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Zinc
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Elderberry
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and more!
Earth Fed Armor is the only immune support supplement that you need to build your body's daily immunity.
We include an organic 10:1 extract of Astragalus in Earth Fed Armor, this means that you get 10 times the amount of astragalus in just a few small capsules.
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Conclusion
Research shows that astragalus provides a variety of health benefits, especially for immune health.
It also appears that this herb has strong antioxidant properties.
It’s worth looking into astragalus if you are needing support in any of these areas.
Here at Earth Fed Muscle, we include Astragalus in our Earth Fed Armor immune formula. This daily booster is designed to provide your body with the immune-boosting nutrients that it needs on a daily basis.
As always, make sure to consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet or adding a new supplement.
Have you tried astragalus before? What's your favorite way to include this herb in your diet?
By Daniel Powers
Daniel has a master's degree in herbal science from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. He's the founder of The Botanical Institute, where he writes about health and herbs.