Supplements of Astragalus

Astragalus comes from the root of a perennial plant of the pea family that grows in the northern and eastern parts of China, as well as in Mongolia and Korea. The root is usually harvested from plants of four years. The talus is the source of a popular medicine called huang qi that is available in any drugstore in China for use against colds, infections and other respiratory infections.

Astragalus is called an adaptogen, which means that it helps protect the body from stress and physical, mental, or emotional.

Astragalus is still widely used in China for the treatment of chronic hepatitis and as an adjunctive therapy for cancer and as a folk remedy or traditional for heart disease. Astragalus has also been promoted for the stimulation of the spleen, liver, lungs, circulatory system and urinary tract, helping to treat arthritis, asthma and conditions nerve and to lower the blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

Some of the scientific evidence started to suggest that astragalus, either alone or in combination with other herbs, can benefit the immune system, the heart and the liver and to be useful as a treatment for cancer when added to conventional methods. The national Center for complementary and alternative medicine (NCCAM) is sponsoring studies on the effects of astragalus on the body, in particular on the immune system.