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| of immuno-competent cells. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is often simmered in chicken soup along with other herbs to make a medicinal tonic soup. Astragalus soups are very pleasant-tasting, since astragalus has a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Put a few slices of the root into a pot of soup and simmer for awhile. The longer the soup is simmered, the more benefit from the astragalus. When the soup is done, remove the root slices since they are too tough to eat. This is an excellent way to help family members get through the cold and flu season without getting sick. They won't even suspect that astragalus has been added to the soup. In Oriental medicine, astragalus root is said to stimulate the wei chi or protective energy; roughly what we would call the immunity. Astragalus is also superb as an ingredient in cough syrup. |
| Astragalus is most commonly sold in thin slices of the dried taproot. Extracts, tinctures and encapsulated astragalus products are also widely available. Astragalus roots can be found in any Chinatown or in your local natural food store. |
| In one of the most impressive studies done with astragalus, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston found that astragalus extracts could completely restore the function of compromised immune cells taken from the blood of human cancer patients. This stellar research showed that when damaged immune cells were stimulated by astragalus, they could equal and even surpass the function of cells from healthy humans. Another Chinese study showed that frequency and duration of the common cold could be reduced from 4.6 days to an average of 2.6 days. At the National Cancer Institute, astragalus was found to restore the immune system in 90 percent of cancer patients. |
| Five to fifteen grams per day of the herb is an average dose, and a decoction is the recommended preparation |
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