Chinese Herbs For Immunity

The traditions of Chinese Traditional Medicine (TCM) date back more than 2000 years. Practitioners use hundreds of herbal formulations derived from plant, animal and mineral substances to treat a wide range of human diseases from asthma to zygomycosis. Many TCM herbs have been studied to both verify and classify their health benefits, with many showing particular promise for boosting immunity.

Astragalus

Astragalus is one of the herbs used in TCM, throughout its long history, to strengthen the body against disease. Researchers in the United States have studied astragalus as a potential therapy for people with immune systems compromised by chemotherapy or radiation, and found that it speeds recovery and extends life expectancy, according to the University of Maryland Health Center.

Bing De Ling

In a study published in the "Journal of DNA and Cell Biology" in 2000, researchers studied a Chinese herbal formula called Bing De Ling, composed of astralagus root, rhubarb root and white atractylodes. They found that mice fed the herbal solution showed significant increases in immune response indicators, affecting general cellular immunological stimulation better than in previous single-herb studies.

Lycium Barbarum

Lycium barbarum, more commonly known as wolfberry or goji berry, produces a fruit known for its powerful antioxidant properties and potential benefits for cardiovascular disease and inflammation. In 2009, an issue of "The Journal of Medicinal Food" reported on a double-blind study testing L. barbarum fruit juice to measure any immune-boosting effects. Patients given the equivalent of 150 g of fresh fruit for 30 days showed a statistically significant increase in the number of lymphocyte immune cells and levels of interleukin-2 and immunoglobulin G, both enzymes important to a healthy immune response.

Sweet Basil

Ocimum basilicum, commonly known as sweet basil, is used frequently by TCM practitioners. A study at Taiwan's Kaohsiung Medical University in 2005 published in the journal "Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology" investigated the effects of sweet basil extracts against herpes viruses, adenoviruses including hepatitis B, RNA and an enterovirus. They discovered that the extracts and their components, namely apigenin, linalool and ursolic acid, exhibited a broad spectrum of antiviral activity in vitro.

Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook

Tripterygium wilfordii hook is a vine that grows in Southern China and has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis by traditional Chinese practitioners. Two studies at Sanford University published in the "Journal of Biological Chemistry" in 1999 looked at the immunosuppressant properties of a pure preparation of triptolide, the active compound within the plant, to see how well it could rein in the cells of the immune system that attack other cells of the body as happens with autoimmune diseases. They found that not only is the triptolide extract from the plant more potent than traditional immunosuppressants like cyclosporin, but it also killed cancer cells in vitro.