Astragalus has been used historically in traditional Chinese medicine, typically along with other herbs such as ginseng, angelica and licorice, to stimulate and strengthen the immune system. The root of the astragalus plant can be ingested in a variety of forms, including broth, tea, extract, tincture or capsules. Research supports the use of astragalus for its immune-boosting properties, protective function on the kidneys, and its ability to keep certain kinds of tumors from spreading.
Immune System
In research published in 2007 in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," researchers demonstrated that astragalus has the capability of regulating and restoring immune function, both in petri dishes and in animal subjects. Sloan Kettering notes that astragalus has been shown in studies to work by stimulating several components of the immune system, including heightening lymphocyte response, enhancing the action of natural killer cells, and by increasing the power of monocytes. Astragalus also increases the destruction of dead and foreign cells. In vitro studies at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center found that astragalus improved the cell-killing ability of the immune system drug interleukin-2 by helping the body's own cells to function more effectively.
Cancer Treatment
Chinese researchers William C.S. Choa and Kwok N. Leung knew that astragalus had already been shown to be able to restore reduced T cell functions in cancer patients, but they wanted to further investigate the anti-cancer potential of astragalus. In a 2007 study, they were able to demonstrate that astragalus could inhibit or suppress cancer cell growth and multiplication in certain kinds of tumors. They were able to document this both in vitro and in vivo and theorized that the efficacy may be partially due to an activation of the host's own cancer-fighting abilities. According to Sloan Kettering, astragalus has been shown to inhibit tumor growth, delay chemically-induced liver cancer in rats, and reduce immune suppression, which is a side effect of chemotherapy. In regard to the use of astragalus in the treatment of liver cancer, Sloan Kettering says, "Conclusions from a meta-analysis suggest benefits of astragalus-based treatments for hepatocellular cancers, but data need to be evaluated in larger, well designed trials."
Kidney Health
A Chinese study published in "Chinese Medical Journal" in 2002 demonstrated that astragalus, when used in combination with angelica, has protective effects on the kidney by changing the way certain genes are expressed. In 2007, doctors at Loyola Medical Center reported that a woman with kidney disease who was unresponsive to traditional therapy was able to reverse symptoms when prescribed astragalus by a Chinese medicine doctor she saw. When the astragalus was withdrawn, symptoms of kidney disease returned. When astragalus was reintroduced, doctors reported a second remission.
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