Astragalus is a little known herb in the West but it is used widely in Asia. Astragalus (its technical name is Astragalus Membranaceous) is a staple in Traditional Chinese Medicine. One of the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine is in taking preventative measures to prevent illness and disease.

Astragalus Root Tea can be consumed daily to increase overall vitality. Astragalus offers amazing health benefits for humans, so much so that biopharmaceutical companies are attempting to mimic the natural effects in new drugs.

How does Astragalus work?

Astragalus Root actually tells your body’s macrophages to multiply. Macrophages are large white blood cells. the primary function of these cells is to ingest foreign particles and infectious microorganisms. This can protect your body from disease.

Astragalus Root helps your body’s telomeres stay strong and viable. What are telomeres? Think of a chromosome as a shoelace. Telomeres are like the plastic part at the tip of a shoelace. Our chromosomes’ telomeres degrade and shorten as we age. Think of this as the tip of an old shoelace losing its plastic coating. If the telomere is shortened, chromosomes can split and fray.

This can lead to conditions in the body that are conducive to degenerative disease. A rule of thumb is that the shorter the telomere, the shorter the expected lifespan for the human.

Credit: University of Utah

The University of Utah is conducting interesting research around the fact that telomeres are one of the keys to aging and degenerative. Researchers believe that suspending the shortening and disappearance of telomeres can improve human life expectancy by 10 to 30 years. Richard Cawthon is particularly optimistic on the future of human life expectancy. He believes that by protecting telomeres and eliminating oxidative stress, we might one day reach 1,000 years of average life expectancy for humans. Imagine that…..

Benefits or Astragalus:

• Increased function of immune system
• Slowing of the aging process
• Protects the body from degenerative disease

Where to Get Astragalus:

I’ve had the benefit of having Danielle bring me astragalus root directly from China. Direct from Asia is best way to go but the most practical way is to  go to your local health food or herbs store. Can any readers recommend a reputable online resource that supplies high quality Chinese tea/herbs?

How much Astragalus Should You Consume?

• Take a pinch of Astragalus Root and put it in hot water. Drink this tea once or twice per day. It can be steeped multiple times.
• You can also consume Astragalus Extract through a capsule.
• You can also buy a powdered version of Astragalus. Frontier sells a bulk package on Amazon that I use 🙂

Astragalus Summary

Astragalus Root Tea is a perfect staple in your everyday routine. It’s also tasty — you can combine it with goji berries or honey if you prefer a sweeter taste. Astragalus isn’t sexy, the popular media has not yet heralded it as a Superfood. It’s not hyped and it has a “boring” English name but the benefits of taking Astragalus daily are truly amazing!