Astragalus: One of the Key Ingredients to a Healthy Prostate

January 24, 2017Dr. Susana TrujilloEdit

Astragalus Root Extract

(Astragalus membranaceus)

For over forty centuries, the antipathogenic, healing medicinal herb called astragalus has been caught our attention as a natural remedial tonic.

Astragalus membranaceus

Astragalus (pictured) is a thorny shrub that can grow to approximately three feet in height. A native plant of Northern China and the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, it can also be found growing in Mongolia, Japan, and Korea. You will often see it flourish in open wooded areas, alongside the edges of forests  or in the grasslands. Each branch can have anywhere from 8 to 12 pairs of leaves, although it is the root that is mainly used in medicines. This little member of the pea family is usually four or five years old when harvested, and it is thought that harvesting at the wrong times can be detrimental to the concentrations of active ingredients within. Among over 1750 species within the genus, Astragalus membranaceus is most commonly utilized, although we may also hear of  A. trigonus and A. gummifera on occasion.

A staple of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is a sweet and warming herb that is said to help the lung, spleen and heart. If you’re prone to viral infections or have slow healing wounds,  decreased appetite, fever, uterine prolapse/bleeding, edema, muscle pain, diabetes, and uterine, ovarian, or colon cancers, this plant can be your godsend. TCM tonics will often include astragalus in combination with ginseng, angelica, or licorice. Nowadays it is recommended for weak immune systems, fatigue, or general health management.

Astragalus root

For those of you who crack under stress, astragalus can be your tool to adapt to stress. If you’re fatigued, you can get back your energy, and if your body is having trouble fighting infections, these roots can boost your immune system. Astragalus also has antioxidant effects. This herb has a wide range of benefits, so I hope this post encourages you to look more into adding it to your diet.

The Main Components in Astragalus

The components that make Astragalus such an incredible a health boosting plant are saponins, flavonoids and polysaccharides, among others.

The astragalus root is the part that contains saponins, which can help you urinate, prevent inflammation, reduce hypertension, lower cholesterol, and overall boost the immune system.

And fun fact, Astragalus contains about 22 flavones, which provide health benefits via cell signaling.  These flavones also demonstrate antioxidative qualities and can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and immunodeficiency viruses.

Investigations about natural remedies have recently been taking root. Speaking of roots, the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus, one of the most popular health-promoting herbal medicines, has been used historically to treat the common cold, diarrhea, fatigue, and anorexia for more than twenty centuries. Experiments have discovered that the polysaccharide in the root of A. membranaceus are linked to benefits such as immunomodulation, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-diabetes, antiviral, hepatoprotection, anti-inflammation, anti-atherosclerosis, hematopoiesis, and neuroprotection.

The Health Benefits of Astragalus

Here is a brief list to break down more potential benefits from consuming astragalus:
1. Support the prostate and relieve prostate symptoms in conjunction with soybeans
2. Enhance the immune system and offer protection against the cold and the flu
3. Excellent anti-inflammatory properties
4. Excellent antioxidant action
5. May provide kidney support
6. May provide anti-aging effects
7. Heal wounds and reduce scarring
8. May alleviate symptoms associated with chemotherapy

With such a wide range of benefits, why wait any longer to tap into the power of astragalus?

Men’s Health: Natural Health Approaches for Better Prostate Health (BPH)

Are you taking enough responsibility for your health in our stressful world? Only you can make the effort to learn about how to proactively optimize your health and overcome any future health complications. This post’s main focus is on the benefits of using astragalus and soybean for the benefit of prostate and hormonal health. But first, I will elaborate on the medical studies that have been done related to these natural remedies. I will equip you with the knowledge to understand you can prevent or combat certain conditions.

There are medications and treatments prescribed by your physician and then there are naturopathic remedies that are not often in the limelight as much as the former. However, medical research is making strides to discover the benefits of complementary health treatments that have been used traditionally by our ancestors before the dawn of modern science. This means science can tap into the remedial effects of herbs, natural ingredients and the like on certain health conditions.  If you want to implement natural remedies that have been scientifically proven effective by research, then keep reading further. Let’s say you want to maintain a healthy prostate. In that case, taking clinically tested natural supplements might be worth looking into.

Do you or someone you know consume products containing soybeans? Consuming soybeans (Glycine max) is a great way to maintain one’s health. To elaborate, soybeans could be beneficial for prostate health, hormonal health and fighting cancer and osteoporosis, not to mention they contain vital nutrients (i.e. proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates). As a matter of fact,  a component of soybeans, isoflavones, is being researched intensively. The motives behind this trend are soy foods’ potential connections in reducing heart disease, osteoporosis and prostate and ovarian cancers. On the other hand, some argue soy food consumption is linked to unbeneficial effects based on studies  done on animals. In this and future posts, I would like to address the relationship between soy and the risk for chronic diseases, give my readers healthy recommendations for optimal health, and discuss potential downsides to certain treatments. Unless you are allergic to soy, the verdict seems to be that soy should be a staple in maintaining overall good health.

Did you know that the root of the astragalus plant (Astragalus membranaceus) is good for fatigue and strengthening immune health? This plant has been traditionally used for its aforementioned properties around the globe.  Knowing this, astragalus could be a great help for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Research has shown that astragalus can help improve prostate health, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), urinary issues, male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia), acne, hormone balance, aid polycystic syndrome, aid those with diabetes, prevent osteoporosis and, of course, improve Quality of Life.

When put together, astragalus and soybean become an incredible tag team with healing properties. I want to tell you more about the synergy behind these two ingredients, but you do not have to simply take my word for it, because the claims about these ingredients are backed by  in-depth medical research. I would like to stress that these two immune-enhancing ingredients can offer a solution to health concerns related to prostate health, a major but often unaddressed topic among men. This blog is intended to provide you with information and other natural, alternative methods to encourage a healthier lifestyle, so I hope you keep on reading!