Astragalus is a herb that is well recognized for it’s immune boosting benefits and David Christopher, one of the experts on Immune Defense Summit, shares that it’s his favorite herb for protecting the immune system.
We know the immune system plays a role in anxiety and depression. I’m sure you’ve heard the term psychoneuroimmunology: the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body. So I went searching to see if this herb has any evidence for reducing anxiety and I wasn’t disappointed
It was encouraging to discover very recent research that supports that it has benefits for reducing anxiety and that it offers neuroprotection.
In an animal Alzheimer’s disease study published in 2016, Neuroprotection and anxiety like behavior reduction of Allium hirtifolium and Astragalus hamosus in the Aβ-injected rat it was shown that oral administration of both Allium hirtifolium and Astragalus hamosus decreased anxiety-like behavior.
The results of this study also revealed
potential neuroprotective properties of Allium hirtifolium and Astragalus hamosus as herbal remedies that could play a role in fostering healthy aging and be considered as useful candidates in decreasing Alzheimer’s disease related symptoms.
David doesn’t cover the above this in his interview so I’m sharing this here to provide you with some context on the importance of supporting the immune system beyond colds and flu.
This is what David does say about astragalus in his interview with Immune Defense Summit host Jonathan Landsman:
I think it is the number one herb for protecting the immune system. And the nice thing about astragalus is it’s a tonic. And tonics are substances that will go either way – if you’ve got over-functioning or if you’ve got under-functioning – it will go whatever the body needs. They also call them adaptogens.
Because astragalus is an adaptogen, it is one of many herbs that can be used to support the HPA axis, thereby helping to reduce high cortisol, and hence anxiety via another mechanism. This paper, Effect of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis alterations on glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic rats, reports that astragalus may improve HPA axis functioning and aid in the treatment of diabetes by lowering blood sugar and high levels of corticosterone (the rat version of cortisol).
David goes on to share that astragalus does a lot of things for the immune system:
It actually increases the interferon which is the chemical message that the immune system uses to communicate between the cells.
One of the things that astragalus does is it stimulates the production of and activity of the macrophage, the part of the immune system that gobbles up impurities, so it’s nonspecific. And it tends to last for a long, long period of time. They’ve done the studies showing that when you take astragalus, it immediately affects your immune system (within six hours). And it’ll last 72 hours. So it’s fast-working and it’ll last a long time.
I can’t think of anything in the medical profession that has as many benefits as astragalus has. Nothing. Astragalus is my favorite herb for the immune system.
David shares more about astragalus and other immune boosting herbs like echinacea (which also happens to help with reducing anxiety) on the Immune Defense Summit which runs July 24-31.
I do hope you can join us to hear from many experts on various topics related to immunity, many of which have a direct connection to anxiety, mood and overall health.
Have you used astragalus with good results? For stress and anxiety? To help lower high cortisol? For immune-boosting? For cognition?
How and where would we find the herb? Is it effective in a capsule form, and what daily dosage would be recommended? I’m pretty stressed out lately, and it’s affecting my neck muscles and my digestion. Thank you.
Sandy
Astragalus root 450mg to 500mg is a typical starting dose.
I always start with GABA with clients who are stressed and have stiff and tense muscles https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/source-natural-gaba-calm-anxiety/
I loved GABA for my burning shoulders. And then one day, I started feeling flush in the cheeks after taking it. So I stopped. Is there an alternative to GABA that works in a similar way?
Cathy
Too much GABA can cause flushing.
Apologies for the delay in your comment approval and my response. We had a computer glitch where a large number of comments were hidden from view in a spam folder. It mostly affected new folks who were commenting for the first time but it’s hopefully resolved now.
Where can I purchase this?
Jackie
I’m just in the process of moving my online store from Emerson to Fullscript. You can find some excellent professional grade products there – both capsules and liquid
You’ll go here to set up an account https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/trudyscott
And then simply go to Product Catalog and Find Your Favorite Products and search for astragalus
Where can good quality astragalus be bought?
Carol
Sorry about the delay…. I’m just in the process of moving my online store from Emerson to Fullscript. You can find some excellent professional grade products there – both capsules and liquid
You’ll go here to set up an account https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/trudyscott
And then simply go to Product Catalog and Find Your Favorite Products and search for astragalus
Hi Trudy, what about people with autoimmune disease? You don’t want to boost the immune system in that case . Autoimmune disease is becoming so much more common (especially in women). It’s actually being called an epidemic by some doctors. My personal opinion is if you are going to take supplements for the long term that boost your immune function you might want to get checked for autoimmune antibodies first. Otherwise you could be doing yourself harm. Many autoimmune diseases are not diagnosed for quite a long time (I think about 6 years is the average) after the first vague symptoms show themselves. This was the case for me.
As Trudy mentioned, astralagus is an adaptogen which means it works in the body as needed. It is therefore good for autoimmune disorders which I have. I just received mine in a herb form which means I will have to make a tea with the leaves and drink it three times daily.
I wonder if there is a tincture? Or in some other form? I decided to purchase it as a tea to determine if it worked for me. If I feel a difference, I will be asking the herbalist to make it up as a tincture for me.
Danielle
Yes you are correct on the autoimmune aspect. I’m sure you discussed this with your practitioner. I’d love to hear feedback once you use it (and do share your autoimmune condition if you don’t mind).
And yes there are tinctures
Kat
That’s a great question but based on the fact that it’s an adaptogen my understanding is that it’s not an issue with autoimmunity
Here is some research supporting it’s use in autoimmunity
– astragalus and ginseng and type 1 diabetes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28674210
– astragalus and type 1 diabetes https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18306755
– astragalus and rheumatoid arthritis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28660311
There is also research on lupus and Graves disease (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22303710) but I don’t see any on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
If in doubt it’s always best to check with your practitioner and monitor how you feel – there is never a one-size fits all.
I’m curious what autoimmune condition you have and if you’ve had issues with astragalus or other adaptogenic herbs?
I would hesitate to take astragalus if grown in China because of their contaminated air and water there.
The one I received today in the herbal form is from China and I feel the same way. I refuse to consume any foods that come from there.
Mary and Danielle
Great points and a great question for David Christopher – what testing is done to make sure the herbs are clean?
Oh, please do answer the question about autoimmune and treatment of anxiety naturally. I am on 10 mg of Prozac and have autoimmune symptoms on occasion (twenty five years ago was very sick, but have almost cured any symptoms through diet and supplements). I want to come off the Prozac, but the withdrawals are difficult. My doctor discredits anything natural and also says that I don’t have withdrawals–I should be able to come off within two weeks. He is wrong. Help with some good advice?
Karen
Please see my comments above to Kat re autoimmunity.
Regarding SSRIs here is a resource for you https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/taper-from-antidepressant-tryptophan-amino-acids/ I like my clients to be in a good place nutritionally before starting a taper and slow – very slow – is key. If you can find a supportive doctor that is always best or share Dr. Kelly Brogan’s work with himhttps://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/medication-tapering-withdrawal-kelly-brogan/
I’m 51 and pretty healthy already as I follow a raw diet and practice IF. I started taking astragalus capsules (just ones I found at my local health food store) a couple of days ago. Since I started taking them I noticed I felt very happy – just light and unworried about anything. I didn’t immediately make the connection, but I’ve realised it’s the astragalus. I’m also feeling pretty buzzy too, sleep better and wake up earlier feeling amazing. I’ve purchased astragalus extract powder online, thinking it would be more potent, and thought I would experiment with using it in my daily smoothies but the herb capsules seem to be working just fine! I did a lot of research online and found that it’s best to take them alone or with a light meal. I think first thing in the morning or last thing at night works well.
I started astralagus due to levels of anxiety. However do not take it at night and it is a tonic that keeps you awake. I was only on Ashwaganda and this seemed to help better. I tested for hypoadrenia and astralagus showed up as suitable for me so it might work with a couple of weeks use.