Several years ago, I became aware of the supplement Astragalus while reading one of Andrew Weil‘s newsletters. It is a traditional Chinese herb derived from the root of a plant in the pea family, and it’s been used for centuries for immune support (particularly against colds and upper respiratory infections), as well as to help treat chronic hepatitis and even cancer and heart disease. There have not been many exhaustive studies of the herb, but I will share my own personal experience. I have a long history of serious upper respiratory infections, including 3 bouts of pneumonia, one of which required hospitalization. I have always suffered 2-3 serious annual upper respiratory infections, requiring antibiotics, inhalers, and even steroids. Well, since I started using astragalus daily about 3-4 years ago, I have only had 1 serious infection, and that occurred when I stopped taking astragalus for a couple of months (for no good reason, and I’ve learned my lesson!). [Read more…]
