Men’ s Health: Natural health approaches for better prostate health
CHAPTER ONE
What Is Astragalus and How Does It Work?
For those interested in herbal medicine, there has long been an interest in the healing benefits of astragalus, and as an antipathogen and tonic it has been used successfully for over 4,000 years.
Astragalus is a thorny shrub that can grow to approximately three feet in height. It is native to Northern China and to the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan and is grown throughout Mongolia, Japan and Korea. It grows in open wooded areas, alongside forest edges or grasslands. Each branch has between 8-12 pairs of leaves, although it is the root that is mainly used in a medicinal capacity. The plant 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. It is a member of the pea family. Among over 1750 species within the genus, Astragalus membranaceus is mainly used, but A. trigonus and A. gummifera may be used on occasion.
A staple component of Traditional Chinese Medicine( TCM), it is a sweet and warming herb with specialized beneficial properties for the lung, spleen and heart meridians. In addition, it has been proven
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