Astragalus Root Extract

Astragalus root (Milkvetch) is a legume plant that comes from traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used as a potent fighter of body stress and disease. This perennial flowering plant grows 2-3 feet tall, and is native to such countries as China and Mongolia. However, only the roots of the astragalus are used to produce medicine, and these are harvested when the plant becomes 4 years old. Today, it is used by many people for its health benefits, and as you will see in this profile, athletes use it as well.

How it works

The secret to astragalus root extract are the 3 components that are found in this plant at extremely high concentrations:

• Saponins, which can lower cholesterol, fight cancer, and boost the immune system.
• Flavonoids with their antioxidant properties. Additionally, via cell signaling flavonoids help suppress heart disease, cancer, and immune problems.
• Polysaccharides that combat viruses and have anti-inflammatory properties in the body.

Research and medical uses

It has been shown in studies that astragalus root extract can heal wounds and reduce inflammation in diabetic kidney disease patients. The same studies have shown that arthritis was substantially reduced when astragalus was supplemented.

Another study carried out in Beijing showed that astragalus root extract helps regulate the body's immune response by controlling T-helper cells 1, and 2. In fact, if you go back a thousand years, you will find that it has been used for its immune boosting properties in China.

Next, a 2014 study from the Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine showed that astragalus root extract injections, along with conventional treatment, increased the chances of recovery from viral myocarditis - the inflammation of the heart wall.

Finally, astragalus root extract was successful in studies as an anti-diabetic because it relieves insulin resistance and protects the pancreas, allowing it to function at a high level.

Other health benefits

Studies have also shown that astragalus root extract reduced blood pressure, reduced triglycerides, and prevented additional heart muscle damage.

Use for bodybuilders

Cortisol is a nasty hormone that rises due to stress. Ironically, when an athlete trains, they will experience a rise in cortisol due to workout stress. Unfortunately, cortisol eats away at muscle and can cause the body to store fat. However, astragalus root extract has been shown to help counter cortisol, and other stress-related hormones. Therefore, astragalus root extract is a must use on any steroid cycle, and if you are natural it will help you keep more muscle gains.

Furthermore, if you are sick you cannot workout. Luckily, this can be prevented, since astragalus root extract will help keep your immune system strong, and will keep the sickness away.

Additionally, astragalus root extract has been shown to cause insulin sensitivity, which can help you lose body fat, and avoid side effects of steroid use. This is a very important benefit because when you use certain anabolic steroids your insulin resistance rises, which can cause you to gain body fat, and experience blood sugar roller coasters.

As a final note for athletes, we all know that using anabolic steroids is going to stress your heart, especially those steroids that are androgenic and estrogenic. As it has been mentioned above, astragalus root extract will help protect your heart health, so it would definitely be a very good addition to your supplemental stack while on cycle.

Side effects

The only side effect is that it will make your immune system more active. So if you have auto-immune diseases like lupus, or multiple sclerosis, you should consult with your doctor first.

Dosage

It has been shown that astragalus root extract works best when it is added to an improvement in lifestyle choices and other support supplements. When used in a stack, it should be ran at 250-500 milligrams (mg) per day. Meanwhile, when used solo, you can dose it at double or triple that level.

Where to find

N2guard contains 300mg's of astragalus root extract per serving, plus dozens of additional ingredients, to make it the most potent support supplement on the market.

Forums

Want to read about Astragalus Root Extract on Evo forums? Check out our bodybuilding supplement forum.

References

• Astragalus membranaceus: A Review of its Protection Against Inflammation and Gastrointestinal Cancers
• A Review of the Pharmacological Action of Astragalus Polysaccharide
• The Effects of Astragalus membranaceus Active Extracts on Autophagy-Related Diseases
• Anti-Aging Implications of Astragalus Membranaceus (Huangqi): A Well-Known Chinese Tonic
• Immunomodulatory effects of a new whole ingredients extract from Astragalus: a combined evaluation on chemistry and pharmacology
• Evaluation of the Pharmaceutical Properties and Value of Astragali Radix