posted March 11, 2009 05:22 AM           

I'm curious to see whether anyone else is also using it at an immortality 'supplement'

posted March 18, 2009 03:43 AM           

Well, SunChild, if I know when you're going maybe i can make plans to visit family too and make an all-day trip out of it!

posted March 19, 2009 07:24 AM           

Lol!

BTW are you on facebook?

posted March 20, 2009 12:42 AM         

[edited]

Facebook.

See you there

posted April 01, 2009 12:25 AM         

Practitioners of Chinese medicine use astragalus root to enhance the body’s energy, known to them as “qi” (pronounced as “chee”). Ancient people used astragalus root to enhance strength and regulate metabolism.

According to researchers at University of Maryland Medical Center, astragalus has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, often in combination with other herbs, to strengthen the body against disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has used astragalus for a remedy for weakness, edema, respiratory infections, diabetes, night sweats, diarrhea, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Medical journals suggest the herb may stimulate the immune system and the body’s ability to resist and combat various diseases. Astragalus may also inhibit the spread and growth of cancer cells. It contains antioxidants, which protect cells against damage caused by free radicals, byproducts of cellular energy. Astragalus is used to protect and support the immune system, for preventing colds and upper respiratory infections, to lower blood pressure, to treat diabetes, and to protect the liver.

Astragalus has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic (helps eliminate fluid from the body) properties. It is sometimes used topically for wounds. In addition, studies have shown that astragalus has antiviral properties and stimulates the immune system, suggesting that it is indeed effective at preventing colds.

In the United States, researchers have investigated astragalus as a possible treatment for people whose immune systems have been compromised by chemotherapy or radiation. In these studies, astragalus supplements have been shown to speed recovery and extend life expectancy. Research on using astragalus for people with AIDS has produced inconclusive results.

Recent research in China indicates that astragalus may offer antioxidant benefits to people with severe forms of heart disease, relieving symptoms and improving heart function.

The benefits of using this amazing Chinese herb are many. It can easily be mixed with water to make a soup or tea and may also be added to an ointment base to treat closed wounds. When used properly, there are virtually no side effects. However, it is important to note that only certain species of this plant should be ingested. The astragalus species known as locoweed, which is common in the western United States, should not be ingested because of the neurotoxins produced by the plant.

posted April 29, 2009 08:11 AM         

As i was going to say, I'm interested in astragalus for it's alleged telomerase activating properties.

For those with no background in molecular biology, there's a phenomenon termed the 'Hayflick limit', which basically says cells have a finite number of replications due to the shortening of telomeres.

Telomeres are the protective ends on your chromosomes (kind of like the plastic ends on your shoelaces that prevent them from unravelling), which shorten a little bit each time a cell replicates. They are expendible to protect a chromosome's DNA, and to complete the analogy, chromosomes will literally unravel once telomeres become to short, leading to cell senescence or apoptosis (depending on the type of cell)!

Theoretically, a person's age can be estimated by the length of their telomeres (but factors such as free radical damage will lend some error to this). Telomerase is an enzyme occurring naturally in some cells to lengthen telomeres, and is also being manufactured by pharmaceutical companies as an astragalus extract.

NOTE: it is hypothesised there is a delicate balance between imparting some aspects of immortality to cells using telomerase, and actually increasing susceptibility to cancer (as telomerase is active in approximately 90% of tumors).

posted April 29, 2009 08:05 PM         

Thanks for the molecular biology background (**blinks**)
That was interesting even without a foundation in science -- I have borderline high blood pressure, and the regulation feature you mentioned is why I'm starting to take the astragalus regularly now, instead of "just" as an immune system booster.....