March 6, 2021— The latest edition in Dr. Patrick Flynn’s Supplement Series is all about his favorite herb: Astragalus. While the purpose of this series is to educate his audience on the significance of plant-based medicines, Dr. Patrick still urges viewers to avoid the impulse to purchase these supplements right away.

He wants his viewers to be conscious of their individual needs. Some may need more of one supplement than the other, and some may not need a specific supplement at all. Thorough testing to evaluate our body’s tolerances and deficiencies is necessary to determine what we need to restore its health. This is a service offered through The Wellness Way, you can sign up here.

Astragalus belongs to a group of medicinal plants from the Leguminosae family. It has been used as an ‘anti-aging’ herb in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

Along with other herbs, it is used as a tonic to increase stamina, strength, and vitality. The extracts are also sold as dietary supplements to improve immune function and decrease fatigue.

Its beneficial effects are attributed to its polysaccharides and triterpenoid saponin compounds. In other words, its sugars make the magic work.

Telomeres are caps on the end of our DNA strands. They act as a protective coating for our DNA strands so that our cells can do their job.

When telomeres shorten, it causes premature cellular aging.

A study was conducted to explore the association between Astragalus and anti-aging. The pharmacological research found that “the extract component of Astragalus membranaceus can increase telomerase activity, and has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anticancer, hypolipidemic, antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective, expectorant, and diuretic effects.”

Astragalus can repair and restore telomeres, which is why it is associated with anti-aging effects.

However, Dr. Patrick insists that the term ‘anti-aging’ is misleading. He says, “we are going to age. It’s a fact of life. But how you age, you have so much influence on.”

Aging is in our control, and we should never rely heavily on the promises that something can be ‘anti-aging’.

Another study reveals that Astragaloside III, a natural compound from Astragalus, has immunomodulatory effects in various systems.

The researchers analyzed the herb’s ability to elevate the expression of natural killer cells in terms of colon cancer, specifically.

Their findings demonstrated that “Astragaloside III significantly elevated the expression of natural killer group 2D (NKG2D)” and that it led to “increased tumor-killing ability”.

The immune functions of Astragalus are profound because natural killer cells are our bodies first defense against killing tumor cells or cells infected with a virus.

Another study found that the anti-tumor qualities of Astragalus applied to breast cancer, as well.

Although these studies were conducted to specifically analyze the benefits of Astragalus against colon and breast cancer, natural killer cells are used all throughout our bodies. This means that consuming Astragalus supplements can repair our immune system by elevating the expression of natural killer cells in our body.

The next study Dr. Patrick references talks about the beneficial effects of Astragalus on cardiac function. While Astragalus has already been proven to restore and repair our bodies, the study also found that “Astragalus can alleviate the calcium overload-induced myocardial damage”.

So, not only can Astragalus assist in fighting cancerous tumor cells, but it can also repair heart tissues which account for heart disease.

Per the CDC, heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States.

1) Heart Disease: 659,041

2) Cancer: 599, 601

Astragalus’ constituents have restorative properties which could aid in decreasing the high number of deaths caused by these diseases.

Since pharmacological studies have proven that there are substantial benefits associated with this herb, it would only make sense to normalize it in regular healthcare practices.

Tuning in to A Different Perspective every Saturday at 8:00am (CST) means you have the chance to participate in our giveaways!

The giveaways are only awarded to those watching from our A Different Perspective website.

Last week three winners were chosen and received a bottle of Astragalus, a T-Shirt, and a free immune test panel through The Wellness Way.

Visit the A Different Perspective website, here!