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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