Astragalus root
Classic TCM tonic herb.
Why
Classic TCM tonic herb. Modest RCT evidence for cold-frequency reduction and chemo-related immune recovery; longer-term tonic use rather than acute.
How it works
Astragalus polysaccharides modulate T-cell and macrophage activity in preclinical models; clinical evidence concentrated in chemotherapy-adjunct trials.
How to take
Dosage
Studied range: 4.5–30 g/day of crude root (decoction) or 250–500 mg standardized extract 2–3×/day across trials. Heterogeneity is high, no single regimen carries strong consensus.
Safety
Evidence
McCulloch 2006 J Clin Oncol meta-analysis (34 randomised studies, n=2,815) of astragalus-based Chinese herbal medicines combined with platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer: reduced relative risk of death at 12 months (RR 0.67) and improved tumour response, but the authors flagged methodological limitations and high heterogeneity. Outside oncology adjunct, modern evidence is preliminary.
Trial heterogeneity across crude root, decoctions, and standardized extracts is high, no single dosage regimen or onset timeline carries strong consensus. Clinical evidence concentrated in chemotherapy-adjunct contexts; weaker outside oncology.
Where to get it
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