Astragalus Benefits

Astragalus is often claimed to be useful for relieving bloating and water retention, stimulating the immune system, and treating conditions such as fibromyalgia, anemia, or diabetes. Although some of these claimed benefits of astragalus have supporting evidence, overall, much more research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of this product.

Astragalus Herb Information

Claimed Health Benefits of Astragalus

Astragalus is claimed to be beneficial for a variety of different purposes. Some of the claimed astragalus benefits include:

Treating (or, in some cases, preventing) the following conditions:

Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Anemia
HIV or AIDS
Chronic nephritis (a kidney disease)
Diabetes
Various cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer
The common cold or other respiratory infections
Heart disease
Hepatitis
High blood pressure
Bacterial or viral infections

Relieving bloating and water retention (as a diuretic)
Stimulating the immune system
Improving wound healing (when applied to the skin).

It is important to understand that herbs and supplements can be marketed in the United States without any evidence that they are either safe or effective. Some of these claimed benefits of astragalus are more legitimate than others, although more research is necessary to confirm that astragalus is truly effective for most uses (see Does Astragalus Work?).

(Astragalus Benefits Continued: Page 2)