Astragalus
Astragalus is a herb which has a long history in Chinese medicine. Several species in the United States contain a neurotoxin called swainsonine which farmers have coined as "locoweed" since it is know to poison their animals. So, it is important to obtain Astragalus from reliable sources. It is considered a safe supplement for adults with exception for people who are using drugs that suppress the immune system. It is also known to affect blood pressure and sugar levels.
Astragalus is traditionally used in support of colds, respiratory infections, cancer treatment, chronic hepatitis and heart disease. It is known to enhance the body's immune system, heart and liver functions. It contains an antiviral compound called cycloastragenol which is responsible for boosting the supply of telomerase in the body. This boost of telomerase is noted for it's ability to reduce the aging process in the cells of the body by replacing telomeres which are lost in cell replication. The loss of telomeres in cells is a major contributor to the condition of aging.
There has been debate concerning the boosting in telomerase and it's abilitly to replenish the telomers on the end of chromosomes. The major concern is the effect it has on cancer cells and the suspicion that it could encourage their proliferation. This is highly unlikely since the nature of cancer is to short circuit the telomerase supply by making its own and thus allowing cancer to grow uncontrolled. Otherwise, research has shown that an increase of telomerase has the effect of protecting against cancer because of its ability to protect and stabilize chromosomes.
In practice some have chosen to cycle Astragalus and or it's derivatives with telomerase inhibitors to suppress any chance of encouraging cancer cell proliferation. This practice is truly arbitrary since no studies have been conducted that can verify its successful.
There are a number of companies that have isolated cycloastragenol and sell it for the expressed purpose of increasing the supply of telomerase. Cycloastragenol is converted to another compound called Astragaloside IV which is responsible for the telomerase production effort. The need to isolate this compound was merely a business model by which the Geron Corporation could patent and encapulate a sellable product. Astragaloside IV is crazy expensive. I found the following in the Longecity forums and thought it was interesting enough to post here.
9 grams of Astragalus = 14.4mg of Astragaloside IV
15 grams of Astragalus = 24mg of Astragaloside IV
30 grams of Astragalus = 48mg of Astragaloside IV
60 grams of Astragalus = 96mg of Astragaloside IV
120 grams of Astragalus = 192mg of Astragaloside IV
Astragaloside IV comes in 50mg capsules and the daily recommended dosage is 1 to 2 per day. I am currently on 45 grams of astragalus a day which would be a little over 1 dosage of Astragloside IV. I may bump this up to 60 grams a day in the future. It is prudent to be cautious and to take things slowly.
How do I prepare Astragalus for ingestion? I simply heat my water in the microwave till it's good and hot. I then spoon three tsps of Astragalus powder into the cup and stir. Twice a day, I also like to spoon three 1/4 tsp scoops of ground cinnamon into this mixture for it's obvious benefits. It also makes it taste great! I let it steep for about 10 minutes. I pour a little milk into it to add body and I drink the whole cup, stirring it between sips to keep the powder suspended in the water. I do this three times a day to get to my 30 grams. The milk helps to neutralize any of the polyphenols that the concoction might come in contact with. The polyphenols found in grains, seeds, vegetables and fruit work against telomerase activation.
Sources:
Astragalus is traditionally used in support of colds, respiratory infections, cancer treatment, chronic hepatitis and heart disease. It is known to enhance the body's immune system, heart and liver functions. It contains an antiviral compound called cycloastragenol which is responsible for boosting the supply of telomerase in the body. This boost of telomerase is noted for it's ability to reduce the aging process in the cells of the body by replacing telomeres which are lost in cell replication. The loss of telomeres in cells is a major contributor to the condition of aging.
There has been debate concerning the boosting in telomerase and it's abilitly to replenish the telomers on the end of chromosomes. The major concern is the effect it has on cancer cells and the suspicion that it could encourage their proliferation. This is highly unlikely since the nature of cancer is to short circuit the telomerase supply by making its own and thus allowing cancer to grow uncontrolled. Otherwise, research has shown that an increase of telomerase has the effect of protecting against cancer because of its ability to protect and stabilize chromosomes.
In practice some have chosen to cycle Astragalus and or it's derivatives with telomerase inhibitors to suppress any chance of encouraging cancer cell proliferation. This practice is truly arbitrary since no studies have been conducted that can verify its successful.
There are a number of companies that have isolated cycloastragenol and sell it for the expressed purpose of increasing the supply of telomerase. Cycloastragenol is converted to another compound called Astragaloside IV which is responsible for the telomerase production effort. The need to isolate this compound was merely a business model by which the Geron Corporation could patent and encapulate a sellable product. Astragaloside IV is crazy expensive. I found the following in the Longecity forums and thought it was interesting enough to post here.
9 grams of Astragalus = 14.4mg of Astragaloside IV
15 grams of Astragalus = 24mg of Astragaloside IV
30 grams of Astragalus = 48mg of Astragaloside IV
60 grams of Astragalus = 96mg of Astragaloside IV
120 grams of Astragalus = 192mg of Astragaloside IV
Astragaloside IV comes in 50mg capsules and the daily recommended dosage is 1 to 2 per day. I am currently on 45 grams of astragalus a day which would be a little over 1 dosage of Astragloside IV. I may bump this up to 60 grams a day in the future. It is prudent to be cautious and to take things slowly.
How do I prepare Astragalus for ingestion? I simply heat my water in the microwave till it's good and hot. I then spoon three tsps of Astragalus powder into the cup and stir. Twice a day, I also like to spoon three 1/4 tsp scoops of ground cinnamon into this mixture for it's obvious benefits. It also makes it taste great! I let it steep for about 10 minutes. I pour a little milk into it to add body and I drink the whole cup, stirring it between sips to keep the powder suspended in the water. I do this three times a day to get to my 30 grams. The milk helps to neutralize any of the polyphenols that the concoction might come in contact with. The polyphenols found in grains, seeds, vegetables and fruit work against telomerase activation.
Sources:
4
Positive Effects of Astragalus Extract on Immune System
Astragalus for Cancer Prevention - NaturalNews.tv
Mitochondrial Protection and Anti-aging Activi... [Int J Mol Sci. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI
Supplements For A Healthy Kidney | LIVESTRONG.COM
Astragalus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ASTRAGALUS: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD
Astragalus for Cancer Prevention - NaturalNews.tv
Mitochondrial Protection and Anti-aging Activi... [Int J Mol Sci. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI
Supplements For A Healthy Kidney | LIVESTRONG.COM
Astragalus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ASTRAGALUS: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD