ASTRAGALUS

IMMUNE-ENHANCING CHICKEN SOUP*

• 1 whole chicken or parts

• 3-inch knob of fresh ginger, cut into a few pieces

• 20 slices dried astragalus root (about one ounce)

• 1/2 yellow or white onion, peeled

• 3 medium carrots, whole

• 5 Chinese red dates

• 3 tablespoons dried goji berries

Add the chicken, ginger, and astragalus to a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Once boiling, add the onion, reduce the heat to a good simmer and cook for 40 minutes, covered. Skim off any foam that gathers during the cooking process. 

Remove the carcass from the pot and when cool enough to handle, remove most of the meat from the bones. Return the carcass, carrots, and red dates to the pot and simmer for an additional hour or two, uncovered. 

Remove all pieces of the carcass and the astragalus slices and discard. Remove the carrots, slice into small strips, and return to broth. Stir in the goji berries and simmer for fifteen more minutes.

Drink a few cups a day if you feel an infection coming on or two cups a day for prevention. For a heartier soup, you may use the cooked chicken meat.

*This recipe is adapted from the wonderful postpartum chicken soup found in Heng Ou's the first forty days. If making for a postpartum mother, I would omit the astragalus unless recommended by a health practitioner. 

IMMUNE-ENHANCING BROTH (VEGAN)

• 1 quart (4 cups) water or vegetable broth

• 30 slices dried astragalus root (about 1.5 ounces)

• 1 bulb fresh garlic, broken into cloves (yes, the whole bulb!)

Combine all ingredients and simmer for three or four hours.

Drink a few cups a day if you feel an infection coming on or two cups a day for prevention.

ASTRAGALUS OVERVIEW 

Astragalus is an immune modulator that is active against both viral and bacterial infections. It can be taken by many people on a regular, daily basis. It has been used for millennia in Chinese medicine for the treatment of colds, flu, and suppressed immune function. 

For those at high risk for Covid-19, astragalus can be used on a regular basis to support strong immune function. It can also be used as a heart protective, along with hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha), as Covid-19 has been shown to cause heart damage in a number of infected people. If you are not familiar with the herb, I recommend consulting with a health practitioner who can help you to find a good formula for daily use.

Astragalus has many other benefits and uses and is an herb that is certainly worth getting to know. I would recommend buying the sliced root from a trustworthy source (like Mountain Rose Herbs - no affiliation) and trying it out in different recipes - teas, broths, soups. But it's also good to have the tincture on hand for situations in which you might not be able to cook.

LYME DISEASE

We live in an area where lyme disease is prevalent and take astragalus tincture after tick bites for at least thirty days. Stephen Harrod Buhner recommends taking it as a preventative if you live in such an area and also as a treatment herb to reduce the severity of lyme disease. He has many other recommendations in his extensive writings on lyme disease and other tickborne diseases. I am working on a friendly astragalus potion for children as tick bites can be difficult to avoid if your kids are tramping in the woods every day. But incorporating the root into your cooking is a good way to give astragalus to kids during peak tick season.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Astragalus should not be used by people with autoimmune diseases (such as MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis). It is also contraindicated for some people with late stage lyme disease, but there has not been enough research to pinpoint exactly why astragalus causes immune upset in these people.

The first time I took astragalus tincture, I had an immediate reaction to it (autoimmune issue). I later took astragalus as part of a nine-herb Chinese tea formula with no issues, but this was under the guidance of an experienced Chinese medicine herbalist. 

PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING

There has not been a lot of research on the use of astragalus during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so most health practitioners discourage its use during these times. However, I have read many accounts of it being used in Chinese and other traditions specifically for issues faced during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I recommend consulting with a master herbalist of traditional Chinese medicine under these conditions.

*Disclaimer*

This material is intended for educational purposes only. This recipe does not provide specific dosage information, format recommendations, toxicity levels, or possible interactions with prescription drugs. Accordingly, this information should be used only under the direct supervision of a qualified health practitioner.