Immunity/Antioxidant
Grapeseed, Astragalus, Ashwaghanda, Green tea & Bilberry.

Immunity/Antioxidant is packed with the top herbs know to have antioxidant properties which have positive healthy effects on a wide variety of a body systems especially the immune system.

Below is a list and description of the herbs in the Immunity / Antioxidant formula

 

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Grapeseeds
The medicinal and nutritional value of grapes ( Vitis vinifera ) has been heralded for thousands of years. Egyptians consumed this fruit at least 6,000 years ago, and several ancient Greek philosophers praised the healing power of grapes -- usually in the form of wine. European folk healers developed an ointment from the sap of grapevines to cure skin and eye diseases. Grape leaves were used to stop bleeding, inflammation, and pain, such as the kind brought on by hemorrhoids. Unripe grapes were used to treat sore throats and dried grapes (raisins) were used to heal consumption, constipation, and thirst. The round, ripe, sweet grapes, were used to treat a range of health problems including cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, eye infections, and skin, kidney, and liver diseases.

Seedless varieties were developed to appeal to fickle consumers, but researchers are now discovering that many of the health properties of grapes may actually come from the seeds themselves.

Among other beneficial effects, the active compounds in grape seed are believed to have antioxidant properties. In fact, a recent study of healthy volunteers found that supplementation with grape seed extract substantially increased levels of antioxidants in the blood. Antioxidants are substances that destroy free radicals -- damaging compounds in the body that alter cell membranes, tamper with DNA (genetic material), and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet light, radiation, smoke, certain prescription and non-prescription drugs, and air pollution) can also increase the number of these damaging particles. Free radicals are believed to contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems, including heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants found in grape seeds can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Astragalus

Astragalus Traditional Chinese medicine has used astragalus for a remedy for weakness, edema, respiratory infections, diabetes, night sweats, diarrhea, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Medical journals suggest the herb may stimulate the immune system and the body's ability to resist and combat various diseases. Astragalus may also inhibit the spread and growth of cancer cells.

While there are may thousands of varieties of astragalus the Chinese version of the herb has been the most extensively tested, both chemically and pharmacologically. Astragalus contains a variety of compounds, including flavonoids, polysaccharides, triterpene glycosides (e.g., astragalosides I-VII), amino acids, and trace minerals.

Research in China indicates that astragalus may offer antioxidant benefits in people with severe forms of heart disease, relieving symptoms and improving heart function. Other studies suggest that astragalus can benefit immune function and improve survival in some people with cancer. However, not all studies support these claims.

In the United States, astragalus has been the subject of much study in recent years. Studies at the University of Houston have shown that astragalus may help improve immunity function in cancer patients by increasing T-cell counts. Other testing, including research by the National Cancer Institute, continues to explore further possible medical benefits of astragalus, including the treatment of AIDS.

Because astragalus has many potential applications and few, if any, side effects, it holds promise as an alternative treatment option.

Astragalus has been used in connection with the following conditions:

  • Cardiac Arrest
  • Cold/sore throat
  • Hepatitis
  • Immune function
  • Infection
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus

Astragalus has no known harmful side-effects.

Billberry
The use of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) as an herbal remedy stems back almost one thousand years to Europe, where it was mainly used to relieve diarrhea. Bilberry is a 16-inch tall shrub with pointed, oval leaves and small white and pink flowers which bloom between April and June. Its dark purple berries ripen in late summer. Bilberry is a relative of the cranberry, blueberry, and huckleberry. Its fruit looks and tastes similar to the American blueberry. Bilberry fruit contains high concentrations of tannins, substances that act as both an astringent and an anti-inflammatory. This fruit also contains flavonoid compounds called anthocyanidins. Flavonoids are plant pigments that possess outstanding antioxidant properties, foraging out dangerous particles in the body known as free radicals. Bilberry has been connected with the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration.

Anthocyanidin (a flavonoid) is the primary compound in bilberry fruit, building strong capillaries and improving circulation throughout the entire body. Anthocyanidins may prevent blood platelets from clumping together, which minimizes the risk of blood clots (associated with heart attack and stroke). Bilberry fruit contains tannins, a substance that acts as an astringent, stopping bleeding. The tannins and anthocyanidins may equalize each other when the whole bilberry fruit is used for medicinal purposes. Anthocyanidins increase rhodopsin production, a pigment that assists the eye's ability to adapt to light changes and enhances night vision. The tannins possess anti-inflammatory properties and as mentioned previously may relieve diarrhea.

The Bilberry herb has been also been associated with the care and treatment of number of ailments including atherosclerosis, cataracts, diabetes, diarrhea, macular degeneration, night blindness, and retinopathy, and is considered a strong antioxidant by many experts. Though the medicinal benefits of Bilberry are not certain, thousands of people continue to seek bilberry for its health-related properties.

 Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a plant which has long been used medicinally. It is used in traditional Indian and African medicine as an anti-inflammatory, for fever relief, and against infectious disease. Many believe ashwagandha to be effective in stimulating the immune system. It also appears to inhibit swelling and aid memory and can act as a general health tonic. Ashwagandha contains flavonoids and many active ingredients of the withanolide class. Several studies over the past few years have indicated that ashwagandha has anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-stress, antioxidant, mind-boosting, and rejuvenating properties. Ashwagandha is commonly found in ayurvedic herbal formulas.

The active constituents in ashwagandha include withanolides which are believed by many experts to account for the many medicinal applications of ashwagandha. Withanolides are steroidal and are similar to the active constituents of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) known as ginsenosides.

Ashwaganha as An Antioxidant

Researchers from Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India have asserted that some of the chemicals within ashwagandha are powerful antioxidants. They tested these compounds for their effects on rat brains and found an increase in the levels of three natural antioxidants-superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. They say, "These findings are consistent with the therapeutic use of W. somnifera [ashwagandha] as an Ayurvedic rasayana (health promoter). The antioxidant effect of active principles of W. somnifera may explain, at least in part, the reported anti-stress, cognition-facilitating, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging effects produced in experimental animal and in clinical situations."

A study done in 1991 at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center indicated that extracts of ashwagandha had GABA-like activity. This may account for this herb's anti-anxiety effects.
 

Green Tea
According to Chinese folklore, green tea was discovered, only by accident, nearly four thousand years ago. Today Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses green tea to treat aches, pains, headaches, minor gastrointestinal disorders, and depression. Green tea has also been used in detoxification, as an immune enhancer, as an energizer, and to prolong life.

Green Tea for Health and Longevity

Most tea products are derived from the same plant. The difference between tea products comes from how each specific tea is prepared. Unlike black and oolong tea, green tea is not fermented, so the active constituents remain in the herb. Green tea contains a variety of chemical compounds, minerals, vitamins, volatile oils and essential nutrients, but the primary compounds that is believed to provide green tea with its health and medicinal effects are polyphenols, particulary epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Health Benefits of Green Tea

Among its arsenal of medicinal effects, preliminary studies suggest that green tea can lower cholesterol levels and reduce amounts of harmful LDL cholesterol. These same studies suggest that green tea may also increase cardiovascular health by making blood platelets less sticky.

Green tea has also been shown to be a strong blood antioxidant and detoxifier that can reduce oxidative damage to LDL that can lead to the development of atherosclerosis.

Still other studies have provided preliminary evidence that green tea may inhibit cancer. In a controlled study, the polyphenols in green tea effectively inhibited the spread of melanoma cells in test tube animals. The polyphenols in green tea may also reduce risk in other cancers in humans as well.