Little-Known Herb Adds Immune Power to Fight Illness

I was interested to read some new research about an immune booster I hadn’t heard of since it’s nice to have something to add to the ones we always talk about, Echinacea and vitamin C. Since the study authors were from the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon, I went to our resident naturopathic medical consultant, Andrew L. Rubman, ND, for his opinion and advice.

POTENT IMMUNE POWER

The study was a small one, in which researchers found that Ashwagandha — Withania somnifera — raised blood levels of natural killer cells and other disease-fighting compounds. In this study, Oregon researchers decided to test the effects of Ashwagandha on healthy individuals when administered with whole cow’s milk. In Ayurvedic medicine, herbs are traditionally mixed with carrier or “anupana” substances, such as olive oil, beer or milk, to better facilitate their digestion and effectiveness. As a baseline measurement, they tested levels of white blood cells in five volunteers (three females and two males, average age 27).

Researchers found that…

  • There was a statistically significant increase in antimicrobial white blood cells.
  • This activation of new immune cells was particularly apparent with natural killer cells, which play a key role in the body’s resistance to viruses.
  • There was also a significant jump in CD4+ T helper cells that aid in coordinating immune system responses.

WHY YOU NEED A NATUROPATHIC PHYSICIAN

Ashwagandha has proven helpful in increasing the vigor of the immune response, confirms Dr. Rubman, saying he believes it may soon join the ranks of more established herbal immune boosters such as Echinacea and Astragalus in the annual battle against colds and flu.

You may recall recent news stories reporting that approximately 20% of Ayurvedic remedies tested (online or in stores) were found to be contaminated with heavy metals, including mercury — I asked Dr. Rubman about this. He told me this is yet another reason why it’s always best to take supplements and herbal products under the oversight of a naturopathic physician, since good ones research the reliability of the manufacturer in advance before prescribing.