A Natural Herbal Immune System Booster

As an antioxidant, ashwagandha supports overall immune system function.¹⁰ The main chemical constituents of the root activates enzymes and macrophages (Th1 helper cells) that can engulf disease before it manifests—defending the body against parasitic, bacterial, and other infestations.⁵ It can also reduce the harmful suppressive effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on the immune system.⁵

Recently two independent clinical trials tested the immune-boosting effects of ashwagandha along with four other common Ayurvedic herbs contained in a tea. In both studies, participants were age 55 or older and healthy, but had low activity levels of the natural killer (NK) type of immune cell and a history of colds. These NK cells are important part of the body's first line of defense against microbes that can cause diseases such as colds and infections. What both of these studies found is that those who regularly consumed the herbal-fortified tea experienced increased NK immune cell activity as compared to those participants who consumed the regular, non-fortified tea.⁵³