ASTRADEFEN® Immune Tonic: 'Why These Conditions' and 'Why This Formula'

Posted by Beck Keogh on May 11, 2024

The continuing development of ASTRADEFEN® Immune Tonic was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Core Botanicals® brand.

Our founder, Paul Keogh has over 35 years of clinical and commercial experience as a medical herbalist, naturopath and industry expert. He has significantly contributed to and deeply understands the storied history that this respected immune tonifying formula represents.

At Core Botanicals® our mission is to assist our customers in their wellness journey, by providing the most potent and meticulously crafted, liquid herbal medicines. All our medicines are manufactured in Australia from traditional Chinese herbs, laboratory tested for purity and potency.

ASTRADEFEN® is the foundation of our product range developed to support our customers’ immune health and improve their overall well-being in the process.

In this article, we dive a little deeper in the history of the ASTRADEFEN® formula and its ingredients.

ASTRADEFEN ®

Historical background

The original inspiration for this medicine was a dry herb combination called Astragalus Eight Herb Formula, outlined by Dr Subhuti Dharmananda in a paper titled, “A New Herbal Combination for the Treatment of Immunodeficiency Syndromes”, published by The Pacific Journal of Oriental Medicine, Vol. 3., No.1 (1986): pp. 20-29.
Laurence Badgley mentions this formula in his book, Healing AIDS Naturally, published in 1987.
In the early 1990’s, Assoc. Professor Denis Stewart (clinical herbalist and naturopath https://denis-stewart.com/biography/) and his associate Noel Rigby (herbalist) extracted the active components of the dry herb preparation of Astragalus Eight Herb Formula to produce a one-to-one (1:1), full-strength fluid extract and released it to health professionals for clinical applications.
Paul Keogh (medical herbalist & naturopath), who studied under Assoc. Professor Denis Stewart from 1981-1986, helped develop the clinical applications for what became known as Astragalus 8.
In 1999, Paul Keogh and his business partners, Geoff Teasel and Bob & John Power, took over the manufacturing and distribution of Astragalus 8 under the Oriental Botanicals^Ò brand for practitioners, and released Astra 8 Immune Tonic under the Fusion Health^Ò brand for health food stores to provide direct access for consumers.
In 2016, Blackmores Australia purchased both Fusion Health^Ò and Oriental Botanicals^Ò brands; ultimately discontinuing the manufacture of Astragalus 8 and reducing the potency of Astra 8 to one-in-two (1:2), a half-strength fluid extract prepared from dry concentrate (powdered) herbal extracts instead of the dry herbs as it was originally.
In 2020, Blackmores sold both Fusion Health^Ò and Oriental Botanicals^Ò brands to McPherson’s Consumer Products.
In 2021, in accordance with official TCM dosages, Core Botanicals developed a higher potency version of the eight-herb formula equivalent to three times the dry herb strength of Astra 8 i.e., one-&-one-half-to-one (1.5:1), called ASTRADEFEN ®.
ASTRADEFEN ® is now available for consumers to purchase from health food stores, health professionals and online.

Why these conditions?

ASTRADEFEN ® combines two restorative tonic herb, Astragalus and Siberian Ginseng, with six other traditional Chinese tonic herbs, working together to tonify the immune system.
In Chinese medicine there are specialised tonic herbs for each system of the body.
For example, Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is traditionally taken to support the immune system to fight illness, promote immune defences and improve immunity.
Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is evidenced to relieve fatigue, tiredness, and feeling of weakness, as well as assist with recovery from illnesse., during convalescence.

Why this formula?

ASTRADEFEN ® is an East-West formula, which is classified in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an Immune Tonic, providing a range of therapeutic effects known collectively as immune tonification.
ASTRADEFEN ® contains two principle restorative tonic herbs: Astragalus and Siberian Ginseng, together with six other traditional Chinese tonic herbs working together.
This combination of eight Chinese tonic herbs exemplifies the synergistic relationship between different yet complementary effects on the immune system i.e., Astragalus supports the immune system to fight illness, while Siberian Ginseng assists with recovery from illness.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), combining immune tonics with complementary effects is called Fu Zheng
In Western herbal medicine (WHM), immune tonics are frequently classified as adaptogens e.g., Astragalus, Reishi Mushroom, Schisandra, and Siberian Ginseng, which help the body adapt to stress.
Energetically, immune tonics strengthen the body’s ‘vital energy’ or Qi especially the body’s protective Qi, and nourish the Blood e.g., Astragalus and Reishi Mushroom.

Complementing these primary energetic effects are organ tonics which support the Lungs (Astragalus, Codonopsis, Reishi Mushroom), the Spleen (Astragalus, Codonopsis, Licorice Root, White Atractylodes), and the Kidneys (Ligustrum, Schisandra, Siberian Ginseng).

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Insights from Our Q&A with Paul Keogh: The Wisdom Behind Core Botanicals®

Introduction:

A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of hosting a live Q&A session with Paul Keogh, the founder of Core Botanicals^® and our valued retail partners. Paul's extensive experience in herbal medicine, spanning over 35 years, has made him a trusted source of advice and innovation in this field. The session was a deep dive into Paul's journey, the philosophy behind his formulations, and the unique approach that sets Core Botanicals^® apart.

We’d like to make these sessions a regular part of our calendar, with different themes that impact the natural health industry. Here are some of the key highlights and insights from our enlightening conversation and we hope to see you at the next one!

Highlights and Insights:

The Art of Formulating:

Paul emphasised the importance of understanding that not all herbal products are created equal. He explained that the quality and effectiveness of herbal formulations depends significantly on who manufactures them and the importance that is placed on sourcing quality materials.

This insight underscores the meticulous approach we take in developing our products, ensuring that each formulation is crafted with precision and care.

Holistic Approach to Health:

Paul emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to health, which is central to his practice. Unlike conventional medicine that often targets only the symptoms, Paul’s method focuses on understanding and addressing the whole person and their unique context. Drawing inspiration from ancient traditions like Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, this approach aims to tackle the root causes of health issues rather than just the symptoms.

Paul explained, "It's about understanding the interaction between the herb and the patient. The concept of energetics pushes us to dig deeper, encouraging a more thorough investigation to better understand and facilitate the healing process."

Bridging Traditional and Modern Medicine:

Paul discussed how he blends traditional herbal wisdom with modern scientific approaches in his work. He highlighted the influence of Peter Holmes’s research on the energetics of Western and Eastern herbs, which deepened his understanding of herbs beyond just their pharmacological properties. By combining this traditional knowledge with scientific validation, Core Botanicals^® offers products that are both effective and rooted in time-tested wisdom.

Paul explained, "I still take an analytical approach to herbal medicine. While I value the concept of energetics, I use it as a tool to ensure that the different aspects of a formulation work together harmoniously. I make sure there are no conflicts and that nothing important is overlooked."

The Why Behind Core Botanicals^®:

When asked why he chose to create Core Botanicals^®, Paul highlighted his desire to make holistic health accessible to more people. His clinical experience showed him the limitations of treating only a few thousand patients a year. By developing high-quality herbal products, he could extend the benefits of holistic medicine to tens of thousands of people, promoting self-care and wellness on a larger scale. He said, "We realised that the only way to make the benefits of holistic medicine accessible to more people was to create products that they could use themselves, in their own homes. This way, we can help many more people than I ever could in my clinic."

Commitment to Quality and Efficacy:

Paul's commitment to quality and efficacy is evident in every aspect of Core Botanicals^®. He shared that our formulations are designed to provide not just symptomatic relief but also long-term health benefits. "Our goal is to offer products that don't just mask symptoms but truly support the body's natural healing processes," Paul stated and we believe this commitment will strengthen our relationships with both retail partners and customers.

Conclusion:

Our Q&A session with Paul Keogh was a testament to his profound knowledge and passion for herbal medicine. His insights into the art of formulation, the holistic approach to health, and the integration of traditional and modern practices offer a glimpse into the values that drive Core Botanicals^®. We are grateful to Paul for sharing his wisdom and to all participants for their engaging questions. Stay tuned for more such enlightening sessions and continue your journey towards holistic health with Core Botanicals^®.

RESPIDEFEN® - ‘Why these conditions' and 'why this formula'?

RESPIDEFEN^®Cough Medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is our best-selling product here at Core Botanicals®. While we are proud of all of our herbal medicines, we are particularly blown away by the community response to this formula.

This product has sold out four times. Since our sourcing and manufacturing process is meticulous, it takes some time for us to meet our demand with supply. In the next three weeks, it’s possible that we will run out of this medicine again and have a gap of a few weeks before we can continue selling it.

Today we’d love to give a deeper insight into our Cough formula, so you can better understand what it can do for your health and how. RESPIDEFEN®Cough Medicine relieves coughing and dissolves and clears phlegm. It relives the symptoms of a sore throat and reduces bronchial mucous congestion.

It has over 90 five start reviews online and has helped thousands of Australians to relive coughing when they’re accessed RESPIDEFEN® by buying it online or through one of our Health Food Store partners in Australia.

Why this condition?

Cough is commonly caused by a mild viral infection such as common cold and flu.
Such viruses can infect your nose, nasal passages, throat, and voice box, which make up the area of your body called the 'upper respiratory tract'.
Symptoms associate with mild upper respiratory tract infection include sore throat (pharyngitis), mucous congestion, chest phlegm and mild bronchial cough (either dry or congested).
In healthy people with a strong immune system, cough and associated symptoms normally resolve within a few weeks (< 3 weeks), especially when taking Respidefen.
A persistent cough (lasting > 8 weeks) may indicate an underlying health problem requiring medical investigation by a qualified healthcare practitioner.

(refer https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/cough)

Why this formula?

RESPIDEFEN ® is based on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) called Stop Cough Power (Zhi Sou San), which provides medicinal effects to relieve cough.
The three main herbs in this formula (Aster, Cynanchi & Balloon Flower) are traditionally used in Chinese medicine as expectorants to clear upper respiratory tract and bronchial mucous congestion, as well as to relieve mild bronchial cough.
Pinellia and Mulberry root bark are traditionally added to resolve phlegm and settle cough, respectively.
Aster, Stemona and Licorice root traditionally act together as antitussives or cough suppressants to relieve a dry and irritable cough.
Core Botanicals ® extraction method takes the fuss out of preparing traditional Chinese medicines, so you get all the benefits without having to boil up (decoct) dried herbs and drink the resulting tea.
RESPIDEFEN ® is a convenient, pleasant tasting, concentrated, liquid herbal medicine with a divided daily dose of 30 mL; equivalent to 3 cups of the same TCM combination, prepared by the traditional method of boiling or decoction.