Support Your Immune System For chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, many natural healers believe that the first step is to help the body help itself. That begins with nurturing and strengthening the immune system, says Elizabeth Wotton, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at Compass Family Health Center in Plymouth, Massachusetts. People with this condition often just get laid out by colds and flu. They re up, then they re down. Recovering from fibromyalgia can be a lengthy process, so Dr. Wotton likes to prescribe the herb astragalus , a long-term immune booster.
Astragalus provides what is known as deep immune support.
Studies show that it helps guard your body by increasing the activity of protective cells and raising the level of antibodies in your system. The exact mechanism isn t clear, but the herb seems to work within the bone marrow itself, where immune cells are manufactured. Dr. Wotton recommends taking one teaspoon of astragalus liquid extract three times a day. You can also take astragalus capsules. If the supplements are 500 milligrams, a typical dose would be one or two capsules three times a day with meals.