Three immunomodulating herbs are used as examples of the complex interaction of herbs and T helper lymphocyte subsets: Astragalus penduliflorus (often called A. membranaceus, astragalus, or húang qí), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (gān cǎo, Asian licorice), and Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng). Though a surface review of studies might suggest all of these are simple Th1 inducers and should thus aggravate Th1-dominant diseases, the clinical and preclinical evidence in fact show they are helpful in these and Th2-dominant conditions. This relates to the fact that they also affect Th17 and T regulatory subsets, as well as having many other actions (e.g., modulating inflammation) that are also beneficial. Immunomodulating herbs appear to be helpful in both Th1- and Th2-dominant conditions as a result, which fits with their traditional use. Claims to the contrary simply do not fit the available evidence.
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