[[File:Asparagus.jpg|thumb|350px|left|Asparagus]]<br>
Other Names: Asparagus officinalis, Asparagi Rhizoma Root, Asperge, Asperge Comestible, Asperge Commune, Asperge Officinale, Asperges, Espárrago, Espárragos, Garden Asparagus, Spargelkraut, Spargelwurzelstock, Sparrow Grass, Radix Asparagi, Asparagus Tuber, Shiny Asparagus Tuber, tian Tian Men Dong<br>Asparagus is a plant. The newly formed shoots (spears), root, and “underground stems” (rhizomes) are used to make medicine.<br>See also : [[Tian Men Dong]]
==Special Precautions of Asparagus==
*Asparagus Avoid if suffering from diarrhoea.* Breast Cancer : There could be a link between asparagine (which is safe when eaten found in food amounts. However, there isnthe vegetable) and spreading an aggressive form of breast cancer in the body : asparagine wasn't enough information found to know if asparagus is safe when used cause cancer, even in larger medicinal amountsthe mice studied but the compound merely made triple-negative breast cancer spread more quickly around the tiny rodent bodies.
*Asparagus can cause allergic reactions when eaten as a vegetable or used on the skin.
*Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Asparagus is UNSAFE to use in medicinal amounts during pregnancy. Asparagus extracts have been used for birth control, so they might harm hormone balances during pregnancy.
*Allergy to onions, leeks, and related plants: Asparagus might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to other members of the Liliaceae family including onions, leeks, garlic, and chives.
* Lithium interacts with Asparagus.
==The benefits of Asparagus are==
Anti-Inflammatory : Asparagus not only tastes delicious, but is also a wonderful source of nutrients for a healthy body and mind. Asparagus contains many anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as asparagus saponins and the flavonoids quercetin, rutin, laempferol and isorhamnetin, which all help to combat arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.
*Antioxidants : Glutathione, found in asparagus, contains three amino acids (glumatic acid, glycine and cysteine) that combine into one molecule that serves as a powerful oxidation-reduction agent in our bodies.Along with the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin A (beta-carotene), zinc, manganese and selenium, the glutathione in asparagus fights against free radicals that cause aging and "cellular rust."
*[[anti-inflammatory]] : asparagus is rich in anti-inflammatory properties. The saponins, quercetin, rutin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol found in any asparagus stalks are protecting the body from too much inflammation.
*Cancer : It is well-known that chronic inflammation and oxidation of the body's cells can lead to a variety of different cancers. With its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, asparagus is a robust fighter against bladder, breast, colon, lung, prostate, ovarian and other cancers. But other studies found that asparagine (which is found in the vegetable) may help spread an aggressive form of breast cancer in the body (see precautions).
*Heart Health : Folate, a B complex vitamin, is essential for a healthy cardiovascular system and is found in abundance in asparagus (one cup contains 66% of the RDA of folate). Firstly, it is involved in a biochemical event called the methylation cycle, which allows for the proper transcription of DNA, the transformation of norepinephrine to adrenalin and the transformation of serotonin to melatonin. Secondly, folate regulates the amino acid homocysteine, which in high levels can be a strong risk factor in heart disease. And finally, B vitamins such as choline, biotin, and pantothenic acid manage our blood sugar levels by effectively metabolizing sugars and starches.
*High Cholesterol : A number of studies indicate that asparagus extract may help reduce levels of harmful blood fats that contribute to heart disease, such as LDL ("bad") cholesterol. In a study published in Phytotherapy Research in 2011, for example, researchers gave asparagus extract to a group of mice on a high-fat diet. After eight weeks of treatment, the mice showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, as well as an increase in HDL ("good") cholesterol.
* promotes easy digestion : Asparagus is rich in [[inulin]]. It is a type of carbohydrate that is not broken down at the upper portion of the digestive system. It can easily pass through the digestive tract and then stays at the lower portion of the system, at the large ingesting level. At this stage, inulin starts to break down and becomes the food of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. With these bacteria surviving due to inulin, there is proper absorption of nutrients at the colon level.
* It also helps in treating HIV and multiple sclerosis and prevents scurvy and lung cancer.
* Hangovers [[Hangover]]s : Asparagus extract may help alleviate alcohol-induced hangovers and shield liver cells from the toxic effects of alcohol consumption, suggests a preliminary study published in the Journal of Food Science in 2009. For the study, researchers tested the effects of extracts of asparagus shoots and leaves on human liver cells. Their findings indicate that asparagus extract may help rev up activity in enzymes involved in breaking down alcohol.
[[Category:Treatments]]
[[Category:herbal medicine]]
[[Category:Prebiotics]]
[[Category:Demulcent]]
[[Category:Diuretic]]
[[Category:Galactogogue]]
[[Category:Nervine]]