Astragalus
| Common Names: |
Huang qi |
| Parts used and where grown: |
Astragalus is native to Northern China and the elevated regions of the Chinese provinces Yunnan and Sichuan. The portion of the plant used medicinally is the four to seven year old dried root collected in the spring. While there are over 2,000 types of astragalus worldwide, the Chinese version has been extensively tested, both chemically and pharmacologically.1 |
| In what conditions might astragalus be supportive? |
- Alzheimer's disease
- chemotherapy support
- common cold / sore throat
- immune infection
- infection
|
| Historical or traditional use: |
Shen Nung, the founder of Chinese herbal medicine, classified astragalus as a superior herb in his classical treatise Shen Nung Pen Tsao Ching (circa A.D. 100). The Chinese name huang qi translates as “yellow leader,” referring to the yellow color of the root and its status as one of the most important tonic herbs. Traditional Chinese medicine utilized this herb for night sweats, deficiency of chi (e.g., fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite), and diarrhea.2 |
| Active constituents |
Astragalus contains numerous components, including flavonoids, polysaccharides, triterpene glycosides (e.g. astragalosides I–VII), amino acids, and trace minerals.3Research conducted by the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas, confirms this herb’s immune-potentiating actions. Astragalus appears to restore T-cell (a specific type of white blood cell that is part of the lymphocyte family) counts to relatively normal ranges in some cancer patients. |
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