Astragalus - Astragalus membranaceous
Astragalus, Astragalus membranaceous is also known as milk vetch root, and huang qi. It is native to China and Mongolia. The roots are the medicinal part.
The key constituents in astragalus are flavonoids, saponins, polysaccharides, saponins, and amino acids.
Astragalus is widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for uterine bleeding, anemia (with Chinese angelica) and uterine prolapse, cancers, diabetes, kidney infections, stroke, cold and flu.
Astragalus is diuretic and can lower blood pressure. It is thought to increase endurance and is used as a tonic for young active people. Studies have shown that the strong antioxidant properties of astragalus account for its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, and that astragalus has antiviral activity and can be used in viral myocarditis.1
Astragalus has been used as an adjuvant to help cancer patients recover after chemo/radiation.2 Astragalus is adaptogenic, and immunomodulatory; it helps the body resist immune suppression.3
Dosing: Tincture take 3-8 ml with water 1-2 x day. Start slowly.
Possible side effect: allergy
Contraindications: Consult your physician if receiving treatment for cancer, if you are diabetic, if you take blood thinners, have HIV (increase in tumor necrosis factor), or are immune compromised.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose or treat any illness.
1 Khan, Humaira Majeed, et al. "Antiviral, embryo toxic and cytotoxic activities of Astragalus membranaceus root extracts." Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 32, no. 1, Jan. 2019.
2 Astragalus membranaceus: A review study of its anti-carcinoma activities S Miraj, S Kiani - Der pharmacia lettre, 2016
3 The complete natural medicine guide to the 50 most common medicinal herbs, H Boon, M Smith - 2004 - books.google.com