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More Information:
Other
Common Names
Astragalus
Page
Number In Radiant Health
120
Pharmaceutical
Latin
Astragali, Radix
Pinyin
Huang Qi
Treasures
Qi and Blood
Treasure
Rating
*****
Atmospheric
Energy
Slightly Warm
Organ
Meridian Systems
Spleen, Lungs and Three Burning Spaces
Primary
Functions
Tonify Qi, regulate immune functions, strengthen
resistance, build blood, strengthen “upright Qi,”
Qualities
Astragalus ranks as one of the most potent health tonics
in the world. For over two thousand years, it has been
one of the most popular tonic herbs used in the Orient,
and remains so.
Astragalus is said to strengthen the primary energy of
the body and to tonify the three burning spaces, or in
other words, to strengthen all metabolic, respiratory
and eliminative functions. As an energizer, Astragalus
is famed for its strengthening effects on the outside of
the body, in particular to the musculature. It is
therefore beneficial in particular to younger adults,
who tend to be physically active and require external
abundant external energy. In China, Astragalus is
sometimes considered superior to Ginseng as an energizer
for younger people. Astragalus is used to strengthen the
legs and arms, and is commonly used by people who work
outdoors, especially in the cold, because of its
strengthening and warming nature.
Astragalus is said to have another effect on the
“surface” of the body---that is, it is used to
tonify the “protective Qi,” known as Wei Qi in
Chinese. This protective Qi is a special kind of energy
which circulates just under the skin and in the muscle.
Wei Qi is a yang energy and is the yang counterpart to
the yin (nutritional) energy flowing through the
meridian system, nourishing our tissues and organs. This
nutritional energy flowing in the meridians in known as
Ying Qi. Both Wei Qi and Ying Qi are generated in the
Lungs after the Lungs have extracted Qi from the air we
are breathing, and after the Stomach and Spleen have
extracted Qi from the food we have eaten. The air and
food energies are united in the Lungs to generate the
“essential energy.”
Ying and Wei are the two components of the essential
energy. Wei Qi circulates in the subcutaneous tissues
providing suppleness to the flesh and adaptive energy to
the skin. This function is considered essential to life
to Asian health practitioners. It is believed that this
adaptive energy at the surface of the body is our first
line of defense against the offensive forces of nature.
. It is the Wei Qi which provides the energy of the
flesh to perspire, produce goose bumps or to shiver. The
Wei Qi controls the opening and closing of the pores. It
Wei Qi is deficient, exhausted or blocked, environmental
forces such as heat, cold, dampness and wind (the
so-called “vicious energies”) can easily penetrate
through the flesh and injure the tissues lying below,
including the blood and inner organs. If the Wei Qi is
sufficient, strong and unblocked, the body’s
resistance is formidable and one can easily adapt to
difficult environmental conditions. Astragalus, by
tonifying the Lungs, helps the body generate an
abundance of free flowing Wei Qi, thus fortifying the
defense energy of the body. Consistent consumption of
Astragalus is thus used to protect the body and has
traditionally been called “the Great Protector.”
Astragalus helps regulate several other important
functions. It is used as a blood tonic and is quite
effective when combined with primary blood tonic herbs
such as Dang Gui, San Qi, Polygonum, etc. Astragalus
helps to regulate fluid metabolism, and those who
consume it regularly are said to rarely suffer from
fluid retention and bloating. Combined with Licorice
root, Astragalus helps regulate blood sugar levels .
An important effect of Astragalus is in its ability to
fortify the “Upright Qi.” Upright Qi is the energy
allocated by the body to maintain upright posture and to
maintain the position of the organs in their healthy
position in their battle with gravity. As one gets
older, or if one experiences chronic fatigue or
exhaustion, or during illness, this Upright Qi is easily
depleted resulting in the sinking, or “prolapse,” of
organs. This can happen almost anywhere in the body, but
it is common in the abdominal and pelvic cavities where
organs tend to sink. Astragalus provides an abundance of
this Upright Qi. Thus Astragalus is used for such
conditions as hernias and prolapse of the uterus and
stomach, as well as the inability to stand straight due
to fatigue.
Astragalus enhances the function of the skin to
eliminate toxins. It is commonly used to help sores in
the skin to come to a head and suppurate, and thus to
heal more quickly and effectively. Astragalus is used by
Chinese doctors to help slow-healing sores and wounds
heal more quickly. All this activity is related to the
Wei Qi which is circulating in the skin, which also
improves blood circulation according to the rule of
“Qi leads Blood.”
Astragalus has a mild diuretic action and helps to
relieve excessive sweating. It is helpful in treating
loose stools, chronic diarrhea and chronic or recurring
colds. If a cold lasts too long it can cause a general
fatigue syndrome that can itself become chronic.
Astragalus is very useful for people who just can’t
seem to shake a cold, and Astragalus can replace the Qi
necessary to regain full strength. In China, there are
patent medicines consisting solely or primarily of
Astragalus which are targeted specifically at treating
low grade chronic colds.
Scientific
Data
Astragalus, like many of the major tonic herbs, has a
very complex constituent profile. Primarily, the active
constituents of Astragalus consist of triterpene
glycosides, polysaccharides and flavonoids. Astragalus
also contains numerous amino acids, trace elements and
various other components.
Astragalus extracts have been proven to have potent
immunomodulating effects in both animals and humans.
Water extracts of Astragalus significantly enhance
macrophage activity and reduce the activity of
suppresser T-cells. The herbal extract significantly
increases natural killer cell cytotoxicity. It
significantly helps antibody response and increases
T-helper cell activity. Studies conducted at the M.D.
Anderson Cancer Research Center at the University of
Houston, the world’s largest cancer research
institute, demonstrated clearly that Astragalus improves
the immune response in humans undergoing radiation and
chemotherapy as a treatment for cancer. The FDA,
however, has not approved the use of Astragalus for this
purpose, although it is approved for exactly that
purpose in many other countries. It tends to protect the
white cells from leucopenia (destruction of white blood
cells due to the chemotherapy or radiation) and
maintains the healthy activity of these immune cells.
Patients taking Astragalus during such treatment tend to
have far fewer side effects and to recover at a higher
rate. Astragalus is often used with Ganoderma, Siberian
Ginseng, Cordyceps and/or Gynostemma in this fu zheng
therapy.
Astragalus extracts have been demonstrated to have
significant hematopoietic (red blood cell-building)
activity.
The primary active constituents of Astragalus, the
triterpene glycosides, are saponins similar to the
saponins in Ginseng and Gynostemma, though all of the
Astragalus saponins (triterpene glycosides) have their
own chemical identities. There are over 30 such saponins
in Astragalus membranaceus, for example, of which many
are unique to that species. The “total
Astragaloside” fraction of Astragalus is an extremely
potent health agent. Studies have demonstrated that the
total Astragaloside fraction, known by its trademarked
name of TA-70, has a bipolar, biphasic, double direction
activity. It is an extremely potent immune modulator,
capable of building the immune response while
suppressing excessive immune activity, as occurs in
autoimmune conditions (including allergies and
arthritis). In addition, the total Astragaloside
fraction has an extremely potent antioxidant activity,
hundreds of times stronger than vitamin E, and stronger
than that of grape seed extract, Ginkgo biloba and pine
bark extract. New extraction technology allows this
total Astragaloside fraction to be extracted. The new
high potency Astragalus extract known as TA-70 is
without doubt among the most potent health tonics in the
world today.
The polysaccharides found in Astragalus are also
extremely potent immune enhancers. However, these
polysaccharides have been shown to be poorly absorbed in
the intestines and therefor have a low bioavailability.
Pharmacological studies have shown that injected
polysaccharides and injected Astragalus glycosides have
approximately equivalent potency relating to the immune
system. However, the glycoside component is five times
more potent than the polysaccharides when consumed
orally.
Both polysaccharide and saponin fractions have shown
liver protective action. However, the liver protective
action of the saponin fraction is more powerful due to
higher bioavailability.
Astragalus contains GABA (g-aminobutyric acid) and has
been shown to have a corresponding hypotensive effect as
a direct result of that component.
An interesting new area of research on Astragalus
concerns its potential as a male fertility agent.
Seventy Chinese herbs were studied to determine their
effect on sperm motility. Only Astragalus proved to
stimulate this activity.
Astragalus is rich in zinc and selenium. They form
components of molecules which have shown powerful
anti-cancer activity. They are also responsible for
Astragalus’s ability to treat osteoarthritis deforms.
Astragalus is used clinically to treat cancer and
osteoarthritis in China.
Astragalus has been found to induce the production in
human beings of both b and g-interferon.
Preparation
and Utilization
Astragalus may be added to almost any tonic formulation
designed to strengthen the entire body. It is superb for
young or old people, male or female. It can be the main
ingredient or a secondary ingredient. My recommendation
here is to consume Astragalus every day, to some degree
or another.
Primary
Combinations
Combine with:
1. Ginseng Root and Licorice Root to tonify the primal
qi
2. Dang Gui to tonify blood and to improve blood
circulation at the surface of the body
3. Cinnamon to fortify the flesh, prevent excessive
sweating and beautify the skin
4. Dang Gui and Licorice Root strengthen menstrual
functions, relieve menstrual and other lower abdominal
pain
5. Schizandra and Ophiopogon to tonify the Lung qi and
yin
6. Ganoderma to tonify the Lungs, Spleen, Heart and
Liver and to protect the body from invasion --- this is
the premier protection entity in Chinese herbalism
Varieties
and Grading
Astragalus is one of the premium Chinese tonic herbs
that has been a staple of traditional Chinese herbalism
for three thousand years. Thus many varieties are
available at any Chinese herb shop, ranging in quality
and price from very inexpensive to relatively expensive.
Prices range from a few dollars per pound up to around
$60 a pound for the best sliced Astragalus. The
Astragalus we get in America has been sliced and
pressed, which makes it appear bigger than it actually
was in the ground, and also makes it easier to cook or
otherwise extract.
If you compare the best Astragalus with the low end
material, it is easy to note a fineness to the quality
of the better root slices. Slices that are supple and
pliable are more desirable than dry, brittle slices. It
usually indicates that the herb is fresher and was more
carefully prepared. High quality Astragalus has an inner
core which is distinctly earthy-yellow. Lesser grades
are characterized by a non-distinct whitish-beige core
and rough texture. However, some unscrupulous suppliers
actually dye this inside core yellow. The yellow core is
essential, but make sure it is natural (it won’t turn
a wet tissue Ritz yellow).
Good quality Astragalus has a sweet flavor that is
pleasant when cooked in tea. Lower grade Astragalus is
bland or tasteless, and has a starchy taste.
My recommendation: buy middle or high priced Astragalus.
Herb shops don’t sell the poor quality stuff for high
prices because too many people are experts in
Astragalus. At least buy a middle grade, and preferably
buy the best---you’ll notice the difference.
Contraindications
Being in the legume family, it tends to produce
flatulence in those who are prone to this distressing
symptom when they eat legumes such as peas. If this is
the case, use less and try adding herbs like cardamom to
the tea. It should not be used during the acute phase of
the flu. There are no known side effects associated with
TA-70, the high technology standardized Astragalus
extract.
History
Astragalus has been used in China as a tonic herb since
deep antiquity. It was described as a superior herb in
the Spirit Farmer’s Materia Medica, where it was
described as an herb which prolonged the years of life
without aging.” Since that time, Astragalus has been
one of the most popular and highly respected tonic
herbs, in the class of Ginseng and Ganoderma, though
more commonly available.
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One
of the most important herbs in the world, Astragalus has
been recognized as a superb and potent immune system
tonic by modern researchers. Astragalus has been used
for over 2000 years to strengthen the body as a whole.
Astragalus is believed by the Oriental people to
strengthen muscle and improve metabolic functions.