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Introduction: In daily life, we often hear the term Astragalus (Huang Qi), especially in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Astragalus has high medicinal value, and those who are not familiar with health preservation may not know that its qi-tonifying effects are comparable to ginseng, and it is also relatively affordable.
Astragalus has been widely used and first appeared in the “Shennong Bencao Jing” (Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica), thus having a history of several thousand years.
In daily life, if we regularly drink Astragalus water, our bodies may gain these four benefits, but we should also pay attention to several things we should not forget when consuming Astragalus.
Astragalus is used for individuals with deficiency syndromes; those with a strong constitution and excess heat conditions should not drink Astragalus water. Due to its sweet and warm nature, Astragalus is primarily used to tonify qi, raise yang, secure the exterior, support detoxification, promote tissue regeneration, and facilitate water metabolism to reduce swelling. Clinically, it is used for lung and spleen qi deficiency or stagnation of middle qi. Astragalus is a very important qi-tonifying herb.
It also has the effect of raising yang qi, so for those with a strong constitution and excess heat conditions, adverse reactions may occur after taking it. Additionally, Astragalus can be used for insufficient stomach qi leading to spontaneous sweating; those with damp-heat and excessive sweating should avoid it. Furthermore, Astragalus can be used for ulcers caused by both qi and blood deficiency, but it is not suitable for those with excess heat. Astragalus is most suitable for individuals with lung and spleen deficiency.
What Are the Effects of Astragalus? What Benefits Can Long-Term Drinkers of Astragalus Water Expect?
1. Enhancing Heart Function
Consistently drinking Astragalus water can increase the heart’s contraction amplitude and cardiac output to a certain extent, especially showing significant effects in alleviating fatigue and exhaustion. Additionally, Astragalus can effectively inhibit viral myocarditis, enhance myocardial cells, and promote interferon production.
2. Anti-Aging
Although aging is irreversible, we can strive to slow it down. Astragalus is an excellent choice for anti-aging, possessing antioxidant properties. Therefore, regularly drinking Astragalus can protect cells and reduce damage from free radicals, not only delaying aging but also promoting longevity.
3. Enhancing Mental State
Individuals who are physically weak and often feel tired and drowsy can improve their mental state by regularly drinking Astragalus, becoming more youthful and energetic, and promoting recovery to a certain extent.
4. Protecting the Kidneys and Liver
The kidneys and liver are the body’s most important detoxification organs, and as we age, these organs gradually shrink and their functions decline. At this time, Astragalus can be used to protect the kidneys and liver. Astragalus is warm in nature and can enhance the filtering function of the kidneys, accelerate the excretion of toxins from the body, and reduce the burden on the liver and kidneys. For long-term drinkers of alcohol, consistently drinking Astragalus water helps eliminate alcohol and its metabolic byproducts from the liver.
5. Enhancing Disease Resistance
Women who have just given birth are the most vulnerable, having lost a significant amount of qi and blood, leading to weakened immunity. They may consider using Astragalus, which can improve blood qi, enhance immunity, and replenish lost qi and blood.
While Astragalus is Beneficial, It Should Be Taken with Caution
Astragalus is a common Chinese herbal medicine, but individuals with excessive liver fire, food stagnation, inflammation, allergic constitutions, and women during menstruation should avoid it.
1. Excessive Liver Fire: Because Astragalus is warm in nature and can nourish, if one already has excessive liver fire, it can lead to more severe symptoms, easily causing irritability, anger, acne, constipation, dry mouth, and bitter taste.
2. Food Stagnation: Due to Astragalus’s ability to nourish and fill deficiencies, if there is food stagnation and food cannot be digested and absorbed in time, it can easily lead to indigestion, causing more severe symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite.
3. Inflammation: Due to Astragalus’s astringent properties, patients with internal inflammation should also avoid it, as it is not conducive to the dispersal and resolution of inflammation.
4. Allergic Constitution: If you have a special constitution and are allergic to certain components in Astragalus, you should also avoid it.
5. Women During Menstruation: If you are menstruating, you should also avoid it, as it can accelerate blood circulation, leading to excessive menstrual flow and even prolonged menstrual cycles.
Can Astragalus Fight Cancer? Is It True?
This is not the first time that it has been discovered that Astragalus can combat serious diseases. As early as 1972, the scientific master Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin, which was extracted from traditional Chinese herbs. The clinically used Kanglaite injection is also derived from components extracted from Job’s tears, with increased concentrations.
Moreover, the successful extraction of ginsenosides, tanshinone, and ganoderma triterpenes from traditional Chinese herbs has also attracted the attention of the medical community regarding their anti-cancer properties. It seems that Astragalus may indeed be effective against cancer?
This is not a definitive answer. Numerous medical studies have confirmed that Astragalus contains total flavonoids, polysaccharides, and saponins, which are among the most popular compounds in cancer treatment.
However, it is important to clarify that medical experiments are conducted at the molecular level, extracting these three substances and concentrating them to a certain dosage for research. Their experiments are also based on cellular or animal studies. The success of these studies indeed confirms that extracts of Astragalus can inhibit tumor cells at certain levels, but this does not prove that Astragalus itself has anti-cancer effects.
Dr. Zhang, a chief physician in the TCM department of a hospital in Jining, stated: From a treatment perspective, the content of flavonoids, polysaccharides, and saponins in Astragalus is extremely low. Additionally, individual constitutions vary, making the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine difficult to guarantee, and the absorption rate in the human body may not be high. Therefore, simply drinking Astragalus water cannot achieve anti-cancer purposes.
While consistently drinking Astragalus can bring many benefits to the body, pregnant women should still minimize or avoid it to prevent miscarriage. It is important to note that Astragalus is a traditional Chinese medicine, and one must pay attention to related contraindications when taking it. Additionally, when ill, do not rush to seek a cure by treating Astragalus as a panacea; timely medical consultation is the best choice.
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