Baicao Traditional Chinese Medicine
The ancient physicians believed that when the heart is right, the medicine will be true.
Effects and Functions of Huang Qi
【Herbal Name】Huang Qi (Astragalus)
【Alias】Huang Qi, Mu Qi, Mian Huang Qi, Wang Sun, Jian Qi, Dai Shan, Dai Shen, Du Shen, Ji Cao, Shu Zhi, Bai Ben, Bai Yao Mian, Du Gen.
【English Name】Radix Astragali.
【Source】Roots of the leguminous plants Mongolian Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao) and Membranous Astragalus (A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge.).
【Plant Morphology】Mongolian Astragalus: A perennial herb. The main root is long and robust, with a relatively straight stem. The odd-pinnate compound leaves have 12-18 pairs of leaflets, which are covered with soft hairs on the underside. The racemose inflorescence is axillary, with yellow to pale yellow corollas, 10 stamens, and two bodies. The pod is swollen and hairless. Membranous Astragalus: Morphologically similar to the former, with the main difference being 6-13 pairs of leaflets, which are ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, 7-30 mm long and 4-10 mm wide; the corolla is pale yellow, less than 2 cm long, and the ovary is covered with sparse soft hairs. The pod is ovate and elongated, 2-2.5 cm long, with a beak at the tip, covered with short black hairs.
【Distribution】Mongolian Astragalus grows in sunny grasslands and hills; Membranous Astragalus grows at forest edges, in shrublands, grasslands, and sparse forests. It is distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and other regions.
【Harvesting and Processing】Wild Huang Qi can be harvested in spring and autumn. Clean the soil and fibrous roots, cut off the root tips, and sun-dry until 70-80% dry, grading by thickness and length. Cultivated Huang Qi should be harvested after 3 years.
【Herbal Properties】Mongolian Astragalus: The surface is grayish-yellow, and the cork is not easily shed. It is hard and tough, with a fibrous and powdery fracture surface. The bark is yellow-white, and the wood part is light yellow. It has a faint aroma, a slightly sweet taste, and a bean-like odor. Membranous Astragalus: The surface is grayish-yellow to yellow-brown, hard, and difficult to break.
【Nature and Taste】Slightly warm in nature, sweet in taste. It enters the Spleen and Lung meridians.
【Effects and Functions】Tonifies Qi and raises Yang, stabilizes the exterior and stops sweating, promotes urination and reduces swelling, generates fluids and nourishes blood, alleviates stagnation and relieves pain, expels toxins and promotes pus discharge, and promotes wound healing. It belongs to the category of Qi-tonifying herbs.
【Clinical Applications】Dosage: 9-30 grams, decocted for internal use; or used in pills, powders, or ointments. It treats shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue, collapse, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, general weakness with edema, chronic nephritis, prolonged diarrhea, prolapse of the rectum, uterine prolapse, difficult-to-heal abscesses, chronic bronchial asthma in children, chronic hepatitis B, chronic nephritis, and viral myocarditis. For Qi tonification, it is best used after being honey-fried; for stopping sweating, promoting diuresis, expelling toxins, and promoting wound healing, it is best used raw.
【Pharmacological Research】Huang Qi promotes nucleic acid metabolism; enhances hematopoietic function; improves myocardial function and counteracts myocardial infarction; exhibits antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer properties, and improves renal function and pathological changes in renal tissue. The decoction has immune-regulating, anti-aging, and anti-stress effects. Toxicity: The LD50 of the decoction is (40±5) grams/kilogram.
【Chemical Composition】Huang Qi mainly contains astragaloside, astragaloside, isoflavonoid glycosides, isoflavones, isoflavonoid glycosides I and II, triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides.
【Contraindications】It is contraindicated for those with excess exterior pathogens, dampness obstructing Qi, gastrointestinal accumulation, Yin deficiency with Yang excess, initial stage of abscesses or after ulceration with heat toxins still prevalent.
【Formulations】① For treating exterior deficiency with spontaneous sweating: Fang Feng (Siler) 30 grams, Huang Qi (honey-fried), Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes) each 60 grams. Each dose: 9 grams, with 1.5 cups of water, add one jujube, decoct until 70% done, strain, and take warm after meals. (From “Yifang Leiju” citing “Jiuyuan Fang” Yu Ping Feng San)
② For treating Qi deficiency with weak Yang and persistent sweating, and fatigue in limbs: Huang Qi (remove the fibrous roots, honey-fried), Fu Zi (Aconite, processed, peeled, and navel removed) in equal parts. Each dose: 12 grams, with 2 cups of water, add ginger slices, decoct until 80% done, strain, and take warm before meals, without time restriction. (From “Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang” Qi Fu Decoction)
③ For treating persistent vomiting of blood: Huang Qi 7.5 grams, Zi Bei Fu Ping (Lemna minor) 15 grams. Grind to a powder. Each dose: 3 grams, taken with ginger honey water. (From “Sheng Ji Zong Lu”)
④ For treating intestinal wind with blood diarrhea: Huang Qi and Huang Lian (Coptis) in equal parts. Grind to a powder, make into pills the size of green beans. Each dose: thirty pills, taken with rice drink. (From “Chuan Jia Mi Bao”)
⑤ For treating hematuria and painful urination: Huang Qi and Ren Shen (Ginseng) in equal parts. Grind to a powder, use one large radish, cut into thick slices, with 60 grams of honey, soak and roast until done, without burning, sprinkle with the powder. Take at any time with salty soup. (From “Yong Lei Qian Fang”)
Disclaimer: The effects and functions of the herbs are derived from herbal dictionaries and are compiled from folk and online sources for reference only. For medication, please follow medical advice!
Traditional Chinese Medicine speaks of Yin and Yang; solitary Yin does not generate, solitary Yang does not grow. Where there is Yin, there is Yang; where there is up, there is down; where there is front, there is back; one thing conquers another; no substance exists in isolation or without constraints! Maintaining the balance of the entire universe, each dimension has its own very strict system of checks and balances! Therefore, every disease must have a method to subdue it; we just have not found it yet.
Disclaimer: This article is reproduced from the internet and published materials. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion. The various prescriptions and formulas mentioned are for information sharing only and do not constitute medical advice, recommendations, or guidance. Please use them under the guidance of a physician.