Updated 4 January 2024
Other botanical names
- Astragalus penduliflorus, Astragalus propinquus
Common names
- Milk vetch
Common origins
- China (North), grown in China and the USA
Botanical classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Fabales
- Family: Fabaceae
- Genus: Astragalus
Components
- Flavonoids
- Polysaccharides: Astragalus
- Saponosides: astragalosides, cycloastragenol
- Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)
- Amino Acids
- Trace elements: Selenium
- Phospholipids
Parts used
- Roots
Organoleptic properties
- Odour: neutral
- Taste: sweet
Properties
- Adaptogenic: increases the production of antibodies (IgA, IgG) in the respiratory mucosa and stimulates macrophages
- Tonic, stimulating
- Cardiac tonic, cardioprotective, hypotensive, improves microcirculation
- Blood tonic
- Immunomodulating
- Anti-infective, antibacterial, antiviral
- Improves cellular respiration
- Increases appetite
- Hepatoprotective, slows replication of hepatitis B virus, prevents damage to kidneys and liver caused by drugs or viruses
- Antioxidant
- Regulates blood sugar levels, hypoglycaemic
- Diuretic, regulates fluid metabolism
- Inhibits the growth of tumour cells
- Reduces side effects of chemotherapy
- Slows telomere shortening, thereby promoting longevity
Indications
- Dysfunction of the immune system
- Chronic fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Asthenia with excessive sweating
- Anaemia
- Convalescence
- Stress with emotional fragility
- Tendency to depression
- Chronic infections (including cancer and AIDS)
- Poor general health
- Susceptibility to winter illnesses (colds, flu, etc.) with weak lungs
- Seasonal allergies
- Bronchial asthma
- Weak limbs
- Organ failure
- Water retention
- Swelling (oedema)
- Night sweats
- High blood pressure
- Angina pectoris
- Support for chemotherapy (stimulation of T4 lymphocytes and NK cells, liver protection, reduction of oedema)
- Diabetes (adjuvant)
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Rickets
- Stunted growth
Precautions / Contraindications
- No adverse effects at recommended doses.
- Possible interaction with immunosuppressive drugs (interaction with interleukin 2 and interferons alpha 1 and 2).
- Not recommended in case of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in women with a personal or family history of breast cancer.
How to use / Current dose
- As a decoction: Boil 5g of dried root to a cup over a low heat, covered, until reduced by half. Drink 2 cups a day, first thing in the morning and before lunch. Take for 3 weeks per month, then repeat if necessary.
- Dried root powder (capsules or tablets): 300 to 400 mg a day on average.
- Drinkable ampoules of concentrated extract: 3 week courses per month.
- Mother tincture or liquid extract.
Additional information
Habitat and botanical description
It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Fabaceae family that grows to a height of 1 to 1.5 metres. Its leaves consist of 12 to 18 pairs of leaflets. The white to yellow flowers are grouped in racemes in the leaf axils. The fruit is an oval, hairy pod.
It grows in well-drained sandy soils. In China it grows on sunny mountain slopes and prefers chalky soils.
Harvest time
The roots and rootlets of a plant over 4 years old are collected in spring or autumn. To avoid sacrificing the plant, it is a good idea to cut off only part of the roots by digging into one side of the plant. They are then dried in the sun before being cleaned, brushed and cut into thin strips. They can be dried after cutting.
Mythology / History / Anecdotes and traditional virtues
Astragalus comes from the Latin 'astragalus', meaning 'heel bone', which in turn comes from the Greek 'astragalos', meaning 'vertebra', because of the resemblance to the nodes that run through the stem. There are over 2,000 species of Astragalus, with the Chinese species being the most extensively studied.
In traditional Chinese medicine, astragalus root is used to warm and humidify the body and as a tonic for spleen and lung qi. It is considered the 'supreme protector'. Like ginseng, it helps to boost the immune system and restore energy. It is also traditionally used in cooked dishes such as rice or stews, where it is cooked and removed before eating.