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April 10, 2025What is Astragalus? How to Survive Cold and Flu Season with this Ancient Chinese Herb
- Common Name: Astragalus, Mongolian milkvetch, yellow vetch, Yellow leader, Huang Chi/Qi, Bok Kay, Bei Qi (Mandarin), Ogi (Japanese),
- Latin Name: Astragalus Membranaceous
- Family: Fabaceae
- Parts Used: Root
- Native Region: China, North Korea and Mongolia, although also found in other parts of Asia, Europe and North America.
- Climate: Prefers to grow in grassy regions and mountain sides. Requires lots of sun exposure and dry sandy soil.
This ancient Chinese herb may be the key to preventing colds this winter, but only if you know how to use it.
The History behind Astragalus
Astragalus has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Records of astragalus use go as far back as 5,000 years. It is even reported that Gengus Khan gave astragalus tea to his soldiers to increase their stamina.
Today in China, astragalus is so common that it is listed as an official drug. In the west, astragalus is used as a deep immune tonic or adaptogen.
The Tradition behind Astragalus
In Traditional Chinese medicine, astragalus is known as a Qi tonic.
Qi (pronounced chi) is our life force or energy. A person with Qi deficiency will get sick easily, be tired all the time and may even appear weak or emaciated.
Qi tonics help to nourish and strengthen this Qi or life force. They are particularly effective when paired with acupuncture, as this will get your Qi flowing freely once again and to remove any blockages.
Astragalus to Strengthen Wei Qi
Astragalus is particularly used for strengthening wei qi. Wei (pronounced way) means protection. Think of it like a semi-permeable shield around your body. It’s basically our immune system. The strength of wei qi is dependent on the spleen and kidneys, but most importantly the lungs.
Strengthening your wei qi can help to prevent illnesses like respiratory infections (the common cold). You can strengthen your wei qi with deep breathing exercises, acupuncture and moxibustion (burning of special herbs), and of course herbs such as astragalus.
Strengthening your shield is important for keeping pathogens out, but it can also keep them in. Once we get sick, we need to lower our shields to expel the pathogen from our body. For example, when we have a high fever, we need our pores open, so we can sweat it out. Astragalus has been shown to close pores and decrease cell permeability. This is why astragalus is not traditionally used for acute illnesses and only prevention.
Astragalus for Spleen Qi Deficiency
When you visit our clinic for an acupuncture session, we start with an assessment based on Traditional Chinese medicine. This involves a series of questions, an examination of the tongue and the pulse. At the end of the assessment a diagnosis is made based on the principles of Yin and Yang. A common diagnosis is spleen qi deficiency. A person with spleen qi deficiency may have the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Digestive disturbances and gas
- Constipation
- Muscle weakness
- Digestive sensitivity to dairy
While it is called spleen qi deficiency, it actually refers to weakness in the digestive system and liver. Astragalus is rich in polysaccharides and can nourish the digestive system and support the liver. Astragalus can help to support a person with spleen qi deficiency, in addition to acupuncture and dietary changes.
Astragalus for Chronic Viruses
There are some viruses that never go away and once we get them; we can only manage the outbreaks. The main examples are herpes viruses such as herpes simplex 1 (cold sores), herpes simplex 2 (genital herpes) and herpes zoster (shingles).
The way these viruses work is that they lay dormant in the nervous system, but can cause outbreaks during times of stress and low immunity. The virus can enter the nervous system causing pain and rashes.
The polysaccharides in astragalus have been shown in clinical studies to help prevent theses viruses from entering the astrocytes (nerve cells). Astragalus, however, is not suitable during the outbreak, when the sores are open. If you have any of these chronic viruses you may want to consider using astragalus to prevent outbreaks, especially during seasonal shifts or life shifts (moving, job change, planning a wedding, etc.).
Astragalus for Weak Lungs
Have you ever had a respiratory infection, but then the cough hung around for weeks afterwards? If it’s not pneumonia, which can be confirmed with a doctor’s examination and chest x-ray, just a dry cough, astragalus may help.
The polysaccharide content of astragalus can nourish and moisten the mucosal membrane in the lungs. This makes it an excellent remedy for smokers or anyone with a chronic dry cough. Remember the lungs like warm fluids, so drink lots of warm tea as well.
Cancer & Astragalus: Scientific Studies
There have been many promising scientific studies and journals published around using astragalus and the active ingredient (astragalus polysaccharides) as a complementary therapy to conventional cancer treatments. Here are just a few summarized and cited below:
• A 2020 study explored the use of astragalus to improve immunity for those undergoing cancer treatments. Conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and surgery, often result in lowered immunity which can increase the risk of metastasis. In addition to improving overall immunity, astragalus has been shown to decrease the proliferation of tumor cells and increase apoptosis (tumor cell death).
• A 2019 study found that astragalus polysaccharides (PG2) can improve symptoms and increase the quality of life in those with lung cancer. This is due to its modulating effect on inflammatory cells, including: macrophages, dendritic cells and cytotoxic t- lymphocytes in tumor initiation. The conclusion of the study was that PG2 may enhance the anticancer effects of the chemotherapy agent, cisplatin. This lays the foundation for future use as a complementary immunotherapy to conventional cancer treatments.
• A 2021 study was conducted on the use of astragalus membranaceous polysaccharides (AMP) in cases of metastatic pulmonary melanoma. The study was conducted on mice and the AMP was administered intranasally (via the nose.)
The study found that AMP stimulated the production of natural killer cells. The role of NK cells in the body is to destroy harmful cells, thus preventing viruses and the spread of cancer. Therefore, astragalus can help with viruses, cancer prevention as well preventing other inflammatory diseases.
When to use Astragalus
Astragalus is best to use during times of low-immunity, high stress or any kind of transition. Here are some examples of when astragalus may be appropriate:
- Back to school: For children and parents to prevent picking up every little bug
- Holiday season: For all the parties and family gatherings
- After an illness: To rebuild the immune system
- During a stressful time: moving, planning a wedding, death in the family, new job, school exams
- During cancer treatments or post-treatment: (but check with your doctor!)
- Chronic bronchitis, smokers, anyone with chronically dry lungs.
- Qi deficiency: Check with a TCM practitioner
When not to use Astragalus
Astragalus is not for everyone. It is not safe for those who:
- Have an acute illness or fever
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Are on medication for diabetes
- Have an autoimmune disease
- Are on immunosuppressive drugs
How to Use Astragalus
The first thing to know about astragalus is that there are many different kinds and not all are safe to use. In fact, some are poisonous.
Astragalus membranaceous is the specific kind of astragalus used in medicine and that has been studied for safety and efficacy. So, if you happen to come across wild astragalus, make sure it is a type that is safe to use.
Most of us, however, will encounter astragalus at a supplement store (not in the wild), where it will be available in capsule form or tincture (liquid alcohol distillation).
You may also be able to find the whole astragalus root in an herbal dispensary or Asian supermarket. Traditional ways to use astragalus include astragalus in honey, or added to immune boosting broths.
Check out the recipe below!
The Ultimate Immune Boosting Bone-Broth
Ingredients:
• 1 roasted chicken carcass
• 1-2 chicken feet (optional but will add more collagen to the bone broth)
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 5-8 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 4 black peppercorns or a ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ cup dried astragalus root (chopped)
• 3 cups of vegetables and other herbs of choice (e.g. onions, carrots, celery, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves)
• 1 strip of sea vegetable (e.g. wakame, dulse, kelp) - this will add iodine and other trace minerals to the broth.
• 16 cups water
• Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Add the freshly-rinsed chicken (carcass and feet), and water to a large stockpot or crockpot.
2. Roughly chop vegetables, herbs, garlic and ginger and add to the pot.
3. Add all other ingredients, except salt and turmeric, mix well
4. Bring to a boil on high and then cover and reduce to a simmer for 4 hours, stirring occasionally and topping off with more water if needed.
5. Add turmeric and salt after 4 hours, then allow to cool for about 2 hours before straining and transferring to glass containers or jars; store in the fridge.
6. The broth also freezes well.
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Kirsten Colella, CNP, a Holistic Nutritionist who graduated from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition with high honours, is also a certified yoga teacher. As a yogi who teaches individuals, groups and soon online, Kirsten does her best to live a full yoga-styled life, incorporating the best from herbs with her farm-fresh foods. Living on a farm with her family, Kirsten loves to prepare a wide variety of farm-to-table meals, sharing her delicious recipes, colourful food pics and health-promoting food ideas on our Instagram page @essentialbalanceholistic.
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