Huang Qi
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Huang Qi in TCM:

Explore the properties of Huang Qi according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):


Factoids:
English Name: astragalus, Mongolian milkvetch root
Pharmacuetical Name: Radix Astragali
Properties: sweet, slightly warm


Temperature: warm

Channels: LU, SP, Uterus

Flavors: sweet
Tonifies: qi

Special Properties:
circulates qi, circulates blood, resolves water accumulations


    Alternate Forms:
  • Mi Zhi- honey fried is commonly used to tonify SP or raise Qi

    Actions / Indications:
    • Tonifies Qi to move Blood (numbness of limbs, paralysis, painful bi; also generates fluid for xiao ke)
    • Tonifies SP and Raises the Yang qi of middle jiao (Sp defeciency with appetite loss, fatigue, diarrhea, blood loss recovery, bleeding due to qi deficiency, failure to hold blood, postpartum fever due to qi and blood deficiency; prolapse disorders of uterus, stomach, rectum)
    • Promotes urination and reduces edema (edema due to qi deficiency)
    • Promotes the discharge of pus and generates flesh (chronic ulcers and sores with pus due to deficiency, which have not drained or healed)
    • Tonifies LU qi and Wei qi; stabilizes exterior (cough, asthma, spontaneous sweating, frequent colds or shortness of breath, combine with other herbs for excessive sweating with qi, yang, or yin deficiency)

    Special Notes:
  • John Chen (Pharm.D., Ph.D., O.M.D., L.Ac.) says: "don't use Huang Qi when there is an acute/ stimulatory inflammation". Why not? Because Huang Qi will stimulate more inflammation. Use Huang Qi after the allergy/stimulus has been removed. After the stimulus has been removed, it's the perfect time to use Huang Qi. Don't tonify the inflammation, because this will cause more B-cell and T-Cell based inflammation, instead tonify the body's response post-inflammation.
  • Unprocessed Huang Qi has better actions to tonify wei qi, while honey fried Mi Zhi Huang Qi is more effective to treat imbalances of the interior (like SP, LU, and Yang deficiency)
  • For post-partum w/ early stage of common cold combine Dang Gui with Huang Qi.
  • A small dosage of Huang Qi lifts yang, while a large dosage promotes urination.

Contraindications:
  • (cc: caution with hypertension due to Liver yang hyperactivity)
  • (cc: caution with skin lesions in early stage or with heat toxin)
  • (cc: caution with exterior excess, qi stagnation, damp obstruction, food stagnation, yin deficiency with heat signs)