* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Name
Astragalus membranaceus, Fisch. (Leguminosae), commonly called Astragalus.
Source
This plant grows mainly in China. Remedies are made from the roots.
History
Roots of this plant have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years. Astragalus root is the main ingredient in a medicine called "huang-qui" used to "replenish vital energy," reduce night sweats, and treat kidney disease. Astragalus is also included in another traditional formula called "Toki-shakuyaku-san" along with peony root, atractylodes lancea rhizome, alisma rhizome, hoelen, and cinidium rhizome. The mixture is used to treat menstrual irregularities and vaginal infections.
Traditional Claims
Astragalus is used as a tonic and diaphoretic (something used to cause perspiration).
Commission E Recommendations
Astragalus is not on the Commission's list of approved herbs.
Proven Effects
During the 1980s there was some interest in using astragalus as a "hepatoprotective agent." In the laboratory, at least, extracts of the roots have the ability to protect liver cells from the damage that occurs after exposure to certain specific toxins. Extracts of this plant are potent lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase (LOX and COX) inhibitors, which means they may have use as anti-inflammatory drugs. They also contain a flavonoid called astragalin (also found in many other members of the Leguminosae family), which may be a useful antioxidant. In one of the few clinical trials ever done, Chinese researchers found that treatment with "Toki-shakuyaku-san" normalized irregular menstrual cycles, healed cervical pseudo-erosions, and helped clear up vaginal discharges.
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Directions
Stir 1/4 of a teaspoon into a glass of water and consume 3 times daily, with meals.
Cautions
Astragalus is not recommended for use during acute, feverish conditions.
Concerns
Marketing surveys indicate that astragalus is one of the better selling herbal products in the United States, but very little has been written about the effects it produces - either good or bad. With so many individuals using this herb, and the total absence of toxicity case reports, it is reasonable to assume that astragalus is probably not very toxic.
Warning
None.
Drug Testing
It seems unlikely that any of the components of astragalus would interfere with standard workplace urine drug screening tests.
Additional Information
The TerraVita Premium Collection uses only the finest, purest and most potent plant extracts from around the world.
The TerraVita Premium Collection is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
The TerraVita Premium Collection is packed in child-proof, tamper-proof pharmaceutical-grade recyclable containers.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
