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Knowledge baseHerbs

Huang Qi黄芪

Radix AstragaliAstragalus Root

Also known asMilk-Vetch Root

Category
Herbs that tonify Qi
Nature
slightly warm
Taste
sweet
Channels entered
Lung, Spleen
Dosage
9–30 g

Usual doses

Dosage
9–30 g
Exceptional cases
30–60 g
Tincture
2–4 ml

Actions & indications

Tonifies Qi and Blood
  • Postpartum fever due to Qi and Blood Deficiency
  • Recovery from severe Blood loss
Strengthens the Spleen and raises the Yang Qi of the Spleen and Stomach
  • Spleen Qi Deficiency with anorexia, fatigue and diarrhea
  • Central Qi Sinking (prolapse)
  • Lung and Spleen Qi Deficiency
  • Qi Failing to contain Blood
  • Qi and Blood Deficiency
  • Fever from Qi Deficiency
Tonifies Wei Qi, stabilizes the Exterior and tonifies the Lungs (aids the circulation of moisture downward from the face)
  • Wei Qi Deficiency with spontaneous sweating
  • Lung Qi Deficiency with frequent colds or shortness of breath
  • Excessive sweating associated with Qi, Yang or Yin Deficiency
  • Dampness in the head
Promotes urination and reduces edema
Spleen Deficiency edema or superficial edema with reduced urination (It can be used as a stand-alone herb for this)
Promotes the discharge of pus, generates flesh and expels toxins
Chronic ulcerations and sores that either have trouble forming pus or have formed pus but are not draining well
Generates Body Fluids
  • Wasting and thirsting disorder
  • Bi Syndrome with numbness of the limbs and paralysis
Relieves numbness and pain
Numbness and pain due to Deficiency of Qi and Blood

Contraindications

  • Avoid in early-stage sores.
  • Avoid with skin lesions involving Heat toxin.
  • Avoid with Exterior Excess.
  • Avoid with Qi Stagnation.
  • Avoid with Yin Deficiency showing Heat signs.
  • Avoid with Excess Heat.
  • Avoid with Damp Obstruction.
  • Avoid with Food Stagnation.
  • Avoid with Heat, Excess Fire, or Deficiency Cold in the Lower Jiao.
  • Use cautiously in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Interactions

  • This herb may help prevent the ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity associated with aminoglycosides such as gentamicin, tobramycin, and amikacin.
  • This herb inhibits copper-induced oxidative stress.

Combinations

Notes

  • By stabilizing the exterior, it can induce a therapeutic sweat in cases where diaphoretics fail.
  • It can cause Qi Stagnation.
  • It is said to cure diseases of infancy.
  • It has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth.
  • Depending on processing, this herb is said to cure Deficiency Syndrome when honey-roasted, stomach disorders when milk-roasted, gastric Deficiency when roasted with millet broth, to remove toxicity when roasted with salt water, and to warm the Stomach and heal dysentery when wine-roasted.
  • Used raw, it clears Heart and Deficiency Heat along with sores and ulcers.
  • Combined with Cx. Mori Sang Bai Pi, it disperses Qi Stagnation.
  • For furuncles, subcutaneous ulcers, carbuncles of the back, appendicitis, mastitis, unidentified swellings, sudden severe pain, high fever with aversion to Cold, and exogenous invasion: grind 150g Huang Qi with 150g Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua, 36g Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui, and 30g Rx. Glycyrrhizae Gan Cao; take 6g of the resulting powder, decoct in 1½ cups of wine down to 1 cup, and take after meals for disease in the upper body or before meals — repeating shortly after — for disease in the lower body.
  • For Blood Deficiency it outperforms Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen.
  • It enhances the action of other herbs, particularly those that build overall energy, aid digestion, and support Blood production and circulation.
  • Huang Qi and Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen both tonify primal Qi, but Huang Qi also supports Yang and suits disorders involving sinking of clear Qi; it additionally stops sweating, promotes pus discharge, generates flesh, and facilitates urination — none of which Ren Shen does. Ren Shen, in turn, generates fluids and has a stronger, longer-lasting tonic effect than Huang Qi.
  • Dry-fried as Chao Huang Qi, it has a stronger Spleen-warming, tonifying action.
  • Wine-fried as Jiu Chao Huang Qi, it reaches the exterior more readily and tonifies without being cloying; it is also better suited to Qi Deficiency patterns with Cold, such as wheezing from Qi Deficiency with Cold in the Lungs, or Qi Deficiency with Cold in the Stomach causing diarrhea.
  • Honey-prepared as Mi Zhi Huang Qi, it travels internally to raise the clear Qi of the Middle Jiao and is slightly moistening, making it suitable where Blood Deficiency or Spleen Dryness is present.

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