Astragalus is a plant that grows naturally in Asia, and the root of Astragalus is the part of this plant that is used for medicinal purposes and is yellow in color. The Chinese have named Astragalus “huang qi”, which means “yellow leader”. This plant has many other names such as astragalus membranaceus and astragalus mongholicus, bei qi, huang qi, ogi, hwangai or milk vetch. Astragalus is a very important herb in Chinese medicine.

When preparing astragalus to be used for medicinal purposes, some people will boil the roots in water to soften them and then add additional herbs. One such herb is ginseng. Another way to use astragalus is as a food supplement that can be found at natural health food stores or Chinese herbal shops.

The Chinese may add this herb to teas and soups as an active ingredient in their traditional medicines. In stores, astragalus can be found in a variety of forms including capsule, tea or extract. It can also be found in its natural form as a dried root that measures about 5 inches in length.

Astragalus

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