Astragalus

(anatomy) The bone of the ankle which articulates with the bones of the leg. Also known as talus.

Description

Astragalus, also called milk vetch root, is the root of the Astragalus membranaceus plant, which is a member of the pea family. This perennial grows to a height of 2–4 ft. (5–10 cm). It has white or yellow flowers and leaves with 10–18 pairs of leaflets. The large yellow taproots of four- to seven-year-old plants are used for medicinal purposes. Although there are many varieties in the Astragalus family, Astragalus membranaceus is the sole medicinal type. The plant is found only in the grasslands and mountains of central and western Asia, principally in China, Taiwan, and Korea. Astragalus is a good source of selenium, an antioxidant and immune system stimulant.

General Use

Astragalus is called Huang Qi in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is considered to be an important tonic herb. It is used to strengthen what is called the wei qi, or the defensive energy of the body against disease. TCM identifies astragalus as being helpful in conditions involving the Spleen, the Lungs, and the Triple Burner. It is a warming tonic, and it improves the functioning of the qi (the flow of energy in the body), the Spleen, the Blood, and the fluids of the body. Astragalus is recommended for Spleen deficiency symptoms, such as diarrhea, fatigue, sweating, and lack of appetite. It is used as a tonic for the Lungs and is good for shortness of breath, asthma, and chronic lung problems. Astragalus is prescribed for arthritis, diarrhea, and nervous symptoms. It is often given to people who are in a state of generally poor or weakened health.

Astragalus is classified as an adaptogen, an herb that increases the body's endurance and resistance to a wide array of physical, chemical, and biological stressors. Adaptogens help normalize the functioning of various body systems by affecting the action of hormones. Adaptogens are usually beneficial in treating chronic conditions. They have been found to enhance the immune response, reduce inflammation, stabilize blood sugar, and support the hormone systems, particularly the adrenal and pituitary glands. Adaptogens should be used for an extended period of time—at least six weeks.

Astragalus helps the body function at its best level. It helps the body deal with stress and enhances overall immune function. It has been shown to stimulate production and activation of the white blood cells, which fight infection. It is highly recommended for preventing and alleviating colds and flu. Astragalus can be used to cure chronic weaknesses of the lungs. Because it improves blood circulation and heart function, astragalus is useful in treating heart disease. It has also been found to prevent or reduce blood clotting. Astragalus can be taken as a tonic for the kidneys. It has a diuretic (urine-producing) effect and so it flushes out the urinary system. It is thus very effective in treating kidney infections, proteinuria (too much protein in the urine), chronic prostate problems, and chronic urinary tract problems.

Astragalus is helpful to those taking chemotherapy and radiation treatments. It reduces toxic side effects and enhances therapeutic effects. Cancer patients who take astragalus during or after cancer treatments tend to recover more quickly from the ill effects of the treatment, and they generally have better survival rates. This appears to be connected with the strengthening of the immune system. Astragalus also stimulates the adrenal glands, whose functions are suppressed in cancer. The herb improves poor appetite, diarrhea, weakness, wasting, and night sweats. This makes it helpful for cancer patients as well as AIDS sufferers and those with other debilitating diseases.

Astragalus is recommended as a tonic for the elderly. It protects cells from the aging process and may diminish other negative effects of aging. For example, it strengthens digestion, stimulates the appetite, and helps improve mental functioning. Astragalus shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. By itself or in combinations, it may be useful in treating viral infections, hypoglycemia, diabetes mellitus, chronic ulcers, insomnia, hyperthyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, open wounds, liver problems, sexual dysfunction, fertility problems, and autoimmune diseases.

Preparations

Astragalus is available as a capsule, a tablet, a tincture, as a part of an herbal combination, as a prepared tea, and as a sweet dried root that can be eaten or made into tea. Traditionally, several slices of the root are often added to soups and stews. A strong tea can be made by boiling three ounces of astragalus root in three cups of water and letting the mixture steep for at least five minutes. Two or three cups of the unheated tea can be taken over the course of a day. In tincture form, 30–60 drops of astragalus can be taken four times per day. Candied roots can be purchased ready-made or prepared in the home. Preparation involves combining four parts of the dried root with one part honey in water, then simmering until the herb is dried and brownish. In TCM, astragalus ointments are used to heal wounds, particularly those that are slow to heal.

Precautions

Since astragalus is a warming herb, its use should be avoided in heat conditions, such as fevers or agitated states. Astragalus membranaceus is the only species of its family to have a medicinal use; other species may be toxic. Therefore, local Western varieties should not be used. Use only the root portion of the plant; other parts of the plant may be poisonous.

Side Effects

Sometimes individuals experience a slight stomach upset or allergic reaction to astragalus. However, it is generally a very safe herb, even at high doses.

Interactions

Astragalus increases the effectiveness of other herbs when used in combinations. It is often used with Siberian ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus; Echinacea spp.; dong quai, Angelica sinensis; and Lingusticum wallichi. Astragalus may interfere with the actions of diuretics, phenobarbital, beta-blockers, and anticoagulants (substances that prevent blood clotting). Users of these medications should consult a healthcare provider before using the herb.

Resources

Books

Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon. The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999.

Green, James. The Male Herbal: Health Care for Men and Boys. Freedom, Calif.: Crossing Press, 1991.

Hart, Carol, and Magnolia Goh. Traditional Chinese Medicine: The A-Z Guide to Natural Healing from the Orient. New York: Dell, 1997.

Other

"Astragalus." Go-Symmetry.

"Astragalus." The Herbalist.

"Astragalus." HerbsHerbals.com.

"Astragalus." Pro Health International.

[Article by: Patience Paradox]

A genus of the legume family Fabaceae in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Many of the Astragalus spp. are poisonous with several forms of poisoning.
A number of species of the genus grow preferentially in selenium-rich soils and accumulate much more selenium than other plants, enhancing the probability of producing selenium poisoning. Included are A. bisulcatus, A. pattersonii, A. pectinatus, A. praelongus, A. preussi, A. racemosus.
Many species of the genus contain toxic aliphatic nitro compounds. Poisoning is manifested by nitrite (‘nitro’) poisoning or by acute respiratory distress or chronic incoordination, blindness and respiratory stertor. Includes A. arequipensis, A. atropubescens, A. bergii, A. campestris, A. canadensis, A. chamissonis, A. cryptobotrys, A. distinens, A. emoryanus var. emoryanus, A. falcatus, A. garbancillo, A. hamosus, A. hylophylus, A. miser, A. miser var. hylophylus (locoweed, timber milk vetch), A. miser var. oblongifolus, A. miser var. serotinus, A. oblongifolus, A. palenae, A. pehuenches, A. pterocarpus, A. serotinus, A. tetrapterus, A. toanus, A. vesiculosus.
Long-term ingestion of any one of a series of species of the plant causes ‘loco’ or locoweed poisoning, an acquired lysosomal storage disease caused by swainsonine, which is manifested by incoordination, extreme hypersensitivity and excitability. Includes A. allochrous, A. argillophilus, A. bisulcatus, A. diphysus, A. earlei, A. lentiginosus, A. lonchocarpus, A. lusitanicus (Erophaca baetica), A. missouriensis, A. mollisimus, A. nothoxys, A. nuttallianus, A. pubentissimus, A. strictus, A. tephrodes, A. thurberi, A. wootonii, A. variabilis. Chronic heart failure due to swainsonine is caused by A. lentiginosus at high altitudes.
Abortion is a common manifestation and is accompanied by a great variety of skeletal defects including arthrogryposis and hypermobility. Called also locoweed, milk vetch.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the bone in the ankle that articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint
  Synonyms: anklebone, astragal, talus

This article is about the plant genus. For the ankle bone, see talus bone.

Astragalus
Astragalus tragacantha ssp. vicentinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Tribe:	Galegeae
Genus:	Astragalus L.
Species
See text.

Astragalus (As-trá-ga-lus) is a large genus of about 2,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names include milk-vetch (most species), locoweed (in western US, some species)^[1] and goat's-thorn (A. gummifer, A. tragacanthus). Some pale-flowered vetches are similar in appearance, but vetches are more vine-like.

Contents 1 Species 2 Medicinal uses 3 Supplement use 4 Ornamental use 5 Toxicology 6 Selected species 7 Notes 8 External references

Species

Astragalus glycyphyllos

Astragalus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the following case-bearers of the genus Coleophora: C. astragalella (feeds exclusively on A. glycyphyllos), C. cartilaginella (feeds exclusively on Astragalus), C. colutella, C. euryaula (feeds exclusively on Astragalus), C. gallipennella (feeds exclusively on A. glycyphyllos), C. hippodromica (feeds exclusively on A. gombo), C. onobrychiella (feeds exclusively on Astragalus), C. polonicella (feeds exclusively on A. arenarius) and C. vicinella.

Medicinal uses

Main article: Astragalus propinquus

Astragalus propinquus (also known as Astragalus membranaceus^{[clarification needed]}) has a history of use as an herbal medicine, and the biotechnology firms Geron Corporation and TA Therapeutics of Hong Kong have been working on deriving a telomerase activator from it.

In a recent news release Geron Corporation and Rita Effros from UCLA discussed the possibility of an herbal extract called TAT2 (Cycloastregenol) to be used to help combat HIV, as well as infections associated with chronic diseases or aging.^[2]

Supplement use

Despite lack of evidence and testing, extracts of Astragalus membranaceus are marketed as telophase enhancing and life prolonging extracts. However, no independent tests have confirmed that these supplements activate telomerase in humans. Telomerase activation might pose an increased risk of cancer because telomere shortening is a mechanism that limits cell proliferation. However, short telomeres result in chromosome instability, hence there is also a potential mechanism for telomere lengthening to protect against cancer. To date, studies of drug-induced activation of telomerase (as distinct from mutation-induced activation ) ^[3] have shown no evidence of a cancer-promoting effect.

Ornamental use

Several species, including A. alpinus (bluish-purple flowers), A. hypoglottis (purple flowers) and A. lotoides, are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.

Toxicology

The family of Astragalus has been reviewed by Rios and Waterman, indicating that the toxicities vary from one species to another ^[4]

Selected species

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

(See external references)

Astragalus acutirostris - Sharpkeel milkvetch Astragalus agnicidus - Humboldt County milkvetch Astragalus agrestis - Field milkvetch, Purple milkvetch, Cock's-head Astragalus albens - Cushenbury milkvetch Astragalus alopecuroides Astragalus alpinus - Alpine milkvetch, mountain locoweed Astragalus amphioxys - Crescent milkvetch Astragalus andersonii - Anderson's milkvetch Astragalus angustifolius Astragalus annularis Astragalus anserinus - Goose Creek milkvetch Astragalus anxius - Troubled milkvetch Astragalus arenarius Astragalus aristatus Astragalus asymmetricus - San Joaquin milkvetch Astragalus atratus - Owyhee mourning milkvetch Astragalus atropilosulus Astragalus austiniae - Austin's milkvetch Astragalus azizi Astragalus baionensis Astragalus barrii - Barr's milkvetch Astragalus bernardinus - San Bernardino milkvetch Astragalus bibullatus - Limestone-glade milkvetch Astragalus bicristatus - Crested milkvetch, Two-crested milkvetch Astragalus bidentatus Astragalus bisulcatus - Two-groove milkvetch Astragalus boeticus Astragalus bolanderi - Bolander's milkvetch Astragalus brauntonii - Braunton's milkvetch Astragalus breweri - Brewer's milkvetch Astragalus californicus - California milkvetch Astragalus canadensis - Canadian milkvetch Astragalus casei - Case's milkvetch Astragalus centralpinus Astragalus christianus Astragalus cicer - Wild Lentil, Chickpea milkvetch Astragalus cimae - Cima milkvetch Astragalus clarianus syn. Astragalus claranus - Clara Hunt's milkvetch, Napa milkvetch Astragalus clevelandii - Cleveland's milkvetch Astragalus coccineus - Scarlet milkvetch, scarlet locoweed Astragalus congdonii - Congdon's milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus (caryocarpus) - Ground-plum, Buffalo Plum Astragalus crotalariae - Salton milkvetch Astragalus curtipes - Morro milkvetch Astragalus danicus Astragalus deanei - Deane's milkvetch, Dean's milkvetch Astragalus debequaeus - Debeque milkvetch Astragalus depressus Astragalus didymocarpus - Two-seeded milkvetch, Dwarf white milkvetch, white dwarf locoweed Astragalus douglasii - Douglas's milkvetch Astragalus echinus Astragalus eriocarpus Astragalus ertterae - Walker Pass milkvetch Astragalus exscapus Astragalus filipes - Basalt milkvetch Astragalus frigidus - American milk-vetch, Arctic milkvetch Astragalus funereus - Funeral Mountain milkvetch Astragalus galegiformis Astragalus gambelianus - Gambel's dwarf milkvetch, dwarf locoweed Astragalus gibbsii - Gibbs' milkvetch Astragalus gilmanii - Gilman's milkvetch Astragalus gilviflorus - Plains milk-vetch, Plains orophaca Astragalus glycyphyllos - Wild Liquorice, Licorice milkvetch Astragalus gummifer Astragalus holmgreniorum - Holmgren locoweed Astragalus hypoglottis - Field milkvetch, Purple milkvetch, Cock's-head Astragalus illyricus - Illirian milkvetch Astragalus inversus - Susanville milkvetch Astragalus inyoensis - Inyo milkvetch

Astragalus jaegerianus - Lane Mountain milkvetch Astragalus johannis-howellii - Long Valley milkvetch Astragalus kentrophyta - Spiny milkvetch Astragalus layneae - Widow's milkvetch Astragalus lemmonii - Lemmon's milkvetch Astragalus lentiformis - Lens pod milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus - Freckled milkvetch, mottled locoweed, speckled locoweed, spotted locoweed Astragalus leontinus Astragalus leucolobus - Bear Valley woollypod, Bear Valley milkvetch Astragalus lusitanicus Astragalus lotoides Astragalus malacus - Shaggy milkvetch Astragalus massiliensis Astragalus membranaceus - (syn. A. propinquus[clarification needed]) Huang qi in Chinese Astragalus miguelensis - San Miguel milkvetch Astragalus missouriensis - Missouri milkvetch Astragalus mohavensis - Mojave milkvetch Astragalus mollissimus, woolly locoweed, stemmed locoweed Astragalus monoensis - Mono milkvetch Astragalus monspessulanus Astragalus naturitensis - Naturita milkvetch Astragalus nevinii - San Clemente Island milkvetch Astragalus newberryi - Newberry's milk-vetch Astragalus norvegicus Astragalus nutans - Providence Mountains milkvetch Astragalus nuttallianus - Smallflowered milkvetch Astragalus nuttallii - Nuttall's milk-vetch Astragalus obscurus - Arcane milkvetch Astragalus onobrychis Astragalus oocarpus - Descanso milkvetch, San Diego milkvetch Astragalus oophorus - Egg milkvetch Astragalus oxyphysus - Mt. Diablo milkvetch, Diablo locoweed Astragalus pachypus - Thickpod milkvetch Astragalus panamintensis - Panamint milkvetch Astragalus pauperculus - Depauperate milkvetch Astragalus penduliflorus Astragalus platytropis - Broadkeel milkvetch Astragalus pomonensis - Pomona milkvetch, Pomona locoweed Astragalus propinquus (syn. A. membranaceus) - Huang qi Astragalus pseudiodanthus - Tonopah milkvetch Astragalus pulsiferae - Ames' milkvetch Astragalus purshii - Pursh's milk-vetch, Woolly-pod milkvetch, woolly-pod locoweed Astragalus pycnostachyus - Marsh milkvetch Astragalus rattanii - Rattan's milkvetch Astragalus sabulonum - Gravel milkvetch Astragalus scaphoides - Bitterroot milkvetch Astragalus sclerocarpus - Sicklepod milkvetch Astragalus sempervirens Astragalus shevockii - Shevock's milkvetch, Little Kern milkvetch Astragalus shinanensis Astragalus shiroumaensis Astragalus sinicus - Chinese milkvetch, Zi yun ying ( 紫雲英 ) Astragalus sirinicus Astragalus spatulatus - Tufted milk-vetch, Draba milkvetch Astragalus speirocarpus - coilpod locoweed Astragalus subvestitus - Kern County milkvetch Astragalus tener - Alkali milkvetch Astragalus tennesseensis - Tennessee milk vetch Astragalus tidestromii - Tidestrøm's milkvetch Astragalus traskiae - Trask's milkvetch Astragalus tricarinatus - Triple-ribbed milkvetch Astragalus trichopodus - Santa Barbara milkvetch, coast locoweed, Southern California locoweed Astragalus tridactylus - Foothill milk-vetch Astragalus tragacanthus Astragalus umbraticus - Bald Mountain milkvetch Astragalus vogelii Astragalus webberi - Webber's milkvetch Astragalus whitneyi - Balloon-pod milkvetch Astragalus zionis - Zion milkvetch

Notes

1. ^ Astragalus (Locoweed) flowers
2. ^ Herbal chemical helps combat HIV
3. ^ Role of Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer
4. ^ Rios, J. L.; P. G. Waterman (1998). "A review of the pharmacology and toxicology of Astragalus". Phytotherapy Research 11 (6): 411–418. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199709)11:6<411::AID-PTR132>3.0.CO;2-6. 

External references

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Astragalus

• Astragalus
• Large list of species
• Very large list of species (with synonyms).
• Astragalus at a Glance This fact sheet from the U.S. National Institutes of Health provides basic information about astragalus—common names, uses, potential side effects, and resources for more information.
• Astragalus alpinus This Rare Species Guide profile from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides information about the basis for the species' listing, habitat, biology and life history, conservation and management, and conservation efforts.
• Chinese Milkvetch, Astragalus membranaceus, Kansas State University

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