Ginseng Benefits VS Astragalus Benefits
Ginseng benefits Qi and astragalus benefits Qi as well, which is a common sense in the therapy of Traditional Chinese medicine.
However, what is on earth the difference between ginseng benefits and astragalus benefits since both of them claim Qi benefits?
Is it possible to replace each other in therapy since both of them are of Qi benefits?
No way. Although ginseng benefits Qi and astragalus benefits Qi as well, they have other important properties besides Qi benefits. If we don’t distinguish them during Chinese medicine therapy, they are unable to play their role fully.
Furthermore, it will not only increase the suffering of the patients, but also result in a waste of drugs.
Difference between Ginseng benefits and Astragalus benefits
1. Nature and flavour:
Ginseng is natured of slight warm (or slight cold), tastes sweet and slight bitter.
Astragalus is natured of slight warm, tastes sweet.
Although both of them are of Qi benefits, ginseng benefits much more than astragalus does.
2. Ginseng benefits also in promoting fluid production, quenching thirst and tranquilization, which are not available by astragalus.
Although astragalus benefits less than ginseng does on Qi benefits, astragalus can be served to raise Yang energy, consolidate superficies, expel pathogens and pus from interior, and induce diuresis for removing edema, which are not available by ginseng.
Given that the effectiveness varies between ginseng and astragalus, they should be distinguished in clinical therapies of Chinese medicine.
Ginseng Benefits
- Ginseng benefits primordial Qi dramatically and invigorate Qi for relieving depletion, clinically which is usually used to cure serious diseases, chronic diseases, or syndrome caused by blood exhaustion inducing Qi exhaustion, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, cold limbs, plenty of sweat, and hardly felt faint pulse. Ginseng can be used alone, or combined with astragalus or aconite.
- Ginseng benefits primordial Qi dramatically reflects also from the respects of benefiting lung-kidney, and relieving asthma. For instance, ginseng combined along with walnut, or with gecko treats the asthma caused by lung deficiency, or deficiency both of lung-kidney.
- Ginseng, combined along with Bai Zhu (Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma), Fu Ling (Poria), Sha Ren (Amomi Fructus), and Shan Yao (Dioscoreae Rhizoma) etc., treats syndrome caused by deficient Qi of spleen-stomach, such as lack of energy, fatigue, loss of appetite, loose stools, or chromic diarrhea. So ginseng benefits primordial Qi dramatically reflects also from the respects of strengthening spleen and relieving diarrhea.
Astragalus Benefits
Astragalus Benefits are as follows:
- Astragalus benefits Qi and raises Yang energy, which is used in symptoms caused by Qi deficiency such as rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse, uterine bleeding, dizziness, fatigue, etc. And astragalus is used very often along with Sheng Ma (Cimicifugae Rhizoma) and Chai Hu (Bupleurum).
- Astragalus benefits in consolidating superficies for arresting sweating, which is used in spontaneous perspiration for superficies deficiency. For instance, symptoms of lowered superficial resistance, exogenous cold and sweating can be treated with astragalus along with Bai Zhu (Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma) and Fang Feng (Saposhnikoviae Radix).
- Astragalus benefits in expelling pathogens by strengthening vital Qi and expelling pus, which is used in non-healing of boils even involving interior. Astragalus promotes ulceration and limits the ulcer development. And astragalus benefits in promoting granulation and wound healing after ulcer burst, along with Yin Hua (Lonicerae Flos), Zao Ci (Gleditsia sinensis lamarck), and Di Ding (Herba corydalis ungeanae) etc.
- Astragalus benefits in inducing diuresis for removing edema, which is used in deficient edema caused by Yang Qi deficiency. Astragalus is used very often along with Fang Ji (Sinomenium acutum), Fu Ling (Poria), Bai Zhu (Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma) etc.
To sum up, though ginseng benefits Qi and astragalus benefits Qi as well, they vary significantly. It is wrong to mix them when dealing with the syndrome of Qi deficiency in Chinese medicine therapy, which they both can handle. Otherwise, it would delay the time, or even worsen the patient’s condition.
Tags: astragalus, astragalus benefits, ginseng, ginseng benefits
Posted in Herbs | 2 Comments »
I read an article about a chronic case of edema a few years back that described all the usual approaches that were tried such as the use of diuretic herbs, yang tonics for the kidneys, etc.
However after months of suffering, this little boy finally found relief when a TCM practitioner gave him a formula with herbs that open the lungs. I believe it was actually ma huang (ephedra) that was used, which is also a diuretic. But what stuck with me was the analogy used for why it worked so well.
The author wrote that when you have a container full of water, like a large bottle, the water will exit the bottle with a glug-glug-glug. However if you poke a hole in the other end of the container to allow air to enter while the water is draining, then it stops glugging and starts flowing much more rapidly.
This is why the use of ma huang ephedra worked for this little boy’s edema. If this situation was more chronic, I would consider the use of huang qi astragalus too, but not ginseng which tends to nourish fluids more than excrete them.
Hi Doctor Stone, that is a very good analogy and experience. But as for the edema, I think we need to perform syndrome differentiation first and then to choose the right formula. Personally I don’t thinks it is a matter of chronic diseases. Do you think so?