Astragalus Root (huáng qí)

Astragalus propinquus (syn. Astragalus membranaceus[clarification needed]) also known as huáng qí (yellow leader) (simplified Chinese: 黄芪; traditional Chinese: 黃芪) or běi qí (Chinese: 北芪), huáng hua huáng qí (Chinese: 黄花黄耆), is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine.  It is a perennial plant and it is not listed as being threatened.

Herbalism
A. propinquus is used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used to speed healing and treat diabetes.  In western herbal medicine, Astragalus is primarily considered a tonic for enhancing metabolism and digestion and is consumed as a tea or soup made from the (usually dried) roots of the plant, often in combination with other medicinal herbs. It is also traditionally used to strengthen the immune system and in the healing of wounds and injuries. Extracts of A. propinquus are used in Australia as part of a commercially available pharmaceutical MC-S to stimulate production of peripheral blood lymphocytes.

A. propinquus has been asserted to be a tonic that can improve the functioning of the lungs, adrenal glands and the gastrointestinal tract, increase metabolism, sweating, promote healing and reduce fatigue.  A mix of Astragali Radix and Salviae Radix, has been used to treat patients with chronic fatigue.

There is a report in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology that Astragalus membranaceus can show "immunomodulating and immunorestorative effects.",  The herbal extract supplementation in drinking water can induce an immune stimulation response in immunosuppressed chickens.  It has been shown to increase the production of interferon and to activate immune cells such as macrophages.

There is a report in the journal Rejuvenation Research claims that an extract of Astragalus propinquus called TA-65 can activate telomerase, extending the lengths of the shortest telomeres which protect the terminal DNA at the ends of all chromosomes.  Telomere loss is associated with errors in cell division and is thought to be the primary cause of aging. In October of 2010 Intertek/AAC Labs, an ISO 17025 internationally recognized lab, found the largest component of TA-65 to be Cycloastragenol. (source wiki)

Author's Input:
I used this root in my soup mix come winter season.  It can help speed the process in recovering from the common cold.  This root can help boost your immune system to give you more energy, strengthens your upper respiratory organs, increase your production of red blood cell, helps your body defend and destroy viruses and harmful microbes.