Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceus · Astragalus mongholicus · Astragali radix · Huang qi

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Diabetic kidney disease¹ Cancer-related fatigue² Left ventricular remodeling³ Immune support⁴	Autoimmune disease⁴ Pregnancy or breastfeeding⁵

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus, huang qi) is a root used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and classed as an adaptogen⁴. Its polysaccharides and saponins act mainly by modulating immune and inflammatory signaling⁶. People take it for immune support and as an add-on to standard care in diabetic kidney disease and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction^{1, 3, 7}.

For cancer-related fatigue, a meta-analysis found benefit but called the evidence insufficient for strong support². In a 2024 single-arm study of adults with fatigue after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza extract was followed by lower fatigue scores, with no control group⁸. Among products listing astragalus, sampled ones are mostly capsules and liquids; see Form comparison.

Per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), astragalus might worsen autoimmune disease and may interact with immunosuppressing medications⁴. Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use with prescription medications⁵.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

73 sources, 59 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources