Continuing to drink astragalus soaked in water is more harmful, and will it damage the kidneys? Reminder: It is these 4 traditional Chinese medicines that really hurt the kidneys

"Isn't Astragalus tonifying qi? Why does it hurt the kidneys after drinking it for a long time?"

Ms. Liu was promoted at the beginning of the year, but at the same time, the difficulty and pressure of work have increased. She often has to stay up late to work overtime. After half a year, Ms. Liu felt chest tightness from time to time, and she would sweat at night without a quilt .

Her best friend introduced her to an old Chinese medicine doctor and asked her to take time to see it. After the diagnosis by the old Chinese medicine practitioner, she said that Ms. Liu was suffering from qi deficiency, so she prescribed a few flavors of astragalus and other qi-invigorating herbs , and asked Ms. Liu to go back to soak in water and drink for a while, and then her body would recover slowly.

As a result, after drinking for 2 months, Ms. Liu found that her foamy urine had increased. She happened to have a physical examination at the unit, but she was found to have slight kidney damage.

This result made Ms. Liu regretful. She wanted to drink some astragalus water to replenish her qi, but she ended up with kidney damage.

Astragalus, known as "the commoner's qi-tonifying medicine", is not only cheap, but also has a strong qi-tonifying effect. At the same time, it has the same origin as medicine and food, and is loved by many people. Will drinking astragalus in water really hurt the kidneys?

1. Will drinking Astragalus soaked in water damage the kidneys?

Many people drink astragalus in water. Will this method harm the kidneys?

Astragalus has a history of more than 2,000 years of consumption. Modern medical research has shown that it contains a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to the human body , including trace elements, a variety of amino acids, polysaccharides, etc. Rational consumption can play a role in nourishing qi, strengthening the surface, nourishing qi and nourishing blood, diuresis and swelling, and toxins and pus discharge. , enhance immunity and so on.

What about the saying that Astragalus damages the kidneys? According to the records of many Chinese pharmacopoeia, the description of Astragalus is basically the same: flat, slow, sweet and non-toxic .

In modern research, there is no research report related to the nephrotoxicity of Astragalus.

In addition, Professor Wang Haiyan and his team from the Department of Nephrology of Peking University First Hospital have conducted a study on Astragalus and found that Astragalus helps reduce the deterioration of renal function and histological damage , and has a certain effect on diuresis and reducing urinary protein in patients.

2. What benefits can the body gain from drinking astragalus soaked in water?

Compared with ginseng costing thousands of yuan per pound, astragalus, which can also tonify qi, only costs dozens of dollars per pound, so it doesn’t feel bad to eat. What benefits can you gain from soaking astragalus in water for a long time?

1. Bu Zhong Yi Qi

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that astragalus has the effect of invigorating the middle and invigorating qi . force.

2, diuresis and swelling

This is also a major effect of astragalus. For example, patients with high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease are prone to lower extremity edema due to their illness. Drinking astragalus water at this time can help reduce swelling.

3. Treatment of spontaneous perspiration

Spontaneous sweating mostly occurs during the day, which is different from normal sweating. It has nothing to do with heat, exercise, etc. It is just that the body sweats spontaneously, which is a kind of virtual sweat. Drinking astragalus water can help improve this morbid sweating.

It can be seen that drinking astragalus water for a long time is beneficial to health, but astragalus is also divided into good and bad, and everyone should pay attention to distinguish it when choosing.

Generally speaking, high-quality astragalus has the characteristics of calendula, silver plate, chrysanthemum heart, etc. It has a sweet smell, accompanied by beany smell, and the center of the cross section is yellow. The brighter the color, the better the quality .

There is also a lot of attention to the use of astragalus.

Wang Zemin, chief physician of the Department of Oncology, Wangjing Hospital, Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, reminded: Astragalus is not suitable for everyone. Its nature is mild, and it is not suitable for people with yin deficiency, mouth ulcers, and dry stools , otherwise it will easily aggravate the disease.

Even the general population, before taking astragalus, should consult professionals to understand their own constitution and judge whether it is suitable to take astragalus , so as not to take it wrongly, which not only does not play a role in health care, but also hurts the body.

3. It is these four types of traditional Chinese medicines that really hurt the kidneys

Kidney damage caused by improper use of traditional Chinese medicine is not uncommon in life.

Kidney damage of traditional Chinese medicine mainly refers to the renal damage caused by the metabolism or excretion of traditional Chinese medicine components after biotransformation into the body and excreted from the kidneys as prototypes or their metabolites. When kidney damage occurs, patients often have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, oliguria, and anuria .

There are four types of traditional Chinese medicines that are most likely to induce kidney damage. Everyone should pay attention:

1. Aristolochic acid

Such as Guanmutong, Tianxianteng, Guangfangji, Aristolochia , etc., as well as Chinese patent medicine preparations containing Guanmutong, such as Longdan Xiegan Pills and Gynecological Distinction Tablets.

2. Minerals

For example , arsenic and realgar contain arsenic, cinnabar and light powder contain mercury , etc., as well as cinnabar-containing Chinese herbal medicine preparations such as cinnabar Anshen pills.

3. Terpenes and lactones

Such as Tripterygium wilfordii, Kunming Mountain Begonia, Pulsatilla , etc., as well as Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides tablets and other Chinese herbal medicine preparations containing Tripterygium wilfordii.

3. Alkaloids

Such as Chuanwu, Caowu, Motherwort, Strychni, etc., as well as Chinese herbal preparations containing Chuanwu such as Zhonghua Dieda Pills.

Improper use of these Chinese herbal medicines can easily lead to kidney damage, so everyone must raise their awareness of drug safety and avoid blindly taking medicines.

Extension - Astragalus with these traditional Chinese medicines, the effect is better

Generally, astragalus is used in daily life, and it is usually mixed with other medicinal materials to soak in water, or make meals, so as to achieve better curative effect.

1. Wolfberry

Astragalus and wolfberry can play the role of anti-fatigue and promote sleep, because astragalus has the effect of tonifying qi and anti-fatigue, and wolfberry has the effect of nourishing yin and reducing fire, and improving eyesight, so it can effectively improve the insomnia caused by yin deficiency and fire.

2. Salvia

Astragalus and Danshen can help relieve discomfort such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. It is suitable for young people who are often under high pressure.

3. Honeysuckle

Astragalus and honeysuckle can dispel cold and detoxify. Among them, honeysuckle has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying. It is better to neutralize it when combined with Astragalus.

4. Ophiopogon japonicus

Astragalus and Ophiopogon japonicus can nourish qi and nourish yin, and can effectively relieve discomfort such as shortness of breath, dry mouth, fatigue, and dry cough.

Summary: Although Astragalus has many benefits, it should be used according to syndrome differentiation. Blind use can easily lead to health problems such as kidney damage. Therefore, everyone should improve the safety awareness of medication and try to avoid this.

References:

[1] "Astragalus, is it good for patients with kidney disease? 》.Kidney Online.2017-08-30

[2] "Drinking astragalus in water has these six major effects, and you can drink it often to eliminate all diseases! ". Yunnan Traditional Chinese Medicine. 2022-01-23

[3] "Efficacy and Usage of Astragalus". Pharmacy Manager. 2020-09-15

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