Insisting on drinking astragalus soaked in water is more harmful, and will it hurt the kidneys? Reminder: These 4 traditional Chinese medicines really hurt the kidneys

"Isn't Astragalus nourishing 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 increased. She often had to stay up late and work overtime. After half a year, Ms. Liu felt chest tightness and discomfort from time to time, and she would sweat even at night without covering herself with a quilt .

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

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

This result made Ms. Liu very regretful. She wanted to drink some astragalus water to invigorate her qi, but she ended up suffering from kidney damage instead.

Astragalus, known as the "civilian Qi-invigorating medicine", is not only cheap, but also has a strong effect of invigorating Qi. At the same time, it has the same source of medicine and food, and is loved by many people. Will drinking astragalus soaked in water really hurt the kidneys?

1. Will insisting on drinking astragalus soaked in water hurt the kidneys?

Many people drink astragalus soaked in water, so will this method damage the kidneys?

Astragalus, which has been eaten for more than 2,000 years, is sweet in nature and slightly warm, and belongs to the spleen and lung meridians. Modern medical research shows that it contains a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to the human body , including trace elements, various amino acids, polysaccharides, etc. Reasonable consumption can benefit qi and strengthen the surface, nourish qi and blood, diuresis and swelling, and relieve toxins and expel pus , enhance immunity and so on.

So what about the statement that astragalus can hurt the kidney? According to the records of many traditional Chinese medicine classics, the description of Astragalus membranaceus is basically the same: flat, mild, sweet and non-toxic .

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

In addition, Professor Wang Haiyan and her team from the Nephrology Department of Peking University First Hospital conducted a study on Astragalus and found that Astragalus can help reduce renal function deterioration and histological damage , and has certain effects on diuresis and reducing proteinuria in patients.

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

Compared with ginseng, which costs thousands of yuan per catty, astragalus, which can also nourish qi, only costs tens of yuan per catty, and it doesn’t hurt to eat. So what benefits can you gain if you insist on soaking astragalus in water for a long time?

1. Tonify the middle and replenish qi

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that astragalus has the function of nourishing the middle and replenishing qi, mainly to tonify deficiency, such as people with weak constitution, thin and weak pulse, and easy fatigue . If they can insist on drinking astragalus soaked in water, the symptoms of shortness of breath can be improved to a certain extent, and the immune system can be strengthened. 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 limb edema due to their illness. Drinking some astragalus water at this time can help reduce swelling.

3. Treat spontaneous sweating

Spontaneous sweating occurs mostly during the day, which is different from normal sweating. It has nothing to do with heat, exercise, etc. It is just the body's spontaneous sweating, which is a kind of sweating due to deficiency. Drinking Astragalus water can help improve this sick sweating.

It can be seen that drinking astragalus water for a long time is beneficial to health, but astragalus is also good and bad, so you should pay attention to distinguishing when choosing.

Generally speaking, high-quality Astragalus membranaceus has the characteristics of calendula, silver plate, and chrysanthemum heart. It smells sweet and beany, and the center of the cross-section is yellow. The brighter the color, the better the quality .

There are also many considerations about the use of Astragalus.

Wang Zemin, Chief Physician of the Oncology Department of Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, reminded: Astragalus is not suitable for everyone. Its mild temperature is not suitable for people with yin deficiency, oral ulcers, and dry stool , otherwise it is easy to aggravate the disease.

Even for the general population, before taking astragalus, they should consult professionals to understand their own constitution and judge whether it is suitable to take astragalus , so as not to take the wrong medicine, which will not only fail to protect the health, but also hurt the body.

3. It is these 4 types of traditional Chinese medicine that really hurt the kidneys

It is a three-point poison of medicine, and kidney damage caused by improper use of traditional Chinese medicine is not uncommon in life.

Traditional Chinese medicine kidney damage mainly refers to the kidney damage caused by the traditional Chinese medicine ingredients entering the body and being excreted from the kidney in the form of the prototype or its metabolites after biotransformation. 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 medicine that are most likely to induce kidney damage. Everyone should pay attention to:

1. Aristolochic acids

Such as Guan Mu Tong, Tian Xian Teng, Guang Fang Ji, Aristolochia , etc., as well as Chinese patent medicine preparations containing Guan Mu Tong, such as Long Dan Xie Gan Pills and Fu Ke Fen Qing Tablets.

2. Minerals

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

3. Terpenes and lactones

Such as Tripterygium wilfordii, Kunming Begonia, Pulsatilla , etc., as well as tripterygium polyglycoside tablets and other Chinese herbal preparations containing tripterygium wilfordii.

3. Alkaloids

Such as Chuanwu, Caowu, Motherwort, Nuxychia, 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 awareness of drug safety and avoid taking medicine blindly. It is best to follow the doctor's advice and not buy blindly.

Extension - Astragalus with these Chinese herbs, 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 a meal, so as to achieve better curative effect.

1. Wolfberry

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

2. Danshen

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 play the role of dispelling cold and detoxification. Among them, honeysuckle has the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying, and it can be combined with astragalus to neutralize it for a better effect.

4. Ophiopogon japonicus

Astragalus combined with Ophiopogon japonicus can nourish qi and nourish yin, and can effectively relieve shortness of breath, dry mouth, fatigue, dry cough and other discomforts.

Summary: Although astragalus has many benefits, it must be used according to syndrome differentiation. Blind use can easily lead to health problems such as kidney damage. Therefore, everyone should increase their awareness of drug safety and avoid this as much as possible.

References:

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

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

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

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