Himalayan Milk Vetch

From DrugPedia: A Wikipedia for Drug discovery

Common name: Himalayan milk vetch, Milk vetch

Botanical name: Astragalus floridus

Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Himalayan Milk Vetch is a member of the pea family, includes many species that grow around the world. Himalayan Milk Vetch is an herbaceous perennial native to the Himalayas. The multi-stemmed plant grows to about 1 to 1.5 m in height and has alternate, compound leaves composed of 12 to 18 pairs of small leaflets. Mature plants have yellow pea-like flowers in long clusters during early summer. These are followed by seedpods growing up to 15 cm in length. The roots are rhizomatous, black with a yellow core, have a peculiar odor and a sweetish taste.

Medicinal uses: Astragalus has recently come into prominence in the US for its medicinal properties, but it has long been known in traditional Chinese medicine to invigorate vital energy and strengthen resistance to disease. There, the dried roots are frequently sold and are boiled along with other herbs or even chicken broth to prepare a tonic or medicinal soup. The roots are used for its immunostimulant, antimicrobial, cardiotonic and diuretic properties. Because it increases production of white blood cells, it has been found useful in therapy for cancer patients that have undergone chemotherapy or radiation. It has also been used for treating chronic diarrhea and reducing blood pressure, and for treating the common cold. Astragalus has been marketed as dried roots, ground roots in tablets and capsule form, liquid extracts, or as a component in herbal teas.

[edit] See Also

Medicinal plants of India