This product is the mature seed of the perennial leguminous herb Astragalus Root (Astragalus complanatus R. Br.). It is primarily produced in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and other regions. The plants are harvested in late autumn and early winter when the fruits are mature but have not yet split. They are then dried, the seeds are threshed, and impurities are removed. The seeds are used either raw or stir-fried with salt water.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Sweet, warm. Act on liver and kidney meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Tonifying the kidney to constrain seminal emission, nourishing blood and improving vision.

bubble_chart Indications

1. is used for kidney deficiency impotence, seminal emission, premature ejaculation, dribbling urination, excessive leucorrhea, and lumbago. It can tonify kidney yang, benefit kidney yin, secure essence, and reduce urination. For treating impotence, seminal emission, frequent urination, and leucorrhea, it is often combined with Fossil Bone, Lotus Stamen, Gordon Euryale Seed, etc., such as in the Golden-Lock Semen-Securing Pill. For treating kidney-deficiency lumbago, the Waitai Miyao formula uses this ingredient alone.
2. It is used for vertigo and blurred vision due to liver and kidney deficiency. It has the effect of nourishing the liver and kidneys to improve vision. It is often combined with Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, Dodder Seed, Chrysanthemum Flower, etc.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Bencao Gangmu: "Tonifies the kidney, treats lumbago and seminal emission, and alleviates deficiency and fatigue."
2. Bencao Huiyan: "Flattened milkvetch seed is a medicine that tonifies the kidney and astringes essence. It can nourish blood and improve vision, moisten the pupil, tonify the kidney to constrain seminal emission, strengthen yang to promote fertility, and is neither harsh nor drying. It also stops dribbling urination, making it a gentle and moistening formula."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 10-15g.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains amino acids, peptides, proteins, phenols, tannins, sterols, triterpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Additionally, it contains various trace elements essential for the human body. Flatstem Milkvetch Seed has anti-inflammatory effects; it can improve hemorheological indicators and inhibit platelet aggregation; it protects glycogen accumulation in the liver, reduces lipids and enzymes, making it a promising drug for liver disease treatment. It can enhance the body's immunity and improve both non-specific and specific immune functions. When decocted with water, the alcohol-precipitated agent can slow the heart rate, reduce blood pressure and myocardial tension index, and increase cerebral blood flow in anesthetized dogs. When administered orally to mice, it was found to have antidiuretic effects. Additionally, it has analgesic, antipyretic, cold-resistant, anti-fatigue, sedative, and weight-increasing effects.