Diabetes mellitus belongs to the category of “thirst disease” in traditional Chinese medicine. Generally speaking, diabetic patients can drink the soup made of astragalus and American ginseng, but diabetic patients should not use astragalus if they have the evidence of solid evil on the surface and accumulation of stagnation in the interior, and they should not use American ginseng if the middle yang is weakened and there is coldness and dampness in the stomach.
Astragalus has the efficacy of tonifying qi and elevating yang, consolidating the surface to stop sweating (stopping sweating by consolidating the muscle surface), inducing diuresis to reduce swelling, and generating body fluid to nourish blood, etc. It can be used for treating or relieving qi deficiency and fatigue, loose stools with scanty food (thinning of feces and lack of shape), sinking of middle qi (deficiency of qi in spleen and stomach, which results in the fall of internal organs and other manifestations), hemorrhage in stools, and spontaneous sweating with deficiency of surface (due to the frequent and natural sweating caused by the weakness of the muscle surface).
American ginseng has the effect of tonifying qi and nourishing yin, clearing heat and generating body fluid, and can be used in the treatment of qi deficiency and yin deficiency, deficiency of heat and fatigue, coughing, phlegm and blood, internal heat and thirst (internal heat accompanied by symptoms such as excessive eating, drinking and urination) and dry mouth and throat. However, American ginseng should not be used with quassia.
Both astragalus and American ginseng can promote the production of fluids, so diabetic patients can generally take astragalus, American ginseng made of soup.
However, diabetic patients should not use Astragalus where there is a strong evil on the surface, stagnation inside, yin deficiency and hyperactivity of yang, sores and ulcers at the beginning, and heat and toxins after ulcers are still prevalent, etc.; and not to use Radix Astragali where there is a weak and weakened yang in the middle, and obstruction in the middle of the cold and dampness (cold and dampness obstruct the middle of the spleen and stomach), and all the evidence of solid evidence and fire depression, such as gas and fire depression.
Chinese medicine emphasizes on the identification of symptoms and use of medicines, therefore, it is recommended to use Chinese herbs alone or in combination with herbs under the guidance of a doctor, do not use Chinese herbs blindly by yourself.