Is Astragalus the same as American ginseng?

Generally speaking, Astragalus (Huangqi) is not the same as American ginseng. If discomfort occurs, it is recommended to seek timely medical attention at a hospital and receive standardized treatment under the guidance of a physician. The specific analysis is as follows:

Astragalus and American ginseng are two distinct traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Astragalus is the dried root of the leguminous plants *Astragalus membranaceus* or *Astragalus mongholicus*. It has a sweet taste and slightly warm nature, and enters the spleen and lung meridians. It functions to tonify the spleen and strengthen the body, elevate yang and treat prolapse, promote urination, strengthen the defensive system and secure the exterior, and support detoxification and tissue regeneration. It is commonly used to treat symptoms such as fatigue due to qi deficiency, poor appetite with loose stools, sinking of middle qi, chronic diarrhea, rectal prolapse, bloody stools, uterine bleeding, spontaneous sweating due to exterior deficiency, and edema caused by qi deficiency.

American ginseng belongs to the perennial herbaceous plant of the genus *Panax* in the Araliaceae family. It has a sweet and slightly bitter taste, and a cool nature. It enters the lung, heart, and kidney meridians, and functions to replenish qi and nourish yin, clear heat, and generate body fluids. It is commonly used to treat conditions such as qi and yin deficiency, deficient heat with fatigue, cough with shortness of breath and blood-tinged sputum, internal heat causing excessive thirst, dry mouth, and sore throat.

It is recommended that when choosing between these two herbal medicines, decisions should be based on specific health conditions and individual constitution, and treatment should be administered according to pattern differentiation under the guidance of a qualified physician to ensure both safety and effectiveness of the medication.