Origin & tradition
Huang Qi (黄芪) is one of the most-used tonic herbs in Chinese medicine, traditionally taken to support Qi, immune defense, and stamina.
Eastern tradition · Tonic Herbs · Practitioner
Astragalus (Huang Qi) 黄芪
A foundational Qi tonic whose cycloastragenol fraction (TA-65) is studied for telomerase activation — with honestly mixed human evidence.
Why longevity buyers care
Key active: Cycloastragenol / astragaloside IV (telomerase-linked).
Astragalus-derived cycloastragenol (the TA-65 molecule) can activate telomerase in cell models. Human and animal evidence is genuinely mixed — some studies show no telomere lengthening — which is exactly why it needs evidence discipline rather than hype.
Evidence summary
What the research actually says
68Evidence confidence
Mixed: cell-model telomerase activation; human/animal results inconsistent
Astragalus-derived cycloastragenol (the TA-65 molecule) can activate telomerase in cell models. Human and animal evidence is genuinely mixed — some studies show no telomere lengthening — which is exactly why it needs evidence discipline rather than hype.
79registered clinical trials reference this intervention
2selected from 2+ PubMed papers (longevity / aging angle)
Key active: Cycloastragenol / astragaloside IV (telomerase-linked) — a multi-compound botanical extract, so activity is not reducible to a single molecule.
According to PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov: trial counts from ClinicalTrials.gov, peer-reviewed literature from PubMed. Counts auto-refresh weekly; last checked 2026-06-05. They include trials across many endpoints, not only longevity.
Informational only — not medical advice, a treatment claim, or a substitute for a qualified clinician. Evidence strength varies; we show mixed and null results on purpose.
Compare the evidence
How Astragalus (Huang Qi) stacks up
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