Astragalus, Glehnia Root and Sea Solomon's Seal Broth

Why people make this broth

Hyperthyroidism — an overactive thyroid — is disproportionately common in young people, and especially in young women. The thyroid becomes hyperactive under stress, hormonal fluctuation (puberty, menstruation), and the sustained pressure of academic or work life that many young adults navigate today. The result is a body that runs faster than it should: heart racing, always hungry but losing weight, constantly thirsty, easily exhausted, and prone to anxiety or mood swings.

In the framework of traditional Chinese medicine, this pattern is understood as a depletion of yin — the cool, moist, sustaining principle — which allows yang (the active, warming, consuming principle) to run unchecked. The goal of this three-herb broth is to gently restore that balance: astragalus (bei qi) reinforces the body’s fundamental qi so it does not scatter; northern glehnia root (bei sha shen) nourishes the lung and stomach yin and generates fluids to quench the chronic thirst; and sea Solomon’s seal (hai yu zhu) goes a step further, also addressing the kidney dimension. Together they make a broth that is calming rather than stimulating, moistening rather than drying.

This broth is also noted by Nourilo as being very suitable for people with diabetes who experience the same triad of symptoms: excess thirst, excess hunger, and fatigue.