Fo-Ti Polygonum multiflorum
e-shou-wu Cured with a black bean sauce
©Mountain Rose Herbs
- Common Names
- Fo-Ti Root , He-shou-wu
- Botanical Name
- Polygonum multiflorum
- Syn. Fallopia multiflora
- Family
- POLYGONACEAE
Medicinal Uses & Benefits of Fo-Ti Root
How to Use|
Side Effects |
Plant & Garden|
Folklore
- Medicinal Uses: * Chinese
* Fatigue
* Hair
* Kidney
* Libido
* Liver
* Longevity Tonics
* Sleep/Insomnia
- Properties: * Adaptogens * Analgesic * Antiscrofulous * Aphrodisiac * Astringent * Balance * Calm * Hypoglycemic * Phytoestrogen * Sedative * Sedative * Skin tonic
- Parts Used: root
- Constituents: chrysophanic acid, chrysophanol, emodin
How to Use: Fo-Ti
The Chinese attributed mysterious anti-aging properties to the root of Polygonum multiflorum with the oldest (300 years) and biggest deemed "mountain spirit", mighty roots that literally bestowed immortality on the user. In Traditional Chinese Medicine fo-ti is one of the herbs used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit.
" Therefore, wonderful,restorative and reviving powers are ascribed to the ordinary root, and it is prescribed in tumors, piles, postpartum and menstrual difficulties, colds and diarrheas. Its use is also said to promote fertility. The stalk and leaves are used in decoctions in scabious and itching skin diseases."Li Shih-Chen (1578). "Chinese Medicinal herbs", Dover (2003)
Fo-ti, as it is known here in the west is most famous for its reputed ability to restore color to gray hair and as a fertility tonic. It is prescribed in TCM to unblock the channels of energy through the body, allowing the escape of the pathogenic influences that cause generalized weakness, soreness, pain, and fatigue. Mountain Rose Herbs
Preparation Methods & Dosage :Decoction and tinctures. Sometimes found in capsule form.
Fo-Ti Remedies
Fo-Ti Side Effects: Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease is not known. The root is considered to have minimum toxicity, however,excessive use can cause numbness in the hands and feet. The unprocessed root can cause loose stool, diarrhea, with abdominal pain, and nausea.
Plant Description
A perennial twining herbaceous vine growing 3 to 6 feet long or more. The smooth branching stems are reddish with oval leaves. The thick tuberous rhizomes a somewhat woody, and may weight over 6 pounds. Native to China it can be found in grasslands, roadsides, and forest edges. The plant can also be found in Japan.
Regional Traditions :Traditional Chinese Medicine *
History and Traditions & Folklore
A Tang dynasty legend about a man named He Shou-wu is the basis for the common name of this member of the bindweed family. He Shou-wu was credited for remarkable vigor, youthfulness and fathering of many children.
Works Cited- Li Shih-Chen.(1578) Translation: Bliss, Beatrice. "Chinese Medicinal Herbs A Modern Edition of a Classic Sixteenth-Century Manual", Georgetown Press(1973). Dover (2003)
- Mountain Rose Herbs
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