Introduction
He shou Wu had been one of those herbs that had been widely promoted as the elixir of youth and sexual prowest. Much had been written about it’s ability to darken one’s hair and at the same time increased the person’s sexual ability – including fathering children at an old age.
Due to it’s popularity the price of this humble herbs had been sold at outrageous and obscene prices by many distributors online. The price of this herb is actually very cheap.
The many claims made in product advertisements had also been misleading and it is important for us to know what we are buying.
There are 2 types of He Shou Wu and each with it’s own distinctive properties and uses. The two are :
Zhì héshǒuwū ( 制何首乌) or processed He Shou Wu and Shēng héshǒuwū (生何首乌) or Raw He Shou Wu .
a. Shēng héshǒuwū (生何首乌) or Raw He Shou Wu
Taste : bitter and astringent
Temperature : neutral.
Meridian Entered : liver, heart and large intestine channels.
Actions i. Moistens the Intestines and unblocks the bowels
Indications :
Constipation due to Blood Deficiency
Actions ii. Relieves Fire Toxin
Indications :
Fire toxin carbuncles, sores, scrofula, goiter and neck lumps (Chuang Yung)
Actions iii. Checks malarial disorders
Indications :
Malarial disorders with Qi and Blood Deficiency
b. Zhì héshǒuwū ( 制何首乌) or processed He Shou Wu
Taste : bitter and sweet.
Temperature : warming.
Meridian Entered : liver and kidney channels.
Actions i. Tonifies the Liver and Kidneys, nourishes the Blood and nourishes Jing
Indications :
Blood Deficiency with dizziness, blurred vision, insomnia and premature graying of the hair
Yin Deficiency with lower back and knee weakness and pain, soreness of the extremities, nocturnal emissions and insomnia
Jing Deficiency (probably due to excessive sex)
Actions ii : Expels Wind from the skin by nourishing the Blood
Indications :
Wind-Rash due to Blood Deficiency
If you are looking for he shou wu elixir of youth TONICS then you should be looking for the Zhi He Shou Wu. In this regard you also have to be careful.
A number of sellers of pills CLAIMED that he shou wu extracts (5:1 or 10:1 extracts) are zhi he shou wu. That is not correct. Zhi he shou wu is processed through the use of Black soya bean juice. This juice is obtained by slow boiling black soya bean in water for 4 hours twice. Raw he shou wu is then soaked in this juice and steamed or doubled boil until the he shou wu is dried.
The processed or zhi he shou wu is a bit more expensive then the raw or sheng he shou wu.
So Buyers Beware.
Modern Research Findings on He Shou Wu.
Zhi He Shou Wu is a whole body adaptogen that helps rejuvenate the body, balance yin and yang, increase vital essence primarily to the kidney and liver systems, fertility, and guard against premature ageing and greying. It is also said to be calming and stabilising effect to the heart and nervous system with energy-building effects that accumulate with use.
The good news is that modern science has revealed some mechanisms of its anti-ageing effects. One top candidate is He Shou Wu’s ability to inhibit monoamine oxidase or MAO-B, which is associated with the onset of geriatric senility. The primary benefit of MAO-B inhibition is an upregulation of dopamine, which declines with age and is vital for mood, growth hormone release, sexual function, and coordination.
Raw He Shou Wu is less adaptogenic, but is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, detoxifier, hepatic and a laxative.
a. He shou wu powder can lower the blood cholesterol, triglyceride, b-lipoprotein (LDL) of high lipid animals. They were lowered by 89%, 42%, and 54% respectively. The triglyceride of the liver was lowered by 52%.
b. The ingredient of he shou wu, 2,3,5,4′-tetrahydroxystibene-2O-b-D-glucoside possesses a strong inhibiting effect on fatty liver formation, and liver damage of rats caused by oxidized corn oil. It also inhibits the elevation of serum ALT, AST and lipid peroxydation (LPO), and the damaging of the liver.
c. He shou wu can lower serum free fatty acid and lipid peroxydation.
d. In vitro studies showed that he shou wu can protect liver, anti- fatty liver formation because it can inhibit lipid oxidation and the destruction of liver cells.
e. He shou wu is being used improve the function of the liver, in fatty liver, and in viral hepatitis.
f. Among the the 4 different kinds of prepared he shou wu, raw he shou wu possesses the strongest property in eliminating free radicals. The strength of the different preparations in eliminating free radicals is in the the following order: raw he shou wu, soy bean prepared he shou wu, steamed he shou wu, and soy plus alcohol prepared he shou wu.
Dosage and Uses
Both the raw and processed He shou Wu could be taken by itself but like all herbs we need to know what are some of it’s limitations.
There are some contraindications of this herb that we need to be aware of.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
a. Those with Spleen Deficiency.
Symptoms :
poor appetite, weight loss, fullness and sleepiness after eating, and loose stools.
And more serious cases :
cold hands and feet, edema, a desire for warm food and drinks, abdominal discomfort after eating cold food, and diarrhea with undigested food in the stools
b. Those with Phlegm or Dampness.
Phlegm symtoms :
coughing, asthma, obesity, clogged arteries, chronic nausea and constipation or sticky stools, dizziness, poor focus, depression and manic behaviour.
Dampness symptoms :
sensation of fullness in the chest, epigastric distention, difficult and scanty urination, and hesitant and viscous stools. Pathogenic dampness impairs spleen yang that leads to distention and fullness in the epigastrium and abdomen, poor appetite, loose stools and generalized edema.
c. Those with diarrhea or loose stools.
d. Do not take with onions, chives, turnips or garlic.
Spleen deficiencies, phlegm and dampness all had different causes and the beauty of traditional chinese medicine is that if one herb is proved to be useful for one aspect of our body’s disharmony it’s affects could be mitigated against other deficiencies. In this way we can enjoy many of the benefits of a particular herb without compromising other conditions.
He Shou Wu is generally regarded as safe for long-term use, with no known toxicity in children, pregnant or nursing women. However, excessive use can cause numbness in the hands and feet. The raw root can cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and nausea due to laxative effect.
Below are some examples of uses and the principle of mitigating the herbs limitations by combining with other herbs. These are given for reference and education only. The dosages are not included as you would need to consult your physician before taking any of these combinations.
However there is a bonus tonic recipe that can be taken by almost everyone at the end of this post.
Major Combinations for zhi He Shou Wu
a.
Fr. Lycii Gou Qi Zi
Fr. Psoraliae Bu Gu Zhi
Sm. Cuscutae Tu Si Zi
Weak and sore back and knees, dizziness, blurred vision, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge, and premature graying of hair due to Kidney and Liver Deficiency.
Bu Gu Zhi and Tu Si Zi mitigate against spleen deficiencies. Spleen deficiencies could also lead to phlegm and dampness as well.
b.
Hb. Taxilli Sang Ji Sheng
Fr. Ligustri Lucidi Nu Zhen Zi
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae Niu Xi
Dizziness, blurred vision, and numbness of the extremities due to Liver Blood Deficiency. Sang Ji Sheng will mitigate against wind-dampness if those symptoms exist as well. Add in Sm. Sesame Nigrum ( Hei Zhi Ma) it will be a good combination for pre-matured greying of hair.
Not suitable for those with diarrhea due to spleen deficiency.
c.
Hb Siegesbeckiae Xi Xian Cao
Fr. Mori Sang Shen
Cx. Eucommiae Du Zhong
Dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, and achy, numb extremities due to Kidney and Liver Deficiency.
Xi Xian Cao will mitigate against wind-dampness symptoms.
d.
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui
Rx. Paeoniae Alba Bai Shao
Irregular menstruation and uterine bleeding from exhausted Liver and Kidneys.
e.
Rx. Sophorae Flavescentis Ku Shen
Cx. Dictamni Bai Xian Pi
Hb. Schizonepetae Jing Jie
Itching due to Wind-Rash due to Blood Deficiency. Ku Shen drys dampness and clear heat. Bai Xian Pi and Jing Jie supports zhi he shou wu function.
Major Combinations for Sheng He Shou Wu
a.
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis Dang Gui
Sm. Sesame Nigrum Hei Zhi Ma
Constipation due to dry Intestines from Blood Deficiency. Dang Gui helps to alleviate symptoms from chronic wind-dampness and tonify blood at the same time.
b.
Rx. Scrophulariae Xuan Shen
Fr. Forsythiae Lian Qiao
Scrofula, abscesses, and other toxic swellings.
c.
Rx. Saposhnikoviae Fang Feng
Flos Lonicerae Jin Yin Hua
Rx. Sophorae Flavescentis Ku Shen
Damp-Heat Wind toxin with pus pockets all over the body that seep yellow fluid. Fang Feng expels wind-dampness and Ku-Shen dry dampness.
BONUS COMBINATION
Radix Polygoni Multiflori zhi He Shou Wu 何首烏 8 g
tonify liver & kidney , nourishes blood and jing,
Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen 人參 2 g
tonify stomach qi, spleen qi, lung qi, heart qi
Rx. Dioscoreae Shan Yao 山藥 8 g
tonify spleen qi, lung qi, kidney yin, stomach yin
Fr. Lycii Gou Qi Zi 枸杞子 4 g
tonify yin , blood , jing – lung, liver , kidney
Rx. Rehmanniae Preparata Shu Di Huang 熟地黄 8 g
Nourishes blood, liver and kidney yin, jing – enters marrow
Ganoderma Ling Zhi 靈芝 2 g
tonify heart qi, lung qi, nourishes heart blood,
Rx. Chuanxiong Chuan Xiong 川芎 4 g
invigorates blood and promotes movement of qi
This combination had been called longevity herbal formula. It is a great tonic for those 40+ . It basically covers all the zang fu yin organs. It also covers the qi, blood, jing and shen. Shen comes under the heart qi. Also good for those with weak constitution or are recovering from a major ailment. One of the more pronounce effects would be an increase in sexual function. It is well-known in TCM that our health correlated well with our sexuality. Our sense of well-being will also correspondingly improve.
If we were to work, eat , rest and love sensibly this tonic will help us remain healthy for a long time.
The above tonic could be decocted from 3 bowls to 1 bowl. Repeat with 2 bowls boil down to 1 bowl. The 2 bowls of liquid could be mixed together and then drink 1 bowl a day . Tonics should always be taken in the morning after meal.
Whenever we consume any medication or herbs long term we should take a periodic break otherwise toxicity will set in at some point. This is to allow the body to metabolise the active ingredients. If not these active ingredients could accumulate to a level that can be toxic. While all these herbs are from the “emperor” category where toxicity is very low and mild we still need to take periodic breaks.
For this formula taking a 2 day break every 5 days of consuming the herbs would be a good plan.
Happy , healthy and peaceful living .
