He Shou Wu
| He Shou Wu in TCM:Explore the properties of He Shou Wu according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
Factoids:
English Name: polygonum, fo-ti root, fleece flower root, multiflower
knotweed tuber
Pharmacuetical Name: Radix Polygoni Multiflori
Properties: sweet, bitter, astringent, slightly warm
Temperature: warm
Channels: LI, HT, KD, LV
Flavors: astringent, sweet, bitter
Tonifies: blood
Special Properties:
essence, clears heat, resolves phlegm, resolves dryness
Alternate Forms:
- sheng - for intestinal moistening and fire toxin. Unprocessed He Shou Wu acts to eliminate toxins and tonify the body at the same time.
- zhi - to tonify LV blood and KD essence
Actions / Indications:
- Tonifies LV and KD blood and essence (premature grey
hair, weak low back and knees, dizziness, blurred vision, soreness of
extremities, insomnia, nocturnal emission, spermatorrhea, vaginal discharge,
infertility)
- Eliminates fire toxicity (toxic sores: carbuncles,
phlegm nodules, scrofula; external wash for dry, itching, scaly skin
due to blood deficiency)
- Moistens the intestines and unblocks the bowels (constipation
especially due to dryness from blood deficiency)
- Treats malarial disorder (when unprocessed only treats
chronic malarial disorder with qi and blood deficiency)
Special Notes:
- (note: modern use to help lower cholesterol)
- Unprocessed treats Malaria. For Malarial disorders combine 25 to 30g
of He Shou Wu with 3g of Gan Cao. For Malaria
with more fever than chills combine He Shou Wu with Bie
Jia and Zhu Sha (sub Huang
Lian). For Malarial disorders with more qi deficiency add Qing
Hao and Chang Shan.
- Processed treats hair loss (steamed)
Contraindications:
- (cc: SP deficiency diarrhea; phlegm-damp)
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