He Shou Wu
he_shou_wu.jpg

 

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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