As the name suggests, the greatest effect of He Shou Wu is to blacken the hair. This magical Chinese herbal medicine was recorded in the "Emergency Prescriptions for the Elbow" in the Jin Dynasty. It was used to relieve pain, grow muscles, and treat scabies. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" in the Ming Dynasty described the effects of He Shou Wu in detail, saying that it can nourish blood and liver, strengthen essence and kidney, strengthen muscles and bones, and blacken hair. It is a good tonic. He Shou Wu is known as one of the four great herbs in China, along with Ganoderma lucidum, ginseng, and Cordyceps sinensis , which shows its high status in traditional Chinese medicine.
Plant characteristics of Polygonum multiflorum
Polygonum multiflorum is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Polygonaceae family. Its commonly used medicinal part is its tuberous root, which is dark brown in color. The root of Polygonum multiflorum is generally lumpy or irregularly shaped, with a reddish brown or reddish brown surface, wrinkled and uneven, with shallow grooves, and long horizontal lenticel-like protrusions and fine root marks.
Heavy, firm, not easy to break. The cross section is light yellow-brown or light reddish-brown, powdery, with 4 to 11 irregular vascular rings in the bark, forming a cloud-like pattern, with a larger central water part, some of which are woody. Slight smell, slightly bitter and sweet taste.
The difference between raw, processed and white shouwu
There are two forms of He Shou Wu: raw He Shou Wu and processed He Shou Wu . Raw He Shou Wu is mainly used for detoxification, eliminating redness and swelling, preventing miasma and relieving constipation. Processed He Shou Wu is specially processed and prepared, usually with black bean juice, called processed He Shou Wu, which is mainly used to nourish the liver and kidneys, replenish essence, replenish blood, blacken hair, strengthen bones, remove dampness and lower blood lipids.
Although He Shou Wu and Bai Shou Wu have similar names, their appearance, efficacy and applications are very different. He Shou Wu and Bai Shou Wu have obvious differences in appearance. He Shou Wu is the dried tuber of the Polygonum multiflorum plant, which is reddish brown or reddish brown, wrinkled, with small grooves, heavy, not easy to break, and tastes a bit bitter.
White-shouwu is the tuberous root of the plants Coix lacryma-volucrata or Coix lacryma-volucrata of the family Vasaceae. It is light yellow-brown or gray-brown in color, has longitudinal wrinkles, and is cylindrical or long-spun hammer-shaped. It tastes sweet at first and bitter in the aftertaste.
Polygonum multiflorum needs to be processed before consumption. Long-term consumption of raw Polygonum multiflorum is toxic. It needs to be processed before it can nourish the liver and kidneys, improve the essence and blood, and blacken the hair.
White-shouwu is relatively widely used in health care products. It can nourish and strengthen the body, nourish blood, make the hair and beard black, gather essence and energy, promote tissue regeneration and eliminate acne, moisturize the intestines and promote bowel movements, and has relatively fewer side effects.
Effects of Polygonum multiflorum
Polygonum multiflorum must be processed before it can exert its tonic effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys, improving the essence and blood, and blackening the hair.
Prepared Polygonum multiflorum can be used to treat chlorosis, insomnia, forgetfulness, dizziness, premature graying of hair, soreness of waist and knees, tinnitus and deafness caused by deficiency of liver and kidney, deficiency of essence and blood. In addition, Polygonum multiflorum also has the effects of anti-inflammatory, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar, protecting liver, enhancing immunity, improving memory, protecting nerve cells, anti-oxidation, and anti-aging.
The vine leaves of Polygonum multiflorum can also be used as medicine, called Polygonum multiflorum. Polygonum multiflorum can be used to treat insomnia, restlessness, dizziness and other symptoms caused by yin deficiency and blood deficiency. It is often used together with heart-nourishing and tranquilizing medicines such as cassia bark, jujube seed, and cypress seed.
Modern Applications
With the progress of modern industry, the modern application of Polygonum multiflorum is becoming more and more extensive. Studies have found that Polygonum multiflorum has pharmacological effects such as anti-aging, improving immunity, lowering blood lipids, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-induction. Among them, the prescriptions based on Polygonum multiflorum have been confirmed to have the effect of reducing cholesterol and triglycerides, without obvious adverse reactions.
A survey study on 126 patients with Yin-deficiency hypertension found that the antihypertensive effect of Western medicine combined with Polygonum multiflorum was similar to that of Western medicine alone, but the clinical symptom improvement rate and recurrence rate were significantly better than those of Western medicine alone. The application of Polygonum multiflorum in modern medicine is not only limited to the field of traditional Chinese medicine, but is also widely used in the treatment and prevention of various chronic diseases.
Notes
Although He Shou Wu has many benefits, there are certain risks in its use. There are 42 ancient medical texts that include He Shou Wu, and 3 of them record that He Shou Wu is toxic. He Shou Wu cannot be consumed for a long time to avoid gastrointestinal irritation, such as diarrhea and vomiting. In the past 20 years, there have been reports of liver damage caused by He Shou Wu and related preparations. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using He Shou Wu, especially long-term users, who should go to the hospital regularly to check liver function.
Conclusion
As a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, He Shou Wu has a rich history and wide application. It is highly praised in ancient medical books, and modern research has also confirmed its various pharmacological effects. However, the use of He Shou Wu should be cautious, especially for long-term users, who should go to the hospital regularly to check liver function to avoid adverse reactions. Although He Shou Wu and Bai Shou Wu have similar names, their effects and applications are very different. When choosing, you should pay attention to the differences in their appearance and taste. Through scientific use, He Shou Wu will surely play a greater role in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.
