Fo-ti as an Herb

(Polygonum multiflorum)

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fo-Ti is one of the herbs used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit. The name was given to the plant by a marketer in the early 1970s for the American herb business. In China, it is known as he-shou-wu. The literal English translation of its name is "vine to pass through the night."

Fo-ti is the dried or cured root of a twining vine in the knotweed family, found throughout China, except in the extreme northeast. It is also occasionally grown in American gardens as an ornamental. Fo-ti is a member of the buckwheat family.

With a distinctive sweet yet bitter taste, fo-ti was thought to unblock the channels of energy through the body, allowing the escape of the pathogenic influences that cause generalized weakness, soreness, pain, and fatigue.

Medicinal Uses for Fo-Ti

In Chinese medicine the dried (unprocessed) root and the cured (processed) root are considered two different herbs. The unprocessed root is used to relax the bowels and detoxify the blood. The processed root is used to strengthen the blood, invigorate the liver and kidneys, and supplement vital energy (qi).

Processed fo-ti is one of the more widely used tonics in traditional Chinese medicine, which employs it to enhance longevity, increase vigor, and promote fertility. It is also an ingredient in formulas for premature gray hair, low back pain, angina pectoris, low energy, and other conditions.

The plant is also used as a wash for itching and skin rashes.

Several clinical studies in China suggest the processed herb is useful in treating high cholesterol, heart conditions, and chronic bronchitis. Mounting evidence supports fo-ti's traditional use as a tonic.

Fo-Ti is a mild stimulant to estrogen production in women, making it appropriate for treating a variety of undesirable symptoms in menopause.

Typical preparations are teas and tinctures. Traditionally combined with jujubes and/or biota to treat insomnia with nightmares. Sometimes found in capsule form.

Culinary

None known.

Caution

The unprocessed root can cause loose stools or diarrhea, sometimes with intestinal pain and nausea. The unprocessed root is considered potentially more toxic than the processed form.

One case of allergic reaction to the cured root has been reported, although this form of fo-ti is considered to be minimally toxic when taken in proper doses. Large doses have resulted in numbness of the extremities as well as skin rashes.

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DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Some plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals. Some plants used for illness in the past have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.