Fo-ti root, the scientific name of which is polygonum multiflorum goes by many different names, the most colorful of which may be He-Sho Wu, a Mandarin name meaning "He has black hair." According to Chinese legend, fo-ti root restores youthful vigor and sexual energy in older men; Lord He-Sho Wu reportedly lived to the ripe old age of 132.
Fo-ti root has an important place among the medicinal herbs that make up the pharmacopeia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to Chinese tradition, dried fo-ti root should be prepared by boiling it in the same water used to cook black beans; its primary purpose is to restore balance to the body's systems when the yin is weak.
Other traditional uses of c/s polygonum multiflorum in traditional Chinese medicine include treatment of osteoporosis, protection of the skin from sunburn, and use as both a diuretic and a laxative. The dried herbs are also thought to stimulate the production of estrogen; menopausal women in China may drink fo-ti root tea or take powdered fo-ti root in capsules in order to alleviate some of the more unpleasant effects associated with this change in a woman's body.
While Western medicine has begun taking a serious scientific look at the natural herbs used in TCM, it should be noted that simply because something is an "herb" does not mean it is automatically safe. The difference is that while bulk herbs contain several different biochemical substances in lower concentrations, prescription drugs are made with high concentrations of one or two of these chemicals. When you buy herbs in bulk at Starwest, you are assured of high quality and potency as well as purity; however, any herbal therapy should be undertaken under the guidance of a trained, licensed herbalist.
