Shou Wu Chih
Encyclopedia
Shou Wu Chih is a Chinese patent medicine
that is reputed to act as a tonic and to turn gray hair black
.
Shou wu chih is a liquid tonic formula for men and women. It is claimed by the manufacturers that it gently increases the energy level and it tonifies, warms, and invigorates the blood, nourishes the liver and kidneys, and benefits the eyes. It is saidthat regular use strengthens the bones and tendons and improves sleep. Based on the herb Polygonum Multiflorum (Chinese: He shou wu or fo-ti), it is suitable for long-term use.
, Guangdong
, China, under the brand name Yang Cheng. It is exported to other nations, including the United States
.
Many Shou Wu tonics are produced in many cities in China and can be purchased at many pharmacy shops in China. Some health food stores in the United States import Shou Wu capsules, and Shou Wu herb.
Other ingredients may also include:
Depending on the manufacturer, Shou Wu Chih may or may not contain alcohol. The listing of ingredients on an alcohol-free brand is: Fo-ti, Angelica root, Rehmannia, Ligusticum, Solomon's Seal, Angelica dahurica, Cloves, Citri medica, Cardamon in distilled water base.
(Note: Fo-ti, though not actually a Chinese name, is commonly used in the USA for products containing Polygonum Multiflorum)
Chinese patent medicine
Chinese patent medicine are herbal medicines in Traditional Chinese medicine. Many kinds of Chinese patent medicines are still sold today.-Description:...
that is reputed to act as a tonic and to turn gray hair black
Rejuvenation (aging)
Rejuvenation is the hypothetical reversal of the aging process.Rejuvenation is distinct from life extension. Life extension strategies often study the causes of aging and try to oppose those causes in order to slow aging...
.
Use
Shou wu chih is sold in glass bottles. It is generally consumed by adding between one and three tablespoons to a cup of hot water, tea, or soup.Shou wu chih is a liquid tonic formula for men and women. It is claimed by the manufacturers that it gently increases the energy level and it tonifies, warms, and invigorates the blood, nourishes the liver and kidneys, and benefits the eyes. It is saidthat regular use strengthens the bones and tendons and improves sleep. Based on the herb Polygonum Multiflorum (Chinese: He shou wu or fo-ti), it is suitable for long-term use.
Production and export
Shou Wu Chih is produced in GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, China, under the brand name Yang Cheng. It is exported to other nations, including the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Many Shou Wu tonics are produced in many cities in China and can be purchased at many pharmacy shops in China. Some health food stores in the United States import Shou Wu capsules, and Shou Wu herb.
Ingredients
Shou Wu Chih is a sweetened, black-colored liquid containing 15% alcohol, as well as various herbs. Its herbal ingredients include the following:- RootRootIn vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
of Polygonum multiflorum (Radix Polygoni multiflori, also called fo-ti or ho shou wu) - 25% - Root of Angelica sinensisAngelica sinensisAngelica sinensis, commonly known as "dong quai" or "female ginseng" is a herb from the family Apiaceae, indigenous to China.-Chinese:...
(Chinese angelica, also called dong quai or danggui) - 25% - RhizomeRhizomeIn botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
of PolygonatumPolygonatumPolygonatum , King Solomon's-seal or Solomon's Seal, is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae...
sibiricum (Solomon's Seal) - 20% - Rhizome of RehmanniaRehmanniaRehmannia is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the order Lamiales, endemic to China.The genus was included in the family Scrophulariaceae or Gesneriaceae in some older classifications. The current placement of the genus is in neither Scrophulariaceae s.s. nor Plantaginaceae s.l....
glutinosa - 10% - Rhizome of LigusticumLigusticumLigusticum is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Its name is believed to derive from the Italian region of Liguria....
wallichii (Chinese lovage, also called Ligusticum chuanxiong) - 10% - Root of AngelicaAngelicaAngelica is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as Iceland and Lapland...
dahurica (Dahurian Angelica, also called Angelica glabra Makino) - 7% - Fruit of AmomumAmomumAmomum is a genus of plant, including several types of Cardamom, especially Black Cardamom. Plants of this genus are remarkable for their pungency and aromatic properties....
villosum (Villous Amomum, a type of cardamomCardamomCardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
) - 2% - CloveCloveCloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
- 1%
Other ingredients may also include:
- Hedychium coronariumHedychium coronariumThe White ginger lily is originally from the Himalayas region of Nepal and India where it is known as dolan champa दोलन चम्पा in Hindi, দোলনচাঁপা in Bengali, takhellei angouba in Manipuri, Sontakka in Marathi, suruli sugandhi in Kannada and Kalyana sauganthikam in Malayalam.In Brazil it is very...
(white ginger) - Jambosa caryophy Llus Ndz
- CitronCitronNot to be confused with Cintron.The citron is a fragrant citrus fruit, botanically classified as Citrus medica by both the Swingle and Tanaka systems...
(Citrus medica) - Conioselinum univittatum Turcz
Depending on the manufacturer, Shou Wu Chih may or may not contain alcohol. The listing of ingredients on an alcohol-free brand is: Fo-ti, Angelica root, Rehmannia, Ligusticum, Solomon's Seal, Angelica dahurica, Cloves, Citri medica, Cardamon in distilled water base.
(Note: Fo-ti, though not actually a Chinese name, is commonly used in the USA for products containing Polygonum Multiflorum)
See also
- Traditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
- Chinese classic herbal formulaChinese classic herbal formulaChinese classic herbal formulas are a form of Chinese herbology, where herbs are combined for greater efficiency, compared to individual herbs. They are the basic herbal formulas that students of Traditional Chinese medicine learn...
- Patent medicinePatent medicinePatent medicine refers to medical compounds of questionable effectiveness sold under a variety of names and labels. The term "patent medicine" is somewhat of a misnomer because, in most cases, although many of the products were trademarked, they were never patented...