Fo-Ti
pill - Information on Shen Min
According to Chinese herbal medicine, Fo Ti is used to invigorate the
kidneys and liver, and serve as a tonic to increase overall vitality. In China,
Fo-Ti is known as Ho Shou Wu (or He Shou Wu) and has a reputation for enhancing longevity and
energy. For more Fo-Ti
information.
Fo-Ti Root, 610 mg
Nature's Way

Fo Ti (Polygonum multiflorum) is known in China as He Shou Wu. Considered one of
China's four great herbs, it is used on an alternating basis with Ginseng.
Fo Ti
root Supplement Facts
Fo-Ti (root) - 610 mg *
Recommendation: Take 1 Fo-Ti capsule before breakfast or lunch.
* Fo Ti daily value not established
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What's in Fo-Ti?
Fo Ti contains a number of compounds, including stilbene glucosides,
anthraquinone glucosides and anthraquinone derivates.
Benefits of Fo-Ti
Fo Ti has several properties, including the ability to lower triglyceride
levels and can also act as a good antioxidant. Studies in rodents indicate Fo-Ti
can enhance memory. Does it
work for hair growth? We have not seen human studies yet that show this benefit.
Antioxidant
The radical scavenging effects of stilbene glucosides from Polygonum multiflorum.
Ryu G,.
Hanbat National
University, Yusung-ku, Daejon, Korea.
Arch Pharm Res. 2002 Oct;25(5):636-9.
The extract of the root of Polygonum multiflorum (Fo-Ti) exhibited a significant
antioxidant activity assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging activity in vitro.
The bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract yielded a stilbene glucoside,
as an active
constituent responsible for the antioxidant property. Compound 1 demonstrated a
moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity, while the
corresponding deglucosylated stilbene 2 exhibited a much higher activity.
Aphrodisiac Properties of Fo-Ti
Fo Ti is sometimes claimed to be a sex enhancer and found in some
sex pill products. We have not come across any
studies regarding this property of Fo Ti.
We are not aware of specific human studies regarding the role of fo-ti
herb in erectile
dysfunction as of January 2009.
Brain and memory
Changes in hippocampal synapses and learning-memory abilities in age-increasing
rats and effects of tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside in aged rats.
Neuroscience. 2007 November. Department of Pharmacology, Xuanwu Hospital of
Capital Medical University, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of
Ministry of Education, Beijing 100053, China.
The aim of the present study is to investigate the changes in hippocampal
synapses and their relation with learning-memory abilities at different ages,
and evaluate the effects of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-d-glucoside (TSG),
which is one of the major components of a traditional Chinese herb Polygonum
multiflorum Fo Ti, on brain aging. In conclusion, hippocampal synapses count and
synaptophysin expression decreased in aged rats, which may be one of the
mechanisms involved in learning-memory deficit. TSG reversed the above changes
in aged rats, suggesting that TSG may be beneficial for the treatment of
Alzheimer disease or cognitive impairment in old people.
Beneficial effects of different Polygonum multiflorum Thunb (Fo-Ti) extracts on memory
and hippocampus morphology.
Chan YC.
Providence University, 200 Chung-Chi RD., Shalu, Taichung 433, Taiwan, ROC.
J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2002 Dec;48(6):491-7.
Four groups of 1-mo-old male senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP8) were fed
Fo-Ti extract for 18 wk to determine the effect of
PM on memory ability and histopathological changes in mice. The baseline diet
consisted of a casein diet group, and the three test diets were supplemented
with 50% ethanol, 95% ethanol, or water extracts of Fo-Ti. It was found that the
mice fed with Fo-Ti extracts had better active shuttle avoidance response, fewer
vacuole numbers, less lipofuscin in the hippocampus, and lower MDA
concentrations in the brain. Our data showed that the ethanol Fo-Ti extract groups
(both 50% and 95% groups) had lower lipofuscin percentages and MDA
concentrations, and higher total thiol concentrations than the water PM extract
group. The 50% ethanol Fo-Ti extract group showed significantly lower total
cholesterol and triglyceride values than the other groups, but the HDL
cholesterol level was the same. These results suggest that dietary
supplementation with either ethanol or water extracts can reduce brain
pathological changes and promote learning and memory ability. The performance of
Fo-Ti extracts depended on the extraction method, with ethanol extraction tending
to obtain better results.
Protective effect of polygonum multiflorum thunb on the cerebral cholinergic
neurofibers in rats
Li M,. Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha
410008, China.
Hunan Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2003 Aug;28(4):361-4.
To observe the number and morphological changes of cholinergic neurofibers in rats under the destruction of kainic acid, and to investigate the
protective effect and the mechanism of polygonum multiflorum thunb on
acetyl-chorine esterase (AChE) neurofibers. Excitative neurotoxin
kainic acid was injected into the basal forebrain, Meynert neucleus, medial
septal neucleus and the Broca neucleus to establish the destruction model. Then
the destructive experimental group was fed with Fo-Ti, and the histochemical
method was used to display the changes of AChE fibers, the protection and
activation of Fo-Ti. The number of projecting AChE fibers to the cortex and the
hippocampus in PMT group was larger than that in the control group, and no
morphological destruction was seen in the experimental group. Fo-Ti has a protective effect on AchE projecting fibers in rats.
Fo Ti extract for colitis,
inflammatory bowel disease
Protective effects of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-d-glucoside, an
active component of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, on experimental colitis in
mice.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2007 October. Department of Pharmacology, Tongji Medical
College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan,
PR China.
Reactive oxygen metabolites and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) are
involved in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we
examined the effects of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-d-glucoside (THSG),
an active component extracted from Fo Ti, on acetic acid-induced acute colitis
and mitomycin C-induced chronic colitis. We find that THSG exerts protective
effects on experimental colitis through alleviating oxygen and nitrogen free
radicals level and down-regulating iNOS expression.
Fo Ti
side effects and danger
There have been rare reports of chronic consumption of Fo-Ti inducing liver
damage or hepatitis.
The title of the medical report is "New case of acute
hepatitis following the consumption of Shou Wu Pian, a Chinese herbal product
derived from Polygonum multiflorum."
Hepatitis from Shen Min
Shen-Min is a herbal product sold as a supplement for women to enhance hair
growth. It is widely available across Asia, Europe, and the United States and
sold without prescription as a hair nutritional supplement. Shen-Min is a
Chinese herbal product with a mixture of several plants and vitamins including
Fo ti.
Acute hepatitis due to shen-min: a herbal product
derived from Polygonum multiflorum.
J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006 August. Division of Gastroenterology and
Hepatology, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe and Gastro-Hepatology Group, University
of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
We describe a case of acute liver injury in a 28-year-old white woman who
developed symptomatic hepatitis 8 weeks after starting Shen-Min. All other
potential causes of acute hepatitis including viral, hypoxic/ischemic,
metabolic, and autoimmune etiologies were excluded. The liver injury slowly
resolved over 3 weeks after discontinuing the herbal product. Although the
mechanism of Shen-Min hepatotoxicity is unknown, we suspect an idiosyncratic
reaction because the patient developed a fine maculopapular rash, mild
eosinophilia, and did not overdose. Nonetheless to our knowledge this is the
first reported case of herbal-induced hepatotoxicity in a patient taking Shen-Min
per se. Clinicians taking care of patients with acute hepatitis of unclear
etiology should be aware that the consumption of Shen-Min, a hair supplement
widely available in the United States and Western countries might cause acute
hepatitis.
Fo Ti for cholesterol
Blood lipid-regulation of stilbene glycoside from polygonum multiflorum
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2007 Feb. Tropical Medicine Institute, Guangzhou
University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.
To study lipid-regulating action of 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxy
stilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (TSG) from Polygonum multiflorum Fo Ti on
experimental model hyperlipidemic rats. TSG, which shows effects and mechanism
in part like atorcastatin, is a major constituent with blood-lipid regulating
effect of Fo Ti and can be explored as a potent medication for hyperlipidemia.
Fo-Ti questions
Q. The Nature's Way Fo-Ti that you advertise, is that the red
or processed form, or the white or unprocessed form? the actions of the two are
somewhat different, and it is the red that I wish to buy.
A. This Nature's Way Fo-Ti product is the whole root. We did a
Medline search for "Red Fo-Ti" and could not find any mention in the literature
regarding this term. We have not seen any human studies with Fo-Ti and therefore
we question claims made that one form of Fo-Ti is better than another form for
human consumption. We are not sure what is meant by the word processed. Normally
the terms used with herbs are extracts or concentrates. August 2007.
Q. I am doing a biology project on the effect
polygonum multiflorum on Drosophila Melanogaster. How does polygonum multiflorum
increase the superoxide dismutase in the body? Please send me whatever
information you have on polygonum multiflorum that you have.
A. We are involved in the clinical aspects of FoTi use, so this is
outside our range of knowledge. Sorry.
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