Fo-Ti (Polygonum multiflorum / He Shou Wu)

Tier 4 — risky / avoid · Anti-aging · Hair · Liver risk

Fo-ti (He Shou Wu, Polygonum multiflorum) is a traditional Chinese root sold for hair and longevity. Those benefits are not supported by reliable human trials. Liver injury is. Case series from China, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere include acute hepatitis, liver failure, and death. NCCIH and China’s drug regulator have warned about it. Processing (zhi, steam-cured) lowers the dose of some toxins but does not make the herb safe: injury is reported with processed products too. Do not take it, raw or processed, as a supplement.

Dose: Do not take fo-ti, He Shou Wu, or Polygonum multiflorum supplements.