Herb library · Herb · Polygonum multiflorum
Fo-ti (He Shou Wu)
A root from traditional Chinese medicine sold for graying hair, aging and constipation. It has not been shown to work in controlled trials, and it is a well-established cause of liver injury that is sometimes severe or fatal.
Serious warning
LiverTox rates fo-ti (Polygonum multiflorum) a well-established cause of clinically apparent liver injury: in China it is reported as the most common cause of herbal liver injury, and up to 10% of clinically apparent cases have been fatal or needed an urgent liver transplant.
Traditional use
Extracts of the root have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for the liver and kidneys, to fortify muscles and bones, and against aging. It has been marketed as a pill (Shou Wu Pian) for headache, dizziness, graying of the hair, constipation and liver disease, and it is also brewed as a tea and used in creams for skin conditions and sore muscles.
What studies show
- Insufficient
Graying hair, aging, constipation and its other uses: LiverTox says its efficacy has not been proven in prospective, controlled trials. Its anthraquinones may explain a laxative effect.
Be careful of
Cautions
- ConditionLiver injury usually starts within days to 6 months of starting it, with fatigue, nausea and pain in the upper right abdomen, then dark urine and yellowing of the skin or eyes. Stop it and see a clinician if these appear. It usually resolves after stopping, but can be prolonged.
- NoteInjury often comes back, faster, if the herb is taken again; LiverTox says restarting it should be avoided. In one reported case a 5-year-old girl given it for hair loss developed jaundice twice.
- NoteCommon side effects are abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
- NoteA genetic marker (HLA-B*35:01) is found in most people in Chinese case series who were injured by it, which suggests an immune reaction; there is no way to know in advance who is at risk.
- PregnancyNo safety information for pregnancy or breastfeeding was found in the sources used here. Talk with your clinician first.
- Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.
From the old books
What herbals and dispensaries of the past printed. History, in their words.
“At fifty years it is as large as a fist, and is designated “mountain slave” (山奴), and if taken for a year will preserve the black color of the hair and moustache”
Sources
- Polygonum Multiflorum - LiverTox (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
Reviewed September 25, 2026.