{"ingredients":{"monk fruit (luo han guo)":{"canonical_name":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","used_in_tinctures":["Monk Fruit Drops 2oz","Shanghai Lady Drops","Supreme Shen Drops","Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops","Sweetfruit Drops","Sweetfruit Drops Cinnamon Bark Oil","Sweetfruit Drops Dang Gui Oil","Sweetfruit Drops Ginger Oil","Sweetfruit Drops Zen","Sweetfruit Drops Zen with Lime Oil"],"research":{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Cucurbitaceae (gourd family); dried mature fruit used","tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","traditional_uses":["Clears Lung-heat and moistens the Lung: used for cough with thick yellow phlegm, dry sore throat, hoarseness and whooping cough (TCM property: sweet, cool; Lung and Spleen meridians; decoct 15-30 g) \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/fructus-momordicae","Moistens the intestines for constipation associated with dryness/blood deficiency \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/fructus-momordicae","Modern use as a non-nutritive sweetener in beverages and foods, derived from its intensely sweet triterpene glycosides \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/"],"key_active_constituents":["Cucurbitane-type triterpenoid saponins (mogrosides), principally mogroside V, mogroside IV/IVA, siamenoside I, isomogroside V, and the aglycone mogrol \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","11-oxo- and 11-deoxy-mogroside series, siraitic acids, siraitiaosides, cucurbitacins (minor)","Fruit polysaccharides and flavonoids (minor constituents reported in the same review)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"no effect","summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value.","sources":[{"title":"Safety of use of Monk fruit extract as a food additive in different food categories (EFSA scientific opinion)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7008860/","year":2019}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No severe adverse events were reported across the 5 RCTs in the 2025 systematic review \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","EFSA judged the toxicological database insufficient to conclude on the safety of monk fruit extract as a food additive and could not derive an ADI; long-term human safety data are lacking \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7008860/","No documented clinically relevant drug interactions were identified in the sources fetched; mogroside V is deglycosylated by gut microbiota to mogrol, so effects may vary with microbiome \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7008860/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic.","_slug":"monk-fruit-luo-han-guo"}},"schisandra":{"canonical_name":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","Changbai Mountain Ant Drops","Diamond Mind Drops","Goji and Schizandra Drops","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","Schizandra Drops, Organic","Shanghai Lady Drops","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"plant_or_organism":"Schisandraceae (woody vine; dried ripe fruit used)","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","traditional_uses":["Astringes the Lung and stops chronic cough, wheezing and shortness of breath from Lung-Kidney deficiency (sour, warm; enters Lung, Kidney and Heart channels) (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/wu-wei-zi)","Tonifies Qi and generates fluids for thirst, dry mouth, fatigue and spontaneous or night sweating (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/wu-wei-zi)","Promotes Heart-Kidney communication and calms the spirit for insomnia, palpitations and dream-disturbed sleep; used in convalescence from chronic hepatitis (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/wu-wei-zi)","Astringes and secures Essence for nocturnal emission, frequent urination and chronic deficiency-type diarrhoea (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/wu-wei-zi)"],"key_active_constituents":["Dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans: schisandrin (schisandrol A), schisandrin A/B/C","Gomisins (gomisin A, B, C, G, J, K3)","Lignan-rich fruit extracts standardised on total lignans; several lignans act as CYP3A4 inhibitors in vitro"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Schisandra chinensis in liver injury: a systematic review and preclinical meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12358260/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials.","sources":[{"title":"Schisandra - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center integrative medicine herb monograph","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/schisandra","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Schisandra chinensis lignans: pharmacokinetics, pharmacological mechanisms, and future prospects","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11984061/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Generally well tolerated at moderate doses, but heartburn, upset stomach, decreased appetite, abdominal pain and skin rash are reported (https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/schisandra.htm)","Several schisandra lignans inhibit CYP3A4 in vitro and long-term safety of concentrated lignan-rich extracts is not established, raising a plausible risk of raised blood levels of CYP3A4 substrates (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11984061/)","Drug-interaction monographs classify schisandra as a moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor that may increase serum concentrations and adverse effects of substrates such as oxycodone (https://www.drugs.com/npp/schisandra.html)","MSKCC notes schisandra is not well studied in humans and may reduce effectiveness or increase toxicity of some drugs; patients on medication should consult a clinician (https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/schisandra)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs.","_slug":"schisandra"}},"american ginseng":{"canonical_name":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","American Beauty","American Ginseng Drops","Dew Drops","Earth Drops Wild Ginseng 2 oz. \u2013 PRIVATE RESERVE","Ginseng Sublime Drops","Heaven Drops 2 oz.- PRIVATE RESERVE","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"plant_or_organism":"Araliaceae (ginseng family); dried root","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Qi while nourishing Yin and clearing deficiency heat - contrasted in the literature with the 'warming/stimulating', Yang-invigorating Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), while American ginseng is described as 'cooling/calming' and Yin-nourishing (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2025.2555921)","Used for chronic dry cough, thirst, irritability and fatigue arising from Qi and Yin depletion, and as a restorative after febrile illness or overwork","Reputed to have a balancing effect on the central nervous system and the gut rather than a stimulant effect (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2025.2555921)"],"key_active_constituents":["Dammarane-type ginsenosides, predominantly Rb1 (~1.51%), Re (~0.89%) and Rd (~0.77%), which together account for >70% of total ginsenosides and are 3-6x higher than in Panax ginseng (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2025.2555921)","Poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides (polysaccharide fraction; the proprietary CVT-E002/COLD-fX extract is ~80% poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides plus ~10% protein) (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1266327/)","Polyacetylenes, polysaccharides and pectins (root matrix constituents)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%).","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001).","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1266327/","year":2005}]},{"outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","evidence_tier":"mixed","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) extract on human neurocognitive function: a review","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2025.2555921","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect.","sources":[{"title":"Brief Communication: American Ginseng Reduces Warfarin's Effect in Healthy Patients: A Randomized, Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-141-1-200407060-00011","year":2004}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Clinically meaningful herb-drug interaction with warfarin: American ginseng reduced INR and warfarin exposure in a randomized controlled trial in healthy subjects, so co-administration risks loss of anticoagulation control (https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-141-1-200407060-00011)","Hypoglycemia risk: because it lowers postprandial glucose in people without diabetes, the authors explicitly cautioned that non-diabetic users should take it with a meal to avoid unintended hypoglycemia; additive effects with glucose-lowering drugs are plausible (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/)","In the 8-week type 2 diabetes RCT at 3 g/day, liver and kidney safety profiles were unaffected and no significant adverse events were reported (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one.","_slug":"american-ginseng"}},"goji":{"canonical_name":"goji","research_target":"goji","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","Changbai Mountain Ant Drops","Goji Drops, Heaven Mountain\u00ae","Goji and Schizandra Drops","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","Yin Replenisher Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"plant_or_organism":"Solanaceae (nightshade family); dried ripe fruit","tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","traditional_uses":["Nourishes liver and kidney yin and 'brightens the eyes' \u2014 classically used for blurred vision, dizziness and dry eyes attributed to liver-blood/kidney-yin deficiency","Tonifies blood and essence (jing) for fatigue, lower back soreness, premature greying and night sweats","Moistens the lungs for chronic dry cough in yin-deficiency patterns"],"key_active_constituents":["Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBPs), the standardized marker fraction of most commercial extracts","Carotenoids, principally zeaxanthin dipalmitate (physalien) plus lutein and beta-carotene","Betaine, phenolic acids and flavonoids; taurine and cerebroside minor constituents"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi.","sources":[{"title":"Probable interaction between Lycium barbarum (goji) and warfarin","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22392461/","year":2012}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Probable pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic interaction with warfarin: case report of markedly elevated INR, prothrombin time >120 s and bleeding after 4 days of goji juice (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22392461/)","Short-term intake of 120 mL/day standardized juice for 14 days was tolerated without significant changes in blood pressure, pulse or body weight in a placebo-controlled trial (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/)","Whole-berry intake of 28 g five times weekly for 3 months reported no safety concerns, though adverse events were not formally tabulated (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim.","_slug":"goji"}},"reishi":{"canonical_name":"reishi","research_target":"reishi","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops","8 Immortals Drops","Duanwood Reishi Drops","Supreme Shen Drops","Wild Red Reishi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"reishi","common_names":["Reishi mushroom / lingzhi","Ling Zhi (\u7075\u829d)","Ganoderma lucidum (also treated as G. lingzhi)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Polyporales, Ganodermataceae (genus Ganoderma)","tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 classified in TCM as a spirit-calming and Qi-tonifying substance","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Qi, calms the Heart and quiets the Spirit; used for insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations and anxiety of deficiency type (sweet, neutral; Heart, Lung, Liver and Kidney channels) \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/ling-zhi","Stops cough and calms wheezing; used for chronic cough and wheezing, and as a general 'top-grade' longevity tonic listed in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing for long-term constitutional strengthening \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/ling-zhi","Widely used in China as an adjunct in cancer care and for fatigue/'neurasthenia' \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/"],"key_active_constituents":["Lanostane-type triterpenoids (ganoderic and ganoderenic acids; >495 Ganoderma triterpenoids catalogued across 25 species) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9856212/","beta-glucan polysaccharides / polysaccharide-peptide fractions (e.g. Ganopoly) used in most clinical trials \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","Spore-derived lipids and sporoderm-broken spore powder preparations \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated.","sources":[{"title":"Spore Powder of Ganoderma lucidum Improves Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy: A Pilot Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22203880/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS) in older men","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Double-blind dose-ranging RCT in 88 men >49 years found 6 mg/day of a G. lucidum ethanol extract for 12 weeks improved total IPSS (mean difference -1.18 points, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.62, P<0.0001) with no change in urinary flow, residual urine, prostate volume, PSA or testosterone.","sources":[{"title":"Randomized clinical trial of an ethanol extract of Ganoderma lucidum in men with lower urinary tract symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18097505/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic and metabolic-syndrome markers in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"Double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 84 adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (16 weeks of G. lucidum with or without Cordyceps) found no clinically meaningful improvement in glycaemic control or metabolic-syndrome parameters versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of Ganoderma lucidum for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4980683/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity.","sources":[{"title":"Lingzhi, Reishi \u2014 LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Generally well tolerated in trials; the Cochrane review recorded only minor events (2 nausea, 1 insomnia) and no hepatic, haematologic or biochemical toxicity \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","Rare but documented clinically apparent hepatotoxicity: NIH LiverTox summarizes a case of cholestatic/hepatocellular injury (bilirubin 15.8 mg/dL, ALT 306 U/L) in a woman who switched to powdered lingzhi, with slow recovery after withdrawal \u2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/","Trials commonly exclude people on anticoagulants or with bleeding history (theoretical antiplatelet effect), so caution is advised with warfarin/antiplatelet therapy \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4980683/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"For reishi the best evidence (a Cochrane review of 5 small Chinese RCTs) supports improved quality-of-life scores and modest immune-marker changes as an adjunct in cancer care, but not tumour shrinkage or survival, and the trials are small and methodologically weak. Small single RCTs suggest benefit for cancer-related fatigue, neurasthenia-type fatigue and mild lower urinary tract symptoms, while a well-conducted metabolic trial found no glycaemic benefit. The traditional claims of broad immortality/longevity, spirit-calming and immune 'boosting' are not substantiated at the level of hard clinical outcomes, and rare hepatotoxicity is documented.","_slug":"reishi"}},"white peony":{"canonical_name":"white peony","research_target":"white peony","used_in_tinctures":["Licorice Soothing Formula Drops 2oz","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz","White Peony Drops 2oz","Yin Replenisher Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"white peony","common_names":["White peony root","Bai Shao","Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba)"],"plant_or_organism":"Paeoniaceae (root of Paeonia lactiflora Pallas)","tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also described as astringing Yin and 'softening' the Liver)","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Liver Blood and regulates menstruation; classically a key herb for irregular menses and dysmenorrhea (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/bai-shao)","Softens the Liver and alleviates pain: used for cramping, muscle spasm, abdominal and flank pain (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/bai-shao)","Astringes Yin and stops sweating (spontaneous daytime sweating, night sweats of Yin deficiency) (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/bai-shao)","Decoctions historically used for rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, hepatitis and dysmenorrhea (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3108611/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Total glucosides of paeony (TGP) - the standardized extract used in almost all clinical work","Paeoniflorin (principal monoterpene glycoside), albiflorin, oxypaeoniflorin","Galloyl glucoses / tannins and paeonol-type phenolics"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with methotrexate and leflunomide for active rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical safety of total glucosides of paeony adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality.","sources":[{"title":"Total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A methodological and reporting quality evaluation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32871476/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials.","sources":[{"title":"Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Effects of Paeonia Lactiflora Pall., a Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3108611/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials.","sources":[{"title":"The effectiveness and safety of total glucosides of paeony in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9771270/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Diarrhea, loose/frequent stools and general gastrointestinal discomfort are the most common adverse events of total glucosides of paeony; usually mild and tolerable (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6543198/)","Meta-analysis of adjuvant TGP in RA found a higher incidence of abdominal symptoms (increased stool frequency, loose stools) than control therapy (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/)","Immunomodulating activity means theoretical interaction with immunosuppressive regimens; nearly all clinical data come from co-administration with methotrexate/leflunomide rather than standalone use (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"White peony is one of the better-studied Chinese herbs, but essentially all clinical evidence concerns the standardized extract total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used as an add-on to conventional drugs in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in small trials almost exclusively conducted in mainland China. Pooled results are favorable and TGP appears to reduce methotrexate/leflunomide hepatotoxicity, but an overview of 11 meta-analyses rated all of them critically low in methodological quality with no high-quality GRADE outcomes, so effect sizes are uncertain. The traditional gynecological and antispasmodic uses of the whole root (menstrual regulation, cramping, night sweats) have no comparable controlled human evidence.","_slug":"white-peony"}},"dang gui":{"canonical_name":"dang gui","research_target":"dang gui","used_in_tinctures":["Dang Gui Drops 2oz","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz","Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops","Sweetfruit Drops Dang Gui Oil"],"research":{"ingredient":"dang gui","common_names":["Dong quai / Chinese angelica root","dang gui (\u5f53\u5f52)","Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels"],"plant_or_organism":"Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) - dried root","tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also blood-mover / blood-regulating; harmonizes and invigorates blood)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies and invigorates blood for blood-deficiency patterns: pallid complexion, dizziness, palpitations, fatigue; classically paired with Astragalus as Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang for 'blood-toning'","Regulates menstruation and relieves dysmenorrhea, irregular or scanty menses; promoted in the West as a 'women's herb' for premenstrual and menopausal complaints","Moistens the intestines to relieve blood-deficiency constipation and is used topically/internally to disperse stasis, reduce swelling and promote wound healing"],"key_active_constituents":["Phthalides / volatile oil (Z-ligustilide, butylidenephthalide)","Ferulic acid and other phenolic acids","Angelica sinensis polysaccharides (ASP), the main macromolecular actives studied for hematopoietic and immunomodulatory effects","Coumarins and trace furanocoumarins (relevant to photosensitivity)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index.","sources":[{"title":"Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/","year":1997}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568789/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with Western medicine for anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/13926/html","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite.","sources":[{"title":"Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis in the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32425767/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological action of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides: a review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39872047/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Possible potentiation of warfarin and other anticoagulants/antiplatelets: dong quai contains coumarin-type constituents and is repeatedly listed among herbs implicated in raised INR and bleeding, though evidence is limited to case reports and preclinical data (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6459456/)","Reported adverse effects include photosensitivity/photodermatitis (furanocoumarins), appetite loss, bloating, diarrhea, fever, gynecomastia, hypertension and elevated prothrombin time; caution in hormone-sensitive conditions is advised because of uncertain estrogenic activity (https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/dong-quai)","In the 24-week postmenopausal RCT no significant endometrial thickening or vaginal maturation change occurred, arguing against clinically meaningful estrogenic stimulation at the doses used (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"For its single best-tested Western indication - menopausal hot flashes - dong quai monotherapy failed in a placebo-controlled RCT, and the Astragalus-containing Dang Gui Buxue Tang beat placebo only for mild flushes, so the popular 'female tonic' claim is not well substantiated. The strongest positive human data are Chinese meta-analyses of multi-herb decoctions (anemia indices, pulmonary fibrosis symptoms) which are low-quality, small and cannot isolate Angelica sinensis itself. Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective claims rest largely on polysaccharide work in cells and animals, and the practically important safety signal (coumarin-related bleeding risk with anticoagulants, photosensitivity) is based on case reports rather than trials.","_slug":"dang-gui"}},"asian ginseng":{"canonical_name":"asian ginseng","research_target":"asian ginseng","used_in_tinctures":["Earth Drops Wild Ginseng 2 oz. \u2013 PRIVATE RESERVE","Ginseng Sublime Drops","Heaven Drops 2 oz.- PRIVATE RESERVE","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","common_names":["Asian ginseng / Korean red ginseng","Ren Shen","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"plant_or_organism":"Araliaceae (ginseng family); dried root of Panax ginseng","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (primary Qi/Yuan Qi tonic; also treated as a Shen-calming and Jing-supporting herb in some traditions)","traditional_uses":["Strongly tonifies Yuan Qi (source Qi) for collapse, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and weak pulse","Tonifies Spleen and Lung Qi for poor appetite, loose stools, chronic cough and shortness of breath","Generates fluids and calms the Shen for thirst, restlessness, insomnia and palpitations from Qi and fluid depletion","Traditionally combined in formulas as a Yang/Jing-supporting tonic for sexual weakness and convalescence"],"key_active_constituents":["Ginsenosides (protopanaxadiol type Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd; protopanaxatriol type Rg1, Re, Rf)","Red-processing/degradation ginsenosides Rg3, Rg5, Rk1 and metabolite compound K","Ginseng polysaccharides (panaxans) and peptidoglycans","Polyacetylenes (panaxynol/panaxydol) and phenolics such as maltol and salicylic acid"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Ginseng on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Phytother Res 38:6023-6034)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39474788/","year":2024},{"title":"Ginseng for cognition (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007769.pub2/full","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"improved erectile function","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 7 randomized trials of Korean red ginseng in erectile dysfunction found suggestive evidence of benefit over placebo, but the authors judged methodological quality to be low on average and the evidence not conclusive.","sources":[{"title":"Red ginseng for treating erectile dysfunction: a systematic review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18754850/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"reduced fatigue","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"A combined clinical and preclinical systematic review found several RCTs reporting reduced subjective fatigue with Panax ginseng, alongside animal mechanistic data, but trials were small and heterogeneous in dose, population and fatigue instruments.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical and Preclinical Systematic Review of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and its efficacy for fatigue","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.01031/full","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"adverse-event burden versus placebo in trials","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review of 44 randomized trials (3,092 participants) of oral Panax ginseng monopreparations found adverse-event rates broadly comparable to placebo, with mainly mild events reported.","sources":[{"title":"Safety Analysis of Panax ginseng in Randomized Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/","year":2015}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Generally well tolerated in RCTs; commonly reported mild events include insomnia, dyspepsia, headache and constipation, with no serious adverse events attributed to ginseng across a 44-trial safety review (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/)","Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction risk with warfarin: a crossover study in healthy volunteers examined ginseng pretreatment before a single 25 mg warfarin dose and quantified changes in S-warfarin clearance and INR, and ginseng-warfarin interaction remains a recognised anticoagulation caution (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1884493/)","Theoretical additive effects with antidiabetic drugs given documented glucose-lowering effects in meta-analysis, warranting glucose monitoring (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Asian ginseng is among the best-studied tonic herbs: meta-analytic evidence supports modest glucose-lowering effects and suggestive benefit for erectile dysfunction and fatigue, and safety in trials appears comparable to placebo. Cognitive benefits remain unresolved - a Cochrane review found no convincing effect while a later meta-analysis of small trials reported improvements, so the traditional claim of memory and 'Qi' enhancement is not firmly substantiated. Traditional claims of rescuing collapse, longevity, and broad organ-system restoration have no controlled clinical evidence base, and lipid/blood-pressure effects are inconsistent.","_slug":"asian-ginseng"}},"asian ginseng (red-processed)":{"canonical_name":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","research_target":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","used_in_tinctures":["Changbai Mountain Ant Drops","Ginseng Sublime Drops","Red Ginseng Changbai Mountain Drops, Organic","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","common_names":["Korean red ginseng / red Asian ginseng","Hong Shen (Ren Shen)","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"plant_or_organism":"Araliaceae (root, steamed/heat-processed to yield 'red' ginseng)","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (with Yang-warming emphasis after red processing)","traditional_uses":["Powerfully tonifies Yuan Qi (source qi) for collapse, exhaustion, shortness of breath and weak pulse; red processing is traditionally regarded as warmer and more strengthening than white ginseng, and the herb has been used in eastern Asia for thousands of years as a restorative and prophylactic tonic (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/)","Tonifies Lung and Spleen qi for fatigue, poor appetite and spontaneous sweating; the State Pharmacopoeia and traditional literature frame it as a vitality/longevity tonic used for cognitive and physical performance and sexual function (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12020172/)","Calms the spirit and benefits the Heart for palpitations, insomnia and anxiety arising from qi and blood deficiency (traditional indication summarized in safety review of Panax ginseng, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12020172/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Ginsenosides (dammarane-type triterpene saponins; ~40 types described, including Rb1, Rg1, Re) \u2014 the most studied active components (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/)","Less-polar/heat-generated ginsenosides characteristic of red (steamed) ginseng, e.g. Rg3, formed by deglycosylation during processing (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12255128/)","Non-saponin fractions: acidic polysaccharides and polyacetylenes (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng for erectile dysfunction (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng supplementation and vascular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12255128/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Red ginseng for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22139546/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Tolerability / adverse-event burden in controlled trials","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the Cochrane erectile-dysfunction review adverse events were not significantly increased versus placebo (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.69 to 3.03, 7 studies), and a systematic safety analysis of Panax ginseng RCTs concluded that adverse-event rates in trials were generally comparable to placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng for erectile dysfunction (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/","year":2021},{"title":"Safety Analysis of Panax Ginseng in Randomized Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample.","sources":[{"title":"Interaction between warfarin and Panax ginseng in ischemic stroke patients","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18637764/","year":2008}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Most commonly reported adverse effects in the systematic safety literature are mild and transient (headache, sleep and gastrointestinal disturbance); case reports raise concerns about interactions with warfarin, phenelzine and other drugs, and the review notes data are dominated by uncontrolled reports (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12020172/)","A systematic analysis of randomized clinical trials found Panax ginseng generally well tolerated with adverse-event incidence similar to placebo, but many trials reported safety incompletely (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5533164/)","A small randomized study in stroke patients found no significant effect of Panax ginseng on warfarin's INR/PT response, so the clinical significance of the frequently cited ginseng-warfarin interaction remains uncertain and monitoring is still prudent (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18637764/)","In placebo-controlled erectile-dysfunction trials, adverse events were numerically higher with ginseng (39 more events per 1,000 men) but the confidence interval crossed no difference (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Red (steam-processed) Asian ginseng has the largest clinical evidence base of any Chinese tonic herb, and controlled trials most consistently support a small improvement in erectile function and modest effects on vascular measures and blood pressure - though the erectile-function effect sizes fall short of accepted clinical importance thresholds and certainty is rated low to moderate. For the classic tonic claims of energy, vitality and metabolic benefit the evidence is weaker: a red-ginseng-specific systematic review found no significant glycaemic benefit in type 2 diabetes. Safety in trials appears good, but the widely repeated warfarin interaction is supported mainly by case reports rather than controlled data, and red-ginseng-specific (as opposed to generic 'ginseng') trials remain few and small.","_slug":"asian-ginseng-red-processed"}},"astragalus":{"canonical_name":"astragalus","research_target":"astragalus","used_in_tinctures":["Astragalus Drops, Organic","Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","Qi Drops","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"astragalus","common_names":["Astragalus root, milkvetch root","Huang Qi","Astragalus membranaceus (Astragali Radix)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fabaceae (Leguminosae)","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (tonifies Spleen/Lung qi, raises yang, secures the exterior)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Spleen and Lung qi for fatigue, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating and weak constitution; classically described as 'lifting yang and tonifying Qi' (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11363671/)","Secures the exterior and reduces edema ('diffusing water', diuresis and detumescence), used for oedema and recurrent infections","Generates flesh and promotes wound healing in chronic non-healing sores"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoid (cycloartane) saponins - astragaloside IV and ~40 related saponins","Astragalus polysaccharides (APS)","Isoflavonoids - formononetin, calycosin, calycosin-7-O-glucoside (>200 compounds identified, 117 tabulated as bioactive)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical value of Astragalus membranaceus in diabetic nephropathy (DARE record)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK81215/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating.","sources":[{"title":"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs and platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of randomized trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16421421/","year":2006}]},{"outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10811102/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed.","sources":[{"title":"Astragali radix (Huangqi): a time-honored nourishing herbal medicine","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11363671/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists.","sources":[{"title":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy via the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4387678/","year":2015}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Generally well tolerated with only minor side effects reported in the reviewed literature, but long-term safety data are limited and the review explicitly calls for long-term clinical trials before broad therapeutic use (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11363671/)","Much of the positive clinical data comes from injectable Astragalus preparations used in China rather than oral extracts, so oral-product safety/efficacy cannot be assumed from those trials (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK81215/)","Theoretical caution with immunosuppressive therapy given documented immunostimulant activity in preclinical models (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11363671/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Astragalus has the largest clinical dataset of any Chinese qi tonic: multiple meta-analyses suggest adjunctive benefit in diabetic kidney disease, chronic heart failure and platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCLC. However nearly all included RCTs are small, Chinese-language, short in duration, often use injectable preparations, and are rated low quality, so the true effect size is uncertain. The widely marketed claims of immune enhancement, anti-aging and 'wei qi' protection rest mainly on preclinical mechanistic data rather than confirmatory human trials.","_slug":"astragalus"}},"licorice":{"canonical_name":"licorice","research_target":"licorice","used_in_tinctures":["Chinese Licorice Drops 2oz","Dew Drops","Licorice Soothing Formula Drops 2oz","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"licorice","common_names":["licorice / liquorice root","gan cao (\u7518\u8349)","Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. / Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Radix Glycyrrhizae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fabaceae (Leguminosae); dried root and rhizome","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / harmonizing herb (tonifies Spleen and Heart Qi; the classical 'harmonizer' added to moderate other herbs)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Spleen and Heart Qi and harmonizes the properties of other herbs in a formula; one of the most frequently prescribed herbs in the Chinese materia medica \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/liquorice","Moistens the Lung, dispels phlegm and relieves cough and wheezing \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/liquorice","Relieves spasm and pain (e.g. abdominal and muscle cramping) and clears heat / resolves toxicity \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/liquorice"],"key_active_constituents":["Glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid), a triterpenoid saponin ~3-5% of root, metabolised by gut bacteria to 3-monoglucuronyl-18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid and 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid (enoxolone) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836258/","Licorice flavonoids, isoflavans, chalcones and isoflavonoids (up to ~300 identified compounds) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836258/","Deglycyrrhizinated flavonoid-rich extracts (e.g. GutGard) used for gastrointestinal indications \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11892464/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP).","sources":[{"title":"The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201745","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843).","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Licorice Functional Components Intakes on Blood Pressure: a systematic review, meta-analysis and network toxicology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39519602/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed.","sources":[{"title":"A low dose of daily licorice intake affects renin, aldosterone, and home blood pressure in a randomized crossover trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246526/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of GutGard in Managing Gastroesophageal Reflux: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11892464/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess.","sources":[{"title":"Bioactive Candy: Effects of Licorice on the Cardiovascular System","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836258/","year":2019}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Dose-dependent pseudohyperaldosteronism: hypertension, hypokalaemia, oedema, suppressed renin/aldosterone; documented at intakes as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246526/ and https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201745","Additive risk with thiazide and loop diuretics, corticosteroids, digoxin (hypokalaemia-potentiated toxicity) and antihypertensive therapy; case reports include deaths after chronic ingestion \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836258/","Deglycyrrhizinated / flavonoid-dominant extracts appear not to raise blood pressure in pooled RCT data, which is the main mitigation strategy \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39519602/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Licorice has the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch, but much of it is evidence of harm: two independent meta-analyses and a recent crossover RCT show that glycyrrhizic acid reliably raises blood pressure and lowers potassium even at modest, food-level doses. On the benefit side, one good-quality 200-patient RCT supports a deglycyrrhizinated flavonoid extract for reflux symptoms, and earlier trials support functional dyspepsia, so gastrointestinal soothing is the best-substantiated therapeutic claim. The traditional framing as a gentle universal 'harmonizer' and Qi tonic is not supported by outcome data, and unqualified long-term use of glycyrrhizin-containing licorice is a genuine cardiovascular risk.","_slug":"licorice"}},"longan":{"canonical_name":"longan","research_target":"longan","used_in_tinctures":["American Beauty","Longan Fruit Drops","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"longan","common_names":["Longan fruit / dragon eye fruit (dried aril)","long yan rou","Dimocarpus longan Lour."],"plant_or_organism":"Sapindaceae (evergreen tree; dried fruit pulp/aril used)","tcm_category":"Blood tonic (Heart-Spleen Blood tonic, also calms the spirit)","traditional_uses":["Classified as a tonic herb for Blood Deficiency; sweet and warm, entering the Heart and Spleen channels to nourish Blood and calm the spirit (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/longan)","Used for palpitations, insomnia, restlessness, anaemia, poor memory and mental exhaustion from Heart-Spleen dual deficiency (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/longan)","Used to relieve fatigue and post-illness weakness, classically in the formula Gui Pi Tang for overwork with poor appetite and forgetfulness (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/formulas/gui-pi-tang)","Traditionally avoided in Damp-Heat patterns (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/longan)"],"key_active_constituents":["Longan fruit pulp polysaccharides (LPs; the main studied bioactives, including immunomodulatory fractions such as LP4)","Structurally modified polysaccharide derivatives (sulfated, carboxymethylated, selenylated) studied for enhanced activity"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data.","sources":[{"title":"A Novel Polysaccharide Isolated From Fresh Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Activates Macrophage via TLR2/4-Mediated PI3/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 Pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8724522/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural features and biological activities of longan fruit pulp (Longyan) polysaccharides: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9358249/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35.","sources":[{"title":"Longan syrup with lingzhi mushroom extract: Evaluation of safety and efficacy on immune and inflammatory modulation in healthy adults","url":"https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect.","sources":[{"title":"Activities of the soluble and non-digestible longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) polysaccharides against HCT-116 cells as affected by a chemical selenylation","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35799859/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Longan syrup was well tolerated with no adverse effects and no change in hepatic or renal function over 12 weeks, but it is a high-glycaemic-index food (GI 85.35), which is relevant for people with diabetes or insulin resistance (https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040)","Traditional sources contraindicate longan in Damp-Heat presentations and advise against self-prescription (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/longan)","No documented drug interactions were found in the sources reviewed; the human safety database is limited to a single small study (https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Longan's modern evidence base is almost entirely preclinical: purified pulp polysaccharides show reproducible immunomodulatory, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-tumour activity in cells and rodents, and mouse data touch on learning and memory, which loosely parallels the traditional 'nourish Blood, calm the spirit' indication. The only human study identified used a longan-lingzhi syrup and found no significant immune, inflammatory, hepatic or renal changes, plus a high glycaemic index. Traditional claims for insomnia, palpitations, anaemia and mental fatigue are therefore not substantiated by clinical trial evidence.","_slug":"longan"}},"rhodiola":{"canonical_name":"rhodiola","research_target":"rhodiola","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","Diamond Mind Drops","Qi Drops","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"rhodiola","common_names":["Golden root / roseroot (Rhodiola); Tibetan rhodiola","Hong Jing Tian","Rhodiola rosea L. (also R. crenulata Hook.f. & Thomson)"],"plant_or_organism":"Crassulaceae (stonecrop family); dried rhizome and root","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (Hong Jing Tian is used to tonify Qi, invigorate Blood and clear the Lung; widely treated as an adaptogen in Russian/European herbal medicine)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Qi and invigorates Blood circulation; used in Tibetan and Chinese practice for altitude-related shortness of breath, fatigue and 'weak Qi' (Rhodiola crenulata is the species listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia; 39 RCTs of Rhodiola species cover R. rosea, R. crenulata and R. wallichiana - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8266448/)","Used as an adaptogen for stress-related fatigue, burnout and reduced work capacity in Scandinavian and Russian herbal traditions (basis for the SHR-5 extract trials - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/)","Traditionally taken to support mood and mental stamina during prolonged exertion"],"key_active_constituents":["Rosavins (rosavin, rosin, rosarin) - the SHR-5 clinical extract was standardized to 3.07% rosavin (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/)","Salidroside (rhodioloside) - SHR-5 standardized to 1.95% rhodioloside (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/)","Tyrosol, flavonoids and phenolic acids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22643043/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups.","sources":[{"title":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Better tolerability than a conventional SSRI","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same comparison trial, R. rosea produced significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline and was better tolerated, which was the herb's clearest advantage in that study.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Overall clinical usefulness for any indication","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"NCCIH's evidence summary concludes there is not enough reliable evidence to determine whether rhodiola is useful for any health purpose, and that most human research is of low-to-moderate quality - a judgement reinforced by a CONSORT appraisal of 39 Rhodiola RCTs whose mean reporting scores were only 0.33 (R. rosea), 0.25 (R. crenulata) and 0.17 (R. wallichiana), with just 15% reporting how sample size was determined.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola: Usefulness and Safety (NCCIH)","url":"https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/rhodiola","year":2025},{"title":"Quality Evaluation of Randomized Controlled Trials of Rhodiola Species: A Systematic Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8266448/","year":2021}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Considered possibly safe for up to about 12 weeks; reported side effects include dizziness, headache, insomnia, and either dry mouth or excessive salivation (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/rhodiola)","In the head-to-head depression trial, adverse events were significantly less frequent than with sertraline 50 mg (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/)","Long-term safety, use in pregnancy/lactation and interactions with antidepressants are not established because trials are short and small (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/rhodiola)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Rhodiola is one of the most-studied 'adaptogens' yet the aggregate evidence remains weak: a systematic review of 11 controlled fatigue trials found contradictory results with universally high risk of bias, the best-designed stress-fatigue RCT showed improvements in both arms consistent with placebo response, and the depression RCT found no significant advantage over placebo. A CONSORT audit of 39 Rhodiola RCTs found very poor reporting quality, and NCCIH concludes there is insufficient reliable evidence for any indication. The defensible statements are that short-term use appears well tolerated and better tolerated than sertraline, not that efficacy for fatigue, stress or depression has been demonstrated.","_slug":"rhodiola"}},"cordyceps":{"canonical_name":"cordyceps","research_target":"cordyceps","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","Bhutanese Wild Cordyceps Drops","Cultured Cordyceps Drops","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"cordyceps","common_names":["Caterpillar fungus","dong chong xia cao","Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis); cultivated Cordyceps militaris"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Ophiocordycipitaceae (Ascomycota), entomopathogenic; parasitizes ghost-moth larvae. Commercial products largely use fermented mycelium (e.g. Paecilomyces/Hirsutella strains) or C. militaris.","tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Qi tonic (tonifies lung qi and kidney yang; one of the few herbs said to tonify both yin and yang)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies kidney yang and lung qi for chronic cough, wheezing and shortness of breath from lung/kidney deficiency","Used for post-illness convalescence, fatigue, impotence and lower back/knee weakness","Widely used in modern Chinese hospital practice as an adjunct in chronic kidney disease and after transplantation"],"key_active_constituents":["Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) and related nucleosides/adenosine","Cordyceps polysaccharides (immunomodulatory beta-glucan-type)","Ergosterol, mannitol (cordycepic acid), cordycepic peptides; cordycepin content is much higher in cultivated C. militaris"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2-3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52).","sources":[{"title":"Adjuvant treatment with Cordyceps sinensis for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Renal function support (creatinine, oliguria duration, urine osmolality) in renal dysfunction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies in 1,310 patients with renal dysfunction reported that adjunctive Cordyceps sinensis significantly reduced blood creatinine, shortened the oliguria period and increased urine osmolality, with greater apparent efficacy in northern than southern Chinese cohorts.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in patients with renal dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39839641/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use.","sources":[]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In hemodialysis trials most studies either did not monitor adverse events or documented them poorly, so safety data are weak (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/)","In lung cancer adjunct trials cordyceps was associated with fewer haematological adverse events rather than more; gastrointestinal adverse reactions were not increased (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.47-1.37) and liver/renal damage was not significantly different (RR 0.32, 95% CI 0.09-1.10) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/)","Because cordyceps preparations are immunomodulatory and are usually studied as adjuncts to conventional drugs, caution is warranted with immunosuppressants and in transplant patients; the reviews retrieved did not test these interactions directly (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cordyceps has more clinical trial volume than most tonic fungi, and meta-analyses consistently point in a favourable direction for adjunctive use in lung cancer chemoradiotherapy, stable COPD and dialysis-related inflammation. However, nearly all trials are small, conducted in China, frequently use multi-herb formulas or fermented mycelium rather than wild O. sinensis, and are rated low-to-moderate quality, so authors of these reviews explicitly decline to recommend routine use. The popular consumer claims - endurance, testosterone, 'energy' - are not supported by the clinical evidence retrieved and rest on preclinical and traditional reasoning.","_slug":"cordyceps"}},"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)":{"canonical_name":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","research_target":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","used_in_tinctures":["Asparagus Drops 2oz","Dew Drops","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","common_names":["Chinese asparagus root / shiny asparagus tuber","Tian Men Dong (\u5929\u95e8\u51ac)","Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr."],"plant_or_organism":"Plant: Asparagaceae (classically placed in Liliaceae), genus Asparagus; dried tuberous roots used","tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Lung and Kidney Yin), moistening/heat-clearing","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Yin and moistens dryness; clears Lung heat and generates fluids \u2014 used for dry hacking cough with scant sticky sputum, dry sore throat and blood-streaked sputum (sweet and bitter, cold; Lung and Kidney channels) \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong","Nourishes Kidney Yin and moistens the intestines \u2014 used for wasting-thirst (xiao ke), night sweats, tidal fever and constipation from intestinal dryness \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong","First documented in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica and included in every edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia from 1977 to 2020; folk indications include cough, constipation, fever, pneumonia, tracheitis, asthma and inflammatory disease \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/"],"key_active_constituents":["Steroidal saponins (71 identified; the major constituent class), including methyl protodioscin and diosgenin derivatives \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","Fructo-oligosaccharide/polysaccharides (e.g. ACNP, ~2,690 Da, fructose/glucose based) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","C21-steroids, lignans and amino acids (alanine, glycine, methionine, tryptophan) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Tian Men Dong (Asparagus tuber) \u2014 TCM Herb monograph (Me & Qi)","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong","year":2025},{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Isolated furostanol/steroidal saponins such as methyl protodioscin show in vitro cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activity, which the review presents as a rationale for further study rather than clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No human safety trials or specific drug interactions were identified; the 2022 Frontiers in Pharmacology review notes that toxicological and clinical data on A. cochinchinensis remain insufficient and calls for further safety evaluation \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","Traditional cautions: the herb is cold and moistening and is classically considered unsuitable for cold/damp-type diarrhoea or Spleen-Yang deficiency \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Tian men dong has a well-documented 2,000-year TCM record as a Lung/Kidney Yin tonic for dry cough, thirst and constipation and a well-characterized chemistry dominated by steroidal saponins and fructans. Modern evidence, however, is essentially all preclinical: anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atopic and cytotoxic effects in rodent and cell models, with no randomized human trials located. Claims of clinical benefit in humans are therefore unsubstantiated, and safety in humans has not been formally evaluated.","_slug":"chinese-asparagus-tian-men-dong"}},"cistanche":{"canonical_name":"cistanche","research_target":"cistanche","used_in_tinctures":["Desert Cistanche Drops","Shanghai Lady Drops","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"cistanche","common_names":["Desert cistanche / desert ginseng","Rou Cong Rong","Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma (also C. tubulosa)"],"plant_or_organism":"Orobanchaceae (parasitic plant; dried fleshy stem)","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang; also nourishes Jing/Essence and Blood)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Kidney Yang for impotence, infertility, weak lower back and knees, frequent or dribbling urination (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/rou-cong-rong)","Moistens the intestines to relieve constipation in the elderly and debilitated - 'warm but not hot, tonifying but not harsh' (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/rou-cong-rong)","Classically used for chronic renal disease, impotence, female infertility, morbid leucorrhea, metrorrhagia and senile constipation; called 'Ginseng of the deserts' (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4771771/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Phenylethanoid glycosides (echinacoside, acteoside/verbascoside) - the marker compounds","Iridoids and oligosaccharides/polysaccharides","Lignans and galactitol"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts on cognitive function","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy.","sources":[{"title":"An Open-Label, Nonplacebo-Controlled Study on Cistanche tubulosa Glycoside Capsules (Memoregain) for Treating Moderate Alzheimer's Disease","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10852647/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2965","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled.","sources":[{"title":"Chemical composition, pharmacological effects, and parasitic mechanisms of Cistanche deserticola: a review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38876007/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Relief of constipation (the main classical indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Bowel-moistening/laxative use for senile constipation is documented in materia medica and review literature, but no controlled human trial of cistanche for constipation was identified in this search.","sources":[{"title":"Herba Cistanche (Rou Cong-Rong): One of the Best Pharmaceutical Gifts of Traditional Chinese Medicine","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4771771/","year":2016}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["A 90-day subchronic feeding study in 80 Sprague-Dawley rats fed up to 8% powdered C. deserticola found no treatment-related toxicity; NOAEL 7.8 g/kg bw (males) and 8.0 g/kg bw (females) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27788603/)","Human safety data are limited to small trials; the 48-week Alzheimer's study monitored vital signs, labs and ECG without reporting serious drug-related events (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10852647/)","Apparent androgen/testosterone-raising signal in an exercise RCT means caution with hormone-sensitive conditions is reasonable, though no interaction studies exist (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2965)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cistanche has a genuine, chemically well-characterized active fraction (echinacoside and acteoside) and preclinical support for neuroprotective, anti-fatigue and endocrine effects, plus reassuring rodent toxicology. Human evidence is thin: one 90-day RCT of a cistanche-Ginkgo combination showing small cognitive score gains, one uncontrolled 48-week Alzheimer's study, and one small 8-week exercise RCT - no independent replication and no trial of cistanche alone for the classical indications. The traditional claims most often marketed (kidney Yang/libido, anti-aging, senile constipation) remain essentially unsubstantiated by controlled human data.","_slug":"cistanche"}},"codonopsis":{"canonical_name":"codonopsis","research_target":"codonopsis","used_in_tinctures":["Codonopsis Drops 2oz","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"codonopsis","common_names":["Codonopsis root / poor man's ginseng / bellflower root","dang shen (\u515a\u53c2)","Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf."],"plant_or_organism":"Campanulaceae - dried root (Radix Codonopsis)","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (spleen and lung qi; secondarily nourishes blood and generates fluids)","traditional_uses":["Invigorates spleen-qi and lung-qi for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stools, shortness of breath and chronic cough; commonly substituted for ginseng as a milder, cheaper qi tonic (decocted 10-30 g)","Nourishes blood and promotes generation of body fluids in combined qi-and-blood deficiency with pale or sallow complexion, dizziness and palpitations","Used in classical spleen-fortifying formulas for chronic digestive weakness, vomiting and diarrhea, and in respiratory formulas for chronic cough and dyspnea"],"key_active_constituents":["Polyacetylenes, especially lobetyolin and lobetyolinin (marker compounds not present in Panax)","Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharides (CPP) - immunomodulatory macromolecules","Triterpenoids/saponins (e.g. taraxerol, codonopsosides) and sterols (alpha-spinasterol, beta-sitosterol)","Flavonoids/phenylpropanoids including hesperidin and atractylenolide III; pyrrolidine alkaloids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis.","sources":[{"title":"Dang Shen [Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf] Herbal Formulae for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.5248","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the mechanism of action and potential medicinal value of Codonopsis pilosula in diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11128667/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Antitumor activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data.","sources":[{"title":"A Systematic Review of the Phytochemical Profile and Potential Medicinal Functions of Codonopsis pilosula in Cancer","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40008240/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Characterized chemical basis of activity (lobetyolin-type polyacetylenes, flavonoids, sterols)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Phytochemical isolation work from C. pilosula root identified twelve compounds including hesperidin, atractylenolide III, lobetyolin, lobetyolinin, taraxerol, alpha-spinasterol and beta-sitosterol, establishing the marker constituents used for quality control rather than any health outcome.","sources":[{"title":"[Studies on the chemical constituents of Codonopsis pilosula]","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21809539/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb.","sources":[{"title":"Dang Shen - TCM Herbs (Zhong Guo Yao Yong Zhi Wu Zhi materia medica entry)","url":"https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/dang-shen","year":2016}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the COPD meta-analysis of 48 RCTs, 33 adverse events were reported across Dang Shen formula arms, chiefly gastrointestinal upset, dry mouth and insomnia; rates were low and did not clearly exceed controls (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.5248)","Reviews describe Codonopsis-containing preparations as having 'less side effects' but provide no systematically collected safety or drug-interaction data, so interaction risk (e.g. with immunosuppressants or antidiabetic drugs) is uncharacterized (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40008240/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"The only clinical-grade human evidence for Codonopsis is from multi-herb Chinese formulas in COPD, where a 48-RCT meta-analysis showed real but modest improvements in FEV1, symptom scores and walk distance - benefits that cannot be attributed to Codonopsis alone and come from largely low-quality Chinese trials. Everything else (immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, gastroprotective, cardioprotective actions) is preclinical network-pharmacology and cell/animal work. Its classical role as a mild ginseng substitute for fatigue and poor appetite remains traditional-use knowledge with no dedicated placebo-controlled trials, and safety data beyond mild gastrointestinal complaints are essentially absent.","_slug":"codonopsis"}},"deer antler":{"canonical_name":"deer antler","research_target":"deer antler","used_in_tinctures":["Changbai Deer Antler Drops","Shanghai Lady Drops","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"deer antler","common_names":["Deer antler velvet","Lu Rong","Cervus nippon / Cervus elaphus (cornu cervi pantotrichum)"],"plant_or_organism":"Animal product: unossified, velvet-covered growing antler of Cervidae (Cervus nippon Temminck, Cervus elaphus L.)","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (also classified as a Jing/essence and Blood tonic)","traditional_uses":["Warms and tonifies Kidney Yang and augments Jing (essence) and Blood for impotence, infertility, cold limbs and fatigue","Strengthens the sinews and bones for weak lower back and knees, and for delayed development or bone weakness in children","Tonifies the Governing vessel and supports healing of chronic non-healing sores and postpartum depletion"],"key_active_constituents":["Collagen and collagen-derived peptides, glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine)","Growth factors including IGF-1 and IGF-2 (as measured in velvet antler extracts)","Gangliosides, phospholipids, polyamines, and mineral/calcium phosphate matrix","Amino acids and low-molecular-weight peptides from antler protein hydrolysates"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests).","sources":[{"title":"A Randomized Clinical Trial of Elk Velvet Antler in Rheumatoid Arthritis (Biol Res Nurs)","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1099800407309505","year":2008},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing.","sources":[{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"no effect","summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of deer antler velvet extract or powder supplementation on aerobic power, erythropoiesis, and muscular strength and endurance characteristics","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14669926/","year":2003},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"sexual function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"One RCT of velvet antler for sexual function was included in the systematic review of seven trials, five of which found no effect; the review concluded claims for velvet antler are not based on rigorous human trial evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Kidney-Yang tonification, growth/'Jing' replenishment, longevity","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The core traditional indications (Kidney Yang deficiency, essence depletion, bone development) have not been tested as endpoints in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The systematic review of seven RCTs reported no serious safety signals but also noted that trials were small and short, so long-term safety is uncharacterised (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/)","Products are marketed as containing IGF-1; IGF-1 content is a doping concern for competitive athletes and a theoretical concern in hormone-sensitive conditions - the review found no rigorous human evidence supporting the growth-factor rationale (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/)","As an animal-derived product, risks include allergy and contamination; no interaction studies with prescription drugs were identified in the RCT literature reviewed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Controlled human evidence for deer antler velvet is sparse and largely negative: a systematic review of seven RCTs found five showing no effect and two with unconvincing positive findings, and the largest trial (168 patients, rheumatoid arthritis) was fully null. Sports-performance claims are not supported. Traditional Yang/Jing-tonifying uses are documented in materia medica but have not been operationalised or tested clinically, so the ingredient's reputation currently rests on tradition and preclinical rationale rather than clinical outcome data.","_slug":"deer-antler"}},"eleuthero":{"canonical_name":"eleuthero","research_target":"eleuthero","used_in_tinctures":["Diamond Mind Drops","Eleuthero Drops","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"eleuthero","common_names":["Eleuthero / Siberian ginseng / taiga root","Ci Wu Jia","Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. (syn. Acanthopanax senticosus)"],"plant_or_organism":"Araliaceae (dried roots and rhizomes)","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / adaptogen (also warms and strengthens Kidney Yang and dispels wind-damp)","traditional_uses":["Used as an adaptogen to increase resistance to fatigue, stress and non-specific stressors; Soviet-era clinical literature applied it to work capacity, endurance and recovery in industrial workers (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/)","Traditional-use registration in the EU is for symptoms of asthenia such as fatigue and weakness; the root has a long history of use under the names eleuthero, Siberian ginseng, Russian root and taiga root (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-eleutherococcus-senticosus-rupr-et-maxim-maxim-radix_en.pdf)","In Chinese medicine the root is used to tonify qi, strengthen the sinews and bones, invigorate Kidney Yang and dispel wind-damp painful obstruction, and to calm the spirit in insomnia (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Eleutherosides B (syringin) and E (a lignan); European Pharmacopoeia-style quality requires a minimum 0.08% of the sum of eleutherosides B and E (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-eleutherococcus-senticosus-rupr-et-maxim-maxim-radix_en.pdf)","Phenylpropanoids, lignans, coumarins, triterpenoid saponins and polysaccharides described in the comprehensive phytochemical review (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a randomized clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15207399/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025},{"title":"Assessment report on Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim., radix (EMA/HMPC/680615/2013)","url":"https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-eleutherococcus-senticosus-rupr-et-maxim-maxim-radix_en.pdf","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Preclinical anti-fatigue and stress-protective activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Animal data cited in the EMA assessment show increased swimming time to exhaustion and altered tissue energy substrates, and the phytochemical review attributes anti-fatigue activity partly to eleutheroside E; these findings are preclinical and do not establish clinical efficacy.","sources":[{"title":"Assessment report on Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim., radix (EMA/HMPC/680615/2013)","url":"https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-eleutherococcus-senticosus-rupr-et-maxim-maxim-radix_en.pdf","year":2014},{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The reviewed clinical literature describes E. senticosus as safe and well tolerated, and the 20-patient RCT in elderly hypertensive, digitalised patients recorded no adverse events and no change in digitalaemia (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15207399/)","Because some studies reported blood-pressure increases in hypertensive subjects, caution is warranted in uncontrolled hypertension (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/)","EU regulatory status is 'traditional use' only, i.e. efficacy is accepted on the basis of long-standing use rather than clinical proof, and the assessment notes the limited and dated clinical dataset (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-eleutherococcus-senticosus-rupr-et-maxim-maxim-radix_en.pdf)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Eleuthero is one of the best-known 'adaptogens', but the modern evidence base is thin: the most recent comprehensive review explicitly concludes that robust clinical evidence is lacking and that most supportive data come from 1960s-80s Soviet studies with poorly reported methods. The single well-described randomized trial (n=20) found only a transient improvement in one quality-of-life subscale. Chemistry and preclinical pharmacology are well characterised (eleutherosides B and E, anti-fatigue effects in animals), and the herb appears well tolerated, but claims of improved endurance, immunity and stress resistance in humans remain unsubstantiated at the level of adequately powered, blinded trials; EU registration rests on traditional use only.","_slug":"eleuthero"}},"he shou wu":{"canonical_name":"he shou wu","research_target":"he shou wu","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","He Shou Wu Drops, Organic","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"he shou wu","common_names":["Fo-ti, fleeceflower root","He Shou Wu","Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Reynoutria/Fallopia multiflora; Radix Polygoni Multiflori)"],"plant_or_organism":"Polygonaceae","tcm_category":"Blood tonic / Jing (essence) tonic when prepared; the unprocessed root is a Heat-clearing, toxin-relieving, intestine-moistening herb","traditional_uses":["Prepared (steamed) root tonifies Blood and supplements essence for dizziness, tinnitus, sore lumbar region and knees, and premature greying of hair (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/he-shou-wu)","Raw root relieves toxicity, moistens the intestines for constipation, and was traditionally used to 'check malaria' of qi-and-blood deficiency type (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/he-shou-wu)","Classically combined with Gou Qi Zi, Tu Si Zi and Dang Gui (Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan) as an anti-aging/hair-darkening formula (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/he-shou-wu)"],"key_active_constituents":["Stilbene glycoside 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG)","Anthraquinones - emodin, physcion, chrysophanol and their glucosides","Dianthrones and cis-stilbene glucoside (implicated in hepatotoxicity), plus phospholipids and tannins"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (hepatitis, jaundice, rarely liver failure)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A systematic review of 76 articles collected 450 cases of hepatitis or liver damage associated with He Shou Wu, with symptoms typically appearing about one month after starting the herb; most cases resolved after discontinuation and treatment. This is the best-documented human effect of the herb.","sources":[{"title":"Liver Damage Associated with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4306360/","year":2015},{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548795/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim.","sources":[{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum extract support hair growth by elongating anagen phase and abrogating the effect of androgen in cultured human dermal papilla cells","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7218528/","year":2020},{"title":"Topical application of Polygonum multiflorum extract induces hair growth of resting hair follicles through upregulating Shh and beta-catenin expression in C57BL/6 mice","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874111001644","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127521/","year":2015},{"title":"2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG) from Polygonum multiflorum: pharmacology review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11989756/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Blood-lipid lowering and laxative effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Reviews report hypolipidaemic and intestine-moistening (anthraquinone-driven laxative) effects in animal models, consistent with the traditional use of raw root for constipation, but controlled human data are lacking.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127521/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Processing (steaming) reduces free anthraquinone/dianthrone content and hepatotoxic risk","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Chemical and toxicological analyses indicate free anthraquinones (emodin, chrysophanol, physcion), cis-stilbene glycoside and dianthrones drive hepatotoxicity, and that traditional processing changes this profile; raw-root products carry higher risk.","sources":[{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A Review on Chemical Analysis, Processing Mechanism, Quality Evaluation, and Hepatotoxicity","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00364/full","year":2018},{"title":"Cis-stilbene glucoside in Polygonum multiflorum induces immunological idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity in LPS-treated rats by suppressing PPAR-gamma","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/aps201732","year":2017}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Well-documented idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity: 450 published cases of liver injury, onset typically ~1 month after starting, usually reversible on withdrawal but occasionally severe or fatal (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4306360/ ; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548795/)","Case reports include acute hepatitis after taking Shou Wu Pian for hair loss (ALT 870 U/L, resolving within 3 weeks of stopping) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548795/)","Avoid combining with other hepatotoxic drugs or alcohol, and avoid raw/unprocessed preparations; anthraquinones can cause diarrhoea and abdominal cramping (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00364/full)","Nine adulterant species from six families are documented for this herb, adding product-identity risk (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127521/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"The strongest human evidence about he shou wu concerns harm, not benefit: hundreds of documented cases of idiosyncratic liver injury make it one of the best-characterised hepatotoxic Chinese herbs. Its famous anti-aging, hair-darkening and blood-tonifying claims are supported only by cell and animal studies of TSG and by traditional texts; no rigorous RCT demonstrates these benefits in people. Risk-benefit for casual tonic use is therefore unfavourable, particularly for raw-root products and long-duration use.","_slug":"he-shou-wu"}},"ligustrum":{"canonical_name":"ligustrum","research_target":"ligustrum","used_in_tinctures":["Ligustrum Drops 2oz","Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","Yin Replenisher Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"ligustrum","common_names":["glossy privet fruit / ligustrum","nu zhen zi (\u5973\u8d1e\u5b50)","Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi)"],"plant_or_organism":"Oleaceae (olive family); dried ripe fruit","tcm_category":"Yin tonic (nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin); also described as a kidney-tonifying herb","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin for dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, premature greying of hair and low-back soreness \u2014 https://chineseherbaldictionary.com/nu-zhen-zi-ligustrum-fructus-ligustri-lucidi/","Described in the research literature as a kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal medicine used where 'liver and kidney deficiency' presents with lower back soreness and weak bones, the rationale for its anti-osteoporosis investigation \u2014 https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","Used to clear deficiency heat (steaming bone sensation, night sweats) and traditionally as a general longevity/anti-ageing invigorator \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11199554/"],"key_active_constituents":["Secoiridoid/iridoid glycosides (63+ identified, including specnuezhenide and nuezhenide) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11199554/","Triterpenoids, principally oleanolic acid and ursolic acid \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11199554/","Phenylethanoid glycosides (e.g. salidroside), flavonoids and fruit polysaccharides \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11199554/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract on bone turnover and calcium balance in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16462034/","year":2006},{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi aqueous extract promotes calcium balance and short-chain fatty acids production in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34153448/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models.","sources":[{"title":"A review of botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety of Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11199554/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Acute and subacute toxicity, genotoxicity testing and clinical safety observations reviewed to date show a wide margin of safety with no characteristic target-organ toxicity reported \u2014 https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","No clinically documented drug interactions were identified in the fetched reviews; the 2024 review notes safety data remain incomplete and standardisation of preparations is lacking \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11199554/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Ligustrum lucidum has a coherent and fairly deep preclinical story for bone: multiple ovariectomized-rat studies show improved calcium absorption, reduced bone turnover markers and higher bone mineral density, which maps neatly onto its traditional Kidney/Liver Yin-tonifying indication for weak bones and low-back soreness. What is missing is humans \u2014 the specialist review states outright that well-designed clinical trials are still needed, and no RCT of the single herb for osteoporosis, vision, hair greying or anti-ageing was found. Claims of anti-ageing, hepatoprotective or immune benefit should be presented as preclinical only.","_slug":"ligustrum"}},"polygala":{"canonical_name":"polygala","research_target":"polygala","used_in_tinctures":["Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","Polygala Drops 2oz","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"polygala","common_names":["Polygala root / Chinese senega root (Polygalae Radix)","yuan zhi","Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (also P. sibirica L.)"],"plant_or_organism":"Polygalaceae (perennial herb; dried root and root bark used)","tcm_category":"Shen tonic (spirit-calming herb that also transforms Phlegm and opens the orifices)","traditional_uses":["Calms the Spirit and 'benefits intelligence' for insomnia, anxiety, poor memory and mental exhaustion; bitter and pungent, warm, entering Heart, Kidney and Lung channels (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/yuan-zhi)","Expels Phlegm and opens the orifices for copious sticky sputum, chronic cough and seizure-type presentations (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/yuan-zhi)","Promotes Heart-Kidney communication for palpitations and neurasthenia-type complaints (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/yuan-zhi)","Called the 'key medicine for nourishing life'; pharmacological use has focused on nervous-system disorders, and the root is classically processed (with liquorice or honey) to reduce throat and digestive-tract irritation (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1450733/full)"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoid saponins: onjisaponin B, tenuifolin, senegenin (also the main gastrointestinal irritants)","Polygala total saponins, concentrated in root bark (content many times higher than in xylem or aerial parts)","Oligosaccharide esters and xanthones described in the Polygalae Radix phytochemistry literature","Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide (PTPS), studied in Alzheimer's disease models"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy.","sources":[{"title":"Polygala tenuifolia and Acorus tatarinowii in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815298/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of BT-11 on memory in healthy humans","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19429065/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Reduced amyloid-beta damage and improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease mice by attenuating amyloid-beta damage and acting on the ERK pathway. Rodent model only.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharide from Polygala tenuifolia alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease mice by alleviating Abeta damage and targeting the ERK pathway","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38081400/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Rescued hippocampal neurogenesis and attenuated cognitive deficits","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An active constituent of P. tenuifolia attenuated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting a plausible neurobiological mechanism for the traditional memory indication.","sources":[{"title":"Active constituent of Polygala tenuifolia attenuates cognitive deficits by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis in APP/PS1 transgenic mice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34696749/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles.","sources":[{"title":"The Gastrointestinal Irritation of Polygala Saponins and Its Potential Mechanism In Vitro and In Vivo","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4331466/","year":2015}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Radix Polygalae causes mild nausea at usual doses and nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension and diarrhoea at larger doses; Polygala saponins alter intestinal smooth-muscle tone and gastric PGE2/intestinal TNF-alpha in animals (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4331466/)","Total saponins are the major toxic metabolites: the root irritates the throat and digestive tract, and large or long-term dosing increases risk, which is why processing is standard practice (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1450733/full)","Acute and subchronic oral toxicity studies of a standardised P. tenuifolia root extract in rats and dogs did not show significant toxicity, suggesting the main practical issue is gastrointestinal tolerability rather than systemic toxicity (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4238171/)","No specific drug interactions were documented in the sources reviewed"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Polygala is one of the better-studied Chinese spirit-calming herbs for cognition, but the human evidence is thin and confounded: the meta-analysis showing cognitive benefit in Alzheimer's disease tested Polygala combined with Acorus tatarinowii, usually on top of donepezil, in trials at high risk of bias, and the only clean monotherapy RCT (BT-11) is small, old and showed large placebo improvements on most memory subtests. Mechanistic support for the memory claim is reasonably consistent (neurogenesis, amyloid-beta handling, ERK signalling) but rodent-only. The best-documented human-relevant fact is a liability rather than a benefit: the saponins that drive sedative activity also cause dose-dependent gastrointestinal and throat irritation, which is why the root is traditionally processed.","_slug":"polygala"}},"polygonatum":{"canonical_name":"polygonatum","research_target":"polygonatum","used_in_tinctures":["Diamond Mind Drops","Polygonatum Drops 2oz","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"polygonatum","common_names":["Siberian Solomon's seal rhizome ('yellow essence')","Huang Jing","Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute (also P. cyrtonema, P. kingianum)"],"plant_or_organism":"Asparagaceae / Liliaceae sensu lato (Solomon's seal genus Polygonatum); dried rhizome","tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Yin tonic (with mild Jing-tonifying action); classed as a Qi tonic in Bensky/Gamble, and the raw herb is described as more Yin-tonifying while the wine-steamed form is more Qi-tonifying","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Lung Yin and tonifies Spleen Qi and Spleen Yin - used for dry cough (sometimes with blood-streaked sputum), poor appetite, fatigue and lassitude (https://chineseherbinfo.com/huang-jing-polygonatum-sibiricum-rhizome-siberian-solomons-seal-yellow-essence/)","Mildly nourishes Kidney Yin and Jing and 'generates marrow' - traditionally used for lumbar and knee weakness, dizziness, blurred vision and premature greying (https://chineseherbinfo.com/huang-jing-polygonatum-sibiricum-rhizome-siberian-solomons-seal-yellow-essence/)","Relieves 'xiao ke' (wasting-and-thirsting syndrome, broadly overlapping with diabetes) and is officially listed since 2002 by China's Ministry of Health as both food and medicine, with actions given as replenishing qi, nourishing yin, strengthening the spleen, moistening the lung and tonifying the kidney (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full)"],"key_active_constituents":["Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides (PSP) - crude PSP is 85.1-88.3% carbohydrate, 4.51-11.9% protein and 1.79-7.47% uronic acid, structurally branched homogalactan and galactomannans rich in mannose (62.3-76.3%), glucose and galactose (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/)","Steroidal saponins (diosgenin-type), homoisoflavonoids and alkaloids reported for the genus","Fructose-rich fractions from hot-water extraction (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides: A promising strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39542041/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Mechanisms of action and applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide at the intestinal mucosa barrier: a review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides: A promising strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39542041/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Strengthening of the intestinal mucosal barrier and gut microbiota modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology review describes PSP acting on tight-junction proteins, mucus layer, immune signalling and microbiota composition at the intestinal mucosal barrier, entirely on the basis of in vitro and animal mechanistic evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Mechanisms of action and applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide at the intestinal mucosa barrier: a review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Included by China's Ministry of Health (2002) on the list of substances that are both food and medicine, implying a long dietary safety record; no specific adverse-event or interaction data are reported in the reviewed pharmacology literature (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full)","Traditional cautions relate to its rich, cloying nature - classical texts contraindicate it where there is Spleen dampness, phlegm or poor digestion (https://chineseherbinfo.com/huang-jing-polygonatum-sibiricum-rhizome-siberian-solomons-seal-yellow-essence/)","No human pharmacokinetic or drug-interaction studies were identified; the 2024 neurodegeneration review reports no safety findings (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39542041/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Polygonatum sibiricum (Huang Jing) has an extensive and well-characterized preclinical literature - its polysaccharide fraction is chemically well defined and shows antioxidant, immunomodulatory, glucose- and lipid-lowering, neuroprotective and gut-barrier effects in cells and rodents. What is essentially absent is human clinical evidence: no randomized controlled trials with clinical endpoints were identified, so every 'benefit' claim currently rests on mechanistic and animal data plus long traditional use as a Qi/Yin tonic. The honest position is that it is a plausible, food-grade tonic with a good safety record and interesting mechanisms, but no demonstrated clinical efficacy for fatigue, diabetes, cognition or aging in people.","_slug":"polygonatum"}},"cinnamon":{"canonical_name":"cinnamon","research_target":"cinnamon","used_in_tinctures":["Cinnamon Bark Drops 2oz","Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops","Sweetfruit Drops Cinnamon Bark Oil"],"research":{"ingredient":"cinnamon","common_names":["Cassia cinnamon / Chinese cinnamon bark","rou gui (bark); gui zhi (twig)","Cinnamomum cassia (syn. C. aromaticum); cf. C. verum (Ceylon)"],"plant_or_organism":"Lauraceae; dried inner bark (rou gui) or young twig (gui zhi)","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (interior-warming); rou gui warms the kidneys and fortifies yang, gui zhi is a warm exterior-releasing/channel-opening herb","traditional_uses":["Rou gui warms the kidney and 'fortifies yang', used for cold limbs, aversion to cold, weak digestion and 'cold' abdominal pain","Gui zhi warms and unblocks the channels, used for wind-cold patterns, joint pain and as a blood-circulation-assisting herb in classical formulas","Both are used to 'guide fire back to its source' and warm the middle burner for poor appetite and diarrhoea"],"key_active_constituents":["Cinnamaldehyde (principal volatile constituent of cassia bark oil)","Cinnamic acid, eugenol, and procyanidin type-A polyphenols (doubly linked proanthocyanidins implicated in insulin-sensitizing activity)","Coumarin - present at much higher levels in cassia than Ceylon cinnamon and responsible for the hepatotoxicity concern"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The Cochrane review of 10 RCTs (577 participants, mean ~2 g/day for 4-16 weeks) found no reliable effect: fasting glucose MD -0.83 mmol/L (95% CI -1.67 to 0.02, P=0.06, I2=82%) which fell to -0.08 mmol/L (P=0.55) after excluding two studies of questionable quality, and HbA1c MD -0.06% (95% CI -0.29 to 0.18, P=0.63). A separate meta-analysis of 6 trials (435 patients, 1-6 g/day) reported small significant reductions (HbA1c -0.09%; FPG -0.84 mmol/L), so the literature is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6486047/","year":2012},{"title":"Cinnamon in glycaemic control: Systematic review and meta analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22579946/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Improved insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) across metabolic populations","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella meta-analysis of 11 meta-analyses of RCTs (type 2 diabetes, PCOS and metabolic syndrome populations, primary studies published 2008-2021) reported that four of the pooled analyses showed significant reductions in HOMA-IR with cinnamon supplementation, while individual glycaemic endpoints were less consistent.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An umbrella meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10268424/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK623885/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Hepatotoxicity (herb-induced liver injury) from coumarin in cassia cinnamon","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"The NIH LiverTox monograph states cinnamon is generally well tolerated but has been implicated in isolated, rare reports of acute liver injury, with more serious events attributed to coumarin content; in coumarin clinical trials (7 trials, 1,106 patients) 2 patients developed jaundice and 1 required liver transplantation, and post-licensure hepatotoxicity was reported in roughly 0.2% of exposed patients.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK623885/","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin; rare idiosyncratic acute liver injury has been reported and coumarin trial data showed jaundice in 2/1,106 patients with one liver transplant, an estimated ~0.2% hepatotoxicity rate post-licensure (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK623885/)","In the Cochrane review adverse reactions were infrequent and generally mild across trials (3 events among 133 cinnamon-treated participants reported adverse events) (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6486047/)","Because trials show possible glucose- and insulin-lowering effects, additive hypoglycaemia with antidiabetic drugs is plausible and warrants monitoring (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10268424/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cinnamon is one of the most-studied herbs in this batch, yet the highest-quality synthesis - the Cochrane review - found no convincing effect on fasting glucose or HbA1c once low-quality trials were excluded, while other meta-analyses report small reductions; the most consistent signal across pooled analyses is improved HOMA-IR rather than hard glycaemic endpoints. It should therefore not be presented as a glucose-lowering therapy. The traditional TCM 'yang-warming' indications have no direct clinical trial evidence, and the best-documented clinical fact about cassia cinnamon is a real, if rare, coumarin-related hepatotoxicity risk at supplement-level doses.","_slug":"cinnamon"}},"ginger":{"canonical_name":"ginger","research_target":"ginger","used_in_tinctures":["Ginger Dried Drops 2oz","Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops","Sweetfruit Drops Ginger Oil"],"research":{"ingredient":"ginger","common_names":["Ginger rhizome (fresh = sheng jiang; dried = gan jiang)","Sheng Jiang (\u751f\u59dc) / Gan Jiang (\u5e72\u59dc)","Zingiber officinale Roscoe"],"plant_or_organism":"Plant: Zingiberaceae, rhizome of Zingiber officinale","tcm_category":"Warm/acrid exterior-releasing and interior-warming herb (Yang-warming, not a classic tonic); harmonizing and antiemetic","traditional_uses":["Releases the exterior and disperses cold, used for early wind-cold colds (e.g. ginger tea with brown sugar and scallion white) \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/sheng-jiang","Warms the middle burner and stops vomiting; chewed slices or ginger at PC-6 Neiguan used for nausea and motion sickness \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/sheng-jiang","Harmonizes formulas and reduces the toxicity of other herbs such as raw Ban Xia (Pinellia) and Tian Nan Xing (Arisaema) \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/sheng-jiang"],"key_active_constituents":["Gingerols (notably 6-gingerol) and shogaols \u2014 the pungent phenolic principles credited with antiemetic and anti-inflammatory activity \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170469/","Ginger essential oil (zingiberene, ginger oil preparations used in surgical antiemesis trials) \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","Dried ginger powder standardized preparations, 1.2-2 g/day in diabetes trials \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39053695/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella review of 24 systematic reviews (180 primary studies) of orally consumed ginger found nausea and vomiting of pregnancy among the outcomes most consistently improved, though many included reviews were of low or critically low AMSTAR-2 quality and 59% of meta-analysed outcomes had very low to low GRADE certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Orally consumed ginger and human health: an umbrella review of systematic reviews (Am J Clin Nutr)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170469/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative vomiting","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bayesian network meta-analysis of 18 publications (2,199 patients) found ginger oil ranked best for reducing postoperative vomiting versus placebo (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.96), with high-to-moderate confidence in the estimate.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative nausea (as distinct from vomiting)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the same network meta-analysis, no ginger regimen was statistically superior to placebo for postoperative nausea intensity, indicating the antiemetic effect is clearer for vomiting than for nausea.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Chemotherapy-induced acute vomiting and fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Meta-analysis found ginger <=1 g/day for more than 3 days reduced acute vomiting (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.81; moderate-quality evidence) and reduced fatigue (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.03-0.87; low quality), but there was no significant effect on overall or delayed vomiting or on nausea likelihood/severity.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in Ameliorating Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review Update and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31519467/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Osteoarthritis pain and disability","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 5 placebo-controlled RCTs (593 patients) found modest reductions in pain (SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.09) and disability (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.04) with oral ginger, rated moderate-quality evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of ginger in osteoarthritis patients: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials (Osteoarthritis Cartilage)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25300574/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (ginger powder 1.2-2 g/day for 4-12 weeks) found no significant pooled effect on fasting blood glucose or HbA1c, although two individual trials reported reductions in fasting glucose.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of oral supplementation of ginger on glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39053695/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Tolerability signal: in the osteoarthritis meta-analysis, patients on ginger were more than twice as likely to discontinue because of adverse events than placebo (RR 2.33), mainly gastrointestinal complaints \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25300574/","Ginger is described in TCM sources as one of the gentlest antiemetics and is used in pregnancy, and multiple clinical trials support its safety for pregnancy-related nausea \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/sheng-jiang","The umbrella review notes wide heterogeneity in dose and preparation and mostly low-quality reviews, so no defined safe upper dose or interaction profile can be drawn from the aggregate evidence \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170469/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Ginger is one of the best-studied items in this batch and the aggregate evidence genuinely supports modest antiemetic benefit (pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, postoperative vomiting, acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting) and small reductions in osteoarthritis pain and disability. It does not support ginger as a glucose-lowering agent in type 2 diabetes, and its effect on nausea intensity as opposed to vomiting is inconsistent. Study quality is a real limitation: most contributing systematic reviews are low quality with heterogeneous preparations and doses, and gastrointestinal intolerance causes more withdrawals than placebo.","_slug":"ginger"}},"achyranthes":{"canonical_name":"achyranthes","research_target":"achyranthes","used_in_tinctures":["Achyranthes Drops 2oz","Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"achyranthes","common_names":["Achyranthes root / ox knee","Niu Xi (Huai Niu Xi)","Achyranthes bidentata Blume"],"plant_or_organism":"Amaranthaceae (dried root)","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and dispels stasis) with secondary Liver/Kidney tonic and tendon/bone strengthening actions","traditional_uses":["Activates blood and unblocks the meridians for amenorrhea from stasis, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and traumatic injury (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/niu-xi)","Tonifies Liver and Kidney and strengthens tendons and bones for weak, sore lower back and knees (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/niu-xi)","Promotes urination and relieves stranguria; conducts fire/blood downward for upward-blazing heat patterns such as headache, dizziness, mouth sores (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/niu-xi)","Documented ethnomedical use to expel blood stasis through menstruation - and historically as an abortifacient (https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912)"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoid saponins (ginsenoside Ro / oleanolic acid glycosides)","Phytoecdysteroids, especially 20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysterone)","Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides (ABPs)","Sterols and other terpenoids (>270 metabolites catalogued)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported.","sources":[{"title":"Achyranthes bidentata Blume (Amaranthaceae): a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology","url":"https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data.","sources":[{"title":"Isolation, Structures, and Bioactivities of Polysaccharides from Achyranthes bidentata: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40572489/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Analgesic / joint and low-back pain relief in humans (the main traditional indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Achyranthes bidentata as a single herb for joint or back pain was identified; reviews of the herb report no human clinical trials, so this use rests on materia medica tradition and multi-herb formula practice.","sources":[{"title":"Achyranthes bidentata Blume (Amaranthaceae): a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology","url":"https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides.","sources":[{"title":"Effects and molecular mechanisms of Achyranthes bidentata Blume and Cyathula officinalis K.C.Kuan","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12328314/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-fertility / pregnancy-interceptory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"Root extracts showed estrogenic and pregnancy-interceptory (antifertility) activity in female albino rats, consistent with the herb's traditional use as an abortifacient. This is a safety signal rather than a therapeutic benefit.","sources":[{"title":"Estrogenic and Pregnancy Interceptory Effects of Achyranthes aspera/bidentata root extracts in rats","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2816431/","year":2009}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Contraindicated in pregnancy: traditional abortifacient/uterine-stimulant use and experimental pregnancy-interceptory activity; listed in botanical safety classification as 'not to be used during pregnancy' (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2816431/ , http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/DocServer/AHPABotanicalSafety_FMexcerpt.pdf?docID=4601)","Blood-moving action and antiplatelet/anti-stasis mechanisms suggest theoretical additive risk with anticoagulants; no human interaction studies located (https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912)","Toxicology data are limited to animal studies summarized in review form; no systematic human safety monitoring exists (https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Achyranthes bidentata is phytochemically rich (saponins, phytoecdysteroids, polysaccharides) and has a substantial preclinical literature for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, neuroprotection and immunomodulation, but the 2024 comprehensive review explicitly found no human clinical trials. Therefore every human-facing claim - joint and low-back pain, bone strengthening, menstrual regulation - is currently traditional-use or mechanistic only. The clearest reproducible finding is a safety one: estrogenic/antifertility activity supporting the traditional contraindication in pregnancy.","_slug":"achyranthes"}},"albizia":{"canonical_name":"albizia","research_target":"albizia","used_in_tinctures":["Albizia Flower Shen Drops","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"albizia","common_names":["Mimosa tree bark / silk tree bark and flower ('happiness bark')","he huan pi (bark, \u5408\u6b22\u76ae) / he huan hua (flower, \u5408\u6b22\u82b1)","Albizia julibrissin Durazz."],"plant_or_organism":"Fabaceae (Leguminosae) - stem bark and flower","tcm_category":"Shen tonic (calms the spirit / shen-calming and qi-and-blood moving herb; not a classical qi or yin tonic)","traditional_uses":["Calms the spirit and relieves constrained emotions: used for irritability, insomnia, poor memory and depressed mood ('collective happiness bark')","Invigorates blood and disperses swelling for trauma, fractures, bruising, abscesses and sores","Flowers used specifically for anxiety, chest oppression and insomnia in formulas for liver-qi constraint"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoid saponins (julibrosides J1, J8, J9, J21 - acacic acid glycosides), the principal bioactive class","Lignan glycosides (e.g. SAG and SBG, which non-competitively inhibit the serotonin transporter)","Flavonoids including quercitrin","Sterols and phenolic glycosides"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anxiolytic effect (elevated plus-maze)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous stem-bark extract at 100-200 mg/kg orally increased open-arm time and entries in male Sprague-Dawley rats without locomotor or myorelaxant effects, comparable to buspirone; the effect was abolished by the serotonergic antagonist pindolol, implicating 5-HT1A signalling.","sources":[{"title":"Anxiolytic-like effects of extracts from Albizzia julibrissin bark in the elevated plus-maze in rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15464830/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb.","sources":[{"title":"Molecular basis and mechanism of action of Albizia julibrissin in depression treatment and clinical application of its formulae","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10230641/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Cytotoxic / antitumor and antiangiogenic activity of julibroside saponins","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Julibrosides J1 and J9 isolated from stem bark inhibited KB carcinoma cells in vitro, and a 2025 pharmacological review reports julibroside J8 inhibiting angiogenesis by about 64% at 50 microgram/egg in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, exceeding ginsenoside Rg3 at twice the dose.","sources":[{"title":"Two diastereomeric saponins with cytotoxic activity from Albizia julibrissin","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10724532/","year":2000},{"title":"Pharmacological Spectrum of Substances Derived from Albizia julibrissin Durazz.","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12386540/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Antimicrobial and antiparasitic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic phytochemical/pharmacological review covering 2004-2024 reports MICs of 40-48 microgram/mL against four bacterial pathogens and 74.75% inhibition of Leishmania major promastigotes at 1000 microgram/mL for A. julibrissin extracts.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Spectrum of Substances Derived from Albizia julibrissin Durazz.","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12386540/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Insomnia, irritability and grief/emotional constraint in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Sedative, spirit-calming and blood-invigorating uses of he huan pi/hua are documented in Chinese materia medica and carried into modern reviews, but no placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb for sleep or mood was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Molecular basis and mechanism of action of Albizia julibrissin in depression treatment and clinical application of its formulae","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10230641/","year":2023}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No controlled human safety data were identified; the 2025 pharmacological review covering two decades of literature reports no adverse-effect or toxicology dataset for A. julibrissin preparations (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12386540/)","Because lignan glycosides from the bark inhibit the serotonin transporter in preclinical assays, theoretical additive risk with SSRIs/SNRIs and other serotonergic drugs cannot be excluded (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10230641/)","Saponin-rich (julibroside) fractions are cytotoxic in vitro, so high-dose or long-term bark extract use is not supported by safety evidence (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10724532/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Albizia julibrissin is one of the weaker-evidenced herbs in this group from a clinical standpoint: its anxiolytic and antidepressant reputation rests on rodent behavioural models and a plausible serotonergic mechanism (SERT inhibition by lignan glycosides), with no identified placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb. Human-level data exist only for multi-herb formulas containing it, which cannot isolate its contribution. Chemistry is well characterized (julibroside triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, lignans) and shows cytotoxic, antiangiogenic and antimicrobial activity in vitro, but these are laboratory findings, and formal toxicology and drug-interaction data are effectively absent.","_slug":"albizia"}},"chaga":{"canonical_name":"chaga","research_target":"chaga","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops","Wild Siberian Chaga Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"chaga","common_names":["Chaga / clinker polypore","Bai Hua Rong (\u6866\u6811\u8338, birch mushroom)","Inonotus obliquus"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Hymenochaetaceae (Basidiomycota); sterile conk of Inonotus obliquus, parasitic mainly on Betula spp.","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / immune-supporting tonic (a folk and Russian/Siberian medicinal fungus rather than a classical Chinese materia medica category; often marketed alongside Qi and Jing tonics)","traditional_uses":["Folk use in Russia, Siberia, Korea and China as a decoction/tea for gastrointestinal complaints and as an adjunct in cancer","Traditional use as a general immune and vitality tonic and for inflammatory and digestive conditions"],"key_active_constituents":["Beta-glucan-rich polysaccharides and heteropolysaccharides (IOPS) from fruiting body and submerged culture","Triterpenoids and steroids including inotodiol, trametenolic acid, lanostane derivatives","Betulin and betulinic acid (birch-derived), inonotusanes","Melanin complexes and phenolic compounds; notably very high oxalate content"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"antitumour / antiproliferative activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Chaga polysaccharides and triterpenoids inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis across many cancer cell lines and reduce tumour growth in mouse models (S180, LLC1 allografts), but no randomized human oncology trial evidence exists.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides describe macrophage activation, cytokine modulation and immunostimulatory effects in cell and animal models; corresponding human immune-outcome trials are not available.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical.","sources":[{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"glucose-lowering / metabolic effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Antihyperglycaemic and lipid effects of chaga polysaccharides have been reported in rodent diabetes models within review syntheses; no human RCT confirmation was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"oxalate nephropathy and renal failure with high-dose chronic use","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A 72-year-old woman who consumed 4-5 teaspoons of chaga powder daily for 6 months developed biopsy-confirmed oxalate nephropathy requiring haemodialysis, and a further case mimicked renal cell carcinoma; a 16-week rat study confirmed dose-dependent oxalate-mediated kidney injury.","sources":[{"title":"Chaga mushroom-induced oxalate nephropathy","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23149251/","year":2014},{"title":"Chaga mushroom-induced oxalate nephropathy that clinically mimicked renal cell carcinoma (Medicine, Baltimore)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8913114/","year":2022},{"title":"Kidney Injury Induced by High-Dose Chaga Mushroom Consumption in a Rat Model","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12815897/","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Chaga contains extremely high oxalate concentrations and chronic high-dose intake has caused biopsy-proven oxalate nephropathy with dialysis dependence (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23149251/) and a case mimicking renal cell carcinoma (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8913114/)","A 16-week rat study using standard and high chaga doses (183 and 549 mg/kg oxalate equivalent) demonstrated dose-dependent weight loss and renal injury, supporting a causal oxalate mechanism (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12815897/)","Avoid in chronic kidney disease, nephrolithiasis or other oxalate-risk states; formal drug-interaction studies are lacking, and antiplatelet/antidiabetic theoretical additivity is based only on preclinical data (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Chaga has a substantial preclinical literature (polysaccharides and triterpenoids showing antitumour, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic activity in cells and rodents) but essentially no randomized controlled human trials for any marketed indication, so consumer claims are extrapolation from in vitro and animal work. The best-documented human data are harm signals: case reports of oxalate nephropathy and end-stage renal disease after months of high-dose use, now reinforced by a controlled rat model. On current evidence chaga should be regarded as unproven for efficacy and non-trivially risky at high chronic doses, particularly for kidney health.","_slug":"chaga"}},"cornus":{"canonical_name":"cornus","research_target":"cornus","used_in_tinctures":["Cornus Drops 2oz","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"cornus","common_names":["Cornelian cherry fruit / Asiatic dogwood fruit (Corni Fructus)","Shan Zhu Yu","Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc."],"plant_or_organism":"Cornaceae (ripe, dried fruit with seed removed)","tcm_category":"Jing/Yin tonic with astringent action (secures Kidney essence; stabilises Liver and Kidney)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies the Liver and Kidney and nourishes essence (jing), used for dizziness, tinnitus, sore lower back and knees (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.633447/full)","Astringes leakage of fluids - used for spermatorrhoea, enuresis, frequent urination, excessive sweating and uterine bleeding, i.e. 'securing' what the Kidney is failing to hold (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/)","A core component of the classical Yin-nourishing formula Liuwei Dihuang Wan (with prepared Rehmannia, Moutan, Chinese yam, Poria and Alisma), widely used for Kidney-Yin deficiency patterns including diabetic complications (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/)","Frequently prescribed in modern Chinese practice for diabetes and diabetic kidney disease, appearing in >30% of diabetic-nephropathy prescriptions in medication-rule analyses (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10354237/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Iridoid glycosides: loganin, morroniside, sweroside (total iridoid glycosides ~75.3% in crude vs 42.8% in wine-processed material) (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.633447/full)","Triterpenoid acids, notably ursolic acid (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/)","Polyphenols/tannins and organic acids, e.g. (-)-epicatechin-3-O-gallate and caftaric acid monomethyl ester with alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity; about 90 compounds have been isolated from Corni Fructus (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and improved diabetic symptoms","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In diabetic animal models, Corni Fructus extract (300-400 mg/kg p.o.) and its isolated constituents loganin, morroniside and ursolic acid (200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) significantly lowered fasting blood glucose and alleviated polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss; metformin outperformed the herb in a head-to-head animal comparison.","sources":[{"title":"Corni Fructus: a review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb.","sources":[{"title":"Research progress on Cornus officinalis and its active compounds in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10354237/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone.","sources":[{"title":"Liuwei Dihuang Pills Enhance the Effect of Western Medicine in Treating Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/","year":2016},{"title":"Impact of liuwei dihuang pills (decoction) on early diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Beta-cell protection and alpha-glucosidase inhibition","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid and butyl morroniside (100 micromol/L) protected high-glucose-exposed pancreatic beta-cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis and may increase insulin release, while the extract and phenolics inhibited alpha-glucosidase and suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"Corni Fructus: a review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Body-weight/obesity outcomes in humans","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2021 Frontiers review cites one randomized, double-blind, controlled Korean trial in 76 obese women using a Cornus officinalis preparation; this is the only clinical trial highlighted for the single herb and it is too small and isolated to support a general claim.","sources":[{"title":"Active Components and Pharmacological Effects of Cornus officinalis: Literature Review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.633447/full","year":2021}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Only about 18% of the ~90 identified constituents of Corni Fructus have been tested in vivo or in vitro, so the toxicological profile of the whole fruit is incompletely characterised (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/)","Processing changes composition substantially (wine-processing lowers total iridoid glycosides from ~75.3% to ~42.8% and reduces alpha-glucosidase inhibition), so product form materially affects both activity and exposure (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.633447/full)","Because supportive clinical data come from multi-herb formulas co-administered with ACE inhibitors, ARBs and antidiabetic drugs, patients on those agents should be monitored; the trials reported no notable added adverse effects but were low quality (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cornus officinalis has a well-documented phytochemistry (loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid) and a fairly consistent preclinical signal for glucose lowering, beta-cell protection and renoprotection. However, human evidence for the single herb is almost absent - essentially one small obesity RCT - and the meta-analytic support in diabetic nephropathy comes from the six-herb formula Liuwei Dihuang Wan in low-quality, Chinese-language trials, which cannot isolate Cornus's contribution. The traditional astringent indications (spermatorrhoea, enuresis, excessive sweating, uterine bleeding) have no controlled clinical evidence at all.","_slug":"cornus"}},"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)":{"canonical_name":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","research_target":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","used_in_tinctures":["Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","common_names":["Chinese dodder seed, cuscuta seed","Tu Si Zi","Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Semen Cuscutae / Cuscutae Semen)"],"plant_or_organism":"Convolvulaceae (parasitic vine)","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney yang) with Jing/essence-securing and liver-nourishing actions","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Kidney yang and secures essence for impotence, seminal emission, infertility, enuresis and frequent urination from Kidney deficiency (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/tu-si-zi)","Nourishes Liver and Kidney to improve vision (dim or poor eyesight) (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/tu-si-zi)","Calms/secures the fetus in threatened miscarriage from Liver-Kidney deficiency, and checks diarrhoea from Spleen deficiency (https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/tu-si-zi)"],"key_active_constituents":["Flavonoids (~40 identified) - hyperoside, quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, astragalin","Phenolic acids including chlorogenic acid (>20 phenolics reported)","Lignans and polysaccharides"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it.","sources":[{"title":"Therapeutic roles and molecular mechanisms of Cuscutae Semen in reproductive diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491298/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic / bone-protective effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bioactivity-guided fractionation identified quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, hyperoside and astragalin as osteogenic (alkaline-phosphatase-stimulating) and partly oestrogen-receptor-active compounds in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells, and Cuscuta chinensis extract (100 mg/kg/day) increased bone mineral density and suppressed osteoclasts in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. No human bone-density trial exists.","sources":[{"title":"Antiosteoporotic compounds from seeds of Cuscuta chinensis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463675/","year":2011},{"title":"Beneficial effects of Cuscuta chinensis extract on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis through modulation of RANKL/OPG signals","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31826180/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotective and anti-aging (anti-oxidative) effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In D-galactose-aged rodents, the classical Cuscuta-containing formula Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage; ethnopharmacological reviews similarly report antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity for C. chinensis extracts. Evidence is animal-level only.","sources":[{"title":"Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduces D-galactose-induced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12966258/","year":2025},{"title":"The genus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae): An updated review on indigenous uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7038433/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Vision protection / retinal and ocular benefit","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The traditional indication of brightening the eyes is documented in materia medica sources, but no clinical study of cuscuta seed on visual acuity or eye disease was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Tu Si Zi (Semen Cuscutae) - TCM Herbs","url":"https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/tu-si-zi","year":2020}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The 2025 Frontiers in Immunology review addresses Cuscutae Semen toxicity and potential herb-drug interactions and notes that human safety data are limited because clinical trials of the single herb are lacking (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491298/)","Flavonoid constituents show oestrogen-receptor activity in reporter assays, so caution is reasonable in hormone-sensitive conditions (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463675/)","Adulteration and species confusion within the genus Cuscuta is documented, creating product-identity risk (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7038433/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cuscuta seed is chemically well characterised (flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides) and shows consistent pro-fertility, bone-protective and antioxidant activity in cell and rodent models. However there are essentially no randomised trials of the single herb in humans; the only clinical data come from multi-herb formulas, so its reputation as a kidney-yang/essence tonic remains traditionally rather than clinically substantiated. Safety appears acceptable at traditional doses but is under-studied.","_slug":"cuscuta-seed-tu-si-zi"}},"cynomorium":{"canonical_name":"cynomorium","research_target":"cynomorium","used_in_tinctures":["Cynomorium Drops 2oz","Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"cynomorium","common_names":["cynomorium / Songaria cynomorium fleshy stem","suo yang (\u9501\u9633)","Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (Cynomorii Herba)"],"plant_or_organism":"Cynomoriaceae; a perennial fleshy root-parasitic herb (fleshy stem used)","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (tonifies Kidney Yang); sweet, warm; Kidney, Liver and Large Intestine channels","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Kidney Yang for impotence, spermatorrhoea, premature ejaculation, infertility and cold, sore lower back and knees \u2014 https://sacredlotus.com/go/chinese-herbs/substance/suo-yang-fleshy-stem-of-cynomorium","Strengthens sinews and bones and is used for weakness of the lower limbs and healthy-ageing support \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/suo-yang","Moistens the intestines to relieve constipation from dryness/deficiency \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/suo-yang","Used as both a functional food and medicine in northwest China; documented ethnopharmacological use for male reproductive complaints \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11374658/"],"key_active_constituents":["Flavonoids (a 91.3% flavonoid-enriched fraction was the active preparation in reproductive-toxicity rescue studies) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11374658/","Polysaccharides \u2014 reported as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitory constituents \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41554452/","Proanthocyanidins and catechins; triterpenes and phenolic acids \u2014 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711325002429"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function via PDE-5 inhibition","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides were characterised as potent natural phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and ameliorated erectile dysfunction in animal models, which the authors framed as mechanistic validation of the herb's traditional use. No human trial was reported.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides ameliorate erectile dysfunction through potent inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41554452/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. flavonoids improve cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive function damage by regulating the testosterone synthesis pathway","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11374658/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal.","sources":[{"title":"A decade review on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711325002429","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Absence of acute, genetic or 90-day repeated-dose toxicity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"no effect","summary":"A formal toxicology assessment found no mortality or gross lesions in mice given a single 18 g/kg oral dose (432x the clinical human dose, maximum tolerable dose >15 g/kg), negative Ames, bone-marrow micronucleus and spermatocyte chromosomal aberration assays, and no toxicity signal in rats dosed 1.04-4.16 g/kg/day (25-100x clinical dose) for 90 days.","sources":[{"title":"Toxicity Assessment of Chinese Herbal Medicine Cynomorium songaricum Rupr (Suo Yang)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6425418/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Efficacy for impotence, infertility or lumbar weakness in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Cynomorium songaricum in humans was located; all identified reproductive and metabolic evidence is from rodent or cell models, so the clinical claims rest on traditional use.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. flavonoids improve cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive function damage (mechanistic study; no human data)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11374658/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Comprehensive rodent toxicology showed no acute toxicity (MTD >15 g/kg), no genotoxicity and no adverse findings in a 90-day repeated-dose rat study at up to 100x the human clinical dose \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6425418/","No human adverse event or drug interaction data were found; because polysaccharide fractions inhibit PDE-5, theoretical additive hypotension with nitrates or PDE-5 inhibitor drugs cannot be excluded and has not been studied \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41554452/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cynomorium is one of the better-characterised Yang tonics at the preclinical level: rodent and cell studies show protection of testosterone synthesis and PDE-5 inhibition that plausibly explain its traditional reputation for impotence and low-back weakness, and a full toxicology package shows a very wide safety margin. However there is no human clinical trial evidence at all for any indication, so every efficacy claim should be labelled preclinical. The honest position is 'mechanistically plausible, traditionally established, clinically unproven'.","_slug":"cynomorium"}},"dendrobium":{"canonical_name":"dendrobium","research_target":"dendrobium","used_in_tinctures":["Dendrobium Drops 2oz","Yin Replenisher Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"dendrobium","common_names":["Dendrobium stem / noble orchid stem (tie pi shi hu)","shi hu","Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (also D. nobile Lindl.)"],"plant_or_organism":"Orchidaceae (epiphytic orchid; dried stem used)","tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Stomach and Kidney Yin tonic that generates fluids and clears deficiency Heat)","traditional_uses":["Benefits the Stomach and generates fluids for dry mouth, thirst, poor appetite, dry retching and epigastric discomfort from Stomach Yin deficiency; sweet, slightly cool, entering Stomach and Kidney channels (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/shi-hu)","Nourishes Yin and clears deficiency Heat for low-grade tidal fever, night sweats and warm palms and soles after febrile illness (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/shi-hu)","Nourishes Kidney Yin, brightens the eyes and strengthens sinews and bones for blurred vision, tinnitus and sore lower back and knees (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/shi-hu)","Used as a tonic food-medicine herb for wasting-thirst ('Xiaoke', i.e. diabetes-like) presentations, including in Xiaoke decoction, and consumed as tea, soup and juice (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9507758/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Polysaccharides (main bioactives; O-acetyl-glucomannans of mannose and glucose, e.g. Dendronan)","Bibenzyls","Flavonoids","Alkaloids and phenanthrenes"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased salivary secretion in patients with deficient saliva production","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review reports a small clinical study in 16 female patients with deficient salivary secretion who were randomly assigned to Dendrobium officinale extract 0.5 g/5 mL three times daily for one week, with improvement in saliva output. This is the only human intervention identified, and it is very small and reported second-hand.","sources":[{"title":"Bioactivities and Mechanism of Actions of Dendrobium officinale: A Comprehensive Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9507758/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved glucose and lipid metabolism / reduced progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide alleviated type 2 diabetes in mice by restoring gut microbiota (Helicobacter -94.57%, Bifidobacterium +139.41%, Lactobacillus +88.95%) and repairing the intestinal barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB axis, and 200 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks prevented progression from prediabetes in high-fat/high-sugar-diet plus streptozotocin mice (n = 48). All findings are animal-based.","sources":[{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Alleviates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Restoring Gut Microbiota and Repairing Intestinal Barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB Axis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37526282/","year":2023},{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Prevents Diabetes via the Regulation of Gut Microbiota in Prediabetic Mice","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10296996/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Gut microbiota modulation and intestinal barrier protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides concludes their prebiotic and antidiabetic potential is supported only by in vitro fermentation, cell and animal studies, and states explicitly that there are no registered or published human clinical trials of DOPs on gut microbiota or metabolic outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The therapeutic effects of dendrobium officinale polysaccharides on diabetes mellitus: from the perspective of gut microbiota","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12540139/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced colonic inflammation in chronic colitis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide relieved DSS-induced chronic colitis in C57BL/6J mice and shifted colonic microflora structure. Mouse model only.","sources":[{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Relieves the DSS-Induced Chronic Colitis in C57BL/6J Mice and Regulates Colonic Microflora Structure","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41295294/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use.","sources":[{"title":"Bioactivities and Mechanism of Actions of Dendrobium officinale: A Comprehensive Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9507758/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Dendrobium officinale is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and in 'medicine and food homology' with a long dietary history in Yunnan and Zhejiang, and reviews discuss safety without reporting characteristic toxicity, but controlled human safety data are lacking (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9507758/)","No human clinical trials of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides on metabolic outcomes have been registered or published, so interaction and long-term safety data in people taking glucose-lowering drugs are absent (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12540139/)","No specific drug interactions were documented in the sources reviewed"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Dendrobium's traditional core use - generating fluids for dry mouth and Stomach Yin deficiency - has the only human support available, and that is a single week-long study in 16 women reported through a review, which is far too weak to be treated as established. Its most active research area, polysaccharide-mediated improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function, is coherent and dose-responsive but entirely preclinical; a 2025 review states outright that no human trials of these polysaccharides exist. Claims about diabetes, immunity, eye health and anti-ageing should be presented as animal-level evidence only.","_slug":"dendrobium"}},"dioscorea (chinese yam)":{"canonical_name":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","research_target":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","used_in_tinctures":["Dioscorea Drops 2oz","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","common_names":["Chinese yam rhizome","Shan Yao","Dioscorea opposita Thunb. (Dioscorea polystachya; Rhizoma Dioscoreae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Dioscoreaceae (yam family); dried rhizome, used raw or bran-stir-fried","tcm_category":"Qi tonic with Yin-tonifying action (sweet, neutral; enters Spleen, Lung and Kidney channels)","traditional_uses":["Replenishes Qi and enriches Yin, reinforcing Spleen, Lung and Kidney - used for spleen/stomach weakness with poor appetite and diarrhoea (https://new.shen-nong.com/article/shan-yao?lang=en)","Used for chronic cough and wheezing attributed to Lung weakness, and for Kidney weakness presenting as nocturnal emission, urinary frequency, excessive thirst or hunger, and leukorrhea (https://new.shen-nong.com/article/shan-yao?lang=en)","'Arrests excessive essence depletion' - i.e. astringes and stabilizes Jing/fluids; used as a gentle long-term food-herb, including as a component of formulas such as Shenling Baizhu San (https://new.shen-nong.com/article/shan-yao?lang=en)"],"key_active_constituents":["Chinese yam polysaccharides (CYP; ~63% glucose) and mucopolysaccharides (CYMP; ~40% polysaccharide, ~2% protein) (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/)","Dioscorin - a storage glycoprotein making up ~90% of total tuber protein (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/)","Resistant starch (raw tuber >33% by dry weight, reduced ~80% by boiling), allantoin, and steroidal saponins/diosgenin precursors (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04).","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Prebiotic shift in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same randomized trial Bifidobacterium rose 23% and Lactobacillus 17% while Enterococcus fell 14% and E. coli 19% (p<0.05), with increases in faecal acetate, propionate and butyrate; a separate 6-week open-label single-arm study in 10 obese adults eating a high-fibre yam snack also increased Bifidobacterium spp. and the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale group (p<0.05).","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Gastrointestinal motility, gastroprotection and anti-diarrhoeal effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 systematic review of 27 studies found only 2 human trials against 25 animal experiments; the animal data support improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit, mucosal protection and reduced diarrhoea, but no pooled meta-analysis or human confirmation was possible.","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Improved glucose handling / insulin sensitivity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"High-purity Chinese yam polysaccharide at 200 microg/mL increased glucose uptake and GLUT2 expression and restored insulin sensitivity in TNF-alpha-treated liver cells, and the surgical RCT reported improved fasting and 2-hour post-prandial glucose (p<0.01); dedicated clinical antidiabetic trials are lacking.","sources":[{"title":"A Frontier Review of Nutraceutical Chinese Yam","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/","year":2024},{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of Chinese yam describe immune-regulating, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of its polysaccharides and dioscorin in cell and rodent models, consistent with the traditional Qi-tonifying claim but without clinical endpoint data.","sources":[{"title":"A Frontier Review of Nutraceutical Chinese Yam","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/","year":2024},{"title":"Rhizoma Dioscoreae / Chinese yam / shan yao (Shen-Nong TCM materia medica)","url":"https://new.shen-nong.com/article/shan-yao?lang=en","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Chinese yam is a staple food crop (global yam production ~88.3 million tonnes in 2022) and is eaten in large quantities, indicating a broad dietary safety margin; no specific adverse events or drug interactions were reported in the 2024 review (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/)","Raw tuber contains >33% resistant starch and mucilage, which can cause bloating or loose stools in sensitive individuals; boiling reduces resistant starch by ~80% (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11119861/)","The 2025 systematic review reported no safety signal but noted that only two human studies exist, so interaction data are effectively absent (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Chinese yam is better supported as a functional food than as a therapeutic agent. The single decent randomized trial (post-operative colorectal cancer patients with diabetes) showed consistent improvements in gut-barrier markers, inflammatory cytokines, microbiota composition, wound healing and infection rate, which fits the traditional Spleen-tonifying indication, but the 2025 systematic review found only 2 human studies against 25 animal experiments and could not pool results. Traditional claims for Lung and Kidney tonification, chronic cough, urinary frequency and 'essence' retention have no clinical trial support; the antidiabetic and immune claims currently rest on cell and rodent work.","_slug":"dioscorea-chinese-yam"}},"epimedium (horny goat weed)":{"canonical_name":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","research_target":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","used_in_tinctures":["Epimedium Prepared Drops 2oz","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","common_names":["Horny goat weed / barrenwort","yin yang huo","Epimedium brevicornu, E. sagittatum, E. koreanum (Herba Epimedii)"],"plant_or_organism":"Berberidaceae; dried aerial parts/leaf","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (tonifies kidney yang, strengthens sinews and bones, expels wind-damp)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies kidney yang for impotence, low libido, frequent urination and infertility","Strengthens sinews and bones for lower back and knee weakness, joint pain and numbness attributed to wind-damp with yang deficiency","Used in modern Chinese practice for osteoporosis, menopausal complaints and as an anti-fatigue/'anti-aging' tonic"],"key_active_constituents":["Icariin (prenylated flavonol glycoside, the principal marker compound)","Epimedins A, B and C; icaritin and desmethylicaritin (active metabolites)","Polysaccharides and additional prenylflavonoids with reported phytoestrogenic activity"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%.","sources":[{"title":"Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17419678/","year":2007}]},{"outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized.","sources":[{"title":"The efficacy and safety of Epimedium in the treatment of osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491210/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Oral bioavailability of isolated icariin (relevant to efficacy of supplements)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety/pharmacokinetic trial of oral icariin 100-1,680 mg/day for 5 days in 24 healthy adults, plasma icariin was very low or undetectable at all doses - essentially all samples were below the limit of quantitation - so pharmacokinetic parameters could not be determined, implying very poor oral bioavailability of the isolated compound.","sources":[{"title":"Human Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study of Orally Administered Icariin: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X19856789","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Erectile dysfunction / libido enhancement (the dominant consumer claim)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial or meta-analysis testing Epimedium or icariin for erectile function in humans was retrieved in this session; the rationale is preclinical (icariin is a weak PDE5 inhibitor in vitro and in animal models), and the one human trial of oral icariin was a safety/PK study that measured sexual function only as a side-effect scale.","sources":[{"title":"Human Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study of Orally Administered Icariin: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X19856789","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Hepatotoxicity / herb-induced liver injury","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"Epimedii Folium is a recognized cause of emerging herb-induced liver injury concern; in Sprague-Dawley rats given Epimedium koreanum ethanol extract (2 g original herb/kg/day for 28 days, n=6/group) liver weight ratios rose and serum AST, ALP and total bilirubin increased significantly (P=0.01, 0.0345, 0.018) with hepatocyte steatosis and severe cytoplasmic vacuolation on histology.","sources":[{"title":"Epimedium koreanum Nakai-Induced Liver Injury-A Mechanistic Study Using Untargeted Metabolomics","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9326364/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Epimedii Folium (notably E. koreanum) is associated with liver injury signals: a 28-day rat study showed significant elevations in AST, ALP and bilirubin with hepatic steatosis and vacuolation (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9326364/)","Oral icariin at 100-1,680 mg/day for 5 days was tolerated in 24 healthy adults with monitoring of vital signs, ECG, mood and sexual-function scales, but systemic exposure was negligible (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X19856789)","Epimedium flavonoids act as phytoestrogens in the bone-loss trial (icariin combined with daidzein and genistein), so caution is reasonable in hormone-sensitive conditions and with hormone therapy (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17419678/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"The strongest human evidence for Epimedium is for bone: one 24-month placebo-controlled trial and a 2025 meta-analysis of 10 mostly Chinese-language RCTs support improved BMD and reduced bone-resorption markers, though the landmark trial used a combination product (icariin plus soy isoflavones), which confounds attribution. The mass-market claim - erectile dysfunction and libido - has no controlled human trial support in the literature retrieved, and a human pharmacokinetic study found oral icariin is barely absorbed, which undercuts simple 'natural PDE5 inhibitor' reasoning. Liver-injury signals from Epimedium species are a genuine, if uncommon, safety concern.","_slug":"epimedium-horny-goat-weed"}},"eucommia":{"canonical_name":"eucommia","research_target":"eucommia","used_in_tinctures":["Eucommia Bark Drops","Super Yang Jing Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"eucommia","common_names":["Eucommia bark / hardy rubber tree bark","Du Zhong (\u675c\u4ef2)","Eucommia ulmoides Oliv."],"plant_or_organism":"Plant: Eucommiaceae (monotypic family), stem bark of Eucommia ulmoides","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang / Liver and Kidney tonic), sinew- and bone-strengthening","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Liver and Kidney and strengthens sinews and bones; used for lower back and knee pain and weakness from Kidney deficiency (sweet, warm; Liver and Kidney channels) \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/du-zhong","Calms the fetus / supports pregnancy in threatened miscarriage patterns; modern Chinese sources also state it may inhibit excessive uterine contractions \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/du-zhong","Used for hypertension in modern Chinese practice, with salt-processed bark and decoctions considered to lower blood pressure more strongly than tinctures; leaf-and-bark tea is also part of the Japanese diet \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/du-zhong"],"key_active_constituents":["Lignans, including pinoresinol di-beta-D-glucoside (PG) \u2014 the marker standardized to 8% in the human hypertension trial \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","Iridoids (e.g. geniposidic acid, aucubin), phenolic acids (chlorogenic acid) and flavonoids \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18835589/","Gutta-percha-type polyisoprene and polysaccharides characteristic of the bark \u2014 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00482-7"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008).","sources":[{"title":"A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a standardized Eucommia ulmoides Oliver bark extract to treat hypertension (Altern Med Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Beta-adrenergic-blocking mechanism for the hypotensive effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a human fat-cell assay, Eucommia extract at 0.5% w/v reduced isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis from 2.67 to 1.4 times buffer control (P<0.001), consistent with beta-adrenergic blocking activity as a plausible mechanism.","sources":[{"title":"A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a standardized Eucommia ulmoides Oliver bark extract to treat hypertension (Altern Med Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional application and modern pharmacological research of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00482-7","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / osteoporosis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 80 ovariectomized rats, Du-Zhong cortex extract at 300-500 mg/kg/day for 16 weeks prevented loss of femoral biomechanical quality and dose-dependently inhibited bone mineral density loss with reduced bone-turnover markers and no uterine hyperplasia. No human osteoporosis trials were identified.","sources":[{"title":"Du-Zhong (Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.) cortex extract prevents OVX-induced osteoporosis in rats (Bone)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18835589/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional application and modern pharmacological research of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00482-7","year":2021}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the human trials the standardized bark extract was well tolerated with no toxicity reported at 1.5-3 g/day for 2-8 weeks \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","Evidence of beta-adrenergic blocking activity raises a theoretical additive risk with beta-blockers and other antihypertensive drugs \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","In rats, bark extract improved bone quality without hyperplastic effect on the uterus, and Du Zhong has a long record of use for fractures and joint disease in China; however no modern long-term human safety data were identified \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18835589/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Eucommia bark's traditional role as a Kidney-Yang/sinew-and-bone tonic is well documented, and there is a plausible pharmacological story (lignans such as pinoresinol diglucoside, beta-adrenergic blocking activity) behind its modern use for blood pressure. Human evidence is nonetheless thin and inconsistent: one small randomized study found no blood-pressure effect at 500 mg three times daily while a second at 1 g three times daily found a 7.5/3.9 mmHg reduction, and the osteoporosis, anti-inflammatory and metabolic claims rest almost entirely on rodent and cell data. The traditional claims about strengthening bones and stabilizing pregnancy are not supported by controlled human trials.","_slug":"eucommia"}},"green tea":{"canonical_name":"green tea","research_target":"green tea","used_in_tinctures":["Sweetfruit Drops Zen","Sweetfruit Drops Zen with Lime Oil"],"research":{"ingredient":"green tea","common_names":["Green tea","Lu Cha","Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze"],"plant_or_organism":"Theaceae (unoxidized leaf of Camellia sinensis)","tcm_category":"Heat-clearing (cool, bitter-sweet); not a classical tonic - also resolves Phlegm and food stagnation","traditional_uses":["Clears the head and brightens the eyes for heat- or phlegm-related headache, dizziness and mental fogginess (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/lu-cha)","Eliminates irritability and quenches thirst by clearing Heart and Lung Heat (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/lu-cha)","Promotes digestion and resolves food stagnation; promotes urination to drain Dampness (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/lu-cha)","Resolves Phlegm and resolves toxicity (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/lu-cha)"],"key_active_constituents":["Catechins, up to ~20% of dry matter: EGCG (most active), EGC, ECG, EC, catechin, gallocatechins","Caffeine and theophylline (methylxanthines)","L-theanine","Flavonols (quercetin/kaempferol glycosides)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced total and LDL cholesterol","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs (n=1,415; 145-3,000 mg/day catechins, 3-24 weeks) found total cholesterol -5.46 mg/dL (95% CI -9.59 to -1.32) and LDL -5.30 mg/dL (95% CI -9.99 to -0.62), with no significant change in HDL or triglycerides.","sources":[{"title":"Green tea catechins decrease total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22027055/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on glycemic control in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23426037/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure.","sources":[{"title":"Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK246911/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Lower cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality with higher habitual tea intake","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A dose-response meta-analysis synthesizing 39 prospective cohort publications found inverse associations between tea intake and CVD and all-cause mortality; notably no RCT met eligibility criteria, so causality is unproven and confounding by lifestyle is likely.","sources":[{"title":"Dose-Response Relation between Tea Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Studies","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7360449/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"No meaningful change in C-reactive protein (inflammation)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs of green tea catechin supplementation found no noteworthy impact on plasma C-reactive protein, regardless of dose or study duration.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of supplementation with green tea catechins on plasma C-reactive protein concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900715000726","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Hepatocellular liver injury from concentrated green tea extract","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"The USP systematic review analysed 20 RCTs plus 51 case-report articles covering 75 cases of liver injury linked to green tea extract; injury was predominantly hepatocellular and associated with concentrated catechin preparations, bolus dosing and fasting intake.","sources":[{"title":"United States Pharmacopeia (USP) comprehensive review of the hepatotoxicity of green tea extracts","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7044683/","year":2020},{"title":"Green tea extract-associated acute liver injury: Case report and review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9745259/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Concentrated green tea extract can cause idiosyncratic hepatocellular liver injury; risk is tied to high-dose catechin supplements taken as a bolus, especially while fasting, not to brewed tea (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7044683/)","A safe intake level of about 338 mg EGCG/day for adults has been derived for solid bolus preparations, whereas traditionally brewed infusions are generally considered safe (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230018300928)","EFSA concluded catechins from traditionally prepared green tea infusions are generally safe, while doses of 800 mg EGCG/day or more as supplements have been associated with transaminase elevations (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7009618/)","Caffeine content contributes insomnia, palpitations and additive stimulant effects; catechins are metabolized via CYP450/UGT pathways, a theoretical route for drug interactions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9745259/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Green tea has by far the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch: multiple meta-analyses of RCTs show real but small cardiometabolic effects (total and LDL cholesterol down roughly 5 mg/dL, fasting glucose down ~1.5 mg/dL, modest blood pressure reduction), while HbA1c, insulin resistance and CRP are unchanged. Lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality is supported only by prospective cohorts - no eligible RCTs exist - so that claim is associational. The main clinically important harm signal is well documented: concentrated green tea extract supplements, unlike brewed tea, can cause hepatocellular liver injury, and popular claims about weight loss or cancer prevention are far stronger than the trial data supporting them.","_slug":"green-tea"}},"gynostemma":{"canonical_name":"gynostemma","research_target":"gynostemma","used_in_tinctures":["Gynostemma Drops","Qi Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"gynostemma","common_names":["Jiaogulan / southern ginseng / five-leaf ginseng","jiao gu lan (\u7ede\u80a1\u84dd)","Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino"],"plant_or_organism":"Cucurbitaceae - aerial parts/leaf","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (adaptogenic qi tonic; also clears heat, transforms phlegm and detoxifies in folk use)","traditional_uses":["Folk and later TCM use as an inexpensive ginseng-like qi tonic for fatigue and general debility ('southern ginseng'), drunk as a daily tea","Clearing heat, resolving phlegm and relieving cough in chronic bronchitis","Traditional Vietnamese and Chinese use for hyperlipidemia, hypertension and 'sugar sickness' (diabetes)"],"key_active_constituents":["Dammarane-type saponins (gypenosides, including gypenoside L and ginsenoside-like Rb1/Rb3 analogues)","Polysaccharides","Flavonoids (e.g. quercetin/rutin derivatives) and phytosterols (sitosterol)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China.","sources":[{"title":"Gynostemma pentaphyllum for dyslipidemia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9459123/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 24 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients randomized to authenticated GP tea 6 g/day or placebo tea for 12 weeks, fasting plasma glucose fell 3.0 +/- 1.8 vs 0.6 +/- 2.2 mmol/L (p<0.01), HbA1c fell about 2 vs 0.2 percentage points (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR improved (p<0.05), with no hypoglycemia reported.","sources":[{"title":"Antidiabetic effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea in randomly assigned type 2 diabetic patients","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20213586/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of abdominal fat and body weight in obesity","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 obese Korean adults given 450 mg/day heat-processed GP extract (actiponin) showed significant reductions versus placebo in total abdominal fat area (p=0.044), body weight, body fat mass, percent body fat and BMI, with no clinically significant safety changes.","sources":[{"title":"Antiobesity effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract (actiponin): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23804546/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Reduced anxiety in adults with chronic psychological stress","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In 72 healthy Korean adults with chronic stress given 200 mg GP leaf extract twice daily for 8 weeks, trait anxiety (Trait-STAI) improved 16.8% versus placebo (p=0.041), but state anxiety, HAM-A and BAI showed no significant between-group differences.","sources":[{"title":"Supplementation with extract of Gynostemma pentaphyllum leaves reduces anxiety in healthy subjects with chronic psychological stress: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30599899/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved exercise capacity / reduced fatigue","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 healthy Korean adults using gypenoside L-containing GP extract found higher VO2 max (p=0.007) and O2 pulse (p=0.047), lower free fatty acids (p=0.042), improved perceived exertion/temporal fatigue and higher blood eNOS (p=0.047).","sources":[{"title":"Effects of gypenoside L-containing Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract on fatigue and physical performance: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36877124/","year":2023}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the 22-RCT dyslipidemia review, adverse events occurred in 6.5% of GP arms versus 21.2% of conventional lipid-lowering arms (RR 0.35) with no serious events; reported symptoms included abdominal pain/distention, nausea, diarrhea, headache, rash and dizziness, plus occasional liver-enzyme and creatine kinase abnormalities (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9459123/)","The 12-week diabetes RCT reported no hypoglycemia and no kidney, liver or gastrointestinal adverse effects, but glucose-lowering activity means additive hypoglycemia risk with sulfonylureas or insulin should be assumed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20213586/)","Obesity and anxiety RCTs found no clinically significant safety-parameter changes or attributable adverse drug reactions over 8-12 weeks; longer-term safety is untested (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23804546/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Gynostemma has the strongest human evidence base of this batch: multiple small placebo-controlled RCTs support metabolic benefits (fasting glucose and HbA1c reduction in early type 2 diabetes, abdominal fat and weight reduction in obesity) and a 22-RCT review supports adjunctive lipid improvement, though that review rated certainty as very low and found GP alone weaker than statins or red yeast rice. Effects on anxiety and exercise performance come from single trials with partly non-significant secondary endpoints. Trials are small (24-100 participants), short (8-12 weeks), mostly conducted in Korea, China and Vietnam, and use non-standardized extracts, so the broad traditional 'adaptogen for longevity and immunity' claim remains unproven even where the metabolic signals look real.","_slug":"gynostemma"}},"jujube":{"canonical_name":"jujube","research_target":"jujube","used_in_tinctures":["Jujube Red Date Drops 2oz","Zizyphus Dreamzzz Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"jujube","common_names":["Chinese date / red date / jujube","Da Zao (fruit); Suan Zao Ren (seed of Z. jujuba var. spinosa)","Ziziphus jujuba Mill."],"plant_or_organism":"Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family); dried ripe fruit of Ziziphus jujuba","tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Blood tonic (fruit, Da Zao); the seed Suan Zao Ren is a Shen-calming/spirit-quieting herb","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Spleen Qi and augments Blood for fatigue, poor appetite and pallor; used for Blood deficiency with insomnia and irritability","Moderates and harmonises the harshness of other herbs in formulas, and moistens dryness","Calms the Shen: jujube (and especially Suan Zao Ren, the sour jujube seed) is used for restlessness, palpitations and insomnia","Used traditionally as a tea for insomnia and for digestive weakness including loose stools and anorexia"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoid acids (betulinic, oleanolic, ursolic, alphitolic acids) and jujubosides A/B (dammarane saponins)","Flavonoids including spinosin and swertisin (seed), rutin, quercetin glycosides","Polysaccharides and pectic arabinogalactans; cyclic peptide alkaloids (jujubine/sanjoinine type)","cAMP/cGMP nucleotides, vitamin C and phenolic acids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improvement in metabolic factors (lipids, glycaemia, anthropometry)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials concluded that Ziziphus jujuba consumption may improve some metabolic indicators, but effects were not consistent across all outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of consumption Ziziphus jujuba on metabolic factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (Clin Nutr Open Sci)","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667268524000172","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial (Complement Ther Med 82:103041)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05).","sources":[{"title":"The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial (Complement Ther Med 82:103041)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"relief of chronic idiopathic constipation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week double-blind controlled trial in 37 patients with prolonged colonic transit found liquid Z. jujuba extract reduced symptom severity and transit markers with far fewer dropouts for severe constipation than control (2/18, 12% vs 16/19, 84%).","sources":[{"title":"Ziziphus jujuba extract for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation: a controlled clinical trial (Digestion 78:224-228)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19142004/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"improved subjective sleep quality","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind RCT in 106 postmenopausal women with PSQI >=5 tested 250 mg jujube seed capsules twice daily for 21 days against placebo and reported improved sleep-quality scores; the trial was small, single-centre and short.","sources":[{"title":"Investigation the effect of jujube seed capsule on sleep quality of postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized clinical trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7735973/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of Dietary Ziziphus jujuba Fruit (Jujube): Developing Health Food Supplements for Brain Protection","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5478819/","year":2017},{"title":"A Literature Review of the Pharmacological Effects of Jujube","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814260/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Jujube fruit is a common food with a favourable tolerability record; the constipation trial reported the extract as effective and safe (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19142004/) and the metabolic-syndrome RCT reported no notable adverse events (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/)","Sedative constituents (jujubosides, spinosin) mean additive drowsiness with sedative-hypnotics is plausible, based mainly on preclinical sedation data (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5478819/)","High-sugar dried fruit doses (e.g. 30 g/day) may need caution in diabetes despite neutral glycaemic findings in trial data (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Jujube has real but modest clinical evidence: a meta-analysis of RCTs suggests improvement in some metabolic markers, and individual small trials support benefits for chronic constipation, triglycerides/HDL/waist circumference, and subjective sleep quality. Effects on fasting glucose, LDL, blood pressure and mood were null in the best-described RCT, so blanket 'blood-tonifying' or antidiabetic claims outrun the data. Traditional Qi/Blood tonic and Shen-calming uses are only loosely mapped onto tested endpoints, and most supporting neuroprotection data remain preclinical.","_slug":"jujube"}},"ligusticum":{"canonical_name":"ligusticum","research_target":"ligusticum","used_in_tinctures":["Ligusticum Drops 2oz","Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"ligusticum","common_names":["Szechuan lovage root / chuanxiong rhizome","Chuan Xiong","Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (syn. Conioselinum anthriscoides)"],"plant_or_organism":"Apiaceae (dried rhizome)","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood and promotes qi movement; not a tonic per se)","traditional_uses":["Invigorates blood and moves qi (huo xue xing qi) for blood-stasis patterns including angina pectoris, stroke sequelae, bruising and swelling; first documented in the Shennong Materia Medica and classified as spicy and warm, entering liver, gallbladder and pericardium meridians (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)","Expels wind and relieves pain, and is the classic herb for headache - traditionally described as ascending to the head - as well as for vertigo and wind-cold conditions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)","Regulates menstruation for dysmenorrhoea and menstrual irregularity due to blood stasis; used alone or combined with other herbs (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Phthalides: ligustilide and senkyunolide A (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)","Tetramethylpyrazine (ligustrazine, TMP) - the constituent developed into an injectable drug in China (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)","Ligusticum chuanxiong polysaccharides (LCP) and phenolic acids such as ferulic acid (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical effect of ligustrazine on diabetic nephropathy","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22298446/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Clinical efficacy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ligustrazine as add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (366 patients) found benefit for ligustrazine added to conventional therapy, but every included trial was rated low quality on the modified Jadad scale (two scored 2, five scored 1) with no described allocation concealment or blinding, so the pooled result is at high risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-Analysis of Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Ligustrazine in the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7665923/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose.","sources":[{"title":"Ligusticum chuanxiong: a chemical, pharmacological and clinical review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ligusticum chuanxiong: a chemical, pharmacological and clinical review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Most positive clinical data concern intravenous ligustrazine injection rather than oral chuanxiong, so efficacy findings cannot be transferred to dietary supplements; adverse-reaction reporting was absent or incomplete in most included trials (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7665923/)","Because the herb and its phthalides/TMP inhibit platelet aggregation and dilate vessels, concurrent use with anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy is a theoretical bleeding risk that the pharmacological review's activity profile supports (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)","Traditional practice cautions against use in heavy menstrual bleeding and pregnancy given its strong blood-moving action, consistent with its documented emmenagogue-type indications (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Chuanxiong is chemically well characterised and its constituent tetramethylpyrazine has been developed into an injectable drug with meta-analysed benefits in diabetic nephropathy and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - but those meta-analyses pool small, uniformly low-quality Chinese trials with no allocation concealment or blinding, and the largest reports no numerical effect sizes. Evidence for the traditional oral uses (headache, dysmenorrhoea, blood stasis) rests on tradition and preclinical vasodilatory/antiplatelet mechanisms rather than rigorous trials. Overall: plausible cardiovascular and renal pharmacology, weak clinical proof, and results from IV ligustrazine should not be read as evidence for oral chuanxiong products.","_slug":"ligusticum"}},"lime":{"canonical_name":"lime","research_target":"lime","used_in_tinctures":["Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops","Sweetfruit Drops Zen with Lime Oil"],"research":{"ingredient":"lime","common_names":["Key lime, Mexican lime, sour lime","(not a classical Chinese tonic herb; Chinese 'suan gan'/lime fruit)","Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle (syn. Citrus aurantifolia)"],"plant_or_organism":"Rutaceae","tcm_category":"Not a classical TCM tonic category; a sour-cooling fruit used as a Fluid-generating / digestive and Heat-clearing food (folk use), sometimes included in formulations for its vitamin C rather than tonic action","traditional_uses":["Folk medicinal uses include antiscorbutic (scurvy prevention), tonic, diuretic, digestive/appetite-stimulating, and treatment of stomach complaints, sore throats, coughs and colds (https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438)","Used as an astringent and antiseptic, and for headache, arthritis and stress-related digestive complaints and insomnia (https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438)","Lime-peel essential oil is used traditionally as an anthelmintic and antimicrobial agent (https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438)"],"key_active_constituents":["Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) - lime juice has high vitamin C content","Citric acid and flavonoids (flavanone glycosides such as hesperidin, eriocitrin)","Furanocoumarins/psoralens (bergapten, oxypeucedanin) in the peel oil - responsible for phototoxicity","Limonene-rich peel essential oil"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention/treatment of scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Citrus juices, historically including lime, are antiscorbutic because of their vitamin C content; the historical citrus trials and subsequent literature on scurvy establish this as the clearest clinical benefit of lime consumption. Lime juice is a weaker source than lemon and loses vitamin C on storage and heating.","sources":[{"title":"Scurvy: Past, present and future","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0953620510002189","year":2011},{"title":"Citrus aurantiifolia (lime) - CABI Compendium","url":"https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Small reduction in blood pressure (attributable to vitamin C, not lime specifically)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of RCTs of oral vitamin C supplementation (>=2 weeks) found modest reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but the trials used purified supplements at doses far above what lime juice provides, and the authors called for longer trials before recommending it. No trial tests lime juice itself for blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3325833/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer / antiproliferative activity of lime extracts","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of Citrus aurantifolia reports cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects in cancer cell lines (e.g. ~78% growth inhibition of SW-480 colon cancer cells at ~100 microg/mL over 48 h) with caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. These are in-vitro findings with no human clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Anticancer Activity of Key Lime, Citrus aurantifolia","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5214556/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic activity of lime juice and peel oil","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Lime-peel essential oil shows antimicrobial, anticholinesterase, radical-scavenging, antispasmodic and anticoagulant activity in laboratory assays, but no effect sizes or clinical outcome data are available.","sources":[{"title":"Citrus aurantiifolia (lime) - CABI Compendium","url":"https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Phytophotodermatitis after skin contact with lime juice plus sun exposure","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"Multiple case reports describe painful erythema, blistering and prolonged hyperpigmentation on the hands hours to days after handling limes and then being exposed to sunlight ('margarita photodermatitis'), caused by furanocoumarins in the peel.","sources":[{"title":"Lime-induced phytophotodermatitis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4185147/","year":2014},{"title":"Phytophotodermatitis from making sangria: a phototoxic reaction to lime and lemon juice","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4500699/","year":2015}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Phototoxic contact dermatitis (phytophotodermatitis) from peel furanocoumarins plus UV exposure, with hyperpigmentation lasting up to several months (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4185147/)","Acidic juice can erode dental enamel and aggravate reflux; no formal human toxicity, contraindication or drug-interaction data are reported in the CABI monograph (https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438)","Citrus furanocoumarins are the class implicated in CYP3A4-mediated interactions (best documented for grapefruit); lime peel contains related compounds, so interaction potential cannot be excluded (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5214556/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Lime is a nutritious food rather than a Chinese tonic herb, and its only firmly established clinical benefit is as a source of vitamin C (antiscorbutic). Claims of anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action come from in-vitro extract studies at concentrations unrelated to dietary intake, and the one meta-analysis of relevance tested purified vitamin C supplements, not lime. The best-documented human effect of lime handling is actually an adverse one - phytophotodermatitis.","_slug":"lime"}},"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)":{"canonical_name":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","research_target":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","used_in_tinctures":["Magnolia Flower Drops 2oz","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","common_names":["magnolia flower bud","xin yi hua / xin yi (\u8f9b\u5937\u82b1)","Magnolia biondii Pamp. (also M. denudata, M. sprengeri; Flos Magnoliae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Magnoliaceae; dried flower buds","tcm_category":"Not a tonic \u2014 an exterior-releasing / wind-cold-dispersing herb that opens the nasal passages (pungent, warm; Lung and Stomach channels)","traditional_uses":["Disperses wind-cold and unblocks the nasal orifices for nasal congestion, runny nose, sinus headache and loss of smell \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/flos-magnoliae","Long-standing clinical use in Chinese medicine for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, typically within formulas such as Xin Yi San \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36395104/","Frequently prescribed for rhinosinusitis: text-mining of Chinese herbal prescriptions identified Magnolia spp. flower bud (xin yi) as one of the most frequently used herbs for this condition \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12054199/"],"key_active_constituents":["Lignans \u2014 furofuran and tetrahydrofuran lignans are the main constituents; 33 were isolated from M. biondii buds, of which 5 significantly inhibited mast cell beta-hexosaminidase release \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36395104/","Fargesin (a furofuran lignan) reported to suppress T-cell proliferation \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/xin-yi-hua","Volatile/essential oil components of the flower bud \u2014 https://sacredlotus.com/go/chinese-herbs/substance/xin-yi-hua-magnolia-flower"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced nasal symptoms in perennial allergic rhinitis (as the formula Xin Yi San)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 108 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis found 3 months of Xin-yi-san attenuated sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion, reduced nasal airflow resistance, increased nostril cross-sectional area and suppressed serum specific IgE versus placebo. The intervention is a multi-herb formula, not isolated magnolia bud.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional Chinese medicine, Xin-yi-san, reduces nasal symptoms of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis by its diverse immunomodulatory effects","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20546945/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Improved total nasal symptom scores with oral Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (2,013 participants, 17 trials in Chinese) comparing oral Chinese herbal medicine with antihistamines/corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis pooled nasal symptom outcomes; magnolia flower bud (xin yi hua) is a common constituent of the tested formulas, but the herb was never tested alone and trial quality/language bias limits confidence.","sources":[{"title":"Oral application of Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8457023/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Inhibition of mast cell degranulation (antiallergic mechanism)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Of 33 lignans isolated from Magnolia biondii flower buds, compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, consistent with suppression of mast-cell activation as the antiallergic mechanism.","sources":[{"title":"New furofuran and tetrahydrofuran lignans from the flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp and their antiallergic effects","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36395104/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced plasma histamine","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An animal study cited in the allergic-rhinitis systematic review reported that aqueous extract of Magnoliae Flos (xin yi hua) reduced plasma histamine levels, supporting an antihistaminic mechanism for the traditional indication.","sources":[{"title":"Oral application of Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis (systematic review citing Magnoliae Flos animal data)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8457023/","year":2021}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The allergic-rhinitis systematic review reported adverse events as a secondary outcome across 18 RCTs without identifying serious herb-specific toxicity, but reporting was incomplete in most trials \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8457023/","No specific drug-interaction data for Magnolia biondii flower bud were found in the fetched sources; note that magnolia bark (hou po, M. officinalis) toxicology should not be extrapolated to the flower bud \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5365644/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"For the traditional indication \u2014 nasal blockage from rhinitis and sinusitis \u2014 there is real human evidence, but it is at the formula level: one 108-patient placebo-controlled RCT of Xin Yi San and a meta-analysis of 18 Chinese-language RCTs of multi-herb formulas that commonly contain xin yi hua. The single-herb and single-compound evidence (lignans inhibiting mast-cell degranulation, reduced plasma histamine) is mechanistic only, so the specific contribution of magnolia bud cannot be isolated. Claims beyond nasal/upper-airway allergy \u2014 and any tonic framing \u2014 are unsupported.","_slug":"magnolia-flower-xin-yi-hua"}},"poria":{"canonical_name":"poria","research_target":"poria","used_in_tinctures":["Dew Drops","Poria Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"poria","common_names":["Poria / hoelen / fu ling mushroom sclerotium","fu ling","Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. (syn. Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungal: Polyporaceae (Basidiomycota); dried sclerotium of a saprophytic fungus growing on pine roots","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / damp-draining harmonising herb (strengthens Spleen, drains Dampness, calms the spirit)","traditional_uses":["Promotes urination and drains Dampness for oedema, puffiness, scanty urination and abdominal distension; sweet and bland, neutral, entering Heart, Lung, Spleen and Kidney channels (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-ling)","Strengthens the Spleen for loose stools, poor appetite, bloating and fatigue (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-ling)","Transforms Phlegm for dizziness, nausea, chest tightness and cough with thin white sputum (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-ling)","Calms the Heart and quiets the Spirit for palpitations, anxiety and insomnia; the spirit-calming Fu Shen portion is used specifically for irritability, palpitations, insomnia and forgetfulness (https://sacredlotus.com/go/chinese-herbs/substance/fu-shen-poria-spirit)","One of the ten most frequently prescribed herbs in China for type 2 diabetes (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278536)"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoids (more than 50 identified; lanostane-type acids such as pachymic acid, tumulosic acid, polyporenic acid C)","Polysaccharides (pachyman and derived Poria cocos polysaccharides, PCP), the most abundant constituent class"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae.","sources":[{"title":"Benefits of herbal formulae containing Poria cocos (Fuling) for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278536","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans.","sources":[{"title":"The Positive Effects of Poria cocos Extract on Quality of Sleep in Insomnia Rat Models","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9180690/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"The Role of Wolfiporia cocos (F. A. Wolf) Ryvarden and Gilb. Polysaccharides in Regulating the Gut Microbiota and Its Health Benefits","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11944627/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Diuresis and renoprotection in kidney disease models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A review of Poria triterpenoids reports renoprotective effects across ischaemia-reperfusion, ureteral obstruction, 5/6 nephrectomy, adenine-CKD, nephrotic-syndrome and diabetic-kidney-disease rodent models, but notes that the aqueous extract did not significantly increase urine output while high-dose ethanol extract did, and that no human intervention study exists.","sources":[{"title":"Poria cocos: traditional uses, triterpenoid components and their renoprotective pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11950336/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["A pharmacological review states that no adverse reactions to Poria cocos are described in the literature, but that it is not recommended in polyuria (https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/s-0030-1270823.pdf)","Consumer drug databases note there is insufficient reliable information on safety and that poria can sometimes cause allergic reactions (https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-246/poria-mushroom)","Because Poria has demonstrated diuretic activity in animals, concurrent use with pharmaceutical diuretics such as furosemide or hydrochlorothiazide could theoretically be additive (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/chi-fu-ling)","Quality risk: sulfur fumigation of commercial Poria is documented and sulfur is a low-toxicity but irritant hazardous chemical (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874125005537)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Poria is supported by a large clinical meta-analysis, but that analysis tests multi-herb formulae containing Fuling added to conventional hypoglycaemics, so the roughly 0.8 mmol/L fasting glucose reduction cannot be attributed to Poria itself, and the trials were low-to-moderate quality and all Chinese. Everything else - sedation via GABA-A receptors, lipid-lowering, anti-obesity, gut-microbiota and renoprotective effects - is animal or in vitro, and even the classic diuretic claim is inconsistent across extract types. Poria appears well tolerated, and the practical safety concerns are allergic reactions, additive diuresis and sulfur-fumigated raw material rather than intrinsic toxicity.","_slug":"poria"}},"reishi (purple variant)":{"canonical_name":"reishi (purple variant)","research_target":"reishi (purple variant)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops","Purple Reishi Drops, Organic"],"research":{"ingredient":"reishi (purple variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi ('purple Ganoderma')","Zi Zhi","Ganoderma sinense J.D. Zhao, L.W. Hsu & X.Q. Zhang"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Ganodermataceae, Basidiomycota (Agaricomycetes); black-to-purple laccate polypore fruiting body","tcm_category":"Shen tonic / Qi tonic (lingzhi-class tonic used to calm the spirit, support Qi and 'nourish the heart'); Ganoderma sinense is one of the two Ganoderma species formally listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia","traditional_uses":["Recorded as zizhi (purple Ganoderma) in classical materia medica including the Shennong Ben Cao Jing and Ben Cao Gang Mu, where lingzhi-type fungi are used as superior tonics to support longevity and vitality (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_sinense)","Traditionally credited with strengthening immune response, regulating metabolism and normalizing organ function across respiratory, circulatory, digestive, nervous, endocrine and immune complaints (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_sinense)","Used in Chinese oncology practice as a supportive/adjunctive tonic alongside chemotherapy and radiotherapy, particularly for low white-cell counts (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide (GSP) - described as the main immunomodulatory and antitumour component (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/)","beta-glucans within GSP, an established immunostimulant class (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/)","Ganoderma triterpenoids (ganoderic/ganoderenic acid-type lanostanes) characteristic of the genus"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Regulatory approval as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A G. sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved in 2010 by China's State Food and Drug Administration as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy in cancer treatment; the approval rests on Chinese-language basic and clinical development data rather than on published international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense (taxonomy, zizhi naming and regulatory status)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_sinense","year":2024},{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anti-cytopenia activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2017 review in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy summarizing (largely Chinese-language) basic and preclinical work reported antitumour, antioxidant, anti-cytopenia and mushroom-poison detoxification properties of GSP, with no quantitative clinical outcomes available.","sources":[{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Absence of retrievable clinical trials of G. sinense polysaccharide tablets","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The authors of the 2017 overview state that they could not find clinical studies of GSP tablets either in the literature search or by contacting the drug manufacturers - an unusual gap for a nationally approved adjunctive drug.","sources":[{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumour response when Ganoderma extract is added to chemotherapy/radiotherapy (evidence from the related species G. lucidum, not G. sinense)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2016 Cochrane review of G. lucidum for cancer pooled 5 RCTs (373 participants) and found patients given Ganoderma extract alongside anticancer treatment were about 1.27 times more likely to respond (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51), with no significant tumour shrinkage from Ganoderma alone; immune endpoints such as NK-cell activity were highly heterogeneous (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50, I2=94%). This is indirect evidence: the trials used G. lucidum, a different species from purple zizhi.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full","year":2016}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No adverse events, toxicity results or tolerability data are reported in the main G. sinense pharmacology review (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/)","For the better-studied congener G. lucidum, the Cochrane review judged the evidence insufficient to justify use as a first-line treatment and noted the small size and low quality of the trial base, which is the relevant caution for any Ganoderma product marketed for cancer support (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full)","Because Ganoderma species have documented platelet-aggregation-inhibiting and antithrombotic activity, concurrent use with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs warrants caution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_sinense)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Purple reishi (Ganoderma sinense, zizhi) is pharmacopoeial and its polysaccharide tablet is an approved adjunctive drug in China for chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia, but the published evidence behind that indication is preclinical: the principal review on the compound explicitly could not locate clinical studies of the tablet. All human trial evidence in the Ganoderma space concerns G. lucidum, where Cochrane found only a weak, non-significant improvement in tumour response as an adjunct and explicitly did not support use as first-line therapy. Treating purple reishi as an evidence-supported immune or anticancer therapy would be an overstatement; its use is currently justified by traditional context, regulatory precedent in China, and animal/cell data.","_slug":"reishi-purple-variant"}},"snow lotus":{"canonical_name":"snow lotus","research_target":"snow lotus","used_in_tinctures":["8 Immortals Drops","Snow Lotus Heaven Mountain Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"snow lotus","common_names":["Snow lotus / Tianshan snow lotus","tian shan xue lian (xue lian hua)","Saussurea involucrata Matsum. & Koidz. (also S. laniceps, S. medusa)"],"plant_or_organism":"Asteraceae (Compositae); whole dried aerial herb of high-altitude Saussurea species","tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Blood-mover (warms and invigorates yang, dispels cold-damp, promotes blood circulation)","traditional_uses":["Used in Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese medicine to promote blood circulation and dispel cold and dampness, principally for rheumatoid arthritis and joint pain","'Strengthens yin and yang' and is used as an invigorating tonic, and traditionally for menstrual irregularity, altitude-related fatigue and cold-type abdominal pain","Applied for inflammation, pain and as a longevity/vitality herb in Qing-dynasty and local ethnomedical records"],"key_active_constituents":["Flavonoids - acacetin, hispidulin, rutin (the most studied bioactives)","Phenylpropanoids, coumarins (umbelliferone, scopoletin) and lignans","Sesquiterpenes, steroids, ceramides and polysaccharides; more than 70 compounds have been isolated"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included.","sources":[{"title":"Comparison of the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of three medicinal plants known as 'Snow Lotus' herb in traditional Uighur and Tibetan medicines","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20083181/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial.","sources":[{"title":"Saussureae Involucratae Herba (Snow Lotus): Review of Chemical Compositions and Pharmacological Properties","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01549/full","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Overall therapeutic efficacy in humans (any indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"A comprehensive ethnopharmacology review of Saussurea involucrata covering Chinese and English databases, the Pharmacopoeia of China and local Uyghur/Mongolian/Kazakh herbal records reports more than 70 isolated compounds but states no clinical trial counts, participant numbers or effect sizes, and notes that correlations between specific constituents and specific bioactivities remain limited.","sources":[{"title":"Saussurea involucrata: A review of the botany, phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology of a rare traditional herbal medicine","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26113182/","year":2015}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No human safety trials or documented drug interactions were located; the ethnopharmacology review covers toxicology but reports no clinical adverse-event data or defined human dose (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26113182/)","Saussurea involucrata is an endangered high-altitude species that takes over 8 years to mature, so commercial 'snow lotus' products are frequently substituted with other Saussurea species (S. laniceps, S. medusa) that differ in chemistry and potency - an authentication/adulteration risk rather than a pharmacological one (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01549/full, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20083181/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Snow lotus has a well-characterized phytochemistry (70+ compounds, with acacetin, hispidulin and rutin as leading actives) and reproducible anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in rodent edema and pain models, which is consistent with its traditional use for rheumatoid arthritis. However, no human randomized trials were identified: every efficacy claim retrieved rests on in vitro or animal data, so benefits in people are unsubstantiated. Practical concerns are botanical rather than clinical - the species is endangered and commonly substituted by other Saussurea species with different constituent profiles.","_slug":"snow-lotus"}},"spirit poria":{"canonical_name":"spirit poria","research_target":"spirit poria","used_in_tinctures":["Spirit Poria Drops 2oz","Supreme Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"spirit poria","common_names":["Poria spirit / poria with hostwood (sclerotium containing the pine root core)","Fu Shen (\u832f\u795e)","Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. (syn. Poria cocos, Wolfiporia extensa)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Polyporales; sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos grown around a Pinus root (the pine-root-containing portion is Fu Shen)","tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic \u2014 spirit-calming herb (\u5b89\u795e\u836f) that also drains dampness; contrasted with plain Fu Ling, which is primarily a damp-draining Spleen herb","traditional_uses":["Calms the Heart and quiets the Spirit (\u5b81\u5fc3\u5b89\u795e) for deficiency-type insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations, anxiety, poor memory and restlessness \u2014 the specific reason Fu Shen is chosen over Fu Ling (sweet and bland, neutral; Heart and Spleen channels) \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-shen","Promotes urination and drains dampness, and strengthens the Spleen, so it is used for edema alongside its calming role \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-shen","Key ingredient in classical spirit-calming formulas such as Gui Pi Tang and Sang Piao Xiao San, typically paired with Suan Zao Ren, Yuan Zhi, Long Yan Rou and Ren Shen \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-shen"],"key_active_constituents":["Lanostane/secolanostane triterpenes (91 reported), with pachymic acid specific to Poria cocos \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","Poria cocos polysaccharides (PCPs): beta-glucans with a (1->3)-linked glucose backbone and (1->6)-linked side chains \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","Minor steroids and amino acids \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved objective and subjective sleep quality","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An uncontrolled pre-post study in 21 adults with poor sleep found that 2 weeks of Poria cocos extract increased total sleep time by about 30 minutes (327 to 357 min, p=0.014), increased REM percentage (18.4% to 22.1%, p=0.005), reduced wake after sleep onset (76 to 48 min, p=0.009) and lowered the Insomnia Severity Index (13 to 10.6, p=0.012); PSQI change was borderline (p=0.052). No control group, so placebo effects cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Poria cocos Extract on Sleep Quality Enhancement (clinical study with polysomnography)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574255/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Diuretic effect / dampness draining","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizes animal and in vitro evidence for diuretic activity consistent with the traditional damp-draining indication, but notes clinical trials remain lacking.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Anxiolytic/spirit-calming effect specific to the pine-root-containing Fu Shen portion","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The distinction between Fu Shen and Fu Ling and the claim that Fu Shen better calms the Heart rest entirely on TCM materia medica tradition; no study comparing the two parts in humans or animals was located.","sources":[{"title":"Fu Shen (Poria with Hostwood) \u2014 TCM Herb monograph (Me & Qi)","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-shen","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the 21-participant sleep study no noteworthy laboratory changes occurred; serum potassium fell slightly (4.3 to 4.15 mmol/L, p=0.041) but remained within the normal range - worth noting given the herb's diuretic use \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574255/","The 2020 review explicitly states that clinical trials of Poria cocos are lacking, which also means human safety and drug-interaction data are largely absent \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","TCM sources describe Fu Shen as neutral and suitable for long-term use in deficiency patterns, with no specific documented contraindications \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-shen"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Spirit poria (Fu Shen) is pharmacologically the same organism as Fu Ling - Wolfiporia cocos - and its chemistry (lanostane triterpenes including pachymic acid, plus beta-glucan polysaccharides) is well characterized. Human evidence is limited to a single small uncontrolled study of Poria cocos extract showing improved polysomnographic sleep measures over two weeks, which is suggestive but cannot separate drug effect from placebo or regression to the mean; all other activities (diuretic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumour) are preclinical. The specific traditional distinction that the pine-root-containing Fu Shen calms the spirit more strongly than plain Fu Ling has no modern experimental support at all.","_slug":"spirit-poria"}},"tangerine peel (aged)":{"canonical_name":"tangerine peel (aged)","research_target":"tangerine peel (aged)","used_in_tinctures":["Qi Drops","Tangerine Peel Aged Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","common_names":["Aged tangerine peel / dried tangerine peel","Chen Pi (Chen Ju Pi)","Citrus reticulata Blanco - Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, CRP)"],"plant_or_organism":"Rutaceae (aged dried peel of the ripe fruit of Citrus reticulata)","tcm_category":"Qi regulator (Regulate the Qi category); tonifies the Spleen indirectly and transforms Phlegm-Damp","traditional_uses":["Regulates Qi and strengthens the Spleen; dries Dampness and transforms Phlegm (https://otcm.ca/courses/freeall-chinese-herbs-dictionary/lessons/herb-chen-ju-pi/)","Descends rebellious Qi to stop nausea and vomiting and harmonize the stomach (https://otcm.ca/courses/freeall-chinese-herbs-dictionary/lessons/herb-chen-ju-pi/)","Used as an 'envoy' herb in tonic formulas to prevent cloying/stagnating effects of rich tonics; Xinhui peel aged 3+ years is the clinical standard (https://otcm.ca/courses/freeall-chinese-herbs-dictionary/lessons/herb-chen-ju-pi/)","Used in China as an anti-digestive-complaint and anti-inflammatory traditional medicine and culinary seasoning (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b06157)"],"key_active_constituents":["Polymethoxyflavones, especially 5-demethylated PMFs (5-OH PMFs) enriched by aging; nobiletin and tangeretin","Flavanone glycosides: hesperidin, neohesperidin (and aglycone hesperetin), naringenin","Essential oil dominated by d-limonene","Pectin-type polysaccharides"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract, uniquely enriched in 5-hydroxy polymethoxyflavones, prevented obesity and diabetes in high-fat-diet mice, apparently via AMPK activation in adipose tissue and improved lipid metabolism. Animal model only.","sources":[{"title":"Prevention of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes with Aged Citrus Peel (Chenpi) Extract","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b06157","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Beneficial modulation of gut microbiota and digestive function","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 Food Research International review describes CRP flavonoids (neohesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin) promoting beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogens, with reported improvement of 'spleen deficiency' digestive symptoms; the review reports no controlled human outcome data.","sources":[{"title":"Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium modulates gut microbiota: Impacts on human health","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40597475/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Advances in the Health Benefits and Application of Tangerine Peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium): A Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11241192/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Relief of bloating, nausea, poor appetite and phlegm/cough in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The core traditional indications (Qi stagnation with distension, nausea, damp-phlegm cough) are documented in materia medica sources, but no randomized controlled trial of chen pi as a single agent for these symptoms was located.","sources":[{"title":"Chen Ju Pi - Chinese Herbal Medicine (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae) monograph","url":"https://otcm.ca/courses/freeall-chinese-herbs-dictionary/lessons/herb-chen-ju-pi/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Aging time and geographic origin change the chemical profile","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An analytical review confirms that aging time, cultivar and origin measurably alter CRP's flavonoid and volatile composition - supporting the traditional premium on long-aged Xinhui peel as a chemical (not just cultural) distinction, though no clinical benefit of aging has been tested in humans.","sources":[{"title":"Recent advances in the authentication (geographical origins, varieties and aging time) of tangerine peel (Citri reticulatae pericarpium): A review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38271910/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Widely consumed as a food/spice with no serious toxicity reported in the toxicology section of the 2024 Foods review (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11241192/)","Citrus flavonoids including hesperidin and polymethoxyflavones can inhibit cytochrome P450 and transporter-mediated drug handling in vitro, a theoretical interaction route for co-administered drugs; no clinical interaction studies for chen pi were located (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11241192/)","TCM sources caution against prolonged use in Qi or Yin deficiency because of its drying, Qi-dispersing nature (https://otcm.ca/courses/freeall-chinese-herbs-dictionary/lessons/herb-chen-ju-pi/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Aged tangerine peel is chemically interesting and well characterized - aging demonstrably enriches 5-demethylated polymethoxyflavones - and animal and in vitro studies support anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and gut-microbiota effects. However, no randomized controlled human trials of chen pi as a single agent were found for any outcome, so claims about digestion, phlegm, appetite or metabolic health rest on tradition plus preclinical mechanism. It is best regarded as a safe culinary-medicinal food with plausible but clinically unproven benefits.","_slug":"tangerine-peel-aged"}},"turkey tail":{"canonical_name":"turkey tail","research_target":"turkey tail","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops","Coriolus Turkey Tail Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"turkey tail","common_names":["Turkey tail / Coriolus","yun zhi (\u4e91\u829d)","Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd (syn. Coriolus versicolor)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Polyporaceae (polypore fruiting body and mycelium)","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / immune-supporting tonic (traditionally used to clear damp-heat and strengthen the constitution, especially for lung and liver conditions)","traditional_uses":["Used in Chinese medicine for at least two millennia as a dried-mushroom tea for health promotion, endurance and vitality","Traditional use for chronic pulmonary disease and damp-heat patterns including hepatitis and jaundice","Modern East Asian integrative use as an adjuvant during cancer chemotherapy to support immune function"],"key_active_constituents":["PSK (polysaccharide-K / Krestin), a protein-bound beta-1,3/1,6-glucan (about 62% polysaccharide, 38% protein)","PSP (polysaccharopeptide), a related protein-bound beta-glucan from a Chinese strain","Other beta-glucans, ergosterol and triterpenoid/phenolic minor constituents"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved 5-year survival in colorectal cancer when added to conventional treatment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2022 Cochrane review of 7 RCTs (1,569 adults, mostly PSK in Japan) found a small improvement in 5-year survival with adjunctive Coriolus versicolor (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; 1,094 participants; NNTB 16), rated low certainty because trials were unblinded and older.","sources":[{"title":"Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim.","sources":[{"title":"Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006).","sources":[{"title":"Medicinal Mushrooms (PDQ) - Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute","url":"https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/mushrooms-pdq","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Survival benefit in breast cancer with PSK","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"A review of 4 Asian RCTs (N=2,217) reported that PSK 3,000 mg/day significantly extended survival in ER-negative stage IIA node-negative patients and that chemotherapy plus PSK gave better 5- and 10-year survival than chemotherapy alone, but findings were subgroup-specific and have not been replicated in Western trials.","sources":[{"title":"Trametes versicolor Mushroom Immune Therapy in Breast Cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2845472/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Immunostimulation and direct antitumor activity of PSK/PSP","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2020 review documents cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in cancer cell lines, cytokine and immune-cell activation, and notes a hepatocellular carcinoma trial (2.4 g/day) that improved quality of life but not median time to progression.","sources":[{"title":"Trametes versicolor (Synn. Coriolus versicolor) Polysaccharides in Cancer Therapy: Targets and Efficacy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7277906/","year":2020}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["PSK has a well-established safety record in Japan with few reported adverse events in decades of oncology use (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/mushrooms-pdq)","The Cochrane review notes minor effects such as darkening of nails and faeces and flags a potential interaction with cyclophosphamide; adverse-event causality across trials was unclear (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/)","Animal toxicology found no mortality or toxicity up to 5,000 mg/kg orally and no severe human toxicity has been reported (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7277906/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Turkey tail is the best-evidenced item in this batch, but only in a narrow form: the protein-bound polysaccharide PSK, given as a pharmaceutical adjuvant to chemotherapy in Japanese gastric and colorectal cancer trials, shows small but reproducible survival gains (Cochrane: RR 1.08 for 5-year survival, low certainty; PDQ-cited meta-analysis HR 0.88 in 8,009 gastric cancer patients). Notably, the popular claim that turkey tail eases chemotherapy side effects was NOT supported - Cochrane found little to no effect with very low certainty. Immune 'boosting' in healthy people, and the equivalence of over-the-counter mushroom powders to standardized PSK/PSP doses of 1-3 g/day, are unsubstantiated. Safety is favourable, with a documented interaction caution for cyclophosphamide.","_slug":"turkey-tail"}},"white atractylodes":{"canonical_name":"white atractylodes","research_target":"white atractylodes","used_in_tinctures":["Qi Drops","White Atractylodes Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","common_names":["White atractylodes rhizome","Bai Zhu","Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz."],"plant_or_organism":"Asteraceae (Compositae); dried rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (Spleen Qi tonic that also dries Dampness)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Spleen Qi and dries Dampness for fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools/diarrhoea and abdominal distension","Promotes urination and resolves oedema and phlegm-damp accumulation","Stabilises the exterior and stops spontaneous sweating in Qi deficiency","Calms a restless fetus / used in pregnancy formulas for threatened miscarriage and minor bleeding"],"key_active_constituents":["Sesquiterpenoids: atractylenolide I, II and III; atractylon","Polyacetylenes and essential-oil constituents","Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides (AMP) with gut-barrier and immune activity","Triterpenoids, steroids, flavonoids and phenolic acids (over 79 compounds isolated)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"global symptom relief in functional dyspepsia (as a component of multi-herb formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Bayesian network meta-analysis of 28 prokinetic-controlled RCTs (2,736 adults, 26 Chinese herbal formulae, many containing Bai Zhu) found herbal formulae generally at least comparable to prokinetics for global dyspepsia symptoms, though no trial was at low risk of bias; a separate meta-analysis reached similar conclusions for Chinese herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Benefit cannot be attributed to Bai Zhu alone.","sources":[{"title":"Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: a network meta-analysis of prokinetic-controlled randomised trials (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00556-6","year":2021},{"title":"Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6048609/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"gastrointestinal motility regulation and gut-barrier protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews document that Bai Zhu extracts and atractylenolides modulate gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota in rodent and cell models, providing the mechanistic rationale for its digestive use.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of the Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Application, Quality Control, Processing, Toxicology, and Pharmacokinetics of the Dried Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803677/","year":2021},{"title":"Polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala: A Review of Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights into Intestinal Disorders (Nutrients 17:3722)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41374013/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides show immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory effects (macrophage/cytokine modulation, colitis models) in preclinical studies; corresponding human trials of the single herb were not identified.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala: A Review of Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights into Intestinal Disorders (Nutrients 17:3722)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41374013/","year":2025},{"title":"The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30130541/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"antitumour, anti-osteoporosis, diuretic and hepatoprotective effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Comprehensive reviews list anticancer, anti-osteoporotic, diuretic and liver-protective activities (including protection against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats) from in vitro and animal work, with no controlled clinical confirmation.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of the Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Application, Quality Control, Processing, Toxicology, and Pharmacokinetics of the Dried Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803677/","year":2021},{"title":"The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30130541/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"use in pregnancy to 'calm the fetus'","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Reviews record the classical indication of quieting fetal irritability and reducing minimal vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, but this rests on ethnopharmacological documentation rather than controlled human trial data.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of the Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Application, Quality Control, Processing, Toxicology, and Pharmacokinetics of the Dried Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803677/","year":2021},{"title":"The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30130541/","year":2018}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Reviews of Bai Zhu include toxicology sections but report no defined toxic dose or characteristic clinical adverse-effect pattern for standard oral use; systematic human safety data are lacking (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803677/)","Traditional caution: drying/diuretic action is considered inappropriate in Yin-deficient dryness states; no formal drug-interaction studies were identified in the reviewed literature (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30130541/)","Clinical trial evidence comes almost entirely from multi-herb formulas, so single-herb safety at high doses (including in pregnancy) is uncharacterised (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00556-6)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Bai Zhu is pharmacologically well characterised (atractylenolides, polysaccharides) with consistent preclinical support for gastrointestinal motility, gut-barrier and immunomodulatory effects that align with its traditional Spleen-Qi/Dampness indications. Clinical evidence, however, is indirect: meta-analyses showing benefit in functional dyspepsia tested multi-herb formulas in which Bai Zhu is one ingredient, and all included trials had risk-of-bias concerns. There are no adequate single-herb RCTs, and claims about anticancer, anti-osteoporosis or pregnancy-supporting effects remain preclinical or purely traditional.","_slug":"white-atractylodes"}},"alisma":{"canonical_name":"alisma","research_target":"alisma","used_in_tinctures":["Alisma Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"alisma","common_names":["Water plantain rhizome (Rhizoma Alismatis)","Ze Xie","Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale (Sam.) Sam. / Alisma orientale"],"plant_or_organism":"Alismataceae (dried rhizome of a perennial aquatic herb)","tcm_category":"Damp-draining diuretic (not a tonic; used within Yin-tonifying formulas to prevent stagnation)","traditional_uses":["Promotes urination and drains dampness for oedema, scanty urination, diarrhoea and dysuria - listed as a top-grade herb in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/)","Clears heat and resolves turbidity, traditionally used for damp-heat and for 'phlegm-turbidity' patterns that modern practice maps onto hyperlipidaemia and fatty liver (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/)","Serves as one of the six herbs of Liuwei Dihuang Wan, where it drains dampness so that the Yin-nourishing herbs do not create stagnation (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/)","Traditionally salt-processed to direct the action to the Kidney; salt-processed material from multiple origins showed diuretic activity in rats (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Protostane triterpenoids: more than 100 isolated, including alisols A through V; lead compounds alisol A, alisol B and their 23-/24-acetates (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/)","Sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, flavonoids and polysaccharides described in the 2025 systematic review of 185 included studies (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Diuresis (increased urine volume and electrolyte excretion)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Ethanol and salt-processed Alisma extracts increased urine volume and urinary sodium, potassium and chloride in rats, but the effect was biphasic: lower ethanol-extract doses promoted diuresis while higher doses inhibited it. No human diuretic trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Targets of Alisol Triterpenoids from Alismatis Rhizoma","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/","year":2022},{"title":"Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and processing of Rhizoma alismatis: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Lipid lowering / anti-atherosclerotic effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The alisol review classifies lipid-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antidiabetic effects as its 'group 1' activities, i.e. supported by both robust in vitro and animal in vivo data - but not by clinical trials.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Targets of Alisol Triterpenoids from Alismatis Rhizoma","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotection, blood-pressure and blood-glucose lowering","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 review of Rhizoma alismatis (185 studies, 1970-2024) reports diuretic, liver-protective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic and anticancer activities for extracts and isolated compounds, all derived from laboratory and animal models.","sources":[{"title":"Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and processing of Rhizoma alismatis: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer / antiproliferative activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Alisol triterpenoids show antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects, but the review places these in 'group 2' - supported essentially or exclusively by in vitro data - because robust in vivo antitumour evidence is lacking.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Targets of Alisol Triterpenoids from Alismatis Rhizoma","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analyses of the six-herb Liuwei Dihuang formula containing Alisma report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal function versus Western medicine alone (11 RCTs, 1,007 patients), but the trials are low quality and the contribution of Alisma specifically cannot be separated.","sources":[{"title":"Impact of liuwei dihuang pills (decoction) on early diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Toxicity is a genuine concern for this herb: the 2025 review devotes a dedicated toxicology section and 90-day repeat-dose oral toxicity studies of aqueous Alismatis rhizoma extract in rats are cited, with reports of renal and hepatic effects at higher exposures (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/)","The diuretic response is dose-dependent and non-monotonic (higher ethanol-extract doses inhibited diuresis), so extrapolating 'more is better' is unsupported (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/)","Species substitution is a real quality risk - twelve Alisma species exist and 63 studies were excluded from the 2025 review for using non-target species - which matters for both efficacy and safety of commercial material (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/)","Given demonstrated diuretic activity, concurrent use with pharmaceutical diuretics or in patients with electrolyte disturbance warrants caution (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Alisma is a well-studied herb chemically - over 100 protostane triterpenoids, with alisols A and B as leads - and its traditional diuretic and dampness-draining use is supported by consistent rodent data, including for the salt-processed form. But there are essentially no human trials of Alisma alone: every clinical-grade result comes from multi-herb formulas such as Liuwei Dihuang Wan in low-quality Chinese RCTs. Lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic effects sit at the preclinical level only, anticancer claims are largely in vitro, and reviewers explicitly flag toxicology (including renal/hepatic findings in repeat-dose animal studies) as needing attention - so this is not an ingredient with an established human efficacy or safety margin.","_slug":"alisma"}},"andrographis":{"canonical_name":"andrographis","research_target":"andrographis","used_in_tinctures":["Andrographis Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"andrographis","common_names":["King of bitters, green chiretta, kalmegh","Chuan Xin Lian","Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees"],"plant_or_organism":"Acanthaceae","tcm_category":"Not a tonic - Heat-clearing / toxin-resolving (clears Heat, resolves toxicity, cools Blood, dries Dampness)","traditional_uses":["Clears Heat and resolves toxicity for sore throat, fever from infection, mouth ulcers, cough and acute inflammation; called a 'natural antibiotic' in modern Chinese practice (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/chuan-xin-lian)","Cools the Blood for rashes, skin eruptions, nosebleed and bloody stools (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/chuan-xin-lian)","Reduces swelling in abscesses, boils, sores and snakebite, used internally and as a topical poultice (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/chuan-xin-lian)"],"key_active_constituents":["Diterpenoid lactones - andrographolide, neoandrographolide, 14-deoxyandrographolide (andrographolide is the marker compound)","Flavonoids and polyphenols","Standardised extracts used in trials include SHA-10 and HMPL-004"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced severity/duration of cough and sore throat in acute respiratory tract infection","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 33 RCTs (7,175 patients) found A. paniculata improved overall symptoms versus placebo (SMD -0.69, 95% CI -1.26 to -0.12), cough (SMD -0.39, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.10) and sore throat (SMD -1.13, 95% CI -1.37 to -0.89), and improved symptom response versus usual care (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.57). Trial quality and product standardisation were poor - only 3 trials quantified andrographolide by HPLC and only 1 reported GMP manufacture.","sources":[{"title":"Andrographis paniculata (Chuan Xin Lian) for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory tract infections in adults and children: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0181780","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection (single-herb trials)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Two 2004 systematic reviews of randomised trials of standardised A. paniculata extract (alone or with Eleutherococcus senticosus) concluded it may be more effective than placebo for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection, while calling for further research.","sources":[{"title":"Andrographis paniculata in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review of safety and efficacy","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15095142/","year":2004},{"title":"Andrographis paniculata in the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14748896/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Induction of clinical response/remission in mildly-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An 8-week multicentre double-blind trial randomised 224 adults to placebo or HMPL-004 (A. paniculata extract) 1,200 or 1,800 mg/day across 52 centres in 5 countries, reporting higher clinical response with the extract than placebo. A later phase III programme did not establish it as a therapy, so this remains a single positive trial rather than established efficacy.","sources":[{"title":"Andrographis paniculata Extract (HMPL-004) for Active Ulcerative Colitis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3538174/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Slowed brain-volume loss in non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (andrographolide)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"An exploratory double-blind RCT (44 patients, 140 mg andrographolide twice daily for 24 months) found annualised brain-volume change of -0.679% versus -1.069% with placebo (mean difference -0.39, 95% CI -0.836 to 0.055, p = 0.08) - a 36.5% relative reduction that did not reach statistical significance.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of andrographolide in not active progressive multiple sclerosis: a prospective exploratory double-blind, parallel-group, randomized, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32380977/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immunomodulatory mechanisms (NF-kB inhibition)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Andrographolide inhibits NF-kB signalling and inflammatory cytokine release and shows antiviral activity in vitro, which is the proposed basis for symptom relief in respiratory infection and interest during COVID-19; clinical confirmation for antiviral indications is lacking.","sources":[{"title":"A Comprehensive Review of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees and its bioactive compounds","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9316804/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["A systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs plus 3 intensive-monitoring studies found serious adverse events extremely rare (0.02 per 1,000 patients, 95% CI 0-0.5) but non-serious adverse events common (102.6 per 1,000, 95% CI 10.7-256.1), mainly gastrointestinal and rash (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pds.5190)","Bitter, cold-natured herb: traditional sources caution against prolonged use or use in Spleen/Stomach deficiency, and it is not recommended in pregnancy (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/chuan-xin-lian)","Theoretical additive effects with immunomodulating or antiplatelet drugs given documented immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory activity (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9316804/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Andrographis has some of the better human evidence among Chinese herbs for a narrow indication: meta-analysed RCTs show modest but consistent symptomatic relief of cough and sore throat in acute respiratory tract infection, with a good safety profile aside from common mild GI effects and rash. Evidence for ulcerative colitis and progressive multiple sclerosis rests on single trials and is not established. Trial quality and product standardisation are the main weaknesses, and it is a heat-clearing herb, not a tonic - claims of general immune 'boosting' or long-term tonic use are not supported.","_slug":"andrographis"}},"anemarrhena":{"canonical_name":"anemarrhena","research_target":"anemarrhena","used_in_tinctures":["Yin Replenisher Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","common_names":["anemarrhena rhizome","zhi mu (\u77e5\u6bcd)","Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (Rhizoma Anemarrhenae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Asparagaceae (classically placed in Liliaceae); dried rhizome","tcm_category":"Heat-clearing, fire-purging herb that also nourishes Yin and moistens dryness (bitter, sweet, cold; Lung, Stomach and Kidney channels) \u2014 a Yin-supporting rather than Qi/Yang tonic","traditional_uses":["Clears heat and purges fire in febrile disease with high fever, sweating, irritability, thirst and a surging pulse \u2014 classically paired with Shi Gao in Bai Hu Tang \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/zhi-mu","Treats cough from Lung heat and dry cough from Lung Yin deficiency with scanty sputum \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/zhi-mu","Nourishes Yin and moistens dryness for Kidney Yin deficiency with steaming bone sensation, night sweats, afternoon fever and thirst in diabetes-like wasting-thirst patterns \u2014 https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/zhi-mu"],"key_active_constituents":["Steroidal saponins: timosaponin A-III, timosaponin B-II, anemarsaponin B and total saponins \u2014 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874114001147","Sarsasapogenin (the steroidal sapogenin aglycone) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8955086/","Mangiferin (a xanthone glycoside) and the norlignan nyasol \u2014 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874114001147"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Augmentation of antipsychotic efficacy in negative-symptom schizophrenia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 patients with negative-symptom-dominated schizophrenia received sarsasapogenin 200 mg/day or placebo added to risperidone 2-4 mg/day for 8 weeks; there were no statistically significant differences in PANSS, Wechsler Memory Scale or modified WAIS change scores, and the authors concluded sarsasapogenin did not augment risperidone efficacy.","sources":[{"title":"A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of traditional Chinese medicine sarsasapogenin added to risperidone in patients with negative symptoms dominated schizophrenia","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5560307/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes (as the Chinese herbal formula Zhi Mu 14)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a four-arm randomized pilot trial of 40 postmenopausal women with >=20 hot flushes/week over 12 weeks, verum Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) showed no significant difference from placebo herbal medicine on hot flush frequency, severity or Menopause Rating Scale scores, while TCM acupuncture outperformed both sham acupuncture and verum herbs.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) on hot flushes and quality of life in postmenopausal women: results of a four-arm randomized controlled pilot trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23676632/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant-like, memory-enhancing and neuroprotective activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Sarsasapogenin showed antidepressant-like effects in the rodent forced swimming test with monoamine modulation, and sarsasapogenin, mangiferin, timosaponin A-III and timosaponin B-II improved learning/memory deficits in rodent models including post-ischaemic impairment.","sources":[{"title":"Antidepressant-Like Effects of Sarsasapogenin from Anemarrhena asphodeloides BUNGE (Liliaceae)","url":"https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/29/11/29_11_2304/_article","year":2006},{"title":"The genus Anemarrhena Bunge: A review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874114001147","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet activity of timosaponin AIII","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A dedicated review of timosaponin AIII summarised cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and antitumour activity across cell lines and mouse, rat and zebrafish models, while noting that most work is in vitro, few studies used positive controls, and human pharmacokinetics and toxicity remain unstudied.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Activity, Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicity of Timosaponin AIII, a Natural Product Isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge: A Review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.00764/full","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Broad pharmacological potential of sarsasapogenin as a drug scaffold","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2022 review of sarsasapogenin chemistry and pharmacology covering literature from 1996 onwards found the evidence base to be almost entirely in vitro and animal, and explicitly stated that clinical research is required to establish whether the reported benefits occur in humans.","sources":[{"title":"Chemistry, Biosynthesis and Pharmacology of Sarsasapogenin: A Potential Natural Steroid Molecule for New Drug Design","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8955086/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Sarsasapogenin 200 mg/day for 8 weeks alongside risperidone was tolerated in an 80-patient trial without reported serious adverse events, though the trial was not powered for safety \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5560307/","Reviews of sarsasapogenin and timosaponin AIII state that adverse-effect evaluation, pharmacokinetics and toxicity in humans have not been adequately studied; timosaponin AIII cytotoxicity in normal cells is a flagged concern \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8955086/ and https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.00764/full","No specific documented drug interactions were identified in the fetched sources beyond the studied risperidone co-administration"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Anemarrhena is chemically well characterised (timosaponins, sarsasapogenin, mangiferin) with a large preclinical literature on neuroprotection, anti-inflammation and anticancer activity, but the two human trials that exist are both null: sarsasapogenin failed to augment risperidone in schizophrenia, and a Zhi Mu-based formula did not beat placebo for menopausal hot flushes. That is important because 'clearing deficiency heat / night sweats' is precisely its traditional indication. The aggregate evidence therefore supports pharmacological activity in the laboratory but does not yet support any clinical claim in humans.","_slug":"anemarrhena"}},"antrodia":{"canonical_name":"antrodia","research_target":"antrodia","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"antrodia","common_names":["Antrodia / niu-chang-chih (Taiwanese camphor mushroom)","niu zhang zhi","Antrodia cinnamomea T.T. Chang & W.N. Chou (syn. Antrodia camphorata, Taiwanofungus camphoratus)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungal: Fomitopsidaceae (Polyporales, Basidiomycota); fruiting body or submerged-culture mycelium","tcm_category":"Qi tonic-type medicinal fungus used chiefly as a liver-protective tonic (Taiwanese folk medicine rather than classical Chinese materia medica)","traditional_uses":["Used in Taiwanese folk medicine as a liver tonic, and developed as a nutraceutical for hepatoprotection, immune support and cancer adjunctive use (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11988738/)","Given alongside chemotherapy by patients with advanced cancer in the hope of prolonging survival and improving quality of life, which motivated formal randomised testing (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5002173/)","Traditionally taken for alcohol-related liver strain, reflected in trials recruiting regular drinkers and people with marginally raised ALT (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36476310/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoids (ergostane- and lanostane-type; concentrated in fruiting bodies, roughly 2.3-fold higher than in submerged mycelia)","Polysaccharides (higher in submerged-culture mycelia)","ACAP, an antiproliferative protein isolated from liquid fermentation medium","Antrosterol and related sterols reported in the mycelium literature"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hepatic steatosis and inflammation markers in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 6-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 28 NASH patients, 420 mg/day of A. cinnamomea mycelium lowered mean SteatoTest (0.66 to 0.49) and ActiTest (0.46 to 0.30) values (p < 0.029) and reduced TNF-alpha at 3 and 6 months, with no adverse events. The trial is very small and used surrogate biomarker panels rather than histology.","sources":[{"title":"Hepatoprotective Effect of Antrodia cinnamomea Mycelium in Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32657670/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of ALT/AST in adults with marginally elevated liver enzymes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"A 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 44 asymptomatic Japanese adults with ALT 31-50 U/L found no significant change in ALT or AST within or between the 250 mg/day mycelia-extract and placebo groups; only a post-hoc subgroup of regular drinkers (more than twice weekly) showed improved mean ALT. No treatment-related adverse effects occurred.","sources":[{"title":"Hepatoprotective effect of Antrodia Cinnamomea mycelia extract in subhealth Japanese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36476310/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Overall survival and disease control in advanced cancer alongside chemotherapy","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study (NCT01287286) of 37 patients with advanced adenocarcinoma, 30 days of A. cinnamomea 20 mL twice daily plus chemotherapy gave mean overall survival of 5.4 vs 5.0 months (p = 0.340) and a numerically lower disease control rate (41.2% vs 55%, p = 0.33), i.e. no demonstrated benefit.","sources":[{"title":"A preliminary randomised controlled study of short-term Antrodia cinnamomea treatment combined with chemotherapy for patients with advanced cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5002173/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in mildly hypertensive adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomised controlled pilot clinical study evaluated oral A. cinnamomea mycelium in mildly hypertensive adults; the publicly available record confirms the pilot RCT design but does not report sample size or numerical blood-pressure outcomes, so the size and direction of any effect cannot be verified from the accessible source.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of oral Antrodia cinnamomea mycelium in mildly hypertensive adults: A randomized controlled pilot clinical study","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876382016301020","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour and hepatoprotective activity in vitro and in animals","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review documents dose-dependent inhibition of HeLa and HepG2 proliferation by the fermentation protein ACAP and protection against CCl4-induced liver damage by fermented A. cinnamomea in rats, alongside a summary of the small human trials. Mechanistic and animal data are much stronger than the clinical data.","sources":[{"title":"Evidence-Based Nutraceuticals Derived from Antrodia cinnamomea","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11988738/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No participants experienced adverse events in the 6-month NASH trial, and the authors described the mycelium as a safe alternative treatment (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32657670/)","No treatment-related adverse effects were observed over 12 weeks in adults with marginally elevated ALT (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36476310/)","The oncology RCT assessed adverse events and biochemical parameters as secondary endpoints in patients on concurrent chemotherapy without reporting an efficacy benefit, so use during chemotherapy remains unsupported (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5002173/)","Formal 90-day subchronic and developmental toxicity assessments of submerged-culture mycelium in rats exist in the supporting literature; no human drug interactions were documented in the sources reviewed (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876382016301020)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Antrodia cinnamomea is unusual among tonic fungi in having several genuine placebo-controlled human trials, and their results are mostly modest or null: one very small 6-month RCT showed improvement in NASH biomarker panels, a larger 12-week trial found no ALT/AST effect except in a post-hoc drinker subgroup, and the oncology RCT showed no survival or disease-control benefit alongside chemotherapy. The antitumour and hepatoprotective claims sold commercially rest on cell and rodent work, not on these trials. Tolerability looks good, with no treatment-related adverse events reported in the published RCTs.","_slug":"antrodia"}},"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)":{"canonical_name":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","research_target":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","common_names":["Artist's conk / artist's bracket","Bian Ling Zhi (also 'laomujun', 'laoniugan')","Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat."],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Ganodermataceae, Basidiomycota (Agaricomycetes); perennial wood-decay bracket fungus","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (used in the lingzhi group; classical actions described as heat-clearing, accumulation-eliminating, bleeding-stopping, phlegm-eliminating and pain-relieving rather than as a pure tonic)","traditional_uses":["Used in China and Japan as an anti-cancer folk drug, and reported for rheumatic tuberculosis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/)","Traditional actions recorded as pain-relieving, heat-clearing, accumulation-eliminating, bleeding-stopping and phlegm-eliminating (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/)","Sold alongside Ganoderma lucidum as a lingzhi-type tonic; the genus has been used as a medicinal and edible tonic in China for more than 2000 years (https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882)"],"key_active_constituents":["Triterpenoids and spiro-meroterpenoids (applanatumols and related meroterpenoids) - 324 compounds have been catalogued from the species (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/)","Polysaccharides / exobiopolymers - a mycelial-culture exobiopolymer contained 58.9% sugar (mainly mannose and glucose) and 17.1% protein (https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882)","Steroids and sterols (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antitumour / cytotoxic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2024 International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms review of 324 isolated compounds reports antitumour activity for G. applanatum extracts and constituents in laboratory models; the authors state that more animal and human studies are needed to evaluate the cellular and molecular mechanisms, and report no clinical trials.","sources":[{"title":"The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotective and hypoglycaemic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Liver protection, hypoglycaemic and anti-fat (lipid-lowering) effects are reported for the species, exclusively from in vitro and animal experiments.","sources":[{"title":"The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A G. applanatum mycelial exobiopolymer (58.9% sugar, 17.1% protein) showed immunomodulatory activity in laboratory assays, in line with the broader Ganoderma polysaccharide literature; no human immunological outcomes are reported.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of Chemical Composition and Bioactivity Studies of the Most Promising Species of Ganoderma spp.","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant and antibacterial activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Both reviews report antioxidant and antibacterial activity for G. applanatum extracts in standard in vitro assays.","sources":[{"title":"The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/","year":2024},{"title":"A Review of Chemical Composition and Bioactivity Studies of the Most Promising Species of Ganoderma spp.","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Any clinical health outcome in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials or clinical case series of Ganoderma applanatum were identified in either review; the two comprehensive reviews report no effect sizes, p-values or human efficacy outcomes and call for animal and human studies.","sources":[{"title":"The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/","year":2024},{"title":"A Review of Chemical Composition and Bioactivity Studies of the Most Promising Species of Ganoderma spp.","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882","year":2023}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No safety findings, adverse events, toxicity results or tolerability outcomes are reported in the 2024 comprehensive review of the species (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/)","The mushroom is a tough, woody perennial bracket consumed as a decoction or extract rather than as food, so dietary safety experience is limited compared with culinary mushrooms (https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882)","As with other Ganoderma species, theoretical additive risk with anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy cannot be excluded because no human interaction studies exist (https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Artist's conk is chemically rich - 324 compounds catalogued, including distinctive spiro-meroterpenoids - and shows antitumour, hepatoprotective, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, antibacterial and immunomodulatory activity in laboratory models. However, no clinical trials in humans were identified in either comprehensive review, and the 2024 review explicitly calls for animal and human studies of its mechanisms. Its traditional use as an anti-cancer and heat-clearing remedy in China and Japan is well documented, but modern scientific evidence for any human health outcome is effectively absent, so it should be treated as a traditional-use ingredient with preclinical promise only.","_slug":"artists-conk-ganoderma-applanatum"}},"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)":{"canonical_name":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","research_target":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","used_in_tinctures":["Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","common_names":["Asiatic plantain seed / plantain seed (Plantaginis Semen)","che qian zi","Plantago asiatica L. (also P. depressa Willd.)"],"plant_or_organism":"Plantaginaceae; dried ripe seed","tcm_category":"Damp-draining diuretic (not a tonic) - promotes urination and clears damp-heat; secondarily clears liver heat to brighten the eyes","traditional_uses":["Promotes urination and clears damp-heat - a primary herb for painful urinary dysfunction, oedema and damp-heat diarrhoea","Clears liver heat to 'brighten the eyes' for red, painful or blurry eyes","Clears lung heat and transforms phlegm for cough with thick sputum; salt-processed seed is used to reinforce the kidney-directed action"],"key_active_constituents":["Iridoid glycosides - aucubin and geniposidic acid (42.3 mg/g in seed extract)","Phenylethanoid glycosides - plantamajoside, acteoside (verbascoside, 27.7 mg/g in seed extract) and isoacteoside","Plantago seed polysaccharides and mucilage (xylose/arabinose-rich), plantagoside, caffeic acid and plantagoguanidinic acid A"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased urine output and electrolyte excretion (diuretic effect)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In saline-loaded Sprague-Dawley rats (40 animals, 8/group, 8 days of oral dosing at 10 g/kg), both crude and salt-processed Plantaginis Semen ethanol extracts significantly increased 6-hour urine output versus the model group (P<0.01) with increased urinary electrolyte excretion and decreased aldosterone and aquaporin-2, the salt-processed form being more potent - supporting the classical diuretic indication mechanistically.","sources":[{"title":"Diuretic Effect and Metabolomics Analysis of Crude and Salt-Processed Plantaginis Semen","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7774519/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Improved lipid metabolism and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation in diet-induced obesity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In male C57BL/6 mice fed a 60%-fat diet for 16 weeks then gavaged with Plantago asiatica seed extract at 1.44 g/kg/day for 2 weeks (n=8/group), the extract improved obesity, hyperlipidaemia and hepatic lipid accumulation relative to high-fat controls; the extract was standardized to acteoside, geniposidic acid and plantagoguanidinic acid A.","sources":[{"title":"Plantago asiatica L. Seed Extract Improves Lipid Accumulation and Hyperglycemia in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5535886/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A peer-reviewed phytochemistry and pharmacology review of Plantago asiatica covering 87 identified components attributes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities to its constituents, with mechanisms described from in vitro and animal models and no clinical efficacy results reported.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemicals, Biological Activities, Molecular Mechanisms, and Future Prospects of Plantago asiatica L.","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07735","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Recurrence prevention in urinary tract infection and sperm motility in oligoasthenospermia","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"A TCM materia medica reference states that clinical research used che qian zi combined with other herbs for urinary tract infections and reported superiority to antibiotics alone for preventing recurrence, and that several studies showed improved sperm motility parameters, but no study designs, sample sizes or numerical results are given and no indexed primary trial was retrievable in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Che Qian Zi (Plantain seed): Benefits & Uses - Chinese herbal medicine reference","url":"https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/che-qian-zi.php","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No human adverse-event or drug-interaction data were located; the major pharmacology review reports no safety findings (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07735)","Given a demonstrated diuretic action with increased electrolyte excretion and suppressed aldosterone/aquaporin-2 in rats, additive effects with pharmaceutical diuretics and electrolyte depletion are plausible concerns (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7774519/)","The herb is classified as cold and damp-draining and is traditionally cautioned against in deficiency-cold patterns and in pregnancy in TCM reference texts (https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/che-qian-zi.php)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Che qian zi is a damp-draining diuretic rather than a tonic, and its classical indication is the one best supported by modern work: rat studies reproducibly show increased urine and electrolyte output with mechanistic correlates (lower aldosterone and aquaporin-2). Beyond that, the evidence base is entirely preclinical - lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects come from mouse and cell models, and the phytochemistry is well mapped (87 compounds; aucubin, geniposidic acid, acteoside, plantamajoside). There are no adequately reported human randomized trials for any indication, so claimed benefits for urinary tract infection, eye health or male fertility should be treated as unsubstantiated.","_slug":"asian-plantain-seed-che-qian-zi"}},"reishi (variant)":{"canonical_name":"reishi (variant)","research_target":"reishi (variant)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Polyporales, Ganodermataceae (Ganoderma sinense) \u2014 the second Ganoderma species listed alongside G. lucidum in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia","tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","traditional_uses":["Ganoderma sinense ('Zizhi' or purple lingzhi) has been used as a Chinese herbal medicine for about 2,000 years, in the same tonic/spirit-calming role as red lingzhi \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","Ganoderma polysaccharide preparations have been used in China for decades for neurosis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, myotonia and muscular dystrophy \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","Reishi generally: tonifies Qi, calms the Heart and quiets the Spirit; sweet and neutral, entering Heart, Lung, Liver and Kidney channels \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/ling-zhi"],"key_active_constituents":["Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide (GSP), the active principle of the state-approved GSP tablet \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","Lanostane-type triterpenoids shared across the genus (495 Ganoderma triterpenoids described from 25 species, including G. sinense) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9856212/","Polyhydroxy sterols isolated from G. sinense spores \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9856212/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Clinical outcomes specific to purple reishi (cancer survival, fatigue, immunity)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trials of G. sinense per se were located; the Cochrane cancer review and other clinical trials were conducted with G. lucidum preparations, so purple-reishi-specific clinical claims rest on traditional use and Chinese regulatory/preclinical data.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No species-specific human safety dataset for G. sinense was found; safety information is extrapolated from Ganoderma generally, where rare clinically apparent liver injury is documented \u2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/","In vitro, purple lingzhi extract up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes in monocytes, a pro-inflammatory signalling direction that differs from red reishi and argues against assuming equivalence of the two species \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support.","_slug":"reishi-variant"}},"bamboo yellow mushroom":{"canonical_name":"bamboo yellow mushroom","research_target":"bamboo yellow mushroom","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","common_names":["Bamboo Yellow Mushroom (trade name used in Western tonic-herb products)","candidate identity 1: Zhu Sun / bamboo mushroom - Phallus indusiatus (syn. Dictyophora indusiata)","candidate identity 2: Tian Zhu Huang / 'heavenly bamboo yellow' - Bambusae Concretio Silicea (a bamboo silica concretion, not a fungus)"],"plant_or_organism":"Ambiguous. As a fungus, Phallaceae (Phallus indusiatus, basidiomycete stinkhorn growing on bamboo litter); the similarly named TCM item Tian Zhu Huang is a siliceous secretion of Bambusa textilis (Poaceae), not a fungus at all","tcm_category":"Marketed as a Shen tonic / immune tonic among 'Reishi-related' wild woody mushrooms; Tian Zhu Huang is classically a Phlegm-Heat-transforming and Shen-calming (fright-settling) herb, not a tonic","traditional_uses":["Sold as a wild tonic mushroom in Western 'Reishi'-family formulas, claimed to have Shen tonic and immune-protective properties (https://www.dragonherbs.com/22-reishis-drops-multi.html)","Phallus indusiatus (bamboo mushroom, zhu sun) was recorded in a Tang dynasty pharmacopoeia and used traditionally for inflammatory, stomach and neural complaints, including by the Miao people of southern China (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_indusiatus)","If the intended item is Tian Zhu Huang: clears Heat and transforms Phlegm, settles fright and calms convulsions in children, calms the Spirit (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-zhu-huang)"],"key_active_constituents":["For Phallus indusiatus: D. indusiata polysaccharides (DIP), phenolics and flavonoids, dictyophorines and quinazoline alkaloid","For Tian Zhu Huang: hydrated amorphous silica (silicic acid) with trace minerals","No published constituent analysis exists for material sold specifically as 'Bamboo Yellow Mushroom'"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immune modulation, antioxidant and prebiotic/gut-health effects of bamboo mushroom polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review in Journal of Fungi reports that Dictyophora (Phallus) indusiata polysaccharides enhance immune function via TLR4/NF-kB signalling, reduce oxidative stress, act as prebiotics and improve lipid profiles - all in cell and animal models, with no human trials or effect sizes reported.","sources":[{"title":"New Insights into Chemical Profiles and Health-Promoting Effects of Edible Mushroom Dictyophora indusiata (Vent ex. Pers.) Fischer: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39852494/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and collagen-stimulating (wound healing) activity in vitro","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous extracts of egg-stage D. indusiata inhibited nitric oxide and cytokine secretion and inhibited MMP-2 (collagen-preserving) in cell assays; strictly in vitro evidence for topical/wound applications.","sources":[{"title":"High Efficiency In Vitro Wound Healing of Dictyophora indusiata Extracts via Anti-Inflammatory and Collagen Stimulating (MMP-2 Inhibition) Mechanisms","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8708927/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, antimicrobial, organoprotective and anticancer activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2022 Italian Journal of Mycology review of bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus describes antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, organoprotective and anticancer activities of its bioactive compounds and polysaccharides; no clinical studies are cited.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological and therapeutic value of bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus (Agaricomycetes)","url":"https://italianmycology.unibo.it/article/view/14666","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Any benefit of the specific commercial ingredient 'Bamboo Yellow Mushroom'","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"'Bamboo Yellow Mushroom' appears only as an undescribed ingredient in a Western multi-mushroom tonic product, with no Latin binomial, no chemical analysis and no clinical or preclinical studies on that named material.","sources":[{"title":"22 Reishis Drops product ingredient listing","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/22-reishis-drops-multi.html","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Species identification matters: Chinese sources warn that bamboo fungus with orange-yellow or lemon-yellow mycelium is toxic and should not be consumed, so 'yellow' bamboo mushroom material carries a real misidentification risk (https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Bamboo%20Fungus/1513349)","No toxicological or drug-interaction studies exist for material marketed as 'Bamboo Yellow Mushroom'; edible Phallus indusiatus is consumed as food without reported serious toxicity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phallus_indusiatus)","If the item is actually Tian Zhu Huang (bamboo silica), classical sources contraindicate it in marked Cold or Yang deficiency patterns (https://www.medicinetraditions.com/tabasheer-tian-zhu-huang-free/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"'Bamboo yellow mushroom' is a trade name rather than a taxon: it appears as an undescribed wild-mushroom ingredient in Western tonic formulas, with no Latin binomial published, and could plausibly refer to the edible bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus or be confused with the unrelated TCM mineral-resin item Tian Zhu Huang. Modern evidence for the closest identifiable candidate (P. indusiata) is entirely preclinical - polysaccharide immunomodulation, antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity - with no human trials at all. Claims of Shen-tonic, immune or longevity benefit for the marketed ingredient are unsubstantiated, and there is an additional practical concern that yellow-myceliated bamboo fungus material is described as toxic in Chinese sources.","_slug":"bamboo-yellow-mushroom"}},"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)":{"canonical_name":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","research_target":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","common_names":["Black hoof mushroom / sanghuang / meshimakobu","sang huang (\u6851\u9ec4)","Phellinus linteus (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Teng (syn. Sanghuangporus spp.)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Hymenochaetaceae (perennial polypore on mulberry and other hardwoods)","tcm_category":"Blood-mover / heat-clearing tonic (used to stop bleeding, resolve blood stasis and treat masses; marketed today as an immune/anticancer tonic)","traditional_uses":["Used in China, Korea and Japan for haemorrhage and haemostasis, and for menstrual irregularity and abdominal masses","Traditional adjunctive use in tumours and 'accumulations', frequently combined with reishi and maitake in modern practice","Folk use for gastrointestinal complaints and general debility, prepared as a decoction of the woody fruiting body"],"key_active_constituents":["Polysaccharide-protein complexes / beta-glucans (PL polysaccharides)","Polyphenols including hispidin-type pigments and interfungin A","Furopyranones and triterpenoids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Longer overall survival in resected pancreatic cancer receiving non-FOLFIRINOX adjuvant chemotherapy","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a retrospective single-institution cohort of 407 patients (103 using perioperative Phellinus linteus), mean overall survival was 47.0 vs 35.0 months (p<0.001) and 43.9 vs 35.0 months in the non-FOLFIRINOX subgroup (p=0.021); after multivariable adjustment the association was only marginal (HR 0.614, p=0.051) and no benefit appeared with FOLFIRINOX.","sources":[{"title":"Perioperative Clinical Usage of Phellinus Linteus as a Nutraceutical for Non-FOLFIRINOX-Based Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Resected Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12214309/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Tumour regression in advanced cancer","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A narrative review compiles three case reports of regression - hormone-refractory prostate cancer with bone metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma with skull metastasis after 18 months of use, and HCC with lung metastases after one month of mycelial extract - but no controlled clinical trial exists and confounding by concurrent therapy cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Medicinal mushroom Phellinus linteus as an alternative cancer therapy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445909/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and chemosensitizing activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph and preclinical reviews describe antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects in cell and animal models, while stating explicitly that well-designed clinical trials are needed before efficacy can be claimed.","sources":[{"title":"Phellinus linteus - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center integrative medicine herb monograph","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/phellinus-linteus","year":2022},{"title":"Medicinal mushroom Phellinus linteus as an alternative cancer therapy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445909/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Haemostasis, menstrual disorders and general tonification","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Asian traditional use for haemorrhage, haemostasis and menstrual disorders is documented in the MSKCC monograph, but no clinical study evaluating these endpoints was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Phellinus linteus - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center integrative medicine herb monograph","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/phellinus-linteus","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Hepatotoxicity signal: in the pancreatic cancer cohort, grade 3 or higher hepatotoxicity was more frequent with Phellinus linteus (11.7% vs 4.9%; 15.1% vs 4.2% among gemcitabine-treated patients, p=0.008), although no grade 4 events occurred (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12214309/)","A case report describes acute toxic liver injury with jaundice, ascites and coagulopathy in an 82-year-old woman after 8 weeks of a functional food containing catechin, Ecklonia stolonifera and Phellinus linteus, resolving over 20 weeks of conservative care (https://www.ekjm.org/journal/view.php?number=18487)","A case of exacerbation of pemphigus (autoimmune blistering disease) has been attributed to Phellinus linteus, consistent with its immunostimulant profile; caution in autoimmune disease (https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/phellinus-linteus)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Despite aggressive marketing as an anticancer mushroom, Phellinus linteus has no randomized controlled trial evidence. The best human data are a 2025 retrospective cohort in resected pancreatic cancer where the survival difference lost statistical significance after adjustment (HR 0.614, p=0.051), plus three uncontrolled case reports of tumour regression; the bulk of the literature is in vitro and animal work on polysaccharide and polyphenol fractions. Safety is not benign in this context: higher rates of grade 3+ hepatotoxicity were seen alongside chemotherapy, a supplement-associated case of acute toxic liver injury is documented, and immune stimulation has been linked to pemphigus exacerbation. Claims of demonstrated anticancer efficacy in humans are not substantiated.","_slug":"black-hoof-mushroom-phellinus"}},"bupleurum":{"canonical_name":"bupleurum","research_target":"bupleurum","used_in_tinctures":["Bupleurum Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"bupleurum","common_names":["Bupleurum root / thorowax root (Radix Bupleuri)","Chai Hu","Bupleurum chinense DC. / Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd."],"plant_or_organism":"Apiaceae (Umbelliferae); dried root of Bupleurum chinense and related species","tcm_category":"Blood-mover / Qi-regulator category - specifically an exterior-releasing, Liver-Qi-spreading herb (not a tonic; it disperses stagnation and raises Yang Qi)","traditional_uses":["Releases the exterior and reduces alternating fever and chills in Shaoyang-stage disorders","Spreads Liver Qi to relieve constraint: irritability, mood swings, hypochondriac and premenstrual distension (core herb of Xiao Yao San)","Raises Yang Qi in Spleen deficiency with prolapse or chronic diarrhoea","Long used in formulas for chronic liver inflammation and viral hepatitis in China and Japan"],"key_active_constituents":["Oleanane triterpenoid saikosaponins a, c, d (saikosaponins can reach several percent of root dry weight)","Essential oil constituents and polyacetylenes","Flavonoids (quercetin, isorhamnetin glycosides), lignans and polysaccharides","Sterols and phenolic acids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduction of depressive symptoms (Bupleurum-containing formula Xiao Yao San)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 26 RCTs (1,837 patients with depression) found Xiao Yao San alone or combined with antidepressants outperformed antidepressants alone on HAMD and related scales, but methodological quality was low to moderate (only 1 trial reported allocation concealment, 4 reported blinding, none reported sample-size calculation).","sources":[{"title":"Chinese Herbal Formula Xiao Yao San for Treatment of Depression: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3159992/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"reduction of anxiety symptoms (Xiao Yao San)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (809 patients, treatment 28-56 days, all conducted in China) found Xiao Yao San alone or added to anxiolytics improved anxiety outcomes versus anxiolytics alone, but the evidence base is geographically narrow and at risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Xiao Yao San as a Treatment for Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9007650/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"hepatoprotection in liver inflammation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins show anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity in hepatic stellate cell and rodent models, but the same reviews note that excess dosing causes liver damage, so the hepatic effect is dose-dependent and bidirectional.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the active saikosaponins and extracts isolated from Radix Bupleuri and their applications (Pharm Biol 55:620-635)","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880209.2016.1262433","year":2017},{"title":"Genus Bupleurum: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology and modes of action","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7197585/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Saikosaponin D inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis/autophagy across multiple cancer cell lines and xenografts; reviewers judge it potentially effective but requiring far more research, with no clinical trials in humans.","sources":[{"title":"Saikosaponin D: review on the antitumour effects, toxicity and pharmacokinetics","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8567945/","year":2021},{"title":"Genus Bupleurum: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology and modes of action","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7197585/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic pharmacological review of 128 papers documents antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating actions of Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins in cell and animal models, consistent with traditional fever-reducing use.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the active saikosaponins and extracts isolated from Radix Bupleuri and their applications (Pharm Biol 55:620-635)","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880209.2016.1262433","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"dose-dependent hepatotoxicity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"Excess Radix Bupleuri dosing induces oxidative liver damage; a proteomic mouse study showed saikosaponin-induced hepatotoxicity via lipid-metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress, defining a therapeutic-window concern.","sources":[{"title":"Saikosaponins induced hepatotoxicity in mice via lipid metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress: a proteomic study","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28420359/","year":2017},{"title":"A systematic review of the active saikosaponins and extracts isolated from Radix Bupleuri and their applications (Pharm Biol 55:620-635)","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880209.2016.1262433","year":2017}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Main documented adverse effect is dose-dependent hepatotoxicity: excessive Radix Bupleuri produces oxidative liver injury, so a maximum tolerated dose matters clinically (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880209.2016.1262433)","Mouse proteomic study confirmed saikosaponin-induced hepatotoxicity through lipid-metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28420359/)","Saikosaponins have haemolytic and gastrointestinal-irritant potential and saikosaponin D shows cytotoxicity, so high-dose or long-term single-herb use should be avoided and hepatic monitoring is prudent, especially with other hepatotoxic drugs (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8567945/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Bupleurum's human evidence is almost entirely formula-level: meta-analyses of Xiao Yao San suggest benefit for depression and anxiety, but the trials are small, China-based, poorly blinded and cannot isolate Chai Hu's contribution. Single-herb pharmacology is well developed - saikosaponins have reproducible anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, hepatic and antitumour activity in preclinical models - yet none of this has been confirmed in controlled human trials. Importantly, the same literature documents dose-dependent hepatotoxicity, so Bupleurum is not a benign 'tonic' and prolonged high-dose use is not supported.","_slug":"bupleurum"}},"carthamus (safflower)":{"canonical_name":"carthamus (safflower)","research_target":"carthamus (safflower)","used_in_tinctures":["Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","common_names":["Safflower flower / carthamus flower","Hong Hua","Carthamus tinctorius L."],"plant_or_organism":"Asteraceae (dried florets)","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood and dispels stasis; not a tonic)","traditional_uses":["Invigorates blood and dispels blood stasis, used in China for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease including angina and ischaemic stroke (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.929169/pdf)","Regulates menstruation and relieves pain in amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea and postpartum abdominal pain due to stasis; traditional medicine texts across Persian and Chinese traditions also record emmenagogue use (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5984022/)","Reduces swelling and relieves pain from traumatic injury and bruising, and is applied for stasis-type skin and joint pain (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5984022/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) - the major bioactive marker of the safflower yellow fraction (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.929169/pdf)","Safflor yellow A, safflor yellow B and anhydrosafflor yellow B; safflower yellow contains at least 29 identified compounds (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9252638/)","6-Hydroxykaempferol glycosides, kaempferol and quercetin glycosides, and other flavonoids/quinochalcones (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9252638/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Neurological improvement after acute ischaemic stroke (safflower yellow injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An updated systematic review of 7 RCTs (762 participants) found a higher neurological improvement rate with safflower yellow than control (p<0.05, reported OR around 3), with no deaths in any trial - but no included study was of high methodological quality and the authors state high-quality RCTs are needed before definitive conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Safflower yellow for acute ischemic stroke: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229914000041","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Reduced albuminuria and inflammatory/oxidative markers in diabetic nephropathy (HSYA injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of hydroxysafflor yellow A in diabetic nephropathy pooled standardised mean differences with random-effects models and reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits alongside renal-marker improvement; the evidence base is limited to Chinese injectable-HSYA trials.","sources":[{"title":"Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Hydroxyl Safflower Yellow A in Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.929169/pdf","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved microcirculation, vasodilation and reduced blood viscosity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pharmacological reviews describe safflower yellow and HSYA as dilating blood vessels, improving microcirculation, inhibiting platelet aggregation/coagulation and reducing blood viscosity, providing a mechanistic rationale for the traditional blood-moving indication.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Activities of Safflower Yellow and Its Clinical Applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9252638/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection and antioxidant activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Safflower petal water extracts inhibited glutamate-induced glial cell death and reduced malondialdehyde and 8-OHdG in rodent brain tissue after iron-induced oxidative injury; these are cell and animal findings only.","sources":[{"title":"Medical uses of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower): a comprehensive review from Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5984022/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Embryotoxicity / reproductive harm","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"Carthamus flower extract disturbed development of mouse embryos, and on that basis the review recommends that women avoid safflower flowers during pregnancy.","sources":[{"title":"Medical uses of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower): a comprehensive review from Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5984022/","year":2018}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Contraindicated in pregnancy: safflower flower extract disturbed mouse embryo development and traditional sources record abortifacient/emmenagogue use (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5984022/)","Antiplatelet and blood-viscosity-lowering activity creates a plausible additive bleeding risk with anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9252638/)","In the stroke systematic review, adverse events were documented in only 4 of 7 trials and one trial reported skin rash in the safflower yellow group; reporting was too sparse to characterise risk properly (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229914000041)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Safflower has more human data than most herbs in this batch, but almost all of it concerns injectable safflower yellow or HSYA used in Chinese hospitals, not oral safflower florets: meta-analyses report better neurological recovery in acute ischaemic stroke and improved renal markers in diabetic nephropathy, yet the underlying trials are small, domestic and uniformly rated low quality, and adverse-event reporting is incomplete. The mechanistic basis for the traditional 'blood-moving' action (vasodilation, antiplatelet effects, reduced blood viscosity, antioxidant neuroprotection) is well supported preclinically. Oral supplement use for menstrual or musculoskeletal complaints is untested clinically, and use in pregnancy should be avoided based on embryotoxicity data and traditional abortifacient use.","_slug":"carthamus-safflower"}},"chinese yew mushroom":{"canonical_name":"chinese yew mushroom","research_target":"chinese yew mushroom","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"chinese yew mushroom","common_names":["Chinese yew mushroom (wood-conk fungus harvested from Chinese yew, Taxus chinensis / T. chinensis var. mairei)","n.a. (no standard pinyin herb name in the Chinese pharmacopoeia)","n.a. (no accepted fungal binomial; host tree is Taxus chinensis (Rehder & E.H. Wilson) Rehder)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungal taxon not established in the literature; marketed as a polypore/conk growing on Taxus (Taxaceae) hosts. Related characterised yew-associated polypores include Ganoderma carnosum","tcm_category":"n.a. - not a category in classical Chinese materia medica; sold commercially within 'wild woody mushroom' tonic blends claiming Three Treasures (Jing/Qi/Shen) support","traditional_uses":["Marketed within multi-mushroom wild-conk tonic blends said to support the 'Three Treasures' (Jing, Qi, Shen); this is a modern supplier claim, not a documented classical indication (https://www.chinesenaturalherbs.com/product-page/22-reishis-drops)","The host tree, Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis), is itself valued in China as a source of anticancer taxanes (paclitaxel; taxifolin from var. mairei) and is legally protected as endangered - the mushroom's reputation borrows from the host's reputation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_chinensis)"],"key_active_constituents":["n.a. - no published phytochemical characterisation of a 'Chinese yew mushroom' was identified","Host-derived taxanes (paclitaxel) and flavonolignans (taxifolin) are documented for Taxus chinensis itself, but transfer to a conk growing on it is undocumented"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"n.a. - no health outcome has been studied for this specific ingredient","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Targeted searches of the biomedical literature returned no pharmacological, toxicological or clinical study of a 'Chinese yew mushroom'; available literature concerns either the host tree Taxus chinensis as a taxane source or unrelated medicinal polypores such as Ganoderma lucidum. Any benefit claim rests on supplier marketing and general medicinal-mushroom extrapolation.","sources":[{"title":"Taxus chinensis (Chinese yew) - species, medicinal use as source of paclitaxel and taxifolin, endangered status","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_chinensis","year":2025},{"title":"Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7826851/","year":2021}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No human safety data, dosing information or interaction data exist for this ingredient; identity of the fungus itself is not established in the literature (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7826851/)","Yew (Taxus) tissue contains highly cardiotoxic taxine alkaloids and cytotoxic taxanes; any contamination of a yew-grown fungal product with host material is a theoretical toxicity concern (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_chinensis)","Some yew-associated polypores (e.g. Ganoderma carnosum) are classed as inedible, underlining that host-specific conks are not interchangeable with reishi (https://ultimate-mushroom.com/inedible/1090-ganoderma-carnosum.html)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Modern scientific evidence for 'Chinese yew mushroom' is essentially absent: no controlled study, no phytochemical profile, and no settled taxonomic identity could be located, so its use is based purely on traditional/commercial tonic-blend context and on the reputation of its host tree and of better-studied polypores. Buyers should treat efficacy claims as unsubstantiated, and note the additional theoretical risk from yew's cardiotoxic taxine alkaloids and the endangered status of Taxus chinensis.","_slug":"chinese-yew-mushroom"}},"corydalis":{"canonical_name":"corydalis","research_target":"corydalis","used_in_tinctures":["Corydalis Yan Hu Suo Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"corydalis","common_names":["corydalis rhizome / corydalis tuber","yan hu suo (\u5ef6\u80e1\u7d22), also yuan hu","Corydalis yanhusuo W.T. Wang (Rhizoma Corydalis)"],"plant_or_organism":"Papaveraceae (poppy family); dried tuber/rhizome","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and moves Qi to stop pain) \u2014 not a tonic; acrid, bitter, warm; Heart, Liver and Spleen channels","traditional_uses":["Invigorates Blood, moves Qi and relieves pain of many kinds: headache, chest and epigastric pain, abdominal pain and dysmenorrhoea \u2014 https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/yan-hu-suo.php","Used for centuries across Asia specifically as an analgesic, and traditionally vinegar-processed to enhance potency \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/","Also traditionally applied to insomnia and cardiovascular complaints in addition to pain \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8739176/"],"key_active_constituents":["Isoquinoline alkaloids (~0.5-1% of the tuber; >80 identified), dominated by dehydrocorydaline (~50% of alkaloid content) and corydaline \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/","levo-Tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP) / tetrahydropalmatine (THP), the best-studied analgesic alkaloid \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/","Dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB), berberine, palmatine, columbamine, magnoflorine and corydine \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced experimentally induced tonic pain in humans","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a controlled human cold-pressor trial, a single oral dose of Corydalis yanhusuo plus Angelica dahurica extract significantly reduced pain intensity and pain bothersomeness scores (both p<0.01) with a dose-related analgesic effect; the authors concluded potential clinical value for mild to moderate pain. The trial was small, used a two-herb combination and the report does not state randomisation.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Corydalis yanhusuo and Angelicae dahuricae on cold pressor-induced pain in humans: a controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15496650/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Analgesia in acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain without tolerance","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of studies from 1982-2019 found Corydalis yanhusuo extract attenuated acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mouse and rat models without producing tolerance on repeated dosing, with dehydrocorybulbine acting as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist and l-THP contributing dopaminergic and analgesic activity.","sources":[{"title":"The Analgesic Properties of Corydalis yanhusuo","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Superior analgesia with the lowest cardiac risk among the main alkaloids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A component-resolved study of the main Corydalis alkaloids reported that tetrahydropalmatine produced the best analgesic effect and the lowest cardiac risk, acting partly through voltage-gated sodium channels \u2014 which also flags cardiac liability for some other alkaloids in the herb.","sources":[{"title":"Analgesic effect of the main components of Corydalis yanhusuo (yanhusuo) is caused by inhibition of voltage gated sodium channels","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874121006863","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antinociception characterised across standardised pain assays","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic rodent comparison of Corydalis yanhusuo extract across multiple pain assays confirmed antinociceptive activity and characterised the dose ranges and pain modalities affected, filling a gap the authors noted in earlier fragmentary animal work.","sources":[{"title":"The Antinociceptive Properties of the Corydalis yanhusuo Extract","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5021270/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Anti-arrhythmic and other cardiovascular effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pharmacological reviews report anti-arrhythmic and cardiovascular activity for Corydalis alkaloids alongside their analgesic action, but the data are animal and in vitro and some alkaloids carry sodium-channel-mediated cardiac risk.","sources":[{"title":"Advances in phytochemical and modern pharmacological research of Rhizoma Corydalis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7170387/","year":2020}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Alkaloid content varies with processing: vinegar processing increases tetrahydropalmatine absorption and tissue distribution, so potency of commercial material is inconsistent \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8739176/","Cardiac risk differs between alkaloids; tetrahydropalmatine had the best analgesia-to-cardiac-risk ratio in a comparative study acting via voltage-gated sodium channels, implying other constituents carry more arrhythmic liability \u2014 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874121006863","l-THP and dehydrocorybulbine act on dopamine receptors, creating a theoretical (unstudied) interaction with dopaminergic and antipsychotic drugs and with sedatives \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Corydalis is one of the few herbs here with a mechanistically coherent and traditionally consistent story: it is used to stop pain, and its alkaloids demonstrably produce antinociception through dopamine D2 antagonism and sodium-channel inhibition in animal models, apparently without opioid-style tolerance. Human evidence is thin, however \u2014 essentially one small controlled cold-pressor study of a two-herb combination showing dose-related reductions in experimental pain, with no modern RCT in clinical pain populations. Product potency varies with processing and some alkaloids carry cardiac liability, so 'promising analgesic with inadequate clinical trial evidence' is the accurate summary.","_slug":"corydalis"}},"curcuma zedoaria":{"canonical_name":"curcuma zedoaria","research_target":"curcuma zedoaria","used_in_tinctures":["Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","common_names":["Zedoary / white turmeric rhizome","e zhu","Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe"],"plant_or_organism":"Zingiberaceae (rhizomatous perennial herb; dried rhizome used)","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood, breaks up stasis and disperses accumulations; not a tonic)","traditional_uses":["Invigorates Blood and moves Qi to break up Blood stasis with amenorrhoea, severe dysmenorrhoea, dark clotted menstrual blood and fixed stabbing abdominal pain; pungent, bitter, warm, entering Liver and Spleen channels (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/e-zhu)","Disperses accumulations and dissipates nodules, used for abdominal masses, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and hepatosplenomegaly with fixed flank pain (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/e-zhu)","Promotes digestion and resolves food stagnation for chronic indigestion, epigastric pain and bloating (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/e-zhu)","In Ayurveda and other folk traditions the rhizome is used for diarrhoea, flatulence, dyspepsia and cancer (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19126292/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Sesquiterpene-rich essential oil (curzerene, epicurzerene and related sesquiterpenes)","Ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, described as the major antifungal principle","Curcuminoids and other phenolics reported for the genus"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved symptoms and fatty-liver grade in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomised single-blind standard-controlled trial (68 randomised, 50 per-protocol) of C. zedoaria powder 500 mg twice daily versus vitamin E 400 mg twice daily for 60 days in grade 1-2 NAFLD, both arms improved liver span and fatty-liver grade, while zedoary was superior for right-hypochondrial dull ache (p < 0.0001), anorexia (p = 0.016) and malaise (84% symptom-free vs 8%, p < 0.0001). It is single-blind, symptom-weighted and lacks a placebo arm.","sources":[{"title":"Evaluation of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A Randomized, single blind, controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39880723/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Lowered total cholesterol and blood lipids in mild hypercholesterolaemia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A small human study randomised 30 mildly hypercholesterolaemic male volunteers into three groups of 10 and reported antihypercholesterolaemic and antilipidaemic effects of the phytopreparation, with the third group showing the largest response. The sample is tiny and the design not placebo-controlled.","sources":[{"title":"Phytopreventive antihypercholesterolmic and antilipidemic perspectives of zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria Rosc.) herbal tea","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4769493/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Inhibition of breast and oesophageal cancer cell proliferation and tumour growth","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Petroleum ether extracts of C. zedoaria inhibited proliferation of triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, and an extract suppressed proliferation and invasion of TE-8 oesophageal cancer cells and tumour formation in mice. No human oncology data exist.","sources":[{"title":"Extracts from Curcuma zedoaria Inhibit Proliferation of Human Breast Cancer Cell MDA-MB-231 In Vitro","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4026840/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Central nervous system depressant / behavioural effects with no acute toxicity at high dose","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Root extracts of C. zedoaria produced behavioural changes in rodents with no toxic effects observed up to 5000 mg/kg body weight, indicating a wide acute-toxicity margin in animals.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc root extracts on behavioral and radiology changes in arthritic rats","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3217705/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anthelmintic and antimicrobial activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Phytochemical and pharmacological screening of a methanolic rhizome extract found antioxidant, anthelmintic and cardioprotective activity, and a 2009 review concluded that in vitro and in vivo work supports most traditional claims without providing quantitative clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. (white turmeric): a review of its chemical, pharmacological and ethnomedicinal properties","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19126292/","year":2009},{"title":"Phytochemical Assessment and Pharmacological Evaluation of Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe Methanolic Extract","url":"https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol17no4/phytochemical-assessment-and-pharmacological-evaluation-of-curcuma-zedoaria-christm-roscoe-methanolic-extract-preliminary-study/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Zedoary is rated UNSAFE in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and there is insufficient information to establish general safety (https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/zedoary.htm)","Zedoary rhizome appears in reviews of essential oils with antifertility, embryotoxic, antigestational and abortifacient activity, consistent with its traditional pregnancy contraindication as a strong Blood-moving herb (https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2cf0/bb1dceabf9b576ace28872e09fd8607d1caf.pdf)","Older toxicity work examined shoti (C. zedoaria) toxicity in rats and chicks, while rodent studies of root extract found no lethality up to 5000 mg/kg, so animal signals are mixed and dose-dependent (https://www.rxlist.com/supplements/zedoary.htm)","No verified human drug-interaction studies were found in the sources reviewed"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Curcuma zedoaria is a Blood-moving herb rather than a tonic, and its modern evidence is thin but not absent: one 2025 randomised single-blind trial versus vitamin E in NAFLD showed better symptom relief and comparable improvement in fatty-liver grade, and a very small human study suggested lipid-lowering. Both lack placebo control and adequate blinding, so they should be read as promising rather than confirmatory. The widely repeated anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory claims are cell-line and rodent findings only, and the clearest practical safety point is that zedoary is contraindicated in pregnancy on both traditional and toxicological grounds.","_slug":"curcuma-zedoaria"}},"fennel":{"canonical_name":"fennel","research_target":"fennel","used_in_tinctures":["Fennel Seed Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"fennel","common_names":["Fennel seed (fennel fruit)","Xiao Hui Xiang","Foeniculum vulgare Mill."],"plant_or_organism":"Apiaceae (carrot/celery family); dried ripe fruits ('seeds'), also bulb, leaf and stalk","tcm_category":"Yang tonic / interior-warming herb (warms the Kidneys and disperses cold, regulates Qi and harmonizes the stomach) rather than a Qi or Yin tonic","traditional_uses":["Warms the middle and lower burner and moves stagnant Qi - used for cold-type abdominal and hernial pain, bloating, poor appetite and nausea","Documented in European and Mediterranean tradition as antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, secretolytic and galactagogue, including as a classical decoction for infant flatulence and colic (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3414240/)","Used as a galactagogue to 'draw down the milk' in nursing mothers (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/)"],"key_active_constituents":["trans-Anethole - the dominant volatile-oil constituent and a weak phytoestrogen, which is excreted into breast milk (peak milk concentration ~23.2 microg/L after 100 mg oral trans-anethole) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/)","Fenchone and 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) - also transferred into breast milk (70 to ~2090 microg/kg after 100 mg 1,8-cineole) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/)","Estragole - a genotoxic/carcinogenic-concern alkenylbenzene present at roughly a few percent of the volatile oil, the focus of EMA restrictions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3414240/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced pain in primary dysmenorrhoea versus placebo","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Two independent meta-analyses agree on benefit: 7 RCTs (n=468) gave SMD -3.27 (95% CI -5.28 to -1.26, p=0.001) but with I2=98%, and a second meta-analysis of 7 studies gave SMD -0.632 (95% CI -0.827 to -0.436, p<0.001, I2=0%). The Nutrients review judged overall certainty low, risk of bias moderate, all trials Iranian, with possible publication bias.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel for Reducing Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3438","year":2020},{"title":"Effect of fennel on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187122/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Equivalence to NSAID (mefenamic acid) for menstrual pain","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"Head-to-head pooling found no significant difference between fennel and conventional drug therapy: SMD 0.07 (95% CI -0.08 to 0.21, 7 RCTs, n=502, I2=0%) in one review and SMD -0.214 (95% CI -0.446 to 0.017, p=0.07, 6 trials) in the other - i.e. comparable analgesia rather than superiority.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel for Reducing Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3438","year":2020},{"title":"Effect of fennel on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187122/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved menopausal symptoms","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 7 RCTs found that the two placebo-controlled trials favoured fennel for overall menopausal symptoms (n=145; SMD -1.32, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.87, p<0.00001), although included RCTs generally had concerning risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) for the management of menopausal women's health: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33725577/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Sexual function, quality of life and psychological health in menopausal women","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the same review, studies addressing sexual function, quality of life and psychological health did not show beneficial effects of fennel, and the authors concluded effectiveness and safety for quality of life and psychological health remain unclear.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) for the management of menopausal women's health: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33725577/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Increased breast-milk production (galactagogue effect)","evidence_tier":"mixed","direction":"mixed","summary":"LactMed concludes fennel is a purported galactagogue: two small studies found increases in some parameters such as milk volume, fat content and infant weight gain, but the evidence base is small and confounded, and anethole and 1,8-cineole measurably pass into breast milk.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel - Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Relief of infantile colic","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"Fennel decoctions are a classical remedy for infant colic and a placebo-controlled trial of fennel seed oil emulsion in infantile colic exists, but the safety review notes that concerns about estragole exposure in babies prompted regulatory restrictions, so efficacy and safety must be weighed together in this population.","sources":[{"title":"Can Estragole in Fennel Seed Decoctions Really Be Considered a Danger for Human Health? A Fennel Safety Update","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3414240/","year":2012},{"title":"Fennel - Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Estragole, a genotoxic and carcinogenic-concern constituent, led the EMA HMPC to restrict fennel essential oil use - particularly duration of use and use in children and infants; the 2012 safety update argues whole-seed decoctions carry far lower risk than isolated estragole but does not dismiss the concern (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3414240/)","Anethole is a phytoestrogen and is excreted into breast milk (peak ~23.2 microg/L), and 1,8-cineole reaches 70-2090 microg/kg in milk; LactMed therefore advises caution with high-dose or prolonged maternal use (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/)","No serious adverse events were reported in the menopause RCTs, and the dysmenorrhoea reviews reported no safety signal, but trials were small and short (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33725577/)","Because of weak oestrogenic activity, caution is warranted in hormone-sensitive conditions and with hormonal therapies (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501793/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Fennel has more human RCT evidence than most tonic-herb ingredients, and two independent meta-analyses agree it reduces primary dysmenorrhoea pain versus placebo with efficacy statistically indistinguishable from mefenamic acid; a smaller pooled analysis also favours it for overall menopausal symptoms. The caveats are substantial: the trials are almost all small, Iranian, moderate-to-high risk of bias, with extreme heterogeneity (I2=98%) and suspected publication bias, so the true effect size is uncertain. Galactagogue and infant-colic uses remain poorly substantiated, and the estragole content plus phytoestrogenic anethole mean fennel is not a 'safe by default' herb for infants, prolonged high-dose use, or hormone-sensitive conditions.","_slug":"fennel"}},"gastrodia":{"canonical_name":"gastrodia","research_target":"gastrodia","used_in_tinctures":["Gastrodia Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"gastrodia","common_names":["Gastrodia tuber / tall gastrodia","tian ma","Gastrodia elata Blume (Rhizoma Gastrodiae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Orchidaceae; a leafless mycoheterotrophic orchid living in symbiosis with Armillaria mellea - the dried tuber is used","tcm_category":"Liver-wind-extinguishing / Shen-calming herb (not a classic tonic) - extinguishes internal wind, calms the liver and settles tremor","traditional_uses":["Extinguishes liver wind for dizziness, vertigo, headache and migraine - the single most characteristic indication","Settles tremors, convulsions, childhood seizures and spasms, and is used for post-stroke hemiplegia and numbness","Unblocks the channels for wind-damp joint pain and numbness of the limbs"],"key_active_constituents":["Gastrodin (4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucoside) - the principal marker and the compound used in clinical trials","Gastrodigenin (4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, the aglycone metabolite) and parishin A/B/C/E","Polysaccharides, vanillyl alcohol and vanillin; more than 100 constituents have been catalogued"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved clinical response and reduced pain scores in migraine (as add-on to conventional prophylaxis)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,332-1,670 participants, all conducted in China, 8-56 days of treatment) found gastrodin added to conventional therapy raised clinical efficacy (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.17-1.27; 93.2% vs 76.8% responders) and reduced pain scores (MD -1.65, 95% CI -2.28 to -1.02), though GRADE certainty was limited by trial quality and inconsistent participant counts between the abstract and the full text.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness of gastrodin for migraine: A meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9454298/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced headache frequency and higher effective rate in tension-type headache","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (1,091 participants; 565 gastrodin, 526 control) found gastrodin reduced headache frequency (MD -2.90, 95% CI -3.76 to -2.03, P<0.00001) and improved overall effective rate versus western medicine (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.29-1.68, P<0.00001), with benefit in both capsule (RR 1.42) and injection (RR 1.50) subgroups; only one trial reported adverse reactions in detail, so safety conclusions could not be drawn.","sources":[{"title":"Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of gastrodin in treatment of tension-type headache","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34581069/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Higher cure rate in hospitalized dizziness/vertigo compared with Ginkgo biloba extract injection","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from 131 Chinese hospitals (9,251 eligible dizziness/vertigo patients; 329 per group after propensity-score matching) found gastrodin injection produced a higher cure rate than Ginkgo biloba leaf extract injection (42.9% vs 25.5%, P<0.05; overall treatment-effect comparison P<0.001), with similar hospitalization duration (7 vs 8 days, P=0.080).","sources":[{"title":"Clinical and economic analysis of Gastrodin injection for treating dizziness/vertigo: a real-world study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8725493/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and cognitive impairment","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A pharmacology review of gastrodin concludes it has prominent neuroprotective activity across models of epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, emotional disorders, neuropathic pain, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial hypertrophy and hypertension; these conclusions derive from cell and animal work rather than controlled clinical trials.","sources":[{"title":"Review on pharmacological effects of gastrodin","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37749449/","year":2023}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Adverse-event reporting in gastrodin headache trials is poor: only 1 of 8 included RCTs detailed adverse reactions, so the review could not draw a positive safety conclusion (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34581069/)","Real-world hospital data on gastrodin injection in 9,251 dizziness/vertigo patients showed comparable hospitalization duration to a comparator injection without reported excess harm, but this was a retrospective design (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8725493/)","Much clinical use is by injection rather than oral tuber or powder, so the trial evidence does not transfer directly to food-grade tian ma products; sedative/antihypertensive additive effects are plausible given documented CNS and blood-pressure activity (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37749449/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Gastrodia is unusual among Chinese herbs in having two meta-analyses of RCTs behind a specific, traditionally matching indication - headache and migraine - and both report clinically meaningful improvements in response rate and pain, reinforced by a large real-world cohort for vertigo. The critical caveats are that essentially all trials were conducted in China, many used gastrodin injection or isolated gastrodin rather than the whole tuber, methodological quality and adverse-event reporting are weak, and neuroprotective claims for dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease remain preclinical. Evidence for tian ma as a general 'brain tonic' or nootropic is absent.","_slug":"gastrodia"}},"ginkgo biloba":{"canonical_name":"ginkgo biloba","research_target":"ginkgo biloba","used_in_tinctures":["Diamond Mind Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","common_names":["Ginkgo leaf extract (leaf); ginkgo nut / white nut (seed)","Bai Guo Ye (\u767d\u679c\u53f6) leaf / Bai Guo (\u767d\u679c) seed","Ginkgo biloba L."],"plant_or_organism":"Plant: Ginkgoaceae, the sole surviving species of the order Ginkgoales; standardized leaf extracts (e.g. EGb 761) and the seed are used","tcm_category":"Not a classical tonic category: the seed (Bai Guo) is an astringent Lung herb used to stop cough and wheezing and check leakage; the leaf extract is a modern blood-moving/circulation agent","traditional_uses":["Ginkgo is widely described as an herbal preparation used to improve brain and circulatory health, which is the basis for its modern cognitive indications \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","Ginkgo seeds are a traditional food and medicine in East Asia, but consumption of raw or large amounts of seeds is a documented cause of poisoning, with 4-O-methylpyridoxine (ginkgotoxin) as the toxin \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","Leaf extract has been used in Europe and China for peripheral arterial disease, tinnitus and age-related cognitive complaints \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/"],"key_active_constituents":["Flavonol glycosides (~24% of EGb 761; quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin aglycones) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","Terpene lactones (~6% of EGb 761: ginkgolides A, B, C and bilobalide) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","Ginkgolic acids, restricted to <5 ppm in EGb 761 but found at up to 90,000 ppm in some commercial products \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","Ginkgotoxin (4-O-methylpyridoxine) in seeds, a vitamin-B6 antagonist responsible for seizures in poisoning cases \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Cognition and global clinical status in dementia","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2026 Cochrane review (82 RCTs, 10,613 participants) found that in dementia ginkgo may give a small benefit in global clinical status at 6 months (MD -0.06, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.20; 5 studies, 1,359 participants) and possibly better cognition, but with high heterogeneity (I2 = 88%) and low-certainty evidence; only 4 of 82 trials were at low risk of bias and over half were conducted in China.","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026},{"title":"What are the benefits and risks of Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia? (Cochrane plain-language summary)","url":"https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD013661_what-are-benefits-and-risks-ginkgo-biloba-cognitive-impairment-and-dementia","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Cognition, global status and activities of daily living in mild cognitive impairment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In MCI, ginkgo probably has little to no effect at 6 months on global clinical status (CDR: MD -0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.01; 3 studies, 631 participants), cognition (ADAS-Cog: MD -0.07, 95% CI -0.67 to 0.51) or instrumental ADLs (MD -0.05, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.19), all moderate-certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Subjective cognitive complaints in people without diagnosed impairment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"For subjective cognitive impairment the effect on global clinical status at 6 months was null and very uncertain (MD 0.00, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.33; 1 study, 197 participants), and adverse events may be more common with ginkgo in one larger 3-month study.","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Prevention of progression to Alzheimer's disease / incident dementia","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"no effect","summary":"The GuidAge trial (2,854 participants, EGb 761 120 mg twice daily for 5 years) showed no reduction in progression to probable Alzheimer's disease (61 vs 73 cases), and the US GEM trial (3,069 adults aged 75+, ~6 years) likewise found no protective effect on incident dementia.","sources":[{"title":"Review of Ginkgo biloba-induced toxicity, from experimental studies to human case reports (J Environ Sci Health C)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Tinnitus","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"Across four randomized trials totalling 1,543 participants (1,143 with tinnitus as the primary complaint) there was no evidence of efficacy for ginkgo.","sources":[{"title":"Review of Ginkgo biloba-induced toxicity, from experimental studies to human case reports (J Environ Sci Health C)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Walking distance in peripheral arterial disease","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In 14 randomized trials with 739 patients, ginkgo users walked 65 m farther than placebo users but the difference was not statistically significant.","sources":[{"title":"Review of Ginkgo biloba-induced toxicity, from experimental studies to human case reports (J Environ Sci Health C)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Cognitive impairment associated with multiple sclerosis","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"Two RCTs (152 participants) showed ginkgo probably has little or no effect on the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire at 3 months (MD -0.09, 95% CI -0.41 to 0.22; moderate certainty).","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Cochrane found little or no difference in adverse events (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.77-1.24) or serious adverse events (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.82-1.09, high certainty) in MCI populations, so leaf extract is broadly well tolerated \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","Bleeding-related interactions are a real-world concern: in 2,647 ginkgo prescriptions, 12.94% had drug interactions and among 747 patients with full records 4.15% had bleeding symptoms and 39.63% had abnormal coagulation tests \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11991284/","Ginkgo seeds contain ginkgotoxin (4-O-methylpyridoxine), a vitamin B6 antagonist that causes seizures and vomiting in poisoning cases, and unregulated leaf products can contain ginkgolic acids up to 90,000 ppm versus <5 ppm in standardized EGb 761 \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6373469/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Ginkgo biloba has by far the largest trial base in this batch, and the honest read of it is largely negative: the 2026 Cochrane review of 82 RCTs and 10,613 participants found little or no effect in mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive complaints or MS-related cognitive impairment, and only a small, low-certainty, highly heterogeneous possible benefit in established dementia. Two large long-term prevention trials (GuidAge, GEM) found no reduction in incident dementia, and reviews find no efficacy for tinnitus and no significant benefit in peripheral arterial disease. Tolerability is good, but product quality varies enormously (ginkgolic acid content), seeds are genuinely toxic via ginkgotoxin, and real-world data show frequent interaction-related coagulation abnormalities, so the popular 'memory and circulation booster' positioning is not supported.","_slug":"ginkgo-biloba"}},"hawthorn":{"canonical_name":"hawthorn","research_target":"hawthorn","used_in_tinctures":["Crataegus Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"hawthorn","common_names":["Hawthorn fruit / berry (also leaf and flower)","Shan Zha","Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge; Crataegus monogyna / laevigata (European, extract WS 1442)"],"plant_or_organism":"Rosaceae (fruit; European medicine uses leaf-with-flower extracts)","tcm_category":"Food-stagnation resolver / digestive (xiao shi) and Blood-mover (invigorates Blood, dispels stasis)","traditional_uses":["Promotes digestion and resolves food stagnation, especially from fatty or meat-heavy meals (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/shan-zha)","Invigorates Blood and dispels stasis for postpartum abdominal pain and stasis-type pain (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/shan-zha)","Used in modern TCM practice for hyperlipidemia and metabolic stagnation patterns (https://healthfactstime.com/chinese-medicine/crataegi-fructus-hawthorn-fruit/)","European traditional use of leaf-and-flower extracts for declining cardiac performance (NYHA I-II heart failure) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18254076/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Oligomeric procyanidins (epicatechin-based)","Flavonoids: hyperoside, vitexin-2''-O-rhamnoside, rutin","Triterpene acids (ursolic, oleanolic, crataegolic acid)","Organic acids (citric, chlorogenic) in the fruit"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved exercise tolerance and symptoms in chronic heart failure (adjunct therapy)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The Cochrane review of double-blind placebo-controlled trials of hawthorn leaf-and-flower monopreparations included 14 trials, 10 of them (855 patients) in meta-analysis, and concluded there is significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes (e.g. maximal workload, pressure-heart-rate product) when hawthorn is added to conventional treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD005312)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18254076/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced blood pressure in hypertension","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 PRISMA meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42024557170) of randomized placebo-controlled trials in hypertensive adults - 7 studies, 449 patients - found systolic BP fell by a mean 6.65 mmHg (95% CI -11.72 to 1.59) and diastolic by 7.19 mmHg (95% CI -15.17 to 0.79) after 2-6 months; the point estimates are clinically meaningful but the confidence intervals cross zero.","sources":[{"title":"Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) Clinically Significantly Reduces Blood Pressure in Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12298042/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and lipids with hawthorn fruit drink in mild hypertension/hyperlipidemia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (61 completers, two 8-week periods, extract from 60 g fresh fruit daily) in Chinese patients with mild hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia tested BP and cholesterol endpoints; the high sucrose load of the beverage (~112 g/day) complicates interpretation of metabolic outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Hawthorn Fruit Extract Drink in Chinese Patients With Mild Hypertension and/or Hyperlipidaemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15593258241303136","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Cardiovascular pharmacology: positive inotropy, antioxidant and vasodilatory effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In vitro and animal studies show hawthorn extracts produce mild positive inotropic effects, coronary vasodilation, antioxidant activity and hypolipidemic effects, providing a mechanistic basis for the heart failure trials.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Crataegus Usage in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: An Evidence-Based Approach","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3891531/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Mortality / hard cardiovascular endpoints in heart failure","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"The benefit-risk assessment of the standardized extract WS 1442 notes that while symptom and exercise-capacity benefits are reproducible, trials have not demonstrated a reduction in mortality or major cardiac events.","sources":[{"title":"Benefit-Risk Assessment of Crataegus Extract WS 1442: An Evidence-Based Review","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40256-017-0249-9","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Digestive / food-stagnation relief (the primary TCM indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Hawthorn fruit's classical role in promoting digestion of fatty foods is well documented in materia medica but was not supported by any controlled clinical trial identified in this search.","sources":[{"title":"Shan Zha (Hawthorn fruit) TCM herb monograph","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/shan-zha","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Adverse events in heart failure trials were infrequent, mild and transient - mainly dizziness/vertigo, nausea and gastrointestinal complaints (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11753770/)","Hawthorn constituents cross-react with some digoxin immunoassays, producing falsely altered serum digoxin readings, and pharmacodynamic additive effects with digoxin are plausible (https://meridian.allenpress.com/aplm/article/134/8/1188/461123/Interference-of-Hawthorn-on-Serum-Digoxin)","A dedicated pharmacokinetic interaction study found hawthorn did not significantly alter digoxin pharmacokinetics after 3 weeks of co-administration (https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/97293/0091270003253417.pdf?sequence=1)","Related species can be hazardous: Crataegus mexicana (tejocote) root exposure has been associated with dysrhythmias and respiratory depression (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6825057/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Hawthorn is one of the few herbs in this batch with genuine randomized-trial support: the Cochrane review of 14 double-blind trials found consistent improvement in exercise capacity and symptoms when leaf-and-flower extract is added to standard chronic heart failure therapy, and a 2025 meta-analysis suggests a clinically sizeable but statistically imprecise blood-pressure reduction. Importantly, no trial has shown a reduction in mortality or hard cardiac events, and evidence for the fruit (Shan Zha) specifically - as opposed to standardized European leaf/flower extracts such as WS 1442 - is much weaker. The traditional TCM digestive indication and popular lipid-lowering/weight-loss claims are not supported by controlled human trials, and the main practical caution is interference with digoxin immunoassays in cardiac patients.","_slug":"hawthorn"}},"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)":{"canonical_name":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","research_target":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","common_names":["Agarikon / quinine conk / larch bracket","yao yong ling zhi-type polypore (no standard pinyin; largely a European/North American medicinal polypore)","Fomitopsis officinalis (Vill.) Bondartsev & Singer (syn. Laricifomes officinalis)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Fomitopsidaceae (brown-rot polypore, mainly on larch and conifers)","tcm_category":"Not a classical Chinese tonic category; used in Western/European herbal and Eurasian folk medicine as a lung-supporting, antimicrobial 'tonic' mushroom (loosely marketed as a qi/lung tonic)","traditional_uses":["Millennia-long use, especially for pulmonary disease - cough, tuberculosis-like wasting and respiratory infection; the fungus was found among the possessions of Neolithic remains, hence the 'ice man's fungus' name in the supplement trade","Traditional European medicine used it as a bitter tonic and antiseptic, and for haemostasis, inflammation, liver complaints, nausea and headache","Folk use as an anti-fatigue and immune-strengthening decoction"],"key_active_constituents":["Chlorinated coumarins (e.g. 6-chloro-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-2-one) with narrow-spectrum antimycobacterial activity","Lanostane-type triterpenoids (fomitopsins, agaricic/officinalic acid derivatives)","Polysaccharides (alpha- and beta-glucans, heteropolysaccharides)","Phenolic compounds concentrated in the apical part of the fruiting body"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antibacterial activity including against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Two naturally occurring chlorinated coumarins isolated from an ethanol extract showed a narrow antimicrobial spectrum with their lowest MICs against the M. tuberculosis complex, and a review reports fomitopsins E and F inhibiting Bacillus cereus at MIC 6.25 microgram/mL.","sources":[{"title":"Chlorinated Coumarins from the Polypore Mushroom Fomitopsis officinalis and Their Activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/np400497f","year":2013},{"title":"Antimicrobial properties of Fomitopsis officinalis in the light of its bioactive metabolites: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6394315/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Antiviral activity (herpes simplex virus type 1)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of F. officinalis bioactive metabolites reports fomitopsin D inhibiting HSV-1 with an IC50 of 17 microgram/mL and describes broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral reports, while cautioning that crude-extract evidence is variable and non-standardized.","sources":[{"title":"Antimicrobial properties of Fomitopsis officinalis in the light of its bioactive metabolites: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6394315/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of fruiting-body extracts","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 spatial metabolomics study annotated 505 metabolites and found apical extracts richest in phenolics (116.12 mg GAE/100 g) with the strongest ABTS/DPPH/FRAP activity and MICs below 100 microgram/mL against most bacteria and dermatophytes (3.86 microgram/mL against E. coli).","sources":[{"title":"Fomitopsis officinalis: Spatial (Pileus and Hymenophore) Metabolomic Variations Affect Functional Components and Biological Activities","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10135358/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Antitrypanosomal activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Several lanostane-type triterpenoids from F. officinalis inhibited Trypanosoma congolense with IC50 values of 7-27.1 microM in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"Antimicrobial properties of Fomitopsis officinalis in the light of its bioactive metabolites: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6394315/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Immune support, anti-fatigue and general 'tonic' use in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review of the genus Fomitopsis lists traditional uses for headache, nausea, liver problems, haemostasis, inflammation, fatigue, immune enhancement and cancer, and reports antioxidant/immunomodulatory potential from laboratory work only; the striking metabolic figures it cites (e.g. large glucose and lipid changes) come from F. pinicola animal studies, not F. officinalis human trials.","sources":[{"title":"The bioactive compounds, beneficial medicinal properties, and biotechnological prospects of Fomitopsis: a comprehensive overview","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1534617/full","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No clinical toxicology or drug-interaction studies were identified; the 2025 genus review states that no significant documented toxicity has been found but that long-term safety and adverse-effect data are limited (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1534617/full)","In vitro, hydroalcoholic extracts below 200 microgram/mL were reported as generally well tolerated by human and murine cells, which is a cell-culture observation and not a human safety margin (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10135358/)","The species is rare, slow-growing and of conservation concern, and commercial 'agarikon' products are frequently mycelium-on-grain rather than the characterized fruiting body, so constituent content (chlorinated coumarins, triterpenoids) is unverified in most supplements (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6394315/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"There is essentially no human clinical evidence for Fomitopsis (Laricifomes) officinalis: no RCTs, no controlled trials and no case series were found. What exists is credible natural-products chemistry - chlorinated coumarins with selective activity against the M. tuberculosis complex, fomitopsin antivirals against HSV-1, antitrypanosomal lanostane triterpenoids and antioxidant phenolics - all in vitro. The traditional pulmonary and antimicrobial reputation is therefore mechanistically plausible but clinically unproven, and marketing claims about immune enhancement, antiviral protection or cancer are not substantiated by human data. Product identity and constituent standardization are additional unresolved problems.","_slug":"ice-mans-fungus-fomitopsis-officinalis"}},"l-theanine":{"canonical_name":"l-theanine","research_target":"l-theanine","used_in_tinctures":["Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"l-theanine","common_names":["L-theanine (N-ethyl-L-glutamine)","Cha An Suan (theanine, from cha \u8336 = tea)","Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze - source plant"],"plant_or_organism":"Theaceae - non-proteinogenic amino acid found in leaves of Camellia sinensis (also in Xerocomus badius mushroom); commonly produced as enzymatically synthesised Suntheanine","tcm_category":"Shen tonic (calming/spirit-settling) - an isolated tea constituent rather than a classical materia medica item; tea itself is used to clear heat and sharpen the mind","traditional_uses":["Green tea has long been drunk in China and Japan to produce calm alertness during meditation and study - the effect now attributed largely to theanine","Tea used traditionally to clear the head, brighten the eyes and settle the spirit without heavy sedation"],"key_active_constituents":["L-theanine itself (gamma-glutamylethylamide), a glutamate analogue acting at glutamate transporters/receptors","Typically studied at 100-450 mg/day; often co-administered with caffeine in tea matrices"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improved attention / choice reaction time after a single dose","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 31 RCTs (n=1,168) found a single 200 mg dose taken 30-60 minutes before testing significantly improved choice reaction time (SMD 0.51, 95% CI 0.25-0.77).","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"reduced acute stress","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis found only a modest acute stress reduction (SMD 0.31) that was largely driven by studies at high risk of bias, so the anti-stress claim is weakly supported.","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"reduced depressive symptoms","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"After excluding one outlier, a single dose significantly reduced depressive symptoms in healthy individuals (SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.13-1.25) with low heterogeneity; anxiety effects were inconsistent and non-significant except in a single trial of psychotic anxiety (400 mg/day, 8 weeks).","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"no effect on fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of RCTs found no significant effect of L-theanine on fatigue outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"improved sleep quality","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2026 systematic review of 13 human trials (11 RCTs, 550 participants, ages ~9-57) found signals that 200-450 mg/day supports sleep quality, but heterogeneity in designs and outcomes prevented meta-analysis and prevented firm conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Examining the effect of L-theanine on sleep: a systematic review (Nutr Neurosci)","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2025.2556925","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"reduced stress-related symptoms and improved executive function with 4-week dosing","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 30 healthy adults (mean age 48) taking 200 mg/day before sleep for 4 weeks reported improvements in stress-related symptoms (including sleep and cognitive measures) with 100% compliance and no significant adverse events.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Nutrients 11:2362)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836118/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"cognition, mood and sleep in healthy adults (tea/theanine +/- caffeine)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on tea, L-theanine and L-theanine plus caffeine in healthy participants found small and inconsistent effects across cognition, sleep and mood domains.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of tea (Camellia sinensis) or its bioactive compounds L-theanine or L-theanine plus caffeine on cognition, sleep, and mood in healthy participants: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials","url":"https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/effects-of-tea-camellia-sinensis-or-its-bioactive-compounds-ltheanine-or-ltheanine-plus-caffeine-on-cognition-sleep-and-mood-in-healthy-participants-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis-of-randomised-controlled-trials/1F0ABB804FC3E74DCC0799E0403627DD","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Well tolerated in trials: the 4-week 200 mg/day crossover RCT reported full compliance and no significant safety concerns (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6836118/)","Across 31 RCTs (n=1,168) L-theanine was studied at 100-400 mg/day without notable safety signals reported as a limiting factor (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/)","Theoretical additive sedation with sleep medications and interaction with stimulant/caffeine effects; the sleep review notes most trials excluded combination products, so combined-product safety is uncharacterised (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1028415X.2025.2556925)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"L-theanine has the strongest modern trial base of any item in this batch: pooled RCT data support a real acute improvement in attention/choice reaction time at 200 mg, and reasonably consistent tolerability. Claims for stress and anxiety reduction are weaker than marketing implies - the acute stress effect is small and driven by high-risk-of-bias studies, anxiety effects are inconsistent, and fatigue shows no effect. Sleep benefit at 200-450 mg/day is plausible but the underlying 13-trial evidence base was too heterogeneous to pool, so it should be treated as promising rather than established.","_slug":"l-theanine"}},"lily flower":{"canonical_name":"lily flower","research_target":"lily flower","used_in_tinctures":["Dew Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"lily flower","common_names":["Daylily flower / golden needle flower (Hemerocallis); in some TCM sources 'lily' refers to the bulb Bai He","Jin Zhen Hua / Huang Hua Cai (daylily flower); Bai He (Lilium bulb)","Hemerocallis fulva L. (Asphodelaceae); cf. Lilium brownii F.E.Br. (Liliaceae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Asphodelaceae/Hemerocallidoideae - dried flower buds of Hemerocallis fulva (distinct from the Liliaceae lily bulb 'Bai He', Lilium brownii)","tcm_category":"Shen tonic / spirit-calming and heat-clearing herb (yin-moistening in the Lilium 'Bai He' sense)","traditional_uses":["Daylily flowers have been eaten as a vegetable and used medicinally for thousands of years in Taiwan and eastern Asia, traditionally to calm the spirit and improve sleep (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/)","Traditional attributions for daylily include enhancing immunity, improving sleep, relieving constipation, 'invigorating the brain', relieving pain, anti-inflammatory action and dispelling stasis with haemostasis (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3924984/)","Where 'lily' denotes the Lilium bulb (Bai He), the Chinese Pharmacopoeia indication is palpitations, insomnia and haemoptysis at 6-12 g, i.e. moistening the Lung and clearing Heart heat to calm the spirit (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Rutin and other flavonoids - quantified at 7.27 ppm in aqueous and 23.30 ppm in ethanolic daylily flower extract (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/)","Phenolic acid derivatives (including caffeoylquinic acids) reported as the likely neuroactive constituents of daylily flowers (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3924984/)","For Lilium/Baihe: steroidal saponins and Lilium polysaccharides (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning; reduced sleep latency","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a human study of adult volunteers, a water extract of daylily flowers improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning and shortened sleep latency compared with water; sample size, dose and duration were not reported in the abstract, so the strength of this single trial is uncertain.","sources":[{"title":"Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva Linn.) flowers improve sleep quality in human and reduce nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production in macrophages","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect (behavioural despair, monoamine turnover)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In rats, ethanol extract of Hemerocallis fulva flowers (3, 15 or 30 g/kg raw-equivalent, 7 or 28 days of oral gavage) reduced immobility in the forced swimming test comparably to fluoxetine and, after chronic dosing, increased brain serotonin concentration and reduced serotonin turnover.","sources":[{"title":"The Antidepressant-like Effect of Ethanol Extract of Daylily Flowers (Jin Zhen Hua) in Rats","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3924984/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Reduced nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production (anti-inflammatory)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous and ethanol extracts of daylily flowers inhibited nitric oxide and IL-6 production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva Linn.) flowers improve sleep quality in human and reduce nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production in macrophages","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Glucose lowering and beta-cell effects (Lilium/Baihe interpretation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"If 'lily' is taken as Lilium brownii/Baihe, its polysaccharides promoted islet beta-cell proliferation and insulin secretion in vitro and dose-dependently lowered blood glucose in alloxan-hyperglycaemic mice; no significant alpha-glucosidase inhibition was seen.","sources":[{"title":"Lilium brownii/Baihe as Nutraceuticals: Insights into Its Composition and Therapeutic Properties","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Insomnia relief via gut-microbiota and metabolite modulation (Lilium/Baihe)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Lilium brownii bulb is a common Chinese medicine for insomnia and animal work links its effect to reversal of adverse changes in intestinal flora abundance/diversity and faecal metabolites; the clinical dataset for the bulb remains limited to small formula studies such as Baihe Gujin decoction (150 lung-cancer patients, no obvious side effects).","sources":[{"title":"Lilium brownii/Baihe as Nutraceuticals: Insights into Its Composition and Therapeutic Properties","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No adverse effects or drug interactions were reported in the human daylily sleep study or the rat antidepressant study; safety data for concentrated extracts are essentially absent (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3924984/)","Both plants are widely eaten as food (daylily buds as a vegetable; Lanzhou lily as food), which supports culinary-dose tolerability but says little about supplement-strength extracts (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/)","For Lilium/Baihe, one clinical study of Baihe Gujin decoction in 150 patients with advanced lung cancer and pneumonia reported no obvious side effects over 2 weeks; Chinese Pharmacopoeia dosing is 6-12 g (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/)","Note a real product-identity risk: 'lily flower' in commerce may be Hemerocallis flower buds or Lilium material, and the two have different chemistry and dose conventions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11434738/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"The strongest finding for 'lily flower' interpreted as daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) is a single human study reporting improved sleep quality, efficiency and daytime functioning with a water extract - encouraging but unreplicated, with dose and sample size unreported. Everything else is preclinical: antidepressant-like effects in rats mediated by serotonergic changes, and anti-inflammatory inhibition of nitric oxide and IL-6 in macrophages. If the intended herb is instead the Lilium bulb (Bai He), the evidence is similarly preclinical (polysaccharide glucose-lowering, microbiota-mediated sleep effects) with clinical data only for multi-herb decoctions. Traditional claims about immunity, brain-invigorating and pain-relieving effects are not substantiated by controlled human trials, and the naming ambiguity between Hemerocallis and Lilium material is itself a limitation.","_slug":"lily-flower"}},"lion's mane":{"canonical_name":"lion's mane","research_target":"lion's mane","used_in_tinctures":["Lion's Mane Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"lion's mane","common_names":["Lion's mane mushroom, bearded tooth, yamabushitake","Hou Tou Gu","Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers."],"plant_or_organism":"Hericiaceae (Basidiomycota; order Russulales)","tcm_category":"Shen tonic in modern usage (calming/cognitive support); classically used in Chinese dietary therapy as a Spleen-Stomach strengthening food for digestive weakness","traditional_uses":["Chinese dietary therapy: strengthens the Spleen and Stomach and is used for digestive weakness, poor appetite and gastric complaints","Modern tonic-herb usage frames it as a Shen (spirit/mind) tonic for memory, focus and calm, based on nerve-growth-factor-related mechanisms rather than classical texts (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12434001/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Hericenones (fruiting body) - diterpenoid aromatic compounds that stimulate NGF synthesis","Erinacines (mycelium) - cyathane diterpenes that cross the blood-brain barrier in animal models","Beta-glucans and other polysaccharides"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved cognitive scores in older adults with mild cognitive impairment","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 16-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 30 Japanese adults aged 50-80 with mild cognitive impairment, the group taking 3 g/day of Yamabushitake powder had significantly higher cognitive-function scores (Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised) at weeks 8, 12 and 16 than placebo, with scores declining again 4 weeks after stopping. The sample was very small and the finding has not been convincingly replicated.","sources":[{"title":"Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2634","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Reduced depression, anxiety and indefinite complaints in menopausal women","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 4-week randomised placebo-controlled trial in 30 women found lower CES-D and Indefinite Complaints Index scores after H. erinaceus cookies than before, with significant between-group differences on only two individual items ('insentive' and 'palpitation'). The trial was small, short, and mostly reported within-group rather than between-group effects.","sources":[{"title":"Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20834180/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Acute cognitive/mood enhancement in healthy young adults","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 double-blind crossover study in 18 healthy adults found no significant effect of a single 3 g dose (10:1 extract) on composite cognition or mood at 90 minutes, while a 2023 pilot RCT (43 adults, 28 days) reported some acute performance and stress benefits. Results in healthy young people are inconsistent.","sources":[{"title":"Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane mushroom) on cognition and mood in healthy younger adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40276537/","year":2025},{"title":"The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10675414/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Neurotrophic effects - NGF/BDNF induction, hippocampal neurogenesis, nerve regeneration","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Hericenones and erinacines stimulate nerve growth factor synthesis and increase pro-BDNF/BDNF and hippocampal neurogenesis in cell and rodent studies, providing the mechanistic rationale for cognitive claims. These effects have not been demonstrated directly in humans.","sources":[{"title":"Neurotrophic and Neuroprotective Effects of Hericium erinaceus","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10650066/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Overall clinical effectiveness as a supplement","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 review covering five RCTs, three pilot trials and numerous laboratory studies concluded that clinical effectiveness is limited and associated mainly with temporary improvements in cognitive function and mental clarity, with evidence constrained by small samples, short durations and heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"Benefits, side effects, and uses of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane) - a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12434001/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Generally well tolerated in trials; reported side effects are mild and mainly gastrointestinal discomfort, with occasional allergic/dermatologic reactions - the 2025 review notes limited long-term safety data (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12434001/)","No clinically confirmed drug interactions have been established; theoretical caution with anticoagulants and antidiabetic drugs is based on preclinical activity rather than human data (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12434001/)","Products vary widely between fruiting-body (hericenone) and mycelium (erinacine) material, so trial results are not transferable across products (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10650066/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Lion's mane has a plausible and well-studied neurotrophic mechanism (NGF induction by hericenones/erinacines) and one frequently cited 30-person RCT showing cognitive improvement in mild cognitive impairment, but the human evidence base overall is small, short-term and inconsistent - a 2025 acute crossover trial found no cognitive or mood effect in healthy young adults. Reviews conclude clinical effectiveness is limited and mostly transient. Safety in short-term use appears good; claims of durable memory enhancement or dementia prevention are not substantiated.","_slug":"lions-mane"}},"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)":{"canonical_name":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","research_target":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","used_in_tinctures":["Albizia Flower Shen Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","common_names":["Magnolia coco flower / 'Cantonese albizia flower' (a regional substitute for he huan hua)","ye he hua (\u591c\u5408\u82b1), also called he huan hua in southern China","Magnolia coco (Lour.) DC. (syn. Michelia coco; Flos Magnoliae Cocinis)"],"plant_or_organism":"Magnoliaceae; shrub or small tree of wet tropical/subtropical southern China, dried solitary flower used (botanically unrelated to true Albizia julibrissin, Leguminosae)","tcm_category":"Shen (spirit)-calming herb by substitution \u2014 in southern China and in Western practice Magnoliae cocinis Flos (ye he hua) is commonly dispensed in place of Albiziae Flos (he huan hua), a Shen-calming/Liver-Qi-regulating herb; it is not listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia in its own right","traditional_uses":["Dispensed in southern China and in the West as a substitute for Albizia flower (he huan hua), which is used to calm the spirit, relieve constrained Liver Qi, irritability and insomnia \u2014 https://bacopa.at/uploads/pdf/produkte/materia-medica-1-30-plus-index-6985ab9829eca584194250.pdf","Officially recognised as a distinct and 'easily confused' material: Flos Magnoliae Cocinis is the dried flower of Magnolia coco (Magnoliaceae) whereas Flos Albiziae is the dried inflorescence of Albizia julibrissin (Leguminosae); only the latter is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 and Schedule 2 of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Ordinance \u2014 https://www.cmro.gov.hk/files/gcmti/research/mmi/ech_search/006_FA_vs_FMC_en.pdf","Chinese materia medica sources list ye he hua (\u591c\u5408\u82b1) under the alternative names he huan hua / ye xiang mu lan, derived from the flower of this Magnoliaceae shrub \u2014 https://m.med126.com/pharm/2009/20090113054923_94374.shtml"],"key_active_constituents":["Lignans: magnolone (new lignan), episesamin, sesamin, fargesin, aschantin, epieudesmin, syringaresinol and its glucoside \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9722488/","The amide magnolamide, the coumarin scoparone, and the aporphine alkaloids oxoanolobine and dicentrinone (leaves) \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9722488/","Magnolol (biphenolic constituent shared with other Magnolia species) and stem essential oil with antimicrobial activity \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9722488/ and https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0972060X.2020.1829998"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Calming the spirit / relieving irritability and insomnia (traditional indication, by substitution for Albizia flower)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No clinical or animal efficacy study of Magnolia coco flower for any health outcome was located. The available literature consists of taxonomy/authentication work and phytochemical isolation from leaves and stem, plus materia medica notes that the flower is used as a regional substitute for Albizia flower.","sources":[{"title":"Identification of Easily Confused Species of Chinese Materia Medica in Hong Kong: Flos Albiziae vs Flos Magnoliae Cocinis (Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office, HKSAR)","url":"https://www.cmro.gov.hk/files/gcmti/research/mmi/ech_search/006_FA_vs_FMC_en.pdf","year":2020},{"title":"Two new constituents from the leaves of Magnolia coco","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9722488/","year":1998}]},{"outcome":"Antimicrobial activity of stem essential oil","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Hydro-distilled essential oil from Magnolia coco stem was chemically characterised and showed in vitro antimicrobial activity; this is an in vitro finding on a different plant part from the medicinal flower and has no clinical relevance established.","sources":[{"title":"Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from the Stem of Magnolia coco (Lour.) DC. from Vietnam","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0972060X.2020.1829998","year":2020}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No toxicology, adverse event or drug-interaction data for Magnolia coco were found. The regulatory comparison document notes Flos Magnoliae Cocinis is NOT listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020) or Schedule 2 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, so no official quality or safety monograph exists \u2014 https://www.cmro.gov.hk/files/gcmti/research/mmi/ech_search/006_FA_vs_FMC_en.pdf","Substitution risk: because Magnolia coco flower is routinely dispensed in place of Albizia julibrissin flower, product identity is unreliable and safety/efficacy data on one species cannot be assumed for the other \u2014 https://www.cmro.gov.hk/files/gcmti/research/mmi/ech_search/006_FA_vs_FMC_en.pdf","Toxicology of Magnolia officinalis bark (magnolol/honokiol) should not be extrapolated to this species or plant part \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5365644/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Modern scientific evidence for Magnolia coco flower is essentially absent: there are no clinical trials, no animal efficacy studies and no toxicology, only phytochemical isolation work on leaves and stem and official authentication documents distinguishing it from Albizia flower. Its use as a 'Shen tonic' in the Western tonic-herb market is inherited from Albizia julibrissin flower (he huan hua), for which it is a southern-Chinese substitute, and even that herb's calming claims are traditional rather than trial-supported. Any marketing claim for this ingredient should be described as traditional use only, with the added caveat that the material is not in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and species substitution is common.","_slug":"magnolia-coco-cantonese-hard-albizia"}},"morinda":{"canonical_name":"morinda","research_target":"morinda","used_in_tinctures":["Morinda Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"morinda","common_names":["Morinda root / Indian mulberry root (ba ji tian)","ba ji tian","Morinda officinalis F.C. How"],"plant_or_organism":"Rubiaceae (perennial vine; dried root used)","tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang and Essence tonic that also dispels Wind-Dampness)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies Kidney Yang for impotence, premature ejaculation, infertility including cold-uterus female infertility, frequent urination and incontinence; sweet and acrid, warm, entering Kidney and Liver channels (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/ba-ji-tian)","Strengthens sinews and bones and dispels Wind-Dampness for chronic cold lower-back pain, weak knees and legs, and Wind-Cold-Damp joint pain with underlying Kidney Yang deficiency (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/ba-ji-tian)","Augments Kidney Essence and boosts Qi, used for osteoporosis, tinnitus, menopausal complaints and depression from Kidney deficiency (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/ba-ji-tian)","One of the 'Four Southern Medicines' of China, used since ancient times for tonifying Kidney Yang and for depression, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, infertility, fatigue and cognitive decline (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38521432/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Inulin-type oligosaccharides (Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides, MOO; the constituent used in licensed Chinese antidepressant capsules)","Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (MOPs)","Bajijiasu (beta-D-fructofuranosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside), a main bioactive monomer","Anthraquinones and iridoid glycosides reported in comprehensive phytochemical reviews"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of depressive symptoms in mild-to-moderate depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (1,384 patients) found Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules were not different from conventional antidepressants for moderate depressive disorder (RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.92-1.06) with similar adverse-event rates (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.65-1.07). This is non-inferiority against active comparators with low-quality evidence, not proof of efficacy against placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules for depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32997072/","year":2021},{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules for depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis (full text)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8136385/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Added benefit of probiotics on insomnia items in major depressive disorder treated with MOO","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"An 8-week randomised double-blind trial (ChiCTR2200055780) in 108 patients with major depressive disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms gave MOO to both arms plus probiotics or placebo: total HAMD-17 reduction did not differ (Z = 0.02, p = 0.983), with only a transient advantage on insomnia items at week 2 (Z = -2.23, p = 0.028). The design cannot isolate MOO's own effect.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Morinda Officinalis Oligosaccharides Combined with Probiotics as a Therapeutic Strategy for Major Depressive Disorder with Gastrointestinal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41050503/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect via gut-microbiota-dependent serotonin synthesis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides raised gut 5-hydroxytryptophan production and brain serotonin and reversed stress-induced anhedonia in rodents, providing a mechanistic account for the clinical antidepressant use.","sources":[{"title":"Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides increase serotonin in the brain and ameliorate depression via promoting 5-hydroxytryptophan production in the gut microbiota","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9366226/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporosis, anti-fatigue, immunomodulatory and pro-spermatogenic effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (literature 2004-2023) reports antioxidant, anti-fatigue, immune-enhancing, anti-osteoporosis and spermatogenesis-regulating activity, with applications explored in skeletal muscle atrophy, varicocele and osteoporosis; the authors state toxicology and clinical pharmacology still require study.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review on polysaccharides from Morinda officinalis How: Advances in the preparation, structural characterization and pharmacological activities","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38521432/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Traditional Yang-tonic uses (impotence, infertility, cold lower-back pain) validated pharmacologically","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Morinda officinalis traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology concludes that its traditional uses have been supported by pharmacological investigation, but the supporting studies are animal and in vitro rather than clinical.","sources":[{"title":"Morinda officinalis How. - A comprehensive review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874117327265","year":2018}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the meta-analysis, adverse events with MOO capsules did not differ significantly from conventional antidepressants (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.65-1.07), though the evidence for adverse events was rated low quality (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32997072/)","Bajijiasu, a main Morinda constituent, regulates P-glycoprotein via Nrf2 signalling in vitro and in vivo, a plausible mechanism for altered absorption of co-administered P-gp substrate drugs, which matters because the herb is often taken with other medicines (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6450468/)","A systematic review of Morinda polysaccharides states that toxicology, clinical pharmacology and mechanisms of action still require further study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38521432/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Morinda has better clinical footing than most Yang tonics, but only for one indication and one preparation: Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules perform comparably to standard antidepressants for mild-to-moderate depression in seven Chinese RCTs, with the caveat that these were active-comparator studies of low methodological quality rather than placebo-controlled proof, and a 2025 trial gave MOO to both arms so it adds no efficacy evidence. The traditional core uses - impotence, infertility, osteoporosis, cold lower-back pain, fatigue - are supported only by rodent and in vitro pharmacology. Its most concrete safety consideration is P-glycoprotein modulation by bajijiasu, which could affect co-administered drugs.","_slug":"morinda"}},"notoginseng":{"canonical_name":"notoginseng","research_target":"notoginseng","used_in_tinctures":["Notoginseng Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"notoginseng","common_names":["Notoginseng root / tienchi ginseng ('three-seven' root)","San Qi (Tian Qi)","Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H. Chen"],"plant_or_organism":"Araliaceae (ginseng family); dried root","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (stop-bleeding herb): warm, sweet-bitter, entering Liver and Stomach channels; dispels stasis and stops bleeding, invigorates Blood, reduces swelling and alleviates pain","traditional_uses":["Stops bleeding without creating Blood stasis while simultaneously dispelling existing stasis - summarized in the classical phrase 'dissolves stagnant blood without damaging new blood' (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/san-qi)","Trauma and injury recovery, bruising and swelling; it is the principal ingredient of the trauma formula Yunnan Baiyao (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/san-qi)","Chest obstruction / Heart Blood stagnation (xiong bi) - the traditional rationale for its modern cardiovascular use, often combined with Danshen and borneol (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/san-qi)"],"key_active_constituents":["Dammarane triterpene saponins (Panax notoginseng saponins, PNS; total saponin content ~15% of root): notoginsenoside R1 (7-10%), ginsenoside Rb1 (30-36%), Rg1 (20-40%), plus Rd and Re, with PPD/PPT-derived saponins accounting for >90% of total saponins (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11242943/)","Dencichine (beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid), the constituent classically linked to its haemostatic action","Flavonoids, cyclopeptides, sterols, polyacetylenes, volatile oils and polysaccharides - more than 200 bioactive compounds identified (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11242943/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced angina symptoms, cardiovascular events and ECG abnormality in unstable angina pectoris","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (1828 patients, mostly injectable preparations) found reduced cardiovascular events (RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.94), symptom relief (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.18-1.29), ECG improvement (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15-1.28) and lower angina frequency (MD -1.48, 95% CI -2.49 to -0.48); cardiac mortality and angina duration were not significantly changed.","sources":[{"title":"Panax notoginseng Preparations for Unstable Angina Pectoris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28634988/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Hard clinical endpoints in coronary heart disease (mortality, myocardial infarction)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review of 17 Chinese-language RCTs (1747 participants) of oral notoginseng added to conventional therapy found no significant effect on cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.05-5.34) or myocardial infarction (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.02-1.37); only angina recurrence reached significance (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.16-0.94), and no trial was rated low risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Oral Panax notoginseng Preparation for Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3762143/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Improved neurological recovery and functional independence after acute ischaemic stroke","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooling 46 RCTs (7957 patients) of PNS injection (Xuesaitong) showed better modified Rankin Scale scores (MD -0.67, 95% CI -0.92 to -0.42), functional independence (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12), Barthel Index (MD 10.17) and NIHSS (MD -3.39), but 45 of 46 trials were at high risk of bias and GRADE certainty ranged from moderate down to very low; all-cause mortality was unchanged (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.06-2.93).","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Panax notoginseng saponins (Xuesaitong) for patients with acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1280559/full","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Adverse-event rate comparable to control in stroke trials","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the 46-RCT stroke meta-analysis, adverse events did not differ between PNS injection and control (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.70-1.35, I2=0%), and this was the only outcome graded at moderate certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Panax notoginseng saponins (Xuesaitong) for patients with acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1280559/full","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders.","sources":[{"title":"Panax notoginseng: Pharmacological Aspects and Toxicological Issues","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11242943/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Documented interaction potential with anticoagulant and antiplatelet agents; the 2024 pharmacology/toxicology review flags significant reported interactions with commonly used drugs including anticoagulants and antiplatelets as a herb-drug concern (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11242943/)","Notoginseng preparations plus aspirin prolonged prothrombin time and PT-INR compared with aspirin alone in a meta-analysis of coronary heart disease/ischaemic stroke patients, indicating additive antithrombotic effect and a plausible bleeding risk (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1015048/full)","In the large stroke meta-analysis, PNS injection did not increase adverse events versus control (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.70-1.35), the only safety outcome with moderate GRADE certainty (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1280559/full)","The 2024 review concludes further clinical and toxicological studies are required before therapeutic use outside cardiovascular adjunctive settings can be endorsed (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11242943/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Notoginseng has the largest human trial base of any herb in this batch - dozens of RCTs and several meta-analyses in unstable angina, coronary heart disease and acute ischaemic stroke - and these consistently show improvement in symptom, ECG and functional-scale outcomes with no excess adverse events. The critical qualification is evidence quality: nearly all trials are Chinese-language, use injectable saponin preparations rather than the oral root, and 45 of 46 stroke trials were high risk of bias, with GRADE certainty as low as 'very low'; hard endpoints such as mortality and myocardial infarction show no significant benefit. So the fair summary is a probable symptomatic/functional adjunctive benefit in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, an unproven effect on survival, and a real theoretical-to-demonstrated bleeding interaction with antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs.","_slug":"notoginseng"}},"ophiopogon":{"canonical_name":"ophiopogon","research_target":"ophiopogon","used_in_tinctures":["Ophiopogon Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","common_names":["Dwarf lilyturf tuber / mondo grass root","mai men dong (maidong)","Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl. (Radix Ophiopogonis)"],"plant_or_organism":"Asparagaceae (formerly Liliaceae/Convallariaceae); dried tuberous root","tcm_category":"Yin tonic (moistens the lung and stomach, nourishes heart yin, generates fluids)","traditional_uses":["Moistens the lungs and nourishes lung yin for dry cough, dry throat and coughing of blood or scanty sticky sputum","Nourishes stomach yin and generates fluids for thirst, dry mouth, constipation and wasting-thirst (xiao ke, historically mapped to diabetes)","Clears heat from the heart and calms the spirit for irritability and insomnia with yin deficiency; a core ingredient of Sheng Mai San with ginseng and schisandra"],"key_active_constituents":["Steroidal saponins - ophiopogonin D, ophiopogonin B and the ruscogenin glycoside DT-13","Homoisoflavonoids (methylophiopogonanone A/B) and ruscogenin","Ophiopogon polysaccharides (fructans) and organic acids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved NYHA functional class and cardiac function in heart failure (as part of the Sheng Mai/Shengmai formula)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The Cochrane review of Shengmai - a three-herb formula of Panax ginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus and Schisandra chinensis - pooled 6 RCTs (440 patients) and found Shengmai plus usual treatment improved NYHA classification (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25-0.54) with reported gains in ejection fraction, cardiac output and stroke volume, but conclusions were limited by low patient numbers, significant heterogeneity and the inability to attribute effects to any single herb.","sources":[{"title":"Shengmai (a traditional Chinese herbal medicine) for heart failure (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005052.pub3/abstract","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of ophiopogonin D","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 pharmacology review of ophiopogonin D found only animal and cell-model evidence (no human clinical trials): e.g. concentrations below 100 microM did not harm cardiomyocyte morphology while the isomer OP-D' at 6 microM increased apoptosis and endoplasmic-reticulum stress gene expression, and rat pharmacokinetics after 77.0 microg/kg IV fitted a two-compartment model.","sources":[{"title":"Ophiopogonin D: review of pharmacological activity","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11295246/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer activity (tumour growth and metastasis suppression)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided review in Phytomedicine reports that Ophiopogon japonicus extracts and the constituents DT-13, ophiopogonin B and ophiopogonin D inhibit a variety of cancer cell lines in vitro and suppress tumour growth and metastasis in vivo by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting angiogenesis, reportedly without serious toxicity; no clinical trial data are presented.","sources":[{"title":"Ophiopogon japonicus and its active compounds: A review of potential anticancer effects and underlying mechanisms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36854203/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Dry cough, xerostomia and 'lung yin' moistening in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Ophiopogon japonicus alone for cough, dry mouth or yin-deficiency symptoms was identified in this session; human evidence exists only for multi-herb formulas such as Shengmai/Shenmai in cardiovascular indications.","sources":[{"title":"Shengmai (a traditional Chinese herbal medicine) for heart failure (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005052.pub3/abstract","year":2011}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The Cochrane review of Shengmai reported that the trials were too small and heterogeneous to characterize harms reliably, and the active herbal ingredient responsible for any effect was not determined (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005052.pub3/abstract)","Preclinical data show concentration-dependent cytotoxicity: ophiopogonin D was non-injurious to cardiomyocytes below 100 microM, while the related OP-D' at 6 microM increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis and ER-stress gene expression - a caution against high-dose isolated saponin products (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11295246/)","Anticancer reviews describe tumour suppression 'without causing serious toxicity' in animals, but no human adverse-event rates or drug-interaction studies were reported (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36854203/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Human evidence for ophiopogon exists almost exclusively as one component of the Shengmai/Shenmai formula in heart failure, where a Cochrane review found improved NYHA class but explicitly could not attribute the effect to any individual herb and judged the trials small and heterogeneous. Everything else - cardioprotection, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anticancer activity via ophiopogonins B/D and DT-13 - is in vitro and animal data with no clinical translation. Its classical uses for dry cough and fluid-generating 'yin nourishment' have not been tested in controlled human studies, and high-dose isolated saponins show concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in cardiomyocytes.","_slug":"ophiopogon"}},"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)":{"canonical_name":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","research_target":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","common_names":["Matsutake / pine mushroom","Song Rong (\u677e\u8338)","Tricholoma matsutake (S. Ito & S. Imai) Singer"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Basidiomycota, Agaricales, Tricholomataceae (genus Tricholoma); ectomycorrhizal with pines","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / food-grade tonic mushroom \u2014 used as a nourishing dietary tonic rather than as a classical categorized materia medica herb","traditional_uses":["In Eastern countries Tricholoma fungi have been eaten as a vegetable for thousands of years and used in traditional Chinese medicine for disease prevention and treatment \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","Used as a general strengthening/anti-fatigue and longevity food tonic, consistent with the reported anti-fatigue and anti-aging activities of its polysaccharides \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","Applied in cosmetic and skin-brightening preparations, an extension of its traditional food use \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11033116/"],"key_active_constituents":["Polysaccharides (the principal bioactive class), including an 18.6-kDa anti-melanogenic fraction (PETM) \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11033116/","Tricholoma polysaccharides described across T. matsutake, T. mongolicum and T. flavovirens \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced excessive skin melanin production (topical, facial hyperpigmentation)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized clinical study of a topical serum containing matsutake polysaccharide extract (40 randomized, 36 completed; placebo n=10 versus 0.5% PETM serum arms) accompanied in vitro work showing 0.5 mg/mL PETM significantly reduced 8-MOP-induced melanin content, MITF expression and tyrosinase activity via reduced JNK phosphorylation, comparably to alpha-arbutin. This is a small cosmetic-endpoint trial with topical, not oral, dosing.","sources":[{"title":"Tricholoma matsutake polysaccharides suppress excessive melanogenesis via JNK-mediated pathway: B16-F10 cells and clinical study (Heliyon)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11033116/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 Journal of Ethnopharmacology review reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumour and radioprotective activities for Tricholoma polysaccharides, but records no quantitative human outcome data.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural characterization, pharmacological activities, and applications of Tricholoma polysaccharides: A review (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue and anti-aging effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory activities are described for Tricholoma polysaccharides in cell and animal models only; no clinical trials or effect sizes are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural characterization, pharmacological activities, and applications of Tricholoma polysaccharides: A review (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Systemic health benefits from eating matsutake (immunity, longevity, cancer prevention)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No human trial of oral matsutake for any systemic clinical outcome was identified; the tonic reputation rests on centuries of dietary and traditional use plus preclinical polysaccharide pharmacology.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural characterization, pharmacological activities, and applications of Tricholoma polysaccharides: A review (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Matsutake is an established food allergen: a documented paediatric case of anaphylaxis after ingestion, with positive skin prick test, matsutake-specific IgE and marked rises in histamine, tryptase and ECP \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17075291/","In the topical/in-vitro study, polysaccharide extract up to 0.5 mg/mL had little effect on cell viability and the clinical serum study reported no safety concerns; no oral-dose human safety data were identified \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11033116/","No drug interactions have been characterized; the 2025 review reports no safety or toxicology data for Tricholoma polysaccharides \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Matsutake is primarily a prized culinary mushroom whose medicinal literature is almost entirely preclinical polysaccharide pharmacology (antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumour, radioprotective, hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue activities in cells and animals). The only human data located is a small randomized study of a topical 0.5% polysaccharide serum for facial hyperpigmentation, supported by a coherent JNK/MITF/tyrosinase mechanism - a cosmetic endpoint that says nothing about oral tonic use. There is no clinical evidence for the immune, anti-fatigue or longevity claims made for matsutake supplements, and ingestion can cause IgE-mediated anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals.","_slug":"pine-needle-mushroom-matsutake"}},"polyrhachis ant":{"canonical_name":"polyrhachis ant","research_target":"polyrhachis ant","used_in_tinctures":["Changbai Mountain Ant Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","common_names":["Chinese black (mountain) ant","Hei Ma Yi / Xuan Ju","Polyrhachis vicina Roger (also P. dives)"],"plant_or_organism":"Formicidae (insect; whole dried ant used)","tcm_category":"Jing/Yang tonic (marketed as a Kidney-tonifying Jing and Qi tonic; classically described among strength-building animal medicinals)","traditional_uses":["Used as folk medicine and health food against gout and hyperuricemia, particularly in minority areas of southwest China, and for anti-rheumatic/anti-inflammatory purposes (https://karger.com/kbr/article/43/1/220/187131/Hypouricemic-and-Nephroprotective-Effects-of-an)","Used in Chinese medicine and as a nutritional ingredient, traditionally to tonify the Kidney and support strength and sexual vigor (https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/sea-190954)","Recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica ('Xuanju') with claims of conferring strength when consumed (https://www.pharmasources.com/industryinsights/pharmacological-effects-and-clinical-app-334705.html)","Promoted in modern Western tonic herbalism as an adaptogenic Jing tonic for vitality and libido - a marketing framing, not a classical category (https://www.phoenixaurelius.org/blogs/journal/polyrhachis-ant)"],"key_active_constituents":["Unsaturated fatty acids (active fraction ~71% unsaturated, of which octadecenoic acid ~61%, heptadecenoic ~9%, linoleic ~1%)","Polyphenols (14 quantified by LC-MS in hydro-ethanolic extract)","Protein/essential amino acids and minerals (zinc, iron)","Formic acid and insect-derived peptides"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Lowered serum uric acid and reduced kidney injury in hyperuricemic rats","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An active petroleum-ether fraction of Polyrhachis vicina (AFPR, 3.96% yield, mostly unsaturated fatty acids) produced hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rats. Rodent model only; no human data.","sources":[{"title":"Hypouricemic and Nephroprotective Effects of an Active Fraction from Polyrhachis vicina Roger on Potassium Oxonate-Induced Hyperuricemia in Rats","url":"https://karger.com/kbr/article/43/1/220/187131/Hypouricemic-and-Nephroprotective-Effects-of-an","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant activity and pancreatic lipase inhibition in vitro","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A hydro-ethanolic extract of P. vicina was characterized by UPLC-MS (14 polyphenols, fatty acid profile) and showed DPPH/ABTS/hydroxyl radical scavenging, FRAP activity and inhibition of pancreatic lipase - a proposed anti-obesity mechanism tested only in test-tube assays.","sources":[{"title":"Characterization, Antioxidant Activities, and Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitory Effect of Extract From the Edible Insect Polyrhachis vicina","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9021923/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory activity of supercritical CO2 extract","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A supercritical CO2 extract of edible Chinese black ant P. vicina showed immunomodulatory effects in experimental models, supporting the traditional 'tonic' framing at a mechanistic level only.","sources":[{"title":"Immunomodulatory effects of edible Chinese black ant, Polyrhachis vicina Roger extract by using supercritical CO2","url":"https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/sea-190954","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Isolation of anti-inflammatory / kidney-tonifying constituents from Polyrhachis dives","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Phytochemical work on edible Chinese black ants (P. dives), traditionally used for kidney tonifying and anti-inflammatory purposes, isolated constituents with in vitro bioactivity; again no clinical endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"Constituents from the edible Chinese black ants (Polyrhachis dives) showing lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory activity","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996914007248","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Energy, libido, strength or 'Jing' benefits in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial or even a controlled clinical case series of Polyrhachis ant for vitality, sexual function, fatigue or immunity was identified; vendor claims cite nutritional composition and rodent work rather than human trials.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Effects and Clinical Applications of Black Ants","url":"https://www.pharmasources.com/industryinsights/pharmacological-effects-and-clinical-app-334705.html","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Insect-derived material carries a documented allergy risk (cross-reactivity with crustacean/insect tropomyosins and hymenoptera allergens); no formal allergenicity or toxicology study of P. vicina supplements was located in this search (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9021923/)","No human pharmacokinetic, toxicity or drug-interaction studies were identified for Polyrhachis ant preparations (https://karger.com/kbr/article/43/1/220/187131/Hypouricemic-and-Nephroprotective-Effects-of-an)","Quality and species authentication are unregulated concerns: commercial products cite several Polyrhachis species interchangeably (https://www.pharmasources.com/industryinsights/pharmacological-effects-and-clinical-app-334705.html)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Polyrhachis ant has a real folk-medicine record (gout/rheumatism in southwest China, 'strength' claims in the Compendium of Materia Medica) and a small preclinical literature: rat studies show hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects from a fatty-acid-rich fraction, and in vitro work shows antioxidant, lipase-inhibiting and immunomodulatory activity. There are no human clinical trials of any kind, so the widely marketed claims of energy, libido, immune enhancement and 'Jing' restoration are unsubstantiated. Its documented value is essentially nutritional (protein, unsaturated fatty acids, zinc) plus traditional context, and allergenicity of insect material is an unstudied risk.","_slug":"polyrhachis-ant"}},"pseudostellaria":{"canonical_name":"pseudostellaria","research_target":"pseudostellaria","used_in_tinctures":["Dew Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"pseudostellaria","common_names":["Prince ginseng / pseudostellaria root (Radix Pseudostellariae)","tai zi shen (\u592a\u5b50\u53c2)","Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax"],"plant_or_organism":"Caryophyllaceae - dried root tuber","tcm_category":"Qi tonic (mild qi-and-yin tonic; tonifies spleen and lung qi while generating fluids)","traditional_uses":["Gentle qi tonic (sweet, slightly bitter, neutral; lung, spleen and heart meridians) for fatigue, poor appetite, loose stool and post-illness weakness; decocted 10-30 g and considered milder than ren shen (ginseng), suitable for children and weak patients","Nourishes yin and generates body fluids for dry mouth, thirst, spontaneous sweating and dry cough with scanty phlegm in combined qi-and-yin deficiency","Used for heart qi-yin deficiency patterns with palpitations and insomnia, and for convalescent regulation after illness"],"key_active_constituents":["Cyclic peptides (heterophyllins A, B, D, J; pseudostellarins A-H) - a distinctive chemical class of this root","Polysaccharides (18.38-64.95% of the root; e.g. rhamnogalacturonan I, H-1-2 at ~14 kDa, pectic fractions ~48 kDa)","Oligosaccharides, saponins and sapogenins","Amino acids, lectin and volatile compounds (palmitic acid 21.37% of the volatile fraction)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Amelioration of 'spleen deficiency' syndrome: weight gain, gastrin, immune-organ indices and gut microbiota","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day rat model of drug-induced spleen-deficiency syndrome (20 SD rats), P. heterophylla decoction and purified polysaccharide increased body-weight gain, gastrin and immune-organ indices and reduced colonic inflammatory infiltration, IL-6 and TNF-alpha (p<0.05), while increasing butyrate, microbiota richness and Lactobacillus abundance; the isolated polysaccharide outperformed the whole decoction.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharides from Pseudostellaria heterophylla modulate gut microbiota and alleviate syndrome of spleen deficiency in rats","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24329-9","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic and triglyceride-lowering activity of root polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A chemistry and pharmacology review reports that P. heterophylla polysaccharide fractions in the 50-210 kDa range lowered blood sugar and serum triglycerides in animal models, and notes that quality-control methods for these fractions remain inadequate.","sources":[{"title":"Chemistry, pharmacology and analysis of Pseudostellaria heterophylla: a mini-review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533724/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review of P. heterophylla research summarizes immunomodulatory and antitumour pharmacology attributed to 19 cyclic peptides, 10 polysaccharides, 6 saponins, 7 oligosaccharides and 4 sapogenins, but presents no human trial data; much of the paper concerns cultivation and continuous-cropping yield loss.","sources":[{"title":"Advances in Pseudostellaria heterophylla Research: Active Constituents, Pharmacology, Biosynthesis and Cultivation","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12429892/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Fatigue, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating and dry cough in qi-yin deficiency","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Chinese materia medica documents tai zi shen as a mild qi-and-yin tonic for lassitude, spontaneous sweating, poor appetite, dry mouth, cough with scanty phlegm, palpitations and insomnia, used especially for post-illness recovery; no controlled human trial of the single herb for these endpoints was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Tai Zi Shen - TCM Wiki materia medica entry (Zhong Guo Yao Yong Zhi Wu Zhi)","url":"https://tcmwiki.com/wiki/tai-zi-shen","year":2012},{"title":"Chemistry, pharmacology and analysis of Pseudostellaria heterophylla: a mini-review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533724/","year":2019}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["No clinical adverse-effect or drug-interaction data were identified; the 2019 mini-review and the 2025 advances review report no safety findings and note that quality control and standardization of the root remain inadequate (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533724/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12429892/)","Agronomic quality issues are a practical risk: continuous cropping causes 15-90% yield loss and four infecting viruses have been confirmed in cultivated material, with soil amendments substantially altering polysaccharide and saponin content, so commercial potency varies (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12429892/)","Preclinical hypoglycaemic activity of the polysaccharides implies theoretical additive effects with antidiabetic drugs, though no human interaction study exists (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533724/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Pseudostellaria heterophylla is well characterized chemically - cyclic peptides (heterophyllins, pseudostellarins) and a high polysaccharide content are distinctive - and rodent studies support the traditional 'spleen-strengthening' claim in a mechanistic sense (improved weight gain, gastrin, immune-organ indices, reduced IL-6/TNF-alpha, favourable gut-microbiota shifts). However, no human randomized or controlled trials were found for any indication, so its use as a mild qi-and-yin tonic for fatigue, appetite, sweating and dry cough remains traditional-use evidence supported only by preclinical plausibility. Hypoglycaemic, immunomodulatory and antitumour claims are animal- and cell-level findings, and both safety data and material standardization are lacking.","_slug":"pseudostellaria"}},"red atractylodes":{"canonical_name":"red atractylodes","research_target":"red atractylodes","used_in_tinctures":["Red Atractylodes Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","common_names":["Red atractylodes rhizome / black atractylodes","Cang Zhu","Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC."],"plant_or_organism":"Asteraceae (Compositae); dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (and A. chinensis)","tcm_category":"Damp-drying / aromatic transforming herb rather than a true tonic; supports Spleen function indirectly (often grouped with Qi-supporting digestives)","traditional_uses":["Strongly dries Dampness and strengthens the Spleen for abdominal distension, nausea, diarrhoea and heavy sensation","Dispels Wind-Damp for damp painful obstruction of the joints and lower-limb heaviness","Induces sweating to release Damp-Cold exterior conditions; traditionally used for colds and fever","Traditional stomachic use for digestive weakness, and folk use for eye health"],"key_active_constituents":["Atractylodin (marker constituent used for standardisation, ~48.4 mg per 1,000 mg standardised extract dose)","Sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene lactones: hinesol, beta-eudesmol, atractylon, atractylenolides","Essential-oil polyacetylenes and volatile components","Polysaccharides and phenolic constituents"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"safety and pharmacokinetics of standardised extract in humans","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An open, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I trial gave healthy volunteers a single 1,000 mg dose or 1,000 mg daily for 21 days (20:4 allocation per group) and reported a satisfactory safety profile with characterised atractylodin pharmacokinetics.","sources":[{"title":"Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of capsule formulation of the standardized extract of Atractylodes lancea (J Tradit Complement Med 11:343-355)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8240349/","year":2021},{"title":"Atractylodes lancea for cholangiocarcinoma (PLOS ONE)","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277614","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"anticancer activity in cholangiocarcinoma (advanced intrahepatic)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A Phase 2A trial in advanced-stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma administered low- and high-dose standardised A. lancea capsules and reported effects on tumour-associated gene expression, immune response and circulating tumour cells; these are early-phase, non-comparative signals rather than proof of survival benefit.","sources":[{"title":"Targeting tumor-associated genes, immune response, and circulating tumor cells in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Therapeutic potential of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC - Phase 2A trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40359186/","year":2025},{"title":"Atractylodes lancea for cholangiocarcinoma (PLOS ONE)","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277614","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation in healthy volunteers","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A modelling analysis combining PBPK simulation of atractylodin with immunomodulatory data from earlier clinical studies concluded that once-daily 1,500-2,000 mg regimens are promising for Phase 2A trials with lower predicted toxicity than four-times-daily regimens.","sources":[{"title":"Immunomodulatory Effects of Atractylodes lancea in Healthy Volunteers with Dosage Prediction for Cholangiocarcinoma Therapy (Pharmaceuticals 18:198)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11860138/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"antitumour and anti-inflammatory mechanisms","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic review of Atractylodes species reports multi-target anticancer effects of extracts and constituents in cell and animal models, and pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu document anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and gastrointestinal-motility effects.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review on the application, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Atractylodes species in cancer (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-026-01473-2","year":2026},{"title":"[Advances in chemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology of Cangzhu] (Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 34:2669-2672)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20069912/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"gastroprotective / digestive (traditional stomachic) effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Chinese pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu describe gastric-protective, anti-ulcer and motility-regulating actions of its essential oil and sesquiterpenes in animal models, aligning with its traditional stomachic use; no controlled human digestive trials were identified.","sources":[{"title":"[Advances in chemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology of Cangzhu] (Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 34:2669-2672)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20069912/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Wind-Damp joint pain, exterior-releasing sweating","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The classical indications for damp painful obstruction and Damp-Cold exterior syndromes have not been tested as endpoints in clinical trials.","sources":[{"title":"[Advances in chemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology of Cangzhu] (Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 34:2669-2672)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20069912/","year":2009}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Phase I data in healthy volunteers support a satisfactory oral safety profile at single and 21-day daily 1,000 mg doses of standardised extract (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8240349/)","Modelling of higher regimens predicted haematological and liver toxicity risk rising with four-times-daily dosing, favouring once-daily regimens - i.e. dose-dependent toxicity is expected at therapeutic oncology doses (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11860138/)","No formal human drug-interaction studies were identified; drying/diaphoretic action is traditionally contraindicated in Yin-deficiency and dehydration states (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20069912/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Cang Zhu is unusual among tonic-market herbs in having formal early-phase clinical development: a Phase I trial established safety and atractylodin pharmacokinetics, and a Phase 2A programme in advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has reported biomarker and immune signals. That work is early, non-comparative and disease-specific, so it does not validate general supplement use. Its traditional damp-drying, digestive and joint indications are supported only by animal pharmacology and classical texts, and no RCT has tested Cang Zhu for any everyday wellness outcome.","_slug":"red-atractylodes"}},"rehmannia (prepared)":{"canonical_name":"rehmannia (prepared)","research_target":"rehmannia (prepared)","used_in_tinctures":["Rehmannia Prepared Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","common_names":["Prepared rehmannia root (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata)","Shu Di Huang","Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC. (Libosch.)"],"plant_or_organism":"Scrophulariaceae/Plantaginaceae (root, steamed or wine-stewed)","tcm_category":"Blood tonic / Yin and Jing tonic (after processing; raw sheng di huang instead clears heat and cools blood)","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Blood and enriches Yin, and replenishes essence and marrow - the chief herb for Liver/Kidney Yin and Blood deficiency; Rehmanniae Radix is counted among the 'Four Great Medicines' of Chinese medicine and was first recorded in Shennong's Classic Materia Medica (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11258383/)","Processing changes the traditional 'property': steaming or wine-stewing raw Rehmannia (30-50 kg yellow rice wine per 100 kg) converts a heat-clearing, blood-cooling herb into a warm, tonifying blood/Yin tonic; classical methods include 'nine steamed and nine sun-dried' (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11258383/)","Chief herb of Liuwei Dihuang Wan for Kidney-Yin deficiency, widely used in modern Chinese practice for diabetic complications (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/)","Traditionally applied to menstrual and menopausal complaints, anaemia, ovarian hypofunction, immune weakness, allergy and inflammatory conditions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110064/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11258383/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Iridoid glycosides, principally catalpol, plus rehmaglutins A-D, jioglutins and rehmapicroside (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110064/)","Phenylethanoid glycosides, notably acteoside (verbascoside) - the constituent tested clinically as 'Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides' (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/)","Oligosaccharides/polysaccharides and Maillard-type products generated by steaming, which shift the profile from raw to prepared material (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11258383/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria in primary chronic glomerulonephritis (Rehmannia acteosides plus irbesartan)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized controlled trial of 479 patients, Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides (200 mg x2 twice daily) plus irbesartan reduced 24-hour proteinuria by 36.42% from baseline versus 27.97% with irbesartan alone (p=0.0278), with similar low adverse-drug-reaction rates (0.4% vs 1.2%, p=0.3724). Note the tested material was an acteoside extract of Rehmannia leaves, not the prepared root.","sources":[{"title":"Treatment of primary chronic glomerulonephritis with Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides in combination with irbesartan: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion and improved renal indices in early diabetic nephropathy (as Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - whose chief herb is prepared Rehmannia - added to Western medicine report significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion rate versus Western medicine alone (18 RCTs/~1,275 patients in 2016; 11 RCTs/1,007 patients in 2026); all trials were conducted in China, published in Chinese and of limited quality, and the effect cannot be attributed to Rehmannia alone.","sources":[{"title":"Liuwei Dihuang Pills Enhance the Effect of Western Medicine in Treating Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/","year":2016},{"title":"Impact of liuwei dihuang pills (decoction) on early diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Blood-glucose lowering (catalpol)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Catalpol, the signature iridoid of Rehmannia, reduced blood glucose in diabetic rats via AMPK-pathway activation and is described across reviews as a multifunctional antidiabetic iridoid; no controlled human data exist for isolated catalpol.","sources":[{"title":"Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Rehmannia glutinosa","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110064/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of ovarian hypofunction / reproductive endocrine effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 Frontiers review maps potential mechanisms by which processed Rehmanniae Radix (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) acts on ovarian hypofunction, and links processing-induced compositional change to the traditional tonic property; the mechanistic evidence is animal and cell based.","sources":[{"title":"Changes in Rehmanniae Radix processing and their impact on ovarian hypofunction: potential mechanisms of action","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11258383/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation, anti-inflammatory and haematological ('blood-nourishing') effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Network-pharmacology and pharmacological reviews attribute immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, blood-circulation and anti-anaemia activity to Rehmannia's iridoids and phenylethanoids, while noting that traditional use rests largely on empirical knowledge without clearly identified bioactive targets.","sources":[{"title":"Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Rehmannia glutinosa","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110064/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the largest trial (n=479), adverse drug reactions with Rehmannia acteosides added to irbesartan were rare and no more frequent than with irbesartan alone (0.4% vs 1.2%, p=0.3724) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/)","Processing method materially changes composition and traditional properties (steaming, wine-stewing, 'nine steamed and nine dried'), so raw and prepared Rehmannia are not interchangeable in either effect or expected tolerability (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11258383/)","Clinical use in the meta-analysed trials was as add-on to ACE inhibitors, ARBs and antidiabetic drugs; monitoring is appropriate when combining with those agents, though the reviews reported no signal of added harm (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Prepared Rehmannia is chemically well studied (catalpol, acteoside, processing chemistry) and it is the chief herb of a formula, Liuwei Dihuang Wan, that has been meta-analysed favourably for early diabetic nephropathy - but those meta-analyses pool low-quality Chinese-language trials and cannot isolate Rehmannia's contribution. The single large RCT often cited for 'Rehmannia' (479 patients, reduced proteinuria) actually tested an acteoside extract of Rehmannia leaves, not the prepared root, so it is only indirect support. Core traditional claims - nourishing blood and Yin, replenishing essence, treating anaemia, menopausal and reproductive complaints - remain supported by tradition plus animal/mechanistic work rather than controlled human trials.","_slug":"rehmannia-prepared"}},"rehmannia (raw)":{"canonical_name":"rehmannia (raw)","research_target":"rehmannia (raw)","used_in_tinctures":["Yin Replenisher Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","common_names":["Raw/unprocessed rehmannia root, Chinese foxglove root","Sheng Di Huang","Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC. (Rehmanniae Radix)"],"plant_or_organism":"Orobanchaceae (traditionally classified in Scrophulariaceae)","tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood-cooling herb - clears Heat and cools Blood, nourishes Yin and generates fluids (distinct from prepared Shu Di Huang, a Blood/Jing tonic)","traditional_uses":["Clears Heat and cools Blood - the primary herb for Heat entering the Blood level, used for skin eruptions, nosebleed, haemoptysis and uterine bleeding from Heat (https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/sheng-di-huang.php)","Nourishes Yin and generates body fluids for high fever with thirst and dry mouth, Yin-deficiency low-grade fever, night sweats and constipation from dry intestines (https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/sheng-di-huang.php)","Cools the Heart and calms the mind in insomnia and restlessness from Heart Yin deficiency (https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/sheng-di-huang.php)"],"key_active_constituents":["Iridoid glycosides - catalpol (quality-control marker) and aucubin","Phenylethanoid glycosides - acteoside (verbascoside) and related compounds","Polysaccharides and oligosaccharides including stachyose"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria in primary chronic glomerulonephritis (as add-on to an ARB)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomised controlled trial of 479 patients, Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides (200 mg x2 twice daily) plus irbesartan reduced 24-hour proteinuria by 36.4% from baseline versus 28.0% with irbesartan alone (p = 0.0278), with adverse drug reactions in 0.4% versus 1.2% (p = 0.37).","sources":[{"title":"Treatment of primary chronic glomerulonephritis with Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides in combination with the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, haemostatic and blood-cooling actions consistent with traditional use","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of Rehmanniae Radix research describes the herb as very cold, sweet-slightly bitter and non-toxic, with reported temperature-lowering, blood-cooling, fluid-increasing, haemostatic and detoxifying actions, but the supporting studies are largely preclinical or in multi-herb formulations.","sources":[{"title":"Rehmanniae Radix, an Effective Treatment for Patients with Various Inflammatory and Metabolic Diseases: Results from a Review of Korean Publications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5532465/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic and lipid-lowering effects (catalpol)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Catalpol reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C and raised HDL-C while lowering ALT/AST and hepatic steatosis in high-fat-diet rats (50-100 mg/kg/day), and reviews report hypoglycaemic activity in diabetic models. No human trial of catalpol or raw rehmannia for glucose or lipids was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Catalpol - a compound from Rehmannia glutinosa can improve hyperlipidemia by modulating gut microbiota and endogenous metabolic pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12644921/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection in CNS injury and neurodegeneration models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Catalpol reduced endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-mediated neuronal apoptosis in a rat spinal-cord-injury model and shows neuroprotective effects across rodent models; these findings are entirely preclinical.","sources":[{"title":"Catalpol as a Component of Rehmannia glutinosa Protects Spinal Cord Injury by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Neuronal Apoptosis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9305481/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved acne severity and skin hydration (Rehmannia leaf extract, not root)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind placebo-controlled proof-of-concept trial of a Rehmannia glutinosa LEAF extract reported reduced acne severity and improved skin hydration and quality of life. This tests a different plant part from Sheng Di Huang and should not be read as evidence for the root.","sources":[{"title":"Assessment of the Effect of Rehmannia glutinosa Leaf Extract in Maintaining Skin Health: A Proof-of-Concept, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11034513/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Classified as non-toxic in the reviewed literature, but its very cold, sweet nature is traditionally contraindicated in Spleen/Stomach deficiency with dampness and can cause abdominal fullness, loose stools or poor appetite (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5532465/ ; https://www.attiliodalberto.com/chinese-herbal-medicine/herbs/sheng-di-huang.php)","In the largest RCT, adverse drug reactions with acteosides plus irbesartan were low (0.4%) and no liver-enzyme or electrolyte safety signal was reported over 8 weeks (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/)","No well-documented drug interactions in humans; monitoring is prudent when combined with antihypertensive or antidiabetic drugs given preclinical glucose- and lipid-lowering activity (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12644921/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Raw rehmannia is chemically well defined (catalpol, acteoside, polysaccharides) and has one reasonably large RCT supporting an isolated constituent fraction (acteosides) as an add-on antiproteinuric therapy in chronic glomerulonephritis - a modest, single-trial result. Everything else, including the antipyretic, blood-cooling, haemostatic, hypoglycaemic and neuroprotective claims, comes from animal and cell studies or multi-herb formulas. Its traditional profile as a cold, yin-nourishing, heat-clearing herb is well documented in materia medica sources but has not been validated by trials of the whole root.","_slug":"rehmannia-raw"}},"rhodiola sacra":{"canonical_name":"rhodiola sacra","research_target":"rhodiola sacra","used_in_tinctures":["Rhodiola Sacra Tibetan Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","common_names":["sacred rhodiola / Tibetan rhodiola (a Rhodiola species used as hong jing tian)","hong jing tian (\u7ea2\u666f\u5929)","Rhodiola sacra (Prain ex Hamet) S.H. Fu"],"plant_or_organism":"Crassulaceae (stonecrop family); roots and rhizomes; grows in rock crevices and slopes of Tibet and Qinghai at roughly 3,500-4,700 m","tcm_category":"Qi tonic / adaptogen (strengthens Qi, invigorates Blood, supports Lung and Heart); used in Tibetan as well as Chinese medicine","traditional_uses":["Strengthens Qi and promotes blood circulation for fatigue, shortness of breath and chest discomfort, and to help the body adapt to physical and high-altitude stress \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/hong-jing-tian","Rhodiola species are known in Chinese and Tibetan practice as 'plateau ginseng' / 'oriental god grass' and used at high altitude for stamina and altitude adaptation; R. sacra is one of the Tibet/Qinghai high-altitude species in this group \u2014 https://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/article/downloadArticleFile.do?attachType=PDF&id=147754","R. crenulata (the species dominating the Chinese Pharmacopoeia trade and most clinical trials) is used for acute high-altitude illness, fatigue and hypoxia tolerance \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12202619/"],"key_active_constituents":["Phenylethanoids: salidroside (rhodioloside) and tyrosol \u2014 the marker compounds across Rhodiola species \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/","Phenylpropanoid rosavins (rosavin, rosin, rosarin) \u2014 abundant in R. rosea; species-dependent in R. sacra/R. crenulata \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/","R. sacra-specific compounds: monoterpene glycosides rhodioloside G and sacranosides A-D, and cyanoglycosides rhodiocyanosides D and F, reported as histamine-release inhibitors \u2014 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjfcs/18/3/18_KJ00007729482/_article"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved blood oxygenation and symptoms in acute high-altitude disease (Rhodiola crenulata extract)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A PRISMA-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,690 participants, all conducted in China and published in Chinese) found R. crenulata extract improved SaO2 versus placebo (MD 7.11, 95% CI 1.55-12.68, I2=93%), PaO2 (MD 2.06, 95% CI 1.43-2.69) and total clinical efficacy (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.75), but showed no difference versus western medicine (SaO2 MD -2.01, 95% CI -9.33 to 5.30; efficacy RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.76-2.18). Certainty of evidence was rated low because of methodological limitations and very high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Rhodiola crenulata extract in the treatment of acute high altitude disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12202619/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Prevention of acute mountain sickness","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs in 424 healthy adults (R. rosea and R. crenulata) found Rhodiola did not prevent acute mountain sickness (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.69-1.52) and did not increase VO2max (95% CI -0.91 to 2.99; p=0.30), concluding the genus is antioxidant but not ergogenic or altitude-protective in healthy adults.","sources":[{"title":"Antioxidant but Not Ergogenic or Altitude-Protective: A Meta-Analysis of Rhodiola Species in Healthy Adults","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1908897/full","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Improved endurance performance and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress (Rhodiola rosea)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in 668 healthy participants found R. rosea supplementation improved time-trial performance (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.01), time to exhaustion (0.38, 0.07-0.69) and VO2max (0.32, 0.12-0.52), and reduced creatine kinase (-0.84) and malondialdehyde (-1.21) while raising total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; heterogeneity was high for the biochemical outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on endurance performance and oxidative stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1645346/full","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced stress, fatigue and burnout symptoms (Rhodiola rosea preparations)","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of clinical studies of standardised R. rosea preparations reported improvements in physical fitness, neuro-motor function, mental performance and stress/fatigue symptoms across trials in students, physicians and burnout populations, though trials were small and mostly with one proprietary extract.","sources":[{"title":"The Effectiveness of Rhodiola rosea L. Preparations in Alleviating Various Aspects of Life-Stress Symptoms and Stress-Induced Conditions - Encouraging Clinical Evidence","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Rhodiola sacra specifically: histamine-release inhibition and anti-inflammatory lung effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Work specific to R. sacra is limited to phytochemistry and bioassay: novel monoterpene and cyanoglycosides were isolated as histamine-release inhibitors from the underground part, and R. sacra extract was reported to mitigate histological lung changes and inflammatory stimulation in a quantitative comparison of Rhodiola species.","sources":[{"title":"Constituents isolated from the roots of Rhodiola sacra S.H. Fu","url":"https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjfcs/18/3/18_KJ00007729482/_article","year":2011},{"title":"Quantitative analysis of active components in Rhodiola species","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878535223010328","year":2023}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The R. crenulata high-altitude meta-analysis reported a favourable safety profile across 19 RCTs but noted that long-term safety has not been established and calls for multicentre trials \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12202619/","R. rosea clinical trials reviewed to date report good tolerability at standard doses; no serious adverse events highlighted, but sample sizes are small \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/","No toxicology or drug-interaction data exist specifically for Rhodiola sacra; species substitution within the genus is common and marker-compound content varies with species and altitude, so product identity is a practical safety concern \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32899531/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Almost all clinical evidence attributed to 'rhodiola' belongs to two other species: R. rosea (26-RCT meta-analysis showing modest gains in endurance, VO2max and antioxidant markers) and R. crenulata (19 Chinese RCTs for acute high-altitude disease, rated low certainty with I2 above 90%). A 2026 meta-analysis in healthy adults found no ergogenic or altitude-protective effect and no AMS prevention, so even the genus-level picture is mixed and best supported for antioxidant status rather than performance. For Rhodiola sacra itself the literature is phytochemical only - novel sacranosides and cyanoglycosides with in vitro histamine-release inhibition - so any human benefit claim for this specific species is an extrapolation from congeners and should be labelled as such.","_slug":"rhodiola-sacra"}},"rubus (fu pen zi)":{"canonical_name":"rubus (fu pen zi)","research_target":"rubus (fu pen zi)","used_in_tinctures":["Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","common_names":["Chinese raspberry / palmleaf raspberry unripe fruit (Rubi Fructus)","fu pen zi","Rubus chingii Hu"],"plant_or_organism":"Rosaceae (deciduous shrub; dried unripe fruit used)","tcm_category":"Jing tonic (Kidney-Essence-securing astringent that gently supports Kidney Yang)","traditional_uses":["Tonifies the Kidneys and secures Essence for involuntary seminal emission, spermatorrhoea, premature ejaculation and impotence; sweet and sour, slightly warm, entering Liver and Kidney channels (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-pen-zi)","Reduces urination and stops enuresis for frequent urination, nocturia and childhood bedwetting (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-pen-zi)","Nourishes the Liver and brightens the eyes for blurred or dim vision from Liver-Kidney insufficiency (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/fu-pen-zi)","Long used as a food-medicine herb in China for impotence and related Kidney-deficiency complaints (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9868258/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Terpenoids: 15 triterpenoids and 15 diterpenoids, including highly oxygenated diterpenoid glucosides with NF-kappaB inhibitory activity","Flavonoids (18 reported) and coumarins","Organic acids and polyphenols (56 organic acids reported)","Alkaloids and a large volatile fraction (95 volatile compounds)","Polysaccharides characterised in recent structural work"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory activity (NF-kappaB pathway inhibition)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Highly oxygenated triterpenoids and diterpenoids isolated from Rubi Fructus, and diterpenoid glucosides from the same source, showed NF-kappaB inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro assays.","sources":[{"title":"Highly Oxygenated Triterpenoids and Diterpenoids from Fructus Rubi (Rubus chingii Hu) and Their NF-kappa B Inhibitory Effects","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/7/1911","year":2021},{"title":"Diterpenoid glucosides with anti-inflammatory activity from Rubi Fructus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36448845/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved learning and memory / anti-ageing effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews collate rat and mouse studies in which R. chingii preparations improved learning and memory in scopolamine-, sodium-nitrite-, ethanol- and D-galactose-induced amnesia and ageing models, and in Kidney-Yang-deficiency/Alzheimer-type models, alongside antioxidant and anti-thrombotic effects. All animal-level.","sources":[{"title":"Rubus chingii Hu: A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6646936/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"Reviews reference a study in adults with hyperlipidaemia in which raspberry-leaf material reduced serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols, but no controlled human outcome data for R. chingii fruit are reported and the detail available is minimal.","sources":[{"title":"Rubus chingii Hu: A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6646936/","year":2019},{"title":"Bioactive components, pharmacological effects, and drug development of traditional herbal medicine Rubus chingii Hu (Fu-Pen-Zi)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9868258/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Antidiabetic effects (alleviation of diabetes symptoms)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of antidiabetic potential across Rubus species cites work concluding that R. chingii Hu alleviates diabetes symptoms in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice; corresponding human evidence is absent.","sources":[{"title":"Anti-diabetic potential of Rubus species","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43014-024-00263-3","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour and hepatoprotective activity in cell and animal models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"R. chingii polyphenols inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells, and reviews report activity across hepatoma, lung, breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cell lines plus protection in concanavalin-A-induced acute liver injury in mice.","sources":[{"title":"Rubus chingii Hu: A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6646936/","year":2019},{"title":"Bioactive components, pharmacological effects, and drug development of traditional herbal medicine Rubus chingii Hu (Fu-Pen-Zi)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9868258/","year":2023}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Reviews report acute toxicity, sub-chronic toxicity and bone-marrow micronucleus/mutagenicity testing of R. chingii in mice and rats without describing characteristic toxicity, consistent with its long use as a food-medicine herb (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9868258/)","Toxicity and quality-control work is summarised in the phytochemistry/pharmacology review, but pharmacokinetic research is described as limited and no human safety trials are reported (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6646936/)","No documented drug interactions were identified in the sources reviewed"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Rubus chingii is chemically very well characterised - more than 235 constituents, with terpenoids and polyphenols carrying most reported activity - but there is essentially no controlled human evidence. Anti-inflammatory, memory-enhancing, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antitumour findings all come from cell lines and rodents, and the single human reference (lipid lowering) concerns raspberry leaf, is uncontrolled and is reported only second-hand in reviews. The traditional indications of securing Essence, reducing nocturia/enuresis and brightening the eyes are untested clinically, so use should be framed as traditional practice with supportive preclinical pharmacology only.","_slug":"rubus-fu-pen-zi"}},"salvia (danshen)":{"canonical_name":"salvia (danshen)","research_target":"salvia (danshen)","used_in_tinctures":["Salvia Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","common_names":["Red sage root / Chinese sage root","Dan Shen","Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Radix et Rhizoma Salviae Miltiorrhizae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Lamiaceae (mint family); dried root and rhizome","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and dispels stasis; also cools Blood and calms the Shen/heart)","traditional_uses":["Invigorates Blood and dispels Blood stasis for chest and cardiac pain, menstrual pain and palpable masses - the root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza is traditionally associated with the Heart (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13169102/)","Clears Heat from the Blood and calms irritability and insomnia attributed to Heart heat","Core herb of Compound Danshen Dripping Pills (Fu Fang Dan Shen Di Wan, with notoginseng and borneol), the most widely used TCM preparation for 'chest obstruction' / coronary heart disease (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/san-qi)"],"key_active_constituents":["Lipophilic diterpenoid quinones (tanshinone IIA, tanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, dihydrotanshinone) - the fraction linked to vasodilatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421141/)","Hydrophilic phenolic acids (salvianolic acid B, danshensu, rosmarinic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde) (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421141/)","Constituents with documented haemostatic effects - inhibition of platelet aggregation, interference with extrinsic coagulation, antithrombin III-like activity and promotion of fibrinolysis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302416/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Symptom and ECG improvement in coronary heart disease / angina","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview of 13 systematic reviews covering 34,071 participants with angina or acute myocardial infarction found that most reviews suggested benefits of Compound Danshen dripping pill on symptoms and ECG, but only 5/13 reviews assessed clinical endpoints, review quality was low (23%) to moderate (69%), overall GRADE evidence ranged from very low to moderate, and benefit for clinical endpoints remained unproved.","sources":[{"title":"Compound Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) dripping pill for coronary heart disease: an overview of systematic reviews","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25582415/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Hard clinical endpoints (mortality, infarction, revascularization) in coronary heart disease","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same overview concluded that benefits for clinical endpoints are unproved, because most underlying systematic reviews relied on surrogate outcomes such as symptom scores and ECG changes rather than events.","sources":[{"title":"Compound Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) dripping pill for coronary heart disease: an overview of systematic reviews","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25582415/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Reported 'clinical efficacy rates' in cardiovascular trials","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A review of 39 clinical trials since 2000 (2431 patients) found reported overall efficacy of 63.4-99.2%, with Compound Danshen dripping pills used in 22/39 trials and single-herb danshen in only 2/39; the authors note few trials were randomized, double-blind and multicentre, and adverse effects were reported in only 30.8% of trials - so these high efficacy rates are not reliable estimates.","sources":[{"title":"Salvia miltiorrhiza: A Potential Red Light to the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421141/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Vasodilation, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-ischaemia/reperfusion effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Animal and in vitro studies in hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes consistently show protective effects of danshen constituents, providing the mechanistic basis for its cardiovascular use.","sources":[{"title":"Salvia miltiorrhiza: A Potential Red Light to the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421141/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin and increased bleeding risk","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A review of published cases found three reports of gross over-anticoagulation and bleeding complications in patients on chronic warfarin who also took danshen, with rat pharmacokinetic studies showing increased AUC, Cmax and half-life of both R- and S-warfarin plus reduced clearance; the authors concluded danshen should be avoided with warfarin.","sources":[{"title":"Interaction between warfarin and danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302416/","year":2001}]},{"outcome":"Haemorrhage with concurrent oral anticoagulants (warfarin and DOACs)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A retrospective self-controlled case series using the Chang Gung Research Database (2012-2023) found concurrent use of Salvia miltiorrhiza with oral anticoagulants (warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban) significantly increased bleeding risk, particularly during the first 28 days of co-administration.","sources":[{"title":"Increasing risk of hemorrhage following concurrent use of Salvia miltiorrhiza and oral anticoagulants: a retrospective self-controlled case series study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13169102/","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Avoid with warfarin: documented pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction producing exaggerated anticoagulation, with published cases of gross over-anticoagulation and bleeding (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302416/)","Risk extends to direct oral anticoagulants - a self-controlled case series found significantly increased bleeding incidence with concurrent danshen use, greatest in the first 1-28 days of co-prescription (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13169102/)","Intrinsic antiplatelet, anti-coagulant, antithrombin-like and fibrinolytic activity means additive risk with aspirin, clopidogrel and perioperative bleeding is plausible (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11302416/)","Adverse effects were reported in only 12 of 39 clinical trials (30.8%), so the safety database from Chinese cardiovascular trials is incomplete even though Compound Danshen dripping pill is described as having few adverse reactions (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421141/ , https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25582415/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Danshen is one of the most heavily trialled Chinese herbs for cardiovascular disease, with 13 systematic reviews covering over 34,000 participants, and the aggregate signal is consistent improvement in anginal symptoms and ECG findings with mostly multi-herb preparations such as Compound Danshen dripping pill. But evidence quality is the limiting factor: reviews were low-to-moderate quality, GRADE certainty ran from very low to moderate, few trials were randomized double-blind multicentre, single-herb danshen was tested in only 2 of 39 trials, and benefit on hard clinical endpoints is explicitly unproved. The best-established clinical fact about danshen is not an efficacy finding but a safety one - a well-documented, clinically significant bleeding interaction with warfarin and with direct oral anticoagulants.","_slug":"salvia-danshen"}},"sappan wood":{"canonical_name":"sappan wood","research_target":"sappan wood","used_in_tinctures":["Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"sappan wood","common_names":["Sappan wood / Brazil wood / sappanwood heartwood","su mu","Caesalpinia sappan L. (Biancaea sappan)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fabaceae (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae); dried heartwood","tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood, dispels stasis and relieves pain; also used to reduce swelling from trauma)","traditional_uses":["Invigorates the blood and breaks up blood stasis for traumatic injury, bruising, swelling and pain","Used for post-partum abdominal pain, amenorrhoea and retained lochia attributed to blood stasis","Also used across Southeast Asia as a red food/beverage colourant and folk remedy for inflammation, wounds and dysentery"],"key_active_constituents":["Brazilin (a homoisoflavonoid; the major red pigment and principal active compound)","Protosappanins / sappanchalcone and 3-deoxysappanchalcone, deoxysappanone B","Additional homoisoflavonoids, chalcones, flavones, one xanthone and one coumarin isolated from the heartwood"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of brazilin from C. sappan heartwood documents antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-photoaging, hypoglycaemic, vasorelaxant, hepatoprotective and anti-acne activities, all from in vitro and animal studies with no clinical trials or participant numbers reported.","sources":[{"title":"Brazilin from Caesalpinia sappan heartwood and its pharmacological activities: A review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26194825/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review found that isolated constituents act at low micromolar concentrations in cell models - 3-deoxysappanchalcone (1-30 microM) reduced NO and IL-6 in RAW264.7 macrophages, deoxysappanone B (10-50 microM) reduced ROS, IL-6, TNF-alpha and NF-kB signalling in BV2 microglia-neuron co-culture, and brazilin (10-20 microM in cells; 10 mg/kg in chronic-mild-stress mice) reduced apoptosis and oxidative damage - while reporting no clinical trials or human participants.","sources":[{"title":"Unlocking the therapeutic mechanism of Caesalpinia sappan: a comprehensive review of its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747472/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Any clinical benefit in humans (trauma, blood stasis, inflammation, cancer)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Both major reviews retrieved state explicitly that the evidence base is in vitro, animal and molecular-docking work: no randomized controlled trials, participant numbers or clinical effect sizes for Caesalpinia sappan were identified in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Unlocking the therapeutic mechanism of Caesalpinia sappan: a comprehensive review of its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747472/","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In animal toxicology summarized in the brazilin review, C. sappan heartwood extract did not produce acute or subacute toxicity in male or female rats and brazilin was characterized as a safe natural compound; no human safety data were reported (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26194825/)","No human drug-interaction studies were located; because the herb is traditionally a blood-invigorating agent and brazilin has documented vasorelaxant activity, theoretical caution with anticoagulants/antiplatelets and in pregnancy is reasonable but untested (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26194825/)","Traditional texts contraindicate su mu in pregnancy, consistent with its strong blood-moving classification; the modern reviews retrieved do not evaluate this (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747472/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Sappan wood is chemically well characterized - brazilin and related homoisoflavonoids and chalcones show consistent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer activity at low micromolar concentrations across many cell and rodent models - but there is no human clinical trial evidence for any indication in the literature retrieved. Rat toxicology is reassuring, yet an absence of clinical data means both efficacy and human safety at supplement doses remain unestablished. Its traditional use as a blood-stasis-moving herb for trauma and post-partum pain is unsubstantiated by modern trials, and it should be treated as a preclinical-stage botanical rather than a tonic with proven benefits.","_slug":"sappan-wood"}},"scute (huang qin)":{"canonical_name":"scute (huang qin)","research_target":"scute (huang qin)","used_in_tinctures":["Scute Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","common_names":["Baical skullcap root / Chinese skullcap","Huang Qin (\u9ec4\u82a9)","Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi"],"plant_or_organism":"Plant: Lamiaceae, root of Scutellaria baicalensis","tcm_category":"Heat-clearing / damp-drying herb (not a tonic) \u2014 clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, resolves toxicity and stops heat-type bleeding","traditional_uses":["Clears heat and dries dampness (bitter, cold), its primary action, used for damp-heat patterns with fever, diarrhoea or dysentery \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/huang-qin","Drains fire and resolves toxicity, especially Lung fire and Liver-Gallbladder fire in acute inflammatory and infectious presentations \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/huang-qin","Cools the blood to stop heat-type bleeding (nosebleed, coughing blood, blood in stool, heavy menses), with charcoal-processed Huang Qin Tan preferred for bleeding; traditionally also used from ischaemic heart disease to cancer \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715893/","Core ingredient of Huang-Qin decoction, a formula first described about 1,800 years ago and developed in modern oncology as PHY906 \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20720216/"],"key_active_constituents":["Baicalin (baicalein 7-O-glucuronide), the dominant flavone glycoside and the agent used in human trials at 500 mg/day \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6015450/","Baicalein, the aglycone, abundant in root and leaves \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715893/","Other root flavonoids (wogonin/wogonoside class) present in total S. baicalensis extract \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715893/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (351 randomized), baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks on top of atorvastatin and tocilizumab produced lower triglycerides (1.12 vs 1.87 mmol/L), total cholesterol (2.87 vs 3.22), LDL (1.73 vs 2.42) and higher HDL (1.38 vs 1.16) than placebo (all p<0.05).","sources":[{"title":"Baicalin reduces blood lipids and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Lipids Health Dis)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6015450/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Reduced systemic inflammation and better disease response in rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same trial, high-sensitivity CRP (1.64 vs 3.9 mg/dL) and cardiotrophin-1 (42.9 vs 128.4 ng/mL) were lower with baicalin, and 71% versus 53% achieved a good or moderate EULAR response; withdrawals were similar between arms (9 vs 11).","sources":[{"title":"Baicalin reduces blood lipids and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Lipids Health Dis)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6015450/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Reduced chemotherapy (irinotecan/CPT-11)-induced gastrointestinal toxicity","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A phase I/II clinical study of PHY906, the four-herb Huang-Qin decoction in which S. baicalensis is a principal component, reported decreased CPT-11-induced gastrointestinal toxicity; mouse work showed PHY906 restored intestinal epithelium within 4 days and increased CPT-11 antitumour activity rather than preventing initial DNA damage.","sources":[{"title":"The four-herb Chinese medicine PHY906 reduces chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity (Sci Transl Med)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20720216/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Protection against hepatotoxins, mycotoxins, LPS and radiation injury","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of 96 studies (1998-2021) found consistent antitoxic and protective effects of S. baicalensis extract, baicalin and baicalein against mycotoxins, bacterial toxins/LPS, plant and animal toxins, radiation, thermal stress and noise, but the authors explicitly describe the clinical evidence as scarce.","sources":[{"title":"Protective and therapeutic effects of Scutellaria baicalensis and its main active ingredients baicalin and baicalein: a review of mechanisms (Daru)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715893/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Broad anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and hepatoprotective actions attributed to baicalin/baicalein","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Modern pharmacology attributes significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and liver-enzyme-lowering (ALT/AST) effects to baicalein and baicalin, but without controlled human outcome data for these indications.","sources":[{"title":"Huang Qin (Baical skullcap root) \u2014 TCM Herb monograph (Me & Qi)","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/huang-qin","year":2025},{"title":"Protective and therapeutic effects of Scutellaria baicalensis and its main active ingredients baicalin and baicalein: a review of mechanisms (Daru)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715893/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Chinese skullcap (S. baicalensis) has been associated with acute liver injury and jaundice, generally after 1-3 months of use; skullcap products overall carry a LiverTox likelihood score of B (very likely but rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury), and some cases involved germander adulteration \u2014 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548757/","In the 12-week baicalin RCT, given alongside atorvastatin and tocilizumab, withdrawals were comparable to placebo (9 vs 11 of ~175 per arm), suggesting reasonable short-term tolerability at 500 mg/day \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6015450/","The Daru review notes clinical data are scarce, so interaction potential (including with drugs metabolized by glucuronidation) is not well defined \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9715893/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Scute is chemically well defined (baicalin, baicalein, wogonin) and has the unusual distinction of one reasonably large placebo-controlled RCT: baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks improved lipids, hsCRP and EULAR response in patients with coronary artery disease plus rheumatoid arthritis, and the Huang-Qin-decoction-derived formulation PHY906 reduced irinotecan gastrointestinal toxicity in phase I/II work. Beyond these, the large literature on antiviral, antibacterial, hepatoprotective and antitoxic effects is preclinical, and reviewers themselves call clinical evidence scarce. Importantly, the traditional framing of huang qin as a broadly safe heat-clearing herb is qualified by documented rare but real hepatotoxicity, including cases attributed to Chinese skullcap after one to three months of use.","_slug":"scute-huang-qin"}},"spotty brown mushroom":{"canonical_name":"spotty brown mushroom","research_target":"spotty brown mushroom","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"spotty brown mushroom","common_names":["Spotty Brown Mushroom (trade name in Western multi-mushroom tonic products)","n.a. (no pinyin name identified)","n.a. (no Latin binomial published for this trade name)"],"plant_or_organism":"Unidentified wild woody polypore (Basidiomycota, likely Polyporales/Hymenochaetales); no species-level identification is published for material sold under this name","tcm_category":"Marketed as a Shen tonic / immune tonic within a 'Reishi-related' wild mushroom blend; no classical TCM category exists for this name","traditional_uses":["Listed as 'Wild Spotty Brown Mushroom fruiting body' among 23 wild woody mushrooms in a Western tonic elixir said to be based on wild-mushroom connoisseur usage in Asia, with claimed Shen tonic and immune-protective properties (https://www.dragonherbs.com/22-reishis-drops-multi.html)","No classical materia medica entry, pinyin name, or documented traditional indication for 'spotty brown mushroom' was found in this search (https://www.dragonherbs.com/health-topics-a-z-clp/stress-support-clp/22-reishis-drops-multi.html)"],"key_active_constituents":["n.a. - no chemical analysis of material sold under this name has been published","By analogy to woody polypores generally, beta-glucan polysaccharides and triterpenoids would be expected, but this is inference rather than measured data"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"n.a. - no health outcome has been studied for this ingredient","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"'Spotty brown mushroom' appears in the literature only as an undescribed ingredient name in a commercial multi-mushroom tincture; no taxonomic identification, no chemical characterization, and no preclinical or clinical studies of this named material were found.","sources":[{"title":"22 Reishis Drops product ingredient listing","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/22-reishis-drops-multi.html","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["n.a. - no toxicology, adverse-event or drug-interaction data exist for material sold as 'spotty brown mushroom' (https://www.dragonherbs.com/22-reishis-drops-multi.html)","General caution: wild-collected, unidentified polypore material cannot be assessed for toxicity or heavy-metal/contaminant load without species identification"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Modern scientific evidence for 'spotty brown mushroom' is absent. The name is a vendor trade label for an unidentified wild woody mushroom in a 23-ingredient tonic blend; no Latin binomial, no chemical analysis, and no preclinical or human studies could be located, and no classical Chinese materia medica entry corresponds to the name. Any benefit attributed to it rests entirely on the marketing framing that 'Reishi-related' wild polypores share Shen-tonic and immune properties, which is an extrapolation from research on other species (e.g. Ganoderma, Trametes) rather than evidence about this ingredient.","_slug":"spotty-brown-mushroom"}},"tangerine peel (green)":{"canonical_name":"tangerine peel (green)","research_target":"tangerine peel (green)","used_in_tinctures":["Tangerine Peel Green Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","common_names":["Green/immature tangerine peel, blue citrus","qing pi (\u9752\u76ae)","Citrus reticulata Blanco (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride)"],"plant_or_organism":"Rutaceae - immature/unripe fruit peel","tcm_category":"Qi-regulating / qi-moving herb (not a tonic: it breaks up and disperses stagnant qi; bitter, acrid, warm; enters liver, gallbladder and stomach)","traditional_uses":["Spreads constrained liver qi and breaks up qi stagnation for chest, hypochondriac and flank pain, hernial and abdominal pain; stronger and harsher-dispersing than mature chen pi (dose 3-10 g)","Reduces breast distension, pain, lumps and abscesses associated with liver-qi constraint","Resolves food stagnation and phlegm-damp accumulations, including abdominal masses and 'malarial' phlegm patterns; classical sources caution against using it alone or in qi-deficient patients because its qi-breaking action is strong"],"key_active_constituents":["Flavonoid glycosides, dominated by hesperidin (quantified at 160.78 mg/g in green peel)","Polymethoxyflavones nobiletin (4.29 mg/g) and tangeretin (3.07 mg/g)","Alkaloid p-synephrine (5.57 mg/g), notably higher than in ripe peel","Volatile terpenes (~70% of volatiles: gamma-terpinene 33.4%, D-limonene 23.0%) and limonin (4.11 mg/g)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemical/quality characterization distinguishing green peel from mature peel","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"GC-MS, Orbitrap-MS and HPLC-PDA analysis of green tangerine peel identified 56 volatile and 42 non-volatile constituents and quantified hesperidin 160.78 mg/g, synephrine 5.57 mg/g, nobiletin 4.29 mg/g, tangeretin 3.07 mg/g and limonin 4.11 mg/g, with terpenes making up about 70% of the volatile fraction.","sources":[{"title":"Identification of volatile and nonvolatile compounds in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride using GC-MS, UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS, and HPLC-PDA","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10002908/","year":2023},{"title":"Evaluation of chemical components in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium of different cultivars collected from different regions by GC-MS and HPLC","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849905/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Prokinetic effect - improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 30-day multistress mouse model of delayed gastric emptying, Citrus reticulata plus Citrus aurantium extract (the classical prokinetic 'couplet') improved gastric emptying, intestinal transit and stress-related behaviour, with changes in 5-HT, motilin, substance P, 5-HT4R and c-kit signalling; effects were stronger when Bupleurum was added.","sources":[{"title":"Prokinetic effects of Citrus reticulata and Citrus aurantium extract on a multistress-induced delayed gastric emptying mouse model","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9897790/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant activity of peel flavonoids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Comparative analysis of tangerine peel across 25 batches and 10 cultivars attributes anti-neuroinflammatory capacity chiefly to hesperidin, nobiletin and tangeretin, and reports wide compositional variation (hesperidin 16.6-79.6 mg/g in mature peel; volatile oil yield 0.90-67.43 g/kg), which limits reproducibility of any pharmacological effect.","sources":[{"title":"Evaluation of chemical components in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium of different cultivars collected from different regions by GC-MS and HPLC","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849905/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Blood-pressure elevation attributable to p-synephrine content","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 placebo-controlled trials (341 adults) of p-synephrine - the alkaloid concentrated in immature citrus peel - found prolonged use raised systolic blood pressure by 6.37 mmHg and diastolic by 4.33 mmHg after 8 weeks with a tendency to higher heart rate, while producing no significant weight-loss benefit.","sources":[{"title":"The Safety and Efficacy of Citrus aurantium (Bitter Orange) and p-Synephrine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9572433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Liver-qi stagnation symptoms: distending chest/flank pain, breast distension and lumps, food stagnation","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Materia medica sources describe qing pi as a strong qi-breaking herb for liver-qi constraint with breast pain and lumps, hypochondriac pain, hernial pain and food stagnation, used 3-10 g in decoction; no clinical trials of the isolated herb for these indications were identified.","sources":[{"title":"Qing Pi (Unripe/Green Tangerine Peel) - American Dragon materia medica monograph","url":"https://www.americandragon.com/Individualherbsupdate/QingPi.html","year":2010},{"title":"Qing Pi (Green tangerine peel) - Me&Qi TCM herb database","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/qing-pi","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Cardiovascular caution from p-synephrine: meta-analysis of 18 trials found prolonged p-synephrine intake raised systolic BP by 6.37 mmHg and diastolic by 4.33 mmHg with a tendency to increased heart rate, so green peel extracts (5.57 mg/g synephrine) warrant caution in hypertension and with stimulants (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9572433/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10002908/)","Classical caution: qing pi's dispersing action is considered harsh and it is contraindicated or used only in combination in qi-deficient and weak patients (https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/qing-pi)","Citrus peel is generally described as having low toxicity in analytical studies, but constituent content varies enormously by cultivar and region (hesperidin 16.6-79.6 mg/g; oil yield 0.90-67.43 g/kg), making dose-response and interaction risk unpredictable (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849905/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Green tangerine peel is chemically well defined - hesperidin-dominant with polymethoxyflavones, limonin, terpene-rich volatile oil and, distinctively, higher p-synephrine than mature peel - but there are no clinical trials of qing pi itself for its traditional indications (liver-qi stagnation, breast distension, food stagnation, hypochondriac pain). Supporting pharmacology is limited to animal prokinetic models of citrus 'couplet' extracts and in vitro anti-inflammatory/antioxidant work on its flavonoids. The clearest human-trial evidence relating to a green-peel constituent is actually a safety finding: meta-analysed p-synephrine trials show a modest but real rise in blood pressure without weight-loss benefit. Large cultivar-to-cultivar variation in constituent content further undermines claims of predictable effects.","_slug":"tangerine-peel-green"}},"tibetan ever young formula":{"canonical_name":"tibetan ever young formula","research_target":"tibetan ever young formula","used_in_tinctures":["Tibetan Ever Young Drops 2 oz.- PRIVATE RESERVE"],"research":{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","common_names":["Tibetan Ever Young (Dragon Herbs tincture; 'Ever Young' herb)","Bu Lao Cao (\u4e0d\u8001\u8349, 'never-old herb'); related to Rou Cong Rong (Cistanche)","Cistanche spp. (described as a relative of Cistanche deserticola; Cistanche tubulosa is the best-studied species)"],"plant_or_organism":"Orobanchaceae (broomrape family): a root-parasitic desert/Himalayan plant of the genus Cistanche; the commercial product is a single-herb wild Tibetan Cistanche stem extract sold as a 'formula'-style tincture","tcm_category":"Yang tonic and Jing (essence) tonic; the product is marketed as supporting both Yang and Yin Jing","traditional_uses":["Yang tonic used for sexual function and reproductive vitality in men and women (as marketed for the Tibetan 'Ever Young' plant)","Cistanche (Rou Cong Rong) is classically used to tonify Kidney Yang, augment essence and moisten the intestines for constipation in the elderly","Reputed longevity/anti-aging tonic in Tibetan and Chinese folk use - the name 'Bu Lao Cao' literally means 'never-old herb'"],"key_active_constituents":["Phenylethanoid glycosides: echinacoside and acteoside/verbascoside (trial products standardised to e.g. 72 mg echinacoside per daily dose)","Iridoids and oligosaccharides (cistanoside, mannitol)","Polysaccharides and lignans"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improved cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly adults (Cistanche tubulosa plus Ginkgo)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 90-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 Chinese middle-aged and elderly participants at risk of neurodegeneration found significant gains versus placebo in MMSE (26.5 to 27.1), MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) and quality-of-life scores (all p<0.001), plus reductions in blood tau phospho-species; the intervention combined Cistanche with Ginkgo biloba, so effects cannot be attributed to Cistanche alone.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts for the improvement of cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people (Phytother Res)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"preserved walking ability in locomotive syndrome","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study in 26 analysed subjects with pre-symptomatic or mild locomotive syndrome found Cistanche tubulosa extract improved two-step test step width and 5-m gait speed in those over 60 (p=0.046) without change in skeletal muscle mass; the sample was very small.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Cistanche tubulosa Wight Extract on Locomotive Syndrome: A Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind Study (Nutrients 13:264)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33477648/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"reduced chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a botanical product containing Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts reported improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms in adults; again a combination product.","sources":[{"title":"A Botanical Product Containing Cistanche and Ginkgo Extracts Potentially Improves Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms in Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Study (Front Nutr)","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.658630/pdf","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"reduced hair loss / improved hair health","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a Cistanche tubulosa plus Laminaria japonica complex (MK-R7) in patients with hair loss reported improvements in hair health measures.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cistanche tubulosa and Laminaria japonica Extracts (MK-R7) Supplement in Preventing and Improving Hair Loss","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4418416/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"sexual function and 'Yang/Yin Jing' support, anti-aging/longevity","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The specific claims made for the Tibetan Ever Young product - supporting Yang and Yin Jing and sexual function in men and women - come from the vendor's traditional framing; no clinical trial of this Tibetan Cistanche species or product for sexual function or longevity was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Tibetan Ever Young Drops (product page describing 'Bu Lao Cao' as a Cistanche relative), Dragon Herbs","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/tibetan-ever-young-drops-private-reserve.html","year":2026}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The 12-week Cistanche tubulosa locomotive-syndrome RCT evaluated adverse effects by blood testing and observed no obvious adverse events (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33477648/)","The 90-day cognitive RCT of Cistanche plus Ginkgo reported the combination as tolerated; note the Ginkgo component itself carries bleeding-risk and anticoagulant-interaction cautions independent of Cistanche (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/)","No published human safety, toxicology or drug-interaction data were found for the specific wild Tibetan 'Ever Young' (Bu Lao Cao) species sold in this product, and species identity on the label is described only as a Cistanche relative (https://www.dragonherbs.com/tibetan-ever-young-drops-private-reserve.html)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"'Tibetan Ever Young' is a proprietary single-herb tincture whose vendor identifies it as a Himalayan Cistanche relative (Bu Lao Cao), so the only relevant clinical literature concerns Cistanche tubulosa - a different, cultivated species - and mostly in combination with Ginkgo biloba. Those trials are genuinely randomized and placebo-controlled and show modest benefits for cognition, gait in locomotive syndrome, fatigue and hair health, but they are small, largely industry-linked, and cannot be extrapolated to a wild Tibetan species or to this product. The marketed claims specific to this item - Yang and Yin Jing support, sexual function, and 'ever young' longevity - have no clinical trial evidence and rest entirely on traditional and vendor framing.","_slug":"tibetan-ever-young-formula"}},"reishi (tibetan white)":{"canonical_name":"reishi (tibetan white)","research_target":"reishi (tibetan white)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"reishi (tibetan white)","common_names":["White reishi / white lingzhi (Tibetan-cultivated Ganoderma)","Bai Ling Zhi (cf. Ling Zhi)","Ganoderma sp. (marketed as a white variant of Ganoderma lucidum)"],"plant_or_organism":"Ganodermataceae (Basidiomycota) - a white-fruiting Ganoderma variant; commercial Tibetan white reishi is cultivated in greenhouses in Milin County, Nyingchi, Tibet (https://mushroommatter.com/ru/details/item/324-artificial-cultivation-of-white-reishi-mushroom-got-succeeded-in-tibet-china)","tcm_category":"Shen tonic (spirit-calming Qi tonic; lingzhi replenishes Qi and eases the mind)","traditional_uses":["Lingzhi/reishi has been used for over 2,000 years to tonify, enhance vital energy, strengthen cardiac function, improve memory and promote longevity, and is regarded as an 'immortality' mushroom (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/)","The State Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China lists lingzhi to replenish Qi, ease the mind and relieve cough and asthma, and for dizziness, insomnia, palpitation and shortness of breath (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/)","Used as an adjunct to cancer chemotherapy and, in China, for malignant tumours and diabetic nephropathy (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/)","Marketing claims specific to white reishi - strong effects on angiocardiopathy, strengthening Lung Qi, expelling wind and helping resist cancer - come from a cultivation trade report, not from any published study (https://mushroommatter.com/ru/details/item/324-artificial-cultivation-of-white-reishi-mushroom-got-succeeded-in-tibet-china)"],"key_active_constituents":["Polysaccharides (GL-PS fractions such as ganoderans A/B/C and beta-(1->3)/(1->6)-glucans) and peptidoglycans (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/)","Triterpenoids (ganoderic acids, e.g. ganoderic acid A); more than 470 natural components have been reported across Ganoderma (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/)","Nucleosides, ergosterols, proteins/peptides and trace elements; LiverTox notes the specific component(s) responsible for purported effects remain unknown (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to chemotherapy/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 Chinese patients, mostly advanced lung cancer) found patients given G. lucidum alongside chemo/radiotherapy were about 1.27 times more likely to respond to treatment, but there was no evidence of improved long-term survival and the review does not recommend G. lucidum as first-line cancer therapy.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Cardiovascular risk factors (blood glucose/HbA1c, blood pressure, lipids)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 5 trials (398 participants; 3 contributing data) found no statistically or clinically meaningful benefit of G. lucidum - for example HbA1c WMD -0.10% (95% CI -1.05 to 0.85, n=130) - and concluded the evidence does not support its use for cardiovascular risk factors.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum mushroom for the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25686270/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation (NK-cell activity, cytokine and immune-cell changes)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Reishi polysaccharides and beta-glucans modulate immune parameters in laboratory and animal systems and small human studies of enhanced NK-cell activity are cited in review literature, but the Cochrane cancer review found immune-function results inconsistent and underpowered.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi) \u2014 Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, 2nd ed.","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/","year":2011},{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Any outcome specific to the white/Tibetan variant","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No clinical or preclinical studies of a white Tibetan Ganoderma variant were located; the only locatable source is a cultivation trade report describing greenhouse production in Milin County (over 1,000 mu, 40 greenhouses, ~15,000 kg output and CNY 28 million gross revenue) with no study design, sample size or efficacy data.","sources":[{"title":"Artificial cultivation of white Reishi mushroom got succeeded in Tibet, China","url":"https://mushroommatter.com/ru/details/item/324-artificial-cultivation-of-white-reishi-mushroom-got-succeeded-in-tibet-china","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Hepatotoxicity / drug-induced liver injury","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"LiverTox documents case reports of clinically apparent, sometimes cholestatic liver injury attributed to Ganoderma (lingzhi/reishi) products, while noting that the characteristic polysaccharides and triterpenoids studied in animals have not themselves been linked to liver injury - implicating product formulation or contamination.","sources":[{"title":"Lingzhi, Reishi \u2014 LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Case reports of clinically apparent liver injury, including cholestatic hepatitis, are catalogued for lingzhi/reishi supplements; usual doses are 500 mg-3 g (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK609014/)","In the Cochrane cancer review the trials were small, four of five published in Chinese, all in Chinese populations, with attrition and incomplete haematological reporting - so safety data from the clinical base are weak (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full)","Because reishi is promoted as an adjunct to chemotherapy, interaction with cytotoxic regimens and with antidiabetic or antihypertensive therapy should be considered even though the Cochrane CVD review found no metabolic effect (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25686270/)","No toxicity, interaction or contraindication information exists for the white Tibetan variant specifically (https://mushroommatter.com/ru/details/item/324-artificial-cultivation-of-white-reishi-mushroom-got-succeeded-in-tibet-china)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"For Ganoderma lucidum generally, two Cochrane reviews frame the evidence honestly: a modest increase in tumour response when added to chemo/radiotherapy (5 RCTs, 373 patients) with no survival benefit and no recommendation as first-line therapy, and no meaningful effect on cardiovascular risk factors such as HbA1c, blood pressure or lipids. Immune-modulating claims rest largely on laboratory and animal work. Crucially, the specific ingredient here - 'Tibetan white' reishi - has essentially no scientific literature: the only locatable source is a cultivation industry report from Milin County, Tibet, whose health claims (angiocardiopathy, Lung Qi, anticancer) are marketing assertions with no study behind them. Any evidence cited for this product is therefore extrapolated from ordinary red lingzhi, and case reports of hepatotoxicity with Ganoderma supplements warrant caution.","_slug":"reishi-tibetan-white"}},"tiger milk mushroom (lignosus rhinocerotis)":{"canonical_name":"tiger milk mushroom (lignosus rhinocerotis)","research_target":"tiger milk mushroom (lignosus rhinocerotis)","used_in_tinctures":["22 Reishis Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"tiger milk mushroom (lignosus rhinocerotis)","common_names":["Tiger milk mushroom, cendawan susu rimau","Hu Ru Ling (marketing name; not a classical pharmacopoeia herb)","Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden (syn. Lignosus rhinocerus)"],"plant_or_organism":"Polyporaceae (Basidiomycota); medicinal part is the underground sclerotium","tcm_category":"Qi/Lung tonic in modern usage (respiratory and general tonic); traditionally an indigenous Southeast Asian tonic rather than a classical TCM category herb","traditional_uses":["Used by Malaysian Orang Asli communities for asthma, cough, food poisoning, swollen breasts, joint pain, liver illness and swelling, and as a general and postpartum tonic (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5775285/)","Prepared by pounding and infusing the sclerotium in water, boiling slices, soaking in Chinese wine for external application, or eating raw with betel leaves for cough and sore throat (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5775285/)","Adopted within Chinese communities in Malaysia as a lung-strengthening tonic for chronic cough and weak constitution (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5775285/)"],"key_active_constituents":["High-molecular-weight beta-glucans and polysaccharide-protein complexes from the sclerotium (L. rhinocerus polysaccharide, LRP)","Hot-water-extractable proteins/lectin-like fractions (LRE)","Sterols and low-molecular-weight phenolics"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved pulmonary function and reduced upper-respiratory symptoms in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An open-label single-arm study of 50 adults taking 300 mg twice daily for 3 months reported FEV1 up 19.7%, FEV1/FVC up 27.2%, nasal symptom score down 74.1% and symptom VAS down 73.2%, with reduced IL-1beta and IL-8. Absence of a placebo group and the open-label design mean regression to the mean and expectancy effects cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) supplementation on respiratory health, immunity and antioxidant status: an open-label prospective study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8175741/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Anti-asthmatic effect (airway inflammation, bronchodilation, airway remodeling)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2026 systematic review found 9 studies (8 animal, 1 human): extracts at 1-500 mg/kg reduced eosinophilic infiltration and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) in animal asthma models, but the authors concluded the predominantly preclinical evidence does not permit conclusions about clinical efficacy for routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) on asthma: a systematic review","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12890-026-04190-6","year":2026},{"title":"Effectiveness of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) on asthma: a systematic review (PubMed record)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41877083/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory, antioxidant, neuritogenic and antiproliferative activities","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A status review of validated investigations documents cognitive/neuritogenic, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antiproliferative activity of sclerotium extracts in vitro and in animals. None of these has been confirmed in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Status Review of the Bioactive Activities of Tiger Milk Mushroom Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5775285/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Wound healing (topical gel)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"A pilot clinical study of a tiger-milk-mushroom water-extract gel for minor wounds is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, but no results are available, so wound-healing use remains supported only by traditional external application.","sources":[{"title":"Pilot Clinical Study Testing Tiger Milk Mushroom Gel (Lignosus rhinocerus) for Wound Healing (NCT06969495)","url":"https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06969495","year":2025}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the 3-month open-label study of 50 adults there were no dropouts and vital signs remained stable, suggesting short-term tolerability, but the design cannot detect uncommon adverse events (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8175741/)","The 2026 systematic review explicitly states that well-designed clinical trials are still needed to establish safety as well as efficacy (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12890-026-04190-6)","No documented drug interactions; immunomodulatory polysaccharide activity means theoretical caution with immunosuppressive therapy (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5775285/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Tiger milk mushroom has credible preclinical support for anti-inflammatory and bronchoprotective effects in asthma models, plus one open-label 50-person study reporting large improvements in spirometry and nasal symptoms. Because that human study lacked a control group and the 2026 systematic review found only one human study among nine, clinical efficacy is not established - the review states the evidence does not support routine clinical use. Traditional respiratory and general-tonic uses among Orang Asli and Malaysian Chinese communities are well documented ethnographically; short-term safety looks acceptable but is minimally characterised.","_slug":"tiger-milk-mushroom-lignosus-rhinocerotis"}},"tremella":{"canonical_name":"tremella","research_target":"tremella","used_in_tinctures":["Tremella Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"tremella","common_names":["snow fungus / white wood ear / silver ear mushroom","bai mu er (\u767d\u6728\u8033), also yin er (\u94f6\u8033)","Tremella fuciformis Berk."],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus \u2014 Basidiomycota, Tremellomycetes, family Tremellaceae (jelly fungus; fruiting body used)","tcm_category":"Yin tonic (nourishes Lung and Stomach Yin, generates fluids and moistens dryness); sweet and bland, neutral; Lung, Stomach and Kidney channels","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Yin and moistens the Lungs for dry cough, dry throat and dryness of the skin; classically cooked as a sweet soup with rock sugar \u2014 https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/bai-mu-er","Generates body fluids and tonifies Stomach Yin; combined with tai zi shen (Pseudostellaria) for Lung Yin deficiency with weakness, palpitations and shortness of breath \u2014 https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/tremella/","Traditional beauty/skin-moistening tonic, the basis of modern 'plant collagen' and skin-hydration marketing \u2014 https://www.goldenneedleonline.com/tremella-2oz-1.html"],"key_active_constituents":["Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPS) \u2014 acidic heteropolysaccharides of ~5.8x10^5 to 3.7x10^6 Da, the principal bioactive fraction \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030755/","Glucuronoxylomannan-type polysaccharide backbones (mannose-rich, with glucuronic acid and xylose); high water-binding capacity underlies the hyaluronic-acid comparison \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","Dietary fibre, proteins/glycoproteins and minor phenolics of the fruiting body \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved subjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial of 75 adults with subjective cognitive impairment (Tremella fuciformis 600 mg/day n=30, 1200 mg/day n=30, placebo n=15), the TF groups improved more than placebo on the subjective memory complaint questionnaire and on short-term memory and executive function tests, with group-by-visit gray-matter changes on voxel-based morphometry (corrected p<0.05). Adverse event rates did not differ between groups (40.4% / 35.1% / 41.4%).","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Tremella fuciformis in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29319408/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life / reduced chemotherapy-radiotherapy-induced leukopenia","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Tremella polysaccharide enteric-coated capsules were approved by the Chinese SFDA in 2002 for chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients and as an adjuvant for chronic hepatitis, based on Chinese clinical studies; a parenteral Tremella polysaccharide solution was reported to improve quality of life in liver cancer patients during chemotherapy. These reports lack published effect sizes, blinding details and are not indexed as RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Tremella polysaccharide: The molecular mechanisms of its drug action","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030755/","year":2019},{"title":"Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis: isolation, structures, bioactivities and application","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Skin hydration, reduced transepidermal water loss and anti-photoageing","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"TFPS reduced loss of hydroxyproline and hyaluronic acid in aged/photodamaged skin models and improved skin barrier function with reduced transepidermal water loss in fibroblast and rodent studies; the widely marketed 'plant hyaluronic acid' skin-hydration claim rests on these preclinical and cosmetic-ingredient studies rather than on oral human trials.","sources":[{"title":"Macrofungal Extracts as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Cosmetical Anti-Aging Therapy: A Comprehensive Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11356820/","year":2024},{"title":"Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and cytokine activation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"TFPS activated RAW264.7, J774A and J1A.4 macrophages and human monocyte cytokine production in vitro and restored leukocyte counts in cyclophosphamide-immunosuppressed rats, which is the mechanistic basis for the approved leukopenia indication.","sources":[{"title":"Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis: isolation, structures, bioactivities and application","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and anti-obesity effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In high-fat-diet mice, TFPS reduced hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hepatic steatosis and obesity, and modulated gut microbiota in human faecal fermentation models; no human trial of these endpoints was identified in the fetched sources.","sources":[{"title":"Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis: isolation, structures, bioactivities and application","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","year":2025},{"title":"Tremella polysaccharide: The molecular mechanisms of its drug action","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030755/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced colitis and atopic dermatitis severity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"TFPS alleviated dextran-sulfate-sodium colitis and dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis in mice, partly by regulating immune response and gut microbiota.","sources":[{"title":"Tremella fuciformis polysaccharides alleviate induced atopic dermatitis in mice by regulating immune response and gut microbiota","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9452665/","year":2022}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["In the 8-week RCT, adverse event frequency did not differ between high-dose TF (40.4%), low-dose TF (35.1%) and placebo (41.4%), and the authors concluded TF could be safely administered \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29319408/","Tremella is a widely consumed culinary food in China with a long dietary safety record; a polysaccharide formulation has regulatory approval in China since 2002 \u2014 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030755/","No specific drug interactions were documented in the fetched sources; theoretical immunostimulant interaction with immunosuppressant therapy has not been studied \u2014 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Tremella has one genuinely useful piece of human evidence: an 8-week placebo-controlled RCT in 75 people with subjective cognitive impairment showing improved memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function with good tolerability - an outcome nobody markets it for. Its actual marketing claim, skin hydration and 'plant collagen', is supported only by fibroblast, rodent and topical cosmetic-ingredient studies, with no oral human trial identified. Immunomodulatory use for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia has regulatory approval in China and supportive mechanistic data but rests on older Chinese clinical reports rather than well-reported RCTs; metabolic, colitis and dermatitis benefits are rodent-only. Its traditional Lung/Stomach Yin-moistening use is consistent with its water-binding polysaccharide chemistry but has not been tested clinically.","_slug":"tremella"}},"uncaria":{"canonical_name":"uncaria","research_target":"uncaria","used_in_tinctures":["Uncaria Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"uncaria","common_names":["Gambir vine hooked stems / cat's-claw vine of TCM","gou teng","Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil."],"plant_or_organism":"Rubiaceae (climbing shrub; dried hook-bearing stems and thorns used)","tcm_category":"Liver-Wind-pacifying / Liver-Yang-sedating herb (not a tonic; used to stop tremors and spasms)","traditional_uses":["Classified among herbs that pacify internal Liver Wind and stop tremors; sweet and cool, entering Liver and Pericardium channels, to calm Liver Wind and relieve spasms, convulsions and seizures (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/gambir-stems-and-thorns)","Clears Liver Heat and sedates Liver Yang for headache, dizziness, red eyes and hypertension (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/gambir-stems-and-thorns)","Used for fright palpitations, eclampsia and children's night crying (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/gambir-stems-and-thorns)","Foundational remedy for over 1,500 years for neurological disorders, and a core ingredient of the antihypertensive formula Tianma Gouteng Yin, historically used for hypertension, giddiness and migraine (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12999810/)"],"key_active_constituents":["Tetracyclic oxindole alkaloids: rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline (principal actives)","Related alkaloids: corynoxine, corynoxine B, corynoxeine, isocorynoxeine","Terpenoids and flavonoids"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Blood pressure control in primary hypertension (Tianma Gouteng decoction added to nifedipine)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (1,537 patients with primary hypertension) found that Tianma Gouteng decoction plus nifedipine improved the total efficacy rate versus nifedipine alone (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.12-1.22, I-squared = 22%) and improved TCM symptom scores. Uncaria was one herb within a multi-herb decoction and included trials were mostly Chinese with limited methodological rigour.","sources":[{"title":"Randomized Controlled Trials of Tianma Gouteng Decoction Combined with Nifedipine in the Treatment of Primary Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/5759083","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy.","sources":[{"title":"Uncaria rhynchophylla and its Major Constituents on Central Nervous System: A Review on Their Pharmacological Actions","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31272356/","year":2020},{"title":"Uncaria rhynchophylla: an ethnopharmacological review integrating traditional Chinese medicine uses with phytochemical and pharmacological evidence","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12999810/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Antihypertensive/vasorelaxant mechanism of gou-teng constituents","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Experimental work confirmed the antihypertensive action of gou-teng in spontaneously hypertensive rats and characterised its endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant mechanism, providing a pharmacological basis for the traditional hypertension indication.","sources":[{"title":"Gou-teng (from Uncaria rhynchophylla Miquel)-induced endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations in the isolated rat aorta","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8208063/","year":1994}]},{"outcome":"Dopaminergic neuroprotection via PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta/MEF2D signalling","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Rhynchophylline, the major tetracyclic oxindole alkaloid of U. rhynchophylla, protected cells against MPP+-induced cytotoxicity by activating PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta/MEF2D signalling, and bioassay-guided work identified six neuroprotective alkaloids from the plant.","sources":[{"title":"Neuroprotection Against MPP+-Induced Cytotoxicity Through the Activation of PI3-K/Akt/GSK3beta/MEF2D Signaling Pathway by Rhynchophylline","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6060423/","year":2018},{"title":"Bioassay-Guided Isolation of Neuroprotective Compounds from Uncaria rhynchophylla against Beta-Amyloid-Induced Neurotoxicity","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3388340/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Reduced painful joint count in rheumatoid arthritis (different species: Uncaria tomentosa)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"For context on genus confusion: a 52-week randomised trial in 40 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis on sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine found that Uncaria tomentosa (Amazonian cat's claw, pentacyclic alkaloid chemotype) reduced painful joints by 53.2% versus 24.1% with placebo (p = 0.044) with only minor side effects. This is a different species from the Chinese herb gou teng and its results do not transfer to U. rhynchophylla.","sources":[{"title":"Randomized double blind trial of an extract from the pentacyclic alkaloid-chemotype of Uncaria tomentosa for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11950006/","year":2002}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["A 2026 ethnopharmacological review states that clinical evidence for U. rhynchophylla is limited to small Asian studies with no high-quality clinical validation for monotherapy, and that pharmacokinetic and safety characterisation remains incomplete (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12999810/)","A CNS pharmacology review concludes that further studies are needed to clarify toxicological profiles, pharmacokinetics and molecular mechanisms of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31272356/)","TCM sources caution that gou teng should not be self-prescribed and requires supervision by a qualified practitioner (https://www.meandqi.com/herb-database/gambir-stems-and-thorns)","Plausible pharmacodynamic caution: because constituents produce endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and blood-pressure lowering in animals, additive hypotension with antihypertensive drugs is conceivable, and the clinical meta-analysis studied the herb only in combination with nifedipine (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8208063/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Uncaria rhynchophylla (gou teng) is a Liver-Wind-calming herb, not a tonic, and its human evidence exists only at the formula level: Tianma Gouteng decoction added to nifedipine improved hypertension response rates across 14 modest-quality Chinese RCTs, which supports the traditional dizziness/hypertension indication but cannot isolate Uncaria's contribution. The much-promoted neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy and depression are in vitro and rodent findings, and reviewers state plainly that no high-quality clinical validation of Uncaria monotherapy exists and its toxicology is incompletely characterised. Note also that positive arthritis trial data belong to Uncaria tomentosa (Amazonian cat's claw), a different species that is frequently confused with gou teng in the supplement market.","_slug":"uncaria"}},"wood ear":{"canonical_name":"wood ear","research_target":"wood ear","used_in_tinctures":["Wood Ear Drops 2oz"],"research":{"ingredient":"wood ear","common_names":["Wood ear / black fungus / jelly ear","Hei Mu Er","Auricularia auricula-judae (also A. auricula, A. polytricha; syn. Hirneola auricula-judae)"],"plant_or_organism":"Fungus: Auriculariaceae, Basidiomycota; gelatinous wood-inhabiting ear-shaped fruiting body","tcm_category":"Yin tonic with Blood-moving action (cool, moist, sweet; nourishes Yin, benefits Qi, moves the Blood and stops bleeding)","traditional_uses":["Nourishes Yin and Lung Yin, benefits Qi, clears Heat and stops cough - used as a food-grade tonic in chronic illness, weakness, fatigue and Blood deficiency (https://www.medicinetraditions.com/auricula-jews-ear.html)","Stops bleeding while also moving the Blood; traditionally given for haemorrhoidal and uterine bleeding as well as for vascular 'blockages' (https://www.medicinetraditions.com/auricula-jews-ear.html)","Used for lower back and leg pain and as a general longevity/health food for the young and elderly; valued in TCM for vasodilatory and blood-thinning effects (https://www.medicinetraditions.com/auricula-jews-ear.html)"],"key_active_constituents":["Auricularia polysaccharides (beta-glucans and acidic heteropolysaccharides), the principal bioactive fraction of both black and white ear fungi (https://www.medicinetraditions.com/auricula-jews-ear.html)","Polyphenolic compounds - an ethanol extract contained >16% (w/w) polyphenols with total phenol content 183.7 +/- 15.6 mg/g gallic acid equivalent (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3551054/)","High soluble and insoluble dietary fibre plus melanin pigments, underlying its prebiotic and lipid-binding effects (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11832288/)"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced waist circumference and improved blood lipids in middle-aged/older adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a prospective randomized, open-label controlled trial in adults aged 50+ (50 completers), functional foods containing Auricularia auricula-judae powder taken twice daily for 8 weeks reduced waist circumference (85.2 to 82.5 cm, p=0.021), triglycerides (180.0 to 170.4 mg/dL, p=0.016) and total cholesterol (175.8 to 167.1 mg/dL) within the intervention group; no standardized between-group treatment effects were reported.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of the Intestinal Status and Clinical Factors of Korean Middle-Aged People Through the Consumption of Functional Foods Containing Auricularia auricula-judae Powder: Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label, and Control Comparative Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11832288/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Improved intestinal/gut health indicators","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same 8-week randomized trial assessed intestinal status alongside clinical factors in Korean middle-aged adults and reported improvements in bowel and lipid-related indicators, but the design was open-label with maltodextrin control, pre-post p-values rather than between-group effect estimates, and only 24 participants in the intervention arm.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of the Intestinal Status and Clinical Factors of Korean Middle-Aged People Through the Consumption of Functional Foods Containing Auricularia auricula-judae Powder: Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label, and Control Comparative Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11832288/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Cholesterol lowering and hepatic antioxidant improvement","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for 8 weeks, Auricularia auricula ethanol extract at 150 mg/kg/day improved serum lipid profile and atherogenic index, raised hepatic total antioxidant capacity and SOD, lowered malondialdehyde, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase activity and increased faecal neutral steroid and bile-acid excretion.","sources":[{"title":"Hypocholesterolemic effects of Auricularia auricula ethanol extract in ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3551054/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Antiplatelet / blood-thinning effect","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Wood ear is traditionally valued in TCM specifically for blood-moving and vasodilatory effects and is described as blood-thinning, but no controlled human haemostasis or platelet-function trials were identified to quantify this.","sources":[{"title":"Auricula, Jew's Ear, Hei Mu Er - traditional materia medica monograph","url":"https://www.medicinetraditions.com/auricula-jews-ear.html","year":2024}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["Major food-safety hazard from improper rehydration: black fungus soaked too long at warm temperature can support Burkholderia cocovenenans, which produces heat-stable bongkrekic acid at around 26 C; this toxin cannot be washed off or destroyed by cooking and has caused severe poisoning with abdominal pain, vomiting, deranged liver function and death (https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_158_04.html)","Practical mitigation: soak only briefly, in clean water, refrigerated, and discard any fungus soaked for many hours at room temperature (https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_158_04.html)","Traditional blood-moving/blood-thinning reputation suggests theoretical caution with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs and before surgery, though no clinical interaction studies were identified (https://www.medicinetraditions.com/auricula-jews-ear.html)","The 8-week randomized trial reported high compliance (100% intervention, 98% control) with no safety concerns raised, but it was small and short (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11832288/)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Wood ear is a long-standing dietary staple with modest, mostly food-level evidence: one small open-label randomized trial in adults over 50 found within-group reductions in waist circumference, triglycerides and total cholesterol after 8 weeks, and rodent studies show coherent mechanisms (HMG-CoA reductase inhibition, increased faecal sterol and bile-acid excretion, improved hepatic antioxidant status). What is missing is any adequately blinded, adequately powered human trial with between-group effect estimates, so the cardiometabolic benefit should be described as plausible but not established, and the traditional blood-moving, Yin-nourishing and bleeding-stopping claims are unsupported by clinical data. The best-documented clinical fact about wood ear is a safety one: improperly soaked black fungus can accumulate heat-stable bongkrekic acid and cause fatal poisoning.","_slug":"wood-ear"}},"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)":{"canonical_name":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","research_target":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","used_in_tinctures":["Zizyphus Dreamzzz Drops"],"research":{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","common_names":["Spiny jujube seed / sour jujube kernel (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae)","suan zao ren","Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chou"],"plant_or_organism":"Rhamnaceae; dried ripe seed/kernel of the spiny (wild) jujube","tcm_category":"Shen tonic / spirit-calming herb that nourishes heart and liver blood and yin (nourishes the heart, calms the spirit)","traditional_uses":["Nourishes heart and liver blood to calm the spirit - the principal TCM herb for insomnia, restless sleep, dream-disturbed sleep and palpitations","Used for irritability, anxiety and night sweats/spontaneous sweating from yin and blood deficiency","Core ingredient of the classical formula Suan Zao Ren Tang with poria, chuanxiong, anemarrhena and licorice"],"key_active_constituents":["Flavone C-glycosides - spinosin and 6'''-feruloylspinosin (converge on GABAergic targets)","Dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins - jujubosides A and B (sedative-hypnotic, modulate GABA-A signalling and the serotonin system)","Alkaloids (sanjoinine A), fatty oils and polysaccharides"],"documented_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality (PSQI) and clinical response in insomnia with suanzaoren-containing formulae","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (1,454 patients, suanzaoren 24-36 g/day, treatment 15 days to 12 weeks) found formulae containing Semen Ziziphi Spinosae improved PSQI versus placebo (6 studies, n=438: SMD -1.05, 95% CI -1.49 to -0.60, P<0.00001; I2=74%, falling to SMD -0.82 with I2=36% after excluding one small study) and raised the clinical effective rate (4 studies, n=256: RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.25-2.39, P=0.0009).","sources":[{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5811769/","year":2018},{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms (journal version)","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00076/full","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Improved subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency in methadone-maintained patients with sleep disturbance","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 90 methadone-maintained patients (Suan Zao Ren Tang 4 g three times daily for 4 weeks), PSQI fell by 3.8 points versus 1.9 with placebo (between-group P=0.007) and diary-based sleep efficiency rose 11.4 vs 5.0 percentage points (P=0.017); total sleep time and time in bed did not differ significantly between groups.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suan Zao Ren Tang, for Sleep Disturbance during Methadone Maintenance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4539464/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Comparative efficacy versus benzodiazepines (diazepam/estazolam)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Within the same meta-analysis, five trials compared suanzaoren formulae with diazepam and others used the formula as an adjunct to estazolam; the review concluded suanzaoren formulae could be an alternative treatment for insomnia and were well tolerated, but all 13 included trials were Chinese-language studies conducted in China with varying diagnostic criteria, limiting certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5811769/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Sedative-hypnotic and anxiolytic mechanism via GABAergic and serotonergic signalling","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Mechanistic work summarized alongside the clinical review indicates spinosin and 6'''-feruloylspinosin potentiate GABA receptor activity as the primary sedative mechanism, while jujubosides reduce spontaneous activity in mice via the serotonin system and modulate GABA-related gene expression - a plausible pharmacological basis for the observed sleep effects.","sources":[{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms (journal version)","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00076/full","year":2018}]}],"safety_and_interactions":["The meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (1,454 patients) recorded adverse events as a secondary outcome and concluded suanzaoren formulae were effective and well tolerated, though adverse-event reporting in the primary Chinese-language trials was limited (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5811769/)","In the 4-week placebo-controlled trial of Suan Zao Ren Tang 12 g/day in 90 methadone patients, 88.9% completed treatment and the formula was administered alongside methadone without reported safety problems (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4539464/)","Because the sedative action is GABAergic and several trials combined the formula with diazepam or estazolam, additive sedation with benzodiazepines, z-drugs, alcohol and other CNS depressants is a plausible interaction (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00076/full)"],"overall_evidence_assessment":"Suan zao ren has some of the better human evidence in this batch for its exact traditional indication: a meta-analysis of 13 RCTs found moderate-to-large PSQI improvements versus placebo and a nearly doubled clinical response rate, and an independent double-blind placebo-controlled trial in methadone-maintained patients showed a 3.8-point PSQI improvement (P=0.007) with a coherent GABAergic/serotonergic mechanism. The main limitations are that almost all trials are Chinese-language, single-country and modest in quality, and crucially they test multi-herb formulae such as Suan Zao Ren Tang rather than the isolated seed, so efficacy of a standalone suan zao ren supplement is inferred rather than demonstrated. Claims beyond sleep and anxiety - for instance sweating, cardiovascular or cognitive benefits - are not supported by clinical evidence retrieved.","_slug":"zizyphus-seed-suan-zao-ren"}}},"tinctures":[{"name":"He Shou Wu Drops, Organic","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/he-shou-wu-drops-organic-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Prepared Organic He Shou Wu root extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["he shou wu"],"claims_vendor":["The king of Yin Jing tonic herbs","Made with 5-year-old semi-wild He Shou Wu roots","Prepared by the traditional method with black beans","Supports blood production","Supports Jing restoration AND Jing maintenance","Helps protect the brain","Supports healthy aging"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"he shou wu","research_target":"he shou wu","common_names":["Fo-ti, fleeceflower root","He Shou Wu","Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Reynoutria/Fallopia multiflora; Radix Polygoni Multiflori)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic / Jing (essence) tonic when prepared; the unprocessed root is a Heat-clearing, toxin-relieving, intestine-moistening herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (hepatitis, jaundice, rarely liver failure)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A systematic review of 76 articles collected 450 cases of hepatitis or liver damage associated with He Shou Wu, with symptoms typically appearing about one month after starting the herb; most cases resolved after discontinuation and treatment. This is the best-documented human effect of the herb.","sources":[{"title":"Liver Damage Associated with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4306360/","year":2015},{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548795/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim.","sources":[{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum extract support hair growth by elongating anagen phase and abrogating the effect of androgen in cultured human dermal papilla cells","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7218528/","year":2020},{"title":"Topical application of Polygonum multiflorum extract induces hair growth of resting hair follicles through upregulating Shh and beta-catenin expression in C57BL/6 mice","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874111001644","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127521/","year":2015},{"title":"2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG) from Polygonum multiflorum: pharmacology review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11989756/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"The strongest human evidence about he shou wu concerns harm, not benefit: hundreds of documented cases of idiosyncratic liver injury make it one of the best-characterised hepatotoxic Chinese herbs. Its famous anti-aging, hair-darkening and blood-tonifying claims are supported only by cell and animal studies of TSG and by traditional texts; no rigorous RCT demonstrates these benefits in people. Risk-benefit for casual tonic use is therefore unfavourable, particularly for raw-root products and long-duration use."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (hepatitis, jaundice, rarely liver failure)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A systematic review of 76 articles collected 450 cases of hepatitis or liver damage associated with He Shou Wu, with symptoms typically appearing about one month after starting the herb; most cases resolved after discontinuation and treatment. This is the best-documented human effect of the herb."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Processing (steaming) reduces free anthraquinone/dianthrone content and hepatotoxic risk","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Chemical and toxicological analyses indicate free anthraquinones (emodin, chrysophanol, physcion), cis-stilbene glycoside and dianthrones drive hepatotoxicity, and that traditional processing changes this profile; raw-root products carry higher risk."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Blood-lipid lowering and laxative effect","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews report hypolipidaemic and intestine-moistening (anthraquinone-driven laxative) effects in animal models, consistent with the traditional use of raw root for constipation, but controlled human data are lacking."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Blood-lipid lowering and laxative effect","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews report hypolipidaemic and intestine-moistening (anthraquinone-driven laxative) effects in animal models, consistent with the traditional use of raw root for constipation, but controlled human data are lacking."}]}]},{"name":"Astragalus Drops, Organic","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/astragalus-drops-organic-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Astragalus root extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["astragalus"],"claims_vendor":["Astragalus fortifies the [text not shown] that circulates just under the skin and in the muscle. This surface energy controls the opening and closing of pores and is our protective Qi (Wei Qi), first line of defense against the offensive environmental forces such as heat, cold, dampness and wind.","It strengthens metabolic, respiratory and eliminative functions.","Astragalus is warm and enters Spleen and Lungs channels.","A famous [text not shown] and Qi Blood Tonic. A double-direction adaptogenic.","A famed energizer, especially strengthening to the muscles, legs and arms.","Enhances the skin's function to eliminate toxin.","Supports the Upright Qi, which maintains our upright posture and helps our organs defy gravity, especially in the abdominal and pelvic cavities.","Supports fluid metabolism.","Rich in Astragalosides.","Made from superior quality connoisseur-grade organic Astragalus roots. Di Tao\u2014an authentic traditional growing region of superior Astragalus."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"astragalus","research_target":"astragalus","common_names":["Astragalus root, milkvetch root","Huang Qi","Astragalus membranaceus (Astragali Radix)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (tonifies Spleen/Lung qi, raises yang, secures the exterior)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical value of Astragalus membranaceus in diabetic nephropathy (DARE record)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK81215/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating.","sources":[{"title":"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs and platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of randomized trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16421421/","year":2006}]},{"outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10811102/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Astragalus has the largest clinical dataset of any Chinese qi tonic: multiple meta-analyses suggest adjunctive benefit in diabetic kidney disease, chronic heart failure and platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCLC. However nearly all included RCTs are small, Chinese-language, short in duration, often use injectable preparations, and are rated low quality, so the true effect size is uncertain. The widely marketed claims of immune enhancement, anti-aging and 'wei qi' protection rest mainly on preclinical mechanistic data rather than confirmatory human trials."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."}]}]},{"name":"Desert Cistanche Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/desert-cistanche-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Desert Cistanche stem"],"ingredients_canonical":["cistanche"],"claims_vendor":["A superior kidney tonic herb","Supports male sexual health","The \"herb of Genghis Khan\""],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cistanche","research_target":"cistanche","common_names":["Desert cistanche / desert ginseng","Rou Cong Rong","Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma (also C. tubulosa)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang; also nourishes Jing/Essence and Blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts on cognitive function","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy.","sources":[{"title":"An Open-Label, Nonplacebo-Controlled Study on Cistanche tubulosa Glycoside Capsules (Memoregain) for Treating Moderate Alzheimer's Disease","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10852647/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2965","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cistanche has a genuine, chemically well-characterized active fraction (echinacoside and acteoside) and preclinical support for neuroprotective, anti-fatigue and endocrine effects, plus reassuring rodent toxicology. Human evidence is thin: one 90-day RCT of a cistanche-Ginkgo combination showing small cognitive score gains, one uncontrolled 48-week Alzheimer's study, and one small 8-week exercise RCT - no independent replication and no trial of cistanche alone for the classical indications. The traditional claims most often marketed (kidney Yang/libido, anti-aging, senile constipation) remain essentially unsubstantiated by controlled human data."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Relief of constipation (the main classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Bowel-moistening/laxative use for senile constipation is documented in materia medica and review literature, but no controlled human trial of cistanche for constipation was identified in this search."}]}]},{"name":"Eucommia Bark Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/eucommia-bark-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Eucommia bark"],"ingredients_canonical":["eucommia"],"claims_vendor":["Made from premium mature Eucommia bark","Supports back strength","Supports bone and joint health","Great Jing Tonic","Eucommia bark is used to tonify the Kidney Yang functions, particularly as they affect the skeletal structure.","Eucommia is a powerful Yang Jing tonic.","Eucommia is a strong Yin Jing tonic herb.","Provides both Yin and Yang.","Supports the functions of the endocrine system.","Supports the physical structure.","Provides foundational Jing for the reproductive system.","Supports the immune system.","Eucommia is a powerful Yang Jing tonic that strengthens Yang throughout the body.","Provides profound supportive benefit to the skeletal structure.","Nourishes Yin Essence (Yin Jing).","Supports the functions of the skeletal and endocrine systems.","Supports normal healthy sexual functions.","Builds a strong, sturdy, flexible skeletal structure.","Supports normal growth.","Helps strengthen the bones, ligaments and tendons.","May be used alone as a safe, mild and potent Kidney tonic.","Builds Jing."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"eucommia","research_target":"eucommia","common_names":["Eucommia bark / hardy rubber tree bark","Du Zhong (\u675c\u4ef2)","Eucommia ulmoides Oliv."],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang / Liver and Kidney tonic), sinew- and bone-strengthening","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008).","sources":[{"title":"A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a standardized Eucommia ulmoides Oliver bark extract to treat hypertension (Altern Med Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Beta-adrenergic-blocking mechanism for the hypotensive effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a human fat-cell assay, Eucommia extract at 0.5% w/v reduced isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis from 2.67 to 1.4 times buffer control (P<0.001), consistent with beta-adrenergic blocking activity as a plausible mechanism.","sources":[{"title":"A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a standardized Eucommia ulmoides Oliver bark extract to treat hypertension (Altern Med Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional application and modern pharmacological research of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00482-7","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Eucommia bark's traditional role as a Kidney-Yang/sinew-and-bone tonic is well documented, and there is a plausible pharmacological story (lignans such as pinoresinol diglucoside, beta-adrenergic blocking activity) behind its modern use for blood pressure. Human evidence is nonetheless thin and inconsistent: one small randomized study found no blood-pressure effect at 500 mg three times daily while a second at 1 g three times daily found a 7.5/3.9 mmHg reduction, and the osteoporosis, anti-inflammatory and metabolic claims rest almost entirely on rodent and cell data. The traditional claims about strengthening bones and stabilizing pregnancy are not supported by controlled human trials."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008)."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008)."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / osteoporosis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In 80 ovariectomized rats, Du-Zhong cortex extract at 300-500 mg/kg/day for 16 weeks prevented loss of femoral biomechanical quality and dose-dependently inhibited bone mineral density loss with reduced bone-turnover markers and no uterine hyperplasia. No human osteoporosis trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Beta-adrenergic-blocking mechanism for the hypotensive effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In a human fat-cell assay, Eucommia extract at 0.5% w/v reduced isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis from 2.67 to 1.4 times buffer control (P<0.001), consistent with beta-adrenergic blocking activity as a plausible mechanism."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / osteoporosis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In 80 ovariectomized rats, Du-Zhong cortex extract at 300-500 mg/kg/day for 16 weeks prevented loss of femoral biomechanical quality and dose-dependently inhibited bone mineral density loss with reduced bone-turnover markers and no uterine hyperplasia. No human osteoporosis trials were identified."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]}]},{"name":"Lion's Mane Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/lion-s-mane-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Lion's Mane fruiting body extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["lion's mane"],"claims_vendor":["Supports brain plasticity and brain health","Lion\u2019s Mane is a mushroom that has emerged from East Asian Buddhist herbal tradition to become an extremely valued and respected modern brain tonic.","This mushroom fruiting body contains nerve growth factor.","This mushroom fruiting body is believed to support brain plasticity and brain health."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"lion's mane","research_target":"lion's mane","common_names":["Lion's mane mushroom, bearded tooth, yamabushitake","Hou Tou Gu","Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers."],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic in modern usage (calming/cognitive support); classically used in Chinese dietary therapy as a Spleen-Stomach strengthening food for digestive weakness","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved cognitive scores in older adults with mild cognitive impairment","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 16-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 30 Japanese adults aged 50-80 with mild cognitive impairment, the group taking 3 g/day of Yamabushitake powder had significantly higher cognitive-function scores (Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised) at weeks 8, 12 and 16 than placebo, with scores declining again 4 weeks after stopping. The sample was very small and the finding has not been convincingly replicated.","sources":[{"title":"Improving effects of the mushroom Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) on mild cognitive impairment: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2634","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Reduced depression, anxiety and indefinite complaints in menopausal women","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 4-week randomised placebo-controlled trial in 30 women found lower CES-D and Indefinite Complaints Index scores after H. erinaceus cookies than before, with significant between-group differences on only two individual items ('insentive' and 'palpitation'). The trial was small, short, and mostly reported within-group rather than between-group effects.","sources":[{"title":"Reduction of depression and anxiety by 4 weeks Hericium erinaceus intake","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20834180/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Acute cognitive/mood enhancement in healthy young adults","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 double-blind crossover study in 18 healthy adults found no significant effect of a single 3 g dose (10:1 extract) on composite cognition or mood at 90 minutes, while a 2023 pilot RCT (43 adults, 28 days) reported some acute performance and stress benefits. Results in healthy young people are inconsistent.","sources":[{"title":"Acute effects of a standardised extract of Hericium erinaceus (Lion's Mane mushroom) on cognition and mood in healthy younger adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40276537/","year":2025},{"title":"The Acute and Chronic Effects of Lion's Mane Mushroom Supplementation on Cognitive Function, Stress and Mood in Young Adults: A Double-Blind, Parallel Groups, Pilot Study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10675414/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Lion's mane has a plausible and well-studied neurotrophic mechanism (NGF induction by hericenones/erinacines) and one frequently cited 30-person RCT showing cognitive improvement in mild cognitive impairment, but the human evidence base overall is small, short-term and inconsistent - a 2025 acute crossover trial found no cognitive or mood effect in healthy young adults. Reviews conclude clinical effectiveness is limited and mostly transient. Safety in short-term use appears good; claims of durable memory enhancement or dementia prevention are not substantiated."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Overall clinical effectiveness as a supplement","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 review covering five RCTs, three pilot trials and numerous laboratory studies concluded that clinical effectiveness is limited and associated mainly with temporary improvements in cognitive function and mental clarity, with evidence constrained by small samples, short durations and heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Acute cognitive/mood enhancement in healthy young adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A 2025 double-blind crossover study in 18 healthy adults found no significant effect of a single 3 g dose (10:1 extract) on composite cognition or mood at 90 minutes, while a 2023 pilot RCT (43 adults, 28 days) reported some acute performance and stress benefits. Results in healthy young people are inconsistent."},{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Improved cognitive scores in older adults with mild cognitive impairment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 16-week double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 30 Japanese adults aged 50-80 with mild cognitive impairment, the group taking 3 g/day of Yamabushitake powder had significantly higher cognitive-function scores (Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised) at weeks 8, 12 and 16 than placebo, with scores declining again 4 weeks after stopping. The sample was very small and the finding has not been convincingly replicated."},{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Neurotrophic effects - NGF/BDNF induction, hippocampal neurogenesis, nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Hericenones and erinacines stimulate nerve growth factor synthesis and increase pro-BDNF/BDNF and hippocampal neurogenesis in cell and rodent studies, providing the mechanistic rationale for cognitive claims. These effects have not been demonstrated directly in humans."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Acute cognitive/mood enhancement in healthy young adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A 2025 double-blind crossover study in 18 healthy adults found no significant effect of a single 3 g dose (10:1 extract) on composite cognition or mood at 90 minutes, while a 2023 pilot RCT (43 adults, 28 days) reported some acute performance and stress benefits. Results in healthy young people are inconsistent."},{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Reduced depression, anxiety and indefinite complaints in menopausal women","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 4-week randomised placebo-controlled trial in 30 women found lower CES-D and Indefinite Complaints Index scores after H. erinaceus cookies than before, with significant between-group differences on only two individual items ('insentive' and 'palpitation'). The trial was small, short, and mostly reported within-group rather than between-group effects."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Acute cognitive/mood enhancement in healthy young adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A 2025 double-blind crossover study in 18 healthy adults found no significant effect of a single 3 g dose (10:1 extract) on composite cognition or mood at 90 minutes, while a 2023 pilot RCT (43 adults, 28 days) reported some acute performance and stress benefits. Results in healthy young people are inconsistent."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Reduced depression, anxiety and indefinite complaints in menopausal women","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 4-week randomised placebo-controlled trial in 30 women found lower CES-D and Indefinite Complaints Index scores after H. erinaceus cookies than before, with significant between-group differences on only two individual items ('insentive' and 'palpitation'). The trial was small, short, and mostly reported within-group rather than between-group effects."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lion's mane","outcome":"Neurotrophic effects - NGF/BDNF induction, hippocampal neurogenesis, nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Hericenones and erinacines stimulate nerve growth factor synthesis and increase pro-BDNF/BDNF and hippocampal neurogenesis in cell and rodent studies, providing the mechanistic rationale for cognitive claims. These effects have not been demonstrated directly in humans."}]}]},{"name":"Changbai Deer Antler Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/changbai-deer-antler-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Deer Antler tips"],"ingredients_canonical":["deer antler"],"claims_vendor":["Yang Jing and Yin Jing tonic.","Deer Antler supports normal healthy life functions so as to promote wellbeing.","Deer Antler tonifies Yin Jing, Qi, Blood and Shen.","Deer Antler therefore tonifies all three Treasures.","Deer Antler is used by athletes to support muscular strength.","Deer Antler extract contains hyaluronic acid, a natural substance, also produced in the human body, that maintains elasticity of the skin and connective tissue.","Deer Antler is a tonic herb used to prolong life, improve energy, protect the body and promote wisdom.","Deer Antler contains mucopolysaccharides that promote the regeneration of antler tissue in deer.","Deer Antler supports regeneration of tissue to those who consume it.","Deer Antler extract is considered to be the most powerful Yang tonic dietary supplement.","Deer Antler extract is used to support the skeletal structure, especially the back, knees and other joints.","Deer Antler helps support cartilage and joint function.","Deer Antler extract is used to support mental power.","Deer antler has been demonstrated to support cardiovascular function.","Deer Antler is a sexual tonic for both men and women.","Deer Antler helps restore and maintain sexual vigor and performance.","Deer Antler may be particularly effective for older men and women.","Deer Antler supports the Kidney Qi and fortifies Yang.","Deer Antler is tonic to Yin Jing and Blood.","Deer Antler supports the sinews and bones.","Deer Antler supports the heart and mind.","Deer Antler supports adrenal, reproductive and brain functions.","Deer Antler supports sexual strength, virility and fertility.","Deer Antler helps build blood and support blood circulation.","Deer Antler is a heart tonic.","Deer Antler is tonic to the marrow, which produces blood.","Deer Antler is believed to support marrow maintenance.","Consistent long-term use is believed to re-build deep life force, preserve youthfulness and enhance longevity.","Deer Antler supports cardiovascular function by helping to support cardio-regulatory mechanisms and circulation.","Deer Antler supports muscular and mental endurance.","Deer Antler supports sleep.","Deer Antler supports normal appetite.","Deer Antler supports the oxygen uptake of the brain, liver and kidneys in laboratory animals.","Deer Antler supports red and white blood cell production in laboratory animals.","Deer Antler extract provides minerals, amino acids and other nutrients.","Deer Antler supports insulin-like growth factor IGF-1 functions in the human body."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"deer antler","research_target":"deer antler","common_names":["Deer antler velvet","Lu Rong","Cervus nippon / Cervus elaphus (cornu cervi pantotrichum)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (also classified as a Jing/essence and Blood tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests).","sources":[{"title":"A Randomized Clinical Trial of Elk Velvet Antler in Rheumatoid Arthritis (Biol Res Nurs)","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1099800407309505","year":2008},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing.","sources":[{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"no effect","summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of deer antler velvet extract or powder supplementation on aerobic power, erythropoiesis, and muscular strength and endurance characteristics","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14669926/","year":2003},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]}],"overall_assessment":"Controlled human evidence for deer antler velvet is sparse and largely negative: a systematic review of seven RCTs found five showing no effect and two with unconvincing positive findings, and the largest trial (168 patients, rheumatoid arthritis) was fully null. Sports-performance claims are not supported. Traditional Yang/Jing-tonifying uses are documented in materia medica but have not been operationalised or tested clinically, so the ingredient's reputation currently rests on tradition and preclinical rationale rather than clinical outcome data."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","direction":"no effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests)."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"Kidney-Yang tonification, growth/'Jing' replenishment, longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Kidney Yang deficiency, essence depletion, bone development) have not been tested as endpoints in controlled human trials."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"sexual function","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"One RCT of velvet antler for sexual function was included in the systematic review of seven trials, five of which found no effect; the review concluded claims for velvet antler are not based on rigorous human trial evidence."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"Kidney-Yang tonification, growth/'Jing' replenishment, longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Kidney Yang deficiency, essence depletion, bone development) have not been tested as endpoints in controlled human trials."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"Kidney-Yang tonification, growth/'Jing' replenishment, longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Kidney Yang deficiency, essence depletion, bone development) have not been tested as endpoints in controlled human trials."}]}]},{"name":"Goji and Schizandra Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/goji-and-schizandra-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Changbai Mountain Schizandra fruit","Heaven Mountain\u00ae Goji berry"],"ingredients_canonical":["schisandra","goji"],"claims_vendor":["Supports healthy aging","Supports radiant beauty","Benefits memory and cognition","Supports eye health","Supports skin and lungs","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","Tonifies all three treasures.","Nourishes Yin Jing and blood.","Generates fluids.","Supports healthy skin.","Sweet and sour flavor.","Neutral temperature."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]}]},{"name":"Cultured Cordyceps Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/cultured-cordyceps-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Cultured Cordyceps"],"ingredients_canonical":["cordyceps"],"claims_vendor":["Supports endurance and immune functions","Powerful adaptogenic energy","Cordyceps is famed throughout the world as a major Jing tonic (inner power, sexual, strength, bone marrow tonic) for men and women","Cordyceps is famed throughout the world as a major immune tonic","Cordyceps is famed throughout the world as a brain tonic","Cordyceps is famed throughout the world as a powerful tonic to the lungs and respiratory functions","Wild Cordyceps tonifies both the Kidney and the Lungs","Wild Cordyceps supports sexual functions","Wild Cordyceps supports brain power","Wild Cordyceps supports structural integrity","Wild Cordyceps supports immunity"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cordyceps","research_target":"cordyceps","common_names":["Caterpillar fungus","dong chong xia cao","Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis); cultivated Cordyceps militaris"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Qi tonic (tonifies lung qi and kidney yang; one of the few herbs said to tonify both yin and yang)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2-3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52).","sources":[{"title":"Adjuvant treatment with Cordyceps sinensis for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cordyceps has more clinical trial volume than most tonic fungi, and meta-analyses consistently point in a favourable direction for adjunctive use in lung cancer chemoradiotherapy, stable COPD and dialysis-related inflammation. However, nearly all trials are small, conducted in China, frequently use multi-herb formulas or fermented mycelium rather than wild O. sinensis, and are rated low-to-moderate quality, so authors of these reviews explicitly decline to recommend routine use. The popular consumer claims - endurance, testosterone, 'energy' - are not supported by the clinical evidence retrieved and rest on preclinical and traditional reasoning."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Renal function support (creatinine, oliguria duration, urine osmolality) in renal dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies in 1,310 patients with renal dysfunction reported that adjunctive Cordyceps sinensis significantly reduced blood creatinine, shortened the oliguria period and increased urine osmolality, with greater apparent efficacy in northern than southern Chinese cohorts."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]}]},{"name":"Yin Replenisher Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/yin-replenisher-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Dendrobium stem","Raw Rehmannia root","Goji berries","Ligustrum lucidum fruit","White Peony root","Anemarrhena rhizome"],"ingredients_canonical":["dendrobium","rehmannia (raw)","goji","ligustrum","white peony","anemarrhena"],"claims_vendor":["Supports vital body fluids","Benefits the skin and lungs","Promotes soft and radiant beauty","Designed to restore Yin that has been lost from the body","Dendrobium stems and pods replenish Yin Jing and generate fluids","Commonly used in Chinese herbalism as a Yin tonic","Moistens the Stomach and Lungs","May be used by healthy individuals to maintain healthy fluid balance in the body","Dendrobium has restorative actions","Used by Taoist sages as a daily tonic for many centuries","Useful for replenishing spent adaptive energy","Traditionally used to replace spent Yin Jing of the Kidney","Replenishing the Yin of the Kidney replenishes the whole body","In replenishing and increasing Jing, Dendrobium increases the generative force","Famous for relieving fatigue that may result from sexual activity","Said to support superb sexual vigor for those who maintain a balanced sex life","May increase the sexual fluids in men and women","Nourishes the saliva, which the Taoists call the \u201cPrecious Fluid\u201d","A superb herb for athletes for the purpose of maintaining fluids during exercise or sports","Helps keep the skin moist","Constant use helps generate beautiful skin"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"dendrobium","research_target":"dendrobium","common_names":["Dendrobium stem / noble orchid stem (tie pi shi hu)","shi hu","Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (also D. nobile Lindl.)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Stomach and Kidney Yin tonic that generates fluids and clears deficiency Heat)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased salivary secretion in patients with deficient saliva production","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review reports a small clinical study in 16 female patients with deficient salivary secretion who were randomly assigned to Dendrobium officinale extract 0.5 g/5 mL three times daily for one week, with improvement in saliva output. This is the only human intervention identified, and it is very small and reported second-hand.","sources":[{"title":"Bioactivities and Mechanism of Actions of Dendrobium officinale: A Comprehensive Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9507758/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved glucose and lipid metabolism / reduced progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide alleviated type 2 diabetes in mice by restoring gut microbiota (Helicobacter -94.57%, Bifidobacterium +139.41%, Lactobacillus +88.95%) and repairing the intestinal barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB axis, and 200 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks prevented progression from prediabetes in high-fat/high-sugar-diet plus streptozotocin mice (n = 48). All findings are animal-based.","sources":[{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Alleviates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Restoring Gut Microbiota and Repairing Intestinal Barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB Axis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37526282/","year":2023},{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Prevents Diabetes via the Regulation of Gut Microbiota in Prediabetic Mice","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10296996/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Gut microbiota modulation and intestinal barrier protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides concludes their prebiotic and antidiabetic potential is supported only by in vitro fermentation, cell and animal studies, and states explicitly that there are no registered or published human clinical trials of DOPs on gut microbiota or metabolic outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The therapeutic effects of dendrobium officinale polysaccharides on diabetes mellitus: from the perspective of gut microbiota","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12540139/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Dendrobium's traditional core use - generating fluids for dry mouth and Stomach Yin deficiency - has the only human support available, and that is a single week-long study in 16 women reported through a review, which is far too weak to be treated as established. Its most active research area, polysaccharide-mediated improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function, is coherent and dose-responsive but entirely preclinical; a 2025 review states outright that no human trials of these polysaccharides exist. Claims about diabetes, immunity, eye health and anti-ageing should be presented as animal-level evidence only."},{"canonical":"rehmannia (raw)","research_target":"rehmannia (raw)","common_names":["Raw/unprocessed rehmannia root, Chinese foxglove root","Sheng Di Huang","Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC. (Rehmanniae Radix)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood-cooling herb - clears Heat and cools Blood, nourishes Yin and generates fluids (distinct from prepared Shu Di Huang, a Blood/Jing tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria in primary chronic glomerulonephritis (as add-on to an ARB)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomised controlled trial of 479 patients, Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides (200 mg x2 twice daily) plus irbesartan reduced 24-hour proteinuria by 36.4% from baseline versus 28.0% with irbesartan alone (p = 0.0278), with adverse drug reactions in 0.4% versus 1.2% (p = 0.37).","sources":[{"title":"Treatment of primary chronic glomerulonephritis with Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides in combination with the angiotensin receptor blocker irbesartan: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, haemostatic and blood-cooling actions consistent with traditional use","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of Rehmanniae Radix research describes the herb as very cold, sweet-slightly bitter and non-toxic, with reported temperature-lowering, blood-cooling, fluid-increasing, haemostatic and detoxifying actions, but the supporting studies are largely preclinical or in multi-herb formulations.","sources":[{"title":"Rehmanniae Radix, an Effective Treatment for Patients with Various Inflammatory and Metabolic Diseases: Results from a Review of Korean Publications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5532465/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic and lipid-lowering effects (catalpol)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Catalpol reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C and raised HDL-C while lowering ALT/AST and hepatic steatosis in high-fat-diet rats (50-100 mg/kg/day), and reviews report hypoglycaemic activity in diabetic models. No human trial of catalpol or raw rehmannia for glucose or lipids was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Catalpol - a compound from Rehmannia glutinosa can improve hyperlipidemia by modulating gut microbiota and endogenous metabolic pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12644921/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Raw rehmannia is chemically well defined (catalpol, acteoside, polysaccharides) and has one reasonably large RCT supporting an isolated constituent fraction (acteosides) as an add-on antiproteinuric therapy in chronic glomerulonephritis - a modest, single-trial result. Everything else, including the antipyretic, blood-cooling, haemostatic, hypoglycaemic and neuroprotective claims, comes from animal and cell studies or multi-herb formulas. Its traditional profile as a cold, yin-nourishing, heat-clearing herb is well documented in materia medica sources but has not been validated by trials of the whole root."},{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."},{"canonical":"ligustrum","research_target":"ligustrum","common_names":["glossy privet fruit / ligustrum","nu zhen zi (\u5973\u8d1e\u5b50)","Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin); also described as a kidney-tonifying herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract on bone turnover and calcium balance in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16462034/","year":2006},{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi aqueous extract promotes calcium balance and short-chain fatty acids production in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34153448/","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ligustrum lucidum has a coherent and fairly deep preclinical story for bone: multiple ovariectomized-rat studies show improved calcium absorption, reduced bone turnover markers and higher bone mineral density, which maps neatly onto its traditional Kidney/Liver Yin-tonifying indication for weak bones and low-back soreness. What is missing is humans \u2014 the specialist review states outright that well-designed clinical trials are still needed, and no RCT of the single herb for osteoporosis, vision, hair greying or anti-ageing was found. Claims of anti-ageing, hepatoprotective or immune benefit should be presented as preclinical only."},{"canonical":"white peony","research_target":"white peony","common_names":["White peony root","Bai Shao","Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also described as astringing Yin and 'softening' the Liver)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with methotrexate and leflunomide for active rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical safety of total glucosides of paeony adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality.","sources":[{"title":"Total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A methodological and reporting quality evaluation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32871476/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"White peony is one of the better-studied Chinese herbs, but essentially all clinical evidence concerns the standardized extract total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used as an add-on to conventional drugs in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in small trials almost exclusively conducted in mainland China. Pooled results are favorable and TGP appears to reduce methotrexate/leflunomide hepatotoxicity, but an overview of 11 meta-analyses rated all of them critically low in methodological quality with no high-quality GRADE outcomes, so effect sizes are uncertain. The traditional gynecological and antispasmodic uses of the whole root (menstrual regulation, cramping, night sweats) have no comparable controlled human evidence."},{"canonical":"anemarrhena","research_target":"anemarrhena","common_names":["anemarrhena rhizome","zhi mu (\u77e5\u6bcd)","Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (Rhizoma Anemarrhenae)"],"tcm_category":"Heat-clearing, fire-purging herb that also nourishes Yin and moistens dryness (bitter, sweet, cold; Lung, Stomach and Kidney channels) \u2014 a Yin-supporting rather than Qi/Yang tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Augmentation of antipsychotic efficacy in negative-symptom schizophrenia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 patients with negative-symptom-dominated schizophrenia received sarsasapogenin 200 mg/day or placebo added to risperidone 2-4 mg/day for 8 weeks; there were no statistically significant differences in PANSS, Wechsler Memory Scale or modified WAIS change scores, and the authors concluded sarsasapogenin did not augment risperidone efficacy.","sources":[{"title":"A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of traditional Chinese medicine sarsasapogenin added to risperidone in patients with negative symptoms dominated schizophrenia","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5560307/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes (as the Chinese herbal formula Zhi Mu 14)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a four-arm randomized pilot trial of 40 postmenopausal women with >=20 hot flushes/week over 12 weeks, verum Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) showed no significant difference from placebo herbal medicine on hot flush frequency, severity or Menopause Rating Scale scores, while TCM acupuncture outperformed both sham acupuncture and verum herbs.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) on hot flushes and quality of life in postmenopausal women: results of a four-arm randomized controlled pilot trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23676632/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant-like, memory-enhancing and neuroprotective activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Sarsasapogenin showed antidepressant-like effects in the rodent forced swimming test with monoamine modulation, and sarsasapogenin, mangiferin, timosaponin A-III and timosaponin B-II improved learning/memory deficits in rodent models including post-ischaemic impairment.","sources":[{"title":"Antidepressant-Like Effects of Sarsasapogenin from Anemarrhena asphodeloides BUNGE (Liliaceae)","url":"https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bpb/29/11/29_11_2304/_article","year":2006},{"title":"The genus Anemarrhena Bunge: A review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874114001147","year":2014}]}],"overall_assessment":"Anemarrhena is chemically well characterised (timosaponins, sarsasapogenin, mangiferin) with a large preclinical literature on neuroprotection, anti-inflammation and anticancer activity, but the two human trials that exist are both null: sarsasapogenin failed to augment risperidone in schizophrenia, and a Zhi Mu-based formula did not beat placebo for menopausal hot flushes. That is important because 'clearing deficiency heat / night sweats' is precisely its traditional indication. The aggregate evidence therefore supports pharmacological activity in the laboratory but does not yet support any clinical claim in humans."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Improved glucose and lipid metabolism / reduced progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide alleviated type 2 diabetes in mice by restoring gut microbiota (Helicobacter -94.57%, Bifidobacterium +139.41%, Lactobacillus +88.95%) and repairing the intestinal barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB axis, and 200 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks prevented progression from prediabetes in high-fat/high-sugar-diet plus streptozotocin mice (n = 48). All findings are animal-based."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Gut microbiota modulation and intestinal barrier protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides concludes their prebiotic and antidiabetic potential is supported only by in vitro fermentation, cell and animal studies, and states explicitly that there are no registered or published human clinical trials of DOPs on gut microbiota or metabolic outcomes."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Hypoglycaemic and lipid-lowering effects (catalpol)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Catalpol reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C and raised HDL-C while lowering ALT/AST and hepatic steatosis in high-fat-diet rats (50-100 mg/kg/day), and reviews report hypoglycaemic activity in diabetic models. No human trial of catalpol or raw rehmannia for glucose or lipids was identified."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet activity of timosaponin AIII","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated review of timosaponin AIII summarised cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and antitumour activity across cell lines and mouse, rat and zebrafish models, while noting that most work is in vitro, few studies used positive controls, and human pharmacokinetics and toxicity remain unstudied."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Increased salivary secretion in patients with deficient saliva production","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A comprehensive review reports a small clinical study in 16 female patients with deficient salivary secretion who were randomly assigned to Dendrobium officinale extract 0.5 g/5 mL three times daily for one week, with improvement in saliva output. This is the only human intervention identified, and it is very small and reported second-hand."},{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Broad pharmacological potential of sarsasapogenin as a drug scaffold","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2022 review of sarsasapogenin chemistry and pharmacology covering literature from 1996 onwards found the evidence base to be almost entirely in vitro and animal, and explicitly stated that clinical research is required to establish whether the reported benefits occur in humans."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes (as the Chinese herbal formula Zhi Mu 14)","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a four-arm randomized pilot trial of 40 postmenopausal women with >=20 hot flushes/week over 12 weeks, verum Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) showed no significant difference from placebo herbal medicine on hot flush frequency, severity or Menopause Rating Scale scores, while TCM acupuncture outperformed both sham acupuncture and verum herbs."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, haemostatic and blood-cooling actions consistent with traditional use","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Rehmanniae Radix research describes the herb as very cold, sweet-slightly bitter and non-toxic, with reported temperature-lowering, blood-cooling, fluid-increasing, haemostatic and detoxifying actions, but the supporting studies are largely preclinical or in multi-herb formulations."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Reduced colonic inflammation in chronic colitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide relieved DSS-induced chronic colitis in C57BL/6J mice and shifted colonic microflora structure. Mouse model only."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."},{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet activity of timosaponin AIII","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated review of timosaponin AIII summarised cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and antitumour activity across cell lines and mouse, rat and zebrafish models, while noting that most work is in vitro, few studies used positive controls, and human pharmacokinetics and toxicity remain unstudied."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Antidepressant-like, memory-enhancing and neuroprotective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Sarsasapogenin showed antidepressant-like effects in the rodent forced swimming test with monoamine modulation, and sarsasapogenin, mangiferin, timosaponin A-III and timosaponin B-II improved learning/memory deficits in rodent models including post-ischaemic impairment."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Neuroprotection in CNS injury and neurodegeneration models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Catalpol reduced endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-mediated neuronal apoptosis in a rat spinal-cord-injury model and shows neuroprotective effects across rodent models; these findings are entirely preclinical."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Improved acne severity and skin hydration (Rehmannia leaf extract, not root)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind placebo-controlled proof-of-concept trial of a Rehmannia glutinosa LEAF extract reported reduced acne severity and improved skin hydration and quality of life. This tests a different plant part from Sheng Di Huang and should not be read as evidence for the root."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Augmentation of antipsychotic efficacy in negative-symptom schizophrenia","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 patients with negative-symptom-dominated schizophrenia received sarsasapogenin 200 mg/day or placebo added to risperidone 2-4 mg/day for 8 weeks; there were no statistically significant differences in PANSS, Wechsler Memory Scale or modified WAIS change scores, and the authors concluded sarsasapogenin did not augment risperidone efficacy."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Antidepressant-like, memory-enhancing and neuroprotective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Sarsasapogenin showed antidepressant-like effects in the rodent forced swimming test with monoamine modulation, and sarsasapogenin, mangiferin, timosaponin A-III and timosaponin B-II improved learning/memory deficits in rodent models including post-ischaemic impairment."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria in primary chronic glomerulonephritis (as add-on to an ARB)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomised controlled trial of 479 patients, Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides (200 mg x2 twice daily) plus irbesartan reduced 24-hour proteinuria by 36.4% from baseline versus 28.0% with irbesartan alone (p = 0.0278), with adverse drug reactions in 0.4% versus 1.2% (p = 0.37)."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes (as the Chinese herbal formula Zhi Mu 14)","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a four-arm randomized pilot trial of 40 postmenopausal women with >=20 hot flushes/week over 12 weeks, verum Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) showed no significant difference from placebo herbal medicine on hot flush frequency, severity or Menopause Rating Scale scores, while TCM acupuncture outperformed both sham acupuncture and verum herbs."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet activity of timosaponin AIII","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated review of timosaponin AIII summarised cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet and antitumour activity across cell lines and mouse, rat and zebrafish models, while noting that most work is in vitro, few studies used positive controls, and human pharmacokinetics and toxicity remain unstudied."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Reduced colonic inflammation in chronic colitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide relieved DSS-induced chronic colitis in C57BL/6J mice and shifted colonic microflora structure. Mouse model only."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, haemostatic and blood-cooling actions consistent with traditional use","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Rehmanniae Radix research describes the herb as very cold, sweet-slightly bitter and non-toxic, with reported temperature-lowering, blood-cooling, fluid-increasing, haemostatic and detoxifying actions, but the supporting studies are largely preclinical or in multi-herb formulations."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"anemarrhena","outcome":"Antidepressant-like, memory-enhancing and neuroprotective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Sarsasapogenin showed antidepressant-like effects in the rodent forced swimming test with monoamine modulation, and sarsasapogenin, mangiferin, timosaponin A-III and timosaponin B-II improved learning/memory deficits in rodent models including post-ischaemic impairment."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (raw)","outcome":"Neuroprotection in CNS injury and neurodegeneration models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Catalpol reduced endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-mediated neuronal apoptosis in a rat spinal-cord-injury model and shows neuroprotective effects across rodent models; these findings are entirely preclinical."}]}]},{"name":"22 Reishis Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/22-reishis-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Wild Ice Man's Fungus fruiting body","Wild White Hoof Reishi fruiting body","Wild Chinese Yew Mushroom fruiting body","Wild Black Reishi fruiting body","Wild Green Reishi fruiting body","Wild Antrodia fruiting body","Wild Bamboo Yellow Mushroom fruiting body","Wild Tibetan White Reishi fruiting body","Wild Spotty Brown Mushroom fruiting body","Wild Artist's Conk fruiting body","Wild Red Bamboo Reishi fruiting body","Wild Thin Cap Reishi fruiting body","Wild Backward Stem Purple Reishi fruiting body","Wild Red Reishi fruiting body","Wild Golden Reishi fruiting body","Wild Stemless Red Reishi fruiting body","Wild Purple Reishi fruiting body","Wild Beehive Reishi fruiting body","Wild Siberian Chaga fruiting body","Wild Tiger Milk Reishi fruiting body","Wild Black Hoof Mushroom fruiting body","Wild Pine Needle Mushroom fruiting body","Wild Coriolus fruiting body"],"ingredients_canonical":["ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","white hoof reishi","chinese yew mushroom","black reishi","green reishi","antrodia","bamboo yellow mushroom","tibetan white reishi","spotty brown mushroom","artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","red bamboo reishi","thin cap reishi","backward stem purple reishi","reishi","golden reishi","stemless red reishi","purple reishi","beehive reishi","chaga","tiger milk reishi","black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","turkey tail"],"claims_vendor":["Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","A unique formula in the entire world","Made with 22 WILD mushrooms from the pristine wild forest of China's 10 great mountains","Each mushroom is a phytochemical treasure house","Each mushroom is similar to Reishi, but different","22 Reishis Drops is a unique, extremely potent tonic mushroom extract designed by Ron Teeguarden based on current and traditional \u201cwild woody mushroom\u201d connoisseur-usage in Asia.","The mushrooms have an extraordinary range of activities that protect and support our glowing health.","All wild \u201cReishis\u201d have powerful Shen tonic properties","This formulation is both an immunological powerhouse and a spiritual elixir of the highest order.","22 Reishis Drops contains Reishi-related woody mushroom from the major mountains of Asia, including the Himalayas, Changbai Mountain, Heaven Mountain, Song Mountain, the Kunlun Mountains, Wuyi Mountain, the Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) and others.","22 Reishis Drops belongs in every serious tonic power-user\u2019s home elixir bar.","There will never be any mushroom product more potent than any batch of 22 Reishis Drops."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","research_target":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","common_names":["Agarikon / quinine conk / larch bracket","yao yong ling zhi-type polypore (no standard pinyin; largely a European/North American medicinal polypore)","Fomitopsis officinalis (Vill.) Bondartsev & Singer (syn. Laricifomes officinalis)"],"tcm_category":"Not a classical Chinese tonic category; used in Western/European herbal and Eurasian folk medicine as a lung-supporting, antimicrobial 'tonic' mushroom (loosely marketed as a qi/lung tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antibacterial activity including against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Two naturally occurring chlorinated coumarins isolated from an ethanol extract showed a narrow antimicrobial spectrum with their lowest MICs against the M. tuberculosis complex, and a review reports fomitopsins E and F inhibiting Bacillus cereus at MIC 6.25 microgram/mL.","sources":[{"title":"Chlorinated Coumarins from the Polypore Mushroom Fomitopsis officinalis and Their Activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/np400497f","year":2013},{"title":"Antimicrobial properties of Fomitopsis officinalis in the light of its bioactive metabolites: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6394315/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Antiviral activity (herpes simplex virus type 1)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of F. officinalis bioactive metabolites reports fomitopsin D inhibiting HSV-1 with an IC50 of 17 microgram/mL and describes broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral reports, while cautioning that crude-extract evidence is variable and non-standardized.","sources":[{"title":"Antimicrobial properties of Fomitopsis officinalis in the light of its bioactive metabolites: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6394315/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of fruiting-body extracts","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 spatial metabolomics study annotated 505 metabolites and found apical extracts richest in phenolics (116.12 mg GAE/100 g) with the strongest ABTS/DPPH/FRAP activity and MICs below 100 microgram/mL against most bacteria and dermatophytes (3.86 microgram/mL against E. coli).","sources":[{"title":"Fomitopsis officinalis: Spatial (Pileus and Hymenophore) Metabolomic Variations Affect Functional Components and Biological Activities","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10135358/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"There is essentially no human clinical evidence for Fomitopsis (Laricifomes) officinalis: no RCTs, no controlled trials and no case series were found. What exists is credible natural-products chemistry - chlorinated coumarins with selective activity against the M. tuberculosis complex, fomitopsin antivirals against HSV-1, antitrypanosomal lanostane triterpenoids and antioxidant phenolics - all in vitro. The traditional pulmonary and antimicrobial reputation is therefore mechanistically plausible but clinically unproven, and marketing claims about immune enhancement, antiviral protection or cancer are not substantiated by human data. Product identity and constituent standardization are additional unresolved problems."},{"canonical":"white hoof reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"chinese yew mushroom","research_target":"chinese yew mushroom","common_names":["Chinese yew mushroom (wood-conk fungus harvested from Chinese yew, Taxus chinensis / T. chinensis var. mairei)","n.a. (no standard pinyin herb name in the Chinese pharmacopoeia)","n.a. (no accepted fungal binomial; host tree is Taxus chinensis (Rehder & E.H. Wilson) Rehder)"],"tcm_category":"n.a. - not a category in classical Chinese materia medica; sold commercially within 'wild woody mushroom' tonic blends claiming Three Treasures (Jing/Qi/Shen) support","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"n.a. - no health outcome has been studied for this specific ingredient","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Targeted searches of the biomedical literature returned no pharmacological, toxicological or clinical study of a 'Chinese yew mushroom'; available literature concerns either the host tree Taxus chinensis as a taxane source or unrelated medicinal polypores such as Ganoderma lucidum. Any benefit claim rests on supplier marketing and general medicinal-mushroom extrapolation.","sources":[{"title":"Taxus chinensis (Chinese yew) - species, medicinal use as source of paclitaxel and taxifolin, endangered status","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus_chinensis","year":2025},{"title":"Medicinal Mushrooms: Bioactive Compounds, Use, and Clinical Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7826851/","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Modern scientific evidence for 'Chinese yew mushroom' is essentially absent: no controlled study, no phytochemical profile, and no settled taxonomic identity could be located, so its use is based purely on traditional/commercial tonic-blend context and on the reputation of its host tree and of better-studied polypores. Buyers should treat efficacy claims as unsubstantiated, and note the additional theoretical risk from yew's cardiotoxic taxine alkaloids and the endangered status of Taxus chinensis."},{"canonical":"black reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"green reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"antrodia","research_target":"antrodia","common_names":["Antrodia / niu-chang-chih (Taiwanese camphor mushroom)","niu zhang zhi","Antrodia cinnamomea T.T. Chang & W.N. Chou (syn. Antrodia camphorata, Taiwanofungus camphoratus)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic-type medicinal fungus used chiefly as a liver-protective tonic (Taiwanese folk medicine rather than classical Chinese materia medica)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hepatic steatosis and inflammation markers in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 6-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 28 NASH patients, 420 mg/day of A. cinnamomea mycelium lowered mean SteatoTest (0.66 to 0.49) and ActiTest (0.46 to 0.30) values (p < 0.029) and reduced TNF-alpha at 3 and 6 months, with no adverse events. The trial is very small and used surrogate biomarker panels rather than histology.","sources":[{"title":"Hepatoprotective Effect of Antrodia cinnamomea Mycelium in Patients with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32657670/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of ALT/AST in adults with marginally elevated liver enzymes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"A 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 44 asymptomatic Japanese adults with ALT 31-50 U/L found no significant change in ALT or AST within or between the 250 mg/day mycelia-extract and placebo groups; only a post-hoc subgroup of regular drinkers (more than twice weekly) showed improved mean ALT. No treatment-related adverse effects occurred.","sources":[{"title":"Hepatoprotective effect of Antrodia Cinnamomea mycelia extract in subhealth Japanese adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36476310/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Overall survival and disease control in advanced cancer alongside chemotherapy","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a prospective randomised double-blind placebo-controlled study (NCT01287286) of 37 patients with advanced adenocarcinoma, 30 days of A. cinnamomea 20 mL twice daily plus chemotherapy gave mean overall survival of 5.4 vs 5.0 months (p = 0.340) and a numerically lower disease control rate (41.2% vs 55%, p = 0.33), i.e. no demonstrated benefit.","sources":[{"title":"A preliminary randomised controlled study of short-term Antrodia cinnamomea treatment combined with chemotherapy for patients with advanced cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5002173/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"Antrodia cinnamomea is unusual among tonic fungi in having several genuine placebo-controlled human trials, and their results are mostly modest or null: one very small 6-month RCT showed improvement in NASH biomarker panels, a larger 12-week trial found no ALT/AST effect except in a post-hoc drinker subgroup, and the oncology RCT showed no survival or disease-control benefit alongside chemotherapy. The antitumour and hepatoprotective claims sold commercially rest on cell and rodent work, not on these trials. Tolerability looks good, with no treatment-related adverse events reported in the published RCTs."},{"canonical":"bamboo yellow mushroom","research_target":"bamboo yellow mushroom","common_names":["Bamboo Yellow Mushroom (trade name used in Western tonic-herb products)","candidate identity 1: Zhu Sun / bamboo mushroom - Phallus indusiatus (syn. Dictyophora indusiata)","candidate identity 2: Tian Zhu Huang / 'heavenly bamboo yellow' - Bambusae Concretio Silicea (a bamboo silica concretion, not a fungus)"],"tcm_category":"Marketed as a Shen tonic / immune tonic among 'Reishi-related' wild woody mushrooms; Tian Zhu Huang is classically a Phlegm-Heat-transforming and Shen-calming (fright-settling) herb, not a tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immune modulation, antioxidant and prebiotic/gut-health effects of bamboo mushroom polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review in Journal of Fungi reports that Dictyophora (Phallus) indusiata polysaccharides enhance immune function via TLR4/NF-kB signalling, reduce oxidative stress, act as prebiotics and improve lipid profiles - all in cell and animal models, with no human trials or effect sizes reported.","sources":[{"title":"New Insights into Chemical Profiles and Health-Promoting Effects of Edible Mushroom Dictyophora indusiata (Vent ex. Pers.) Fischer: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39852494/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and collagen-stimulating (wound healing) activity in vitro","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous extracts of egg-stage D. indusiata inhibited nitric oxide and cytokine secretion and inhibited MMP-2 (collagen-preserving) in cell assays; strictly in vitro evidence for topical/wound applications.","sources":[{"title":"High Efficiency In Vitro Wound Healing of Dictyophora indusiata Extracts via Anti-Inflammatory and Collagen Stimulating (MMP-2 Inhibition) Mechanisms","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8708927/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, antimicrobial, organoprotective and anticancer activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2022 Italian Journal of Mycology review of bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus describes antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, organoprotective and anticancer activities of its bioactive compounds and polysaccharides; no clinical studies are cited.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological and therapeutic value of bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus (Agaricomycetes)","url":"https://italianmycology.unibo.it/article/view/14666","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"'Bamboo yellow mushroom' is a trade name rather than a taxon: it appears as an undescribed wild-mushroom ingredient in Western tonic formulas, with no Latin binomial published, and could plausibly refer to the edible bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus or be confused with the unrelated TCM mineral-resin item Tian Zhu Huang. Modern evidence for the closest identifiable candidate (P. indusiata) is entirely preclinical - polysaccharide immunomodulation, antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity - with no human trials at all. Claims of Shen-tonic, immune or longevity benefit for the marketed ingredient are unsubstantiated, and there is an additional practical concern that yellow-myceliated bamboo fungus material is described as toxic in Chinese sources."},{"canonical":"tibetan white reishi","research_target":"reishi (tibetan white)","common_names":["White reishi / white lingzhi (Tibetan-cultivated Ganoderma)","Bai Ling Zhi (cf. Ling Zhi)","Ganoderma sp. (marketed as a white variant of Ganoderma lucidum)"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (spirit-calming Qi tonic; lingzhi replenishes Qi and eases the mind)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to chemotherapy/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 Chinese patients, mostly advanced lung cancer) found patients given G. lucidum alongside chemo/radiotherapy were about 1.27 times more likely to respond to treatment, but there was no evidence of improved long-term survival and the review does not recommend G. lucidum as first-line cancer therapy.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Cardiovascular risk factors (blood glucose/HbA1c, blood pressure, lipids)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 5 trials (398 participants; 3 contributing data) found no statistically or clinically meaningful benefit of G. lucidum - for example HbA1c WMD -0.10% (95% CI -1.05 to 0.85, n=130) - and concluded the evidence does not support its use for cardiovascular risk factors.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum mushroom for the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25686270/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation (NK-cell activity, cytokine and immune-cell changes)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Reishi polysaccharides and beta-glucans modulate immune parameters in laboratory and animal systems and small human studies of enhanced NK-cell activity are cited in review literature, but the Cochrane cancer review found immune-function results inconsistent and underpowered.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi or Reishi) \u2014 Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects, 2nd ed.","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92757/","year":2011},{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007731.pub3/full","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"For Ganoderma lucidum generally, two Cochrane reviews frame the evidence honestly: a modest increase in tumour response when added to chemo/radiotherapy (5 RCTs, 373 patients) with no survival benefit and no recommendation as first-line therapy, and no meaningful effect on cardiovascular risk factors such as HbA1c, blood pressure or lipids. Immune-modulating claims rest largely on laboratory and animal work. Crucially, the specific ingredient here - 'Tibetan white' reishi - has essentially no scientific literature: the only locatable source is a cultivation industry report from Milin County, Tibet, whose health claims (angiocardiopathy, Lung Qi, anticancer) are marketing assertions with no study behind them. Any evidence cited for this product is therefore extrapolated from ordinary red lingzhi, and case reports of hepatotoxicity with Ganoderma supplements warrant caution."},{"canonical":"spotty brown mushroom","research_target":"spotty brown mushroom","common_names":["Spotty Brown Mushroom (trade name in Western multi-mushroom tonic products)","n.a. (no pinyin name identified)","n.a. (no Latin binomial published for this trade name)"],"tcm_category":"Marketed as a Shen tonic / immune tonic within a 'Reishi-related' wild mushroom blend; no classical TCM category exists for this name","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"n.a. - no health outcome has been studied for this ingredient","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"'Spotty brown mushroom' appears in the literature only as an undescribed ingredient name in a commercial multi-mushroom tincture; no taxonomic identification, no chemical characterization, and no preclinical or clinical studies of this named material were found.","sources":[{"title":"22 Reishis Drops product ingredient listing","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/22-reishis-drops-multi.html","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Modern scientific evidence for 'spotty brown mushroom' is absent. The name is a vendor trade label for an unidentified wild woody mushroom in a 23-ingredient tonic blend; no Latin binomial, no chemical analysis, and no preclinical or human studies could be located, and no classical Chinese materia medica entry corresponds to the name. Any benefit attributed to it rests entirely on the marketing framing that 'Reishi-related' wild polypores share Shen-tonic and immune properties, which is an extrapolation from research on other species (e.g. Ganoderma, Trametes) rather than evidence about this ingredient."},{"canonical":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","research_target":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","common_names":["Artist's conk / artist's bracket","Bian Ling Zhi (also 'laomujun', 'laoniugan')","Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (used in the lingzhi group; classical actions described as heat-clearing, accumulation-eliminating, bleeding-stopping, phlegm-eliminating and pain-relieving rather than as a pure tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antitumour / cytotoxic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2024 International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms review of 324 isolated compounds reports antitumour activity for G. applanatum extracts and constituents in laboratory models; the authors state that more animal and human studies are needed to evaluate the cellular and molecular mechanisms, and report no clinical trials.","sources":[{"title":"The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotective and hypoglycaemic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Liver protection, hypoglycaemic and anti-fat (lipid-lowering) effects are reported for the species, exclusively from in vitro and animal experiments.","sources":[{"title":"The Artist's Conk Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma applanatum (Agaricomycetes): Mycological, Mycochemical, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38884263/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A G. applanatum mycelial exobiopolymer (58.9% sugar, 17.1% protein) showed immunomodulatory activity in laboratory assays, in line with the broader Ganoderma polysaccharide literature; no human immunological outcomes are reported.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of Chemical Composition and Bioactivity Studies of the Most Promising Species of Ganoderma spp.","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/882","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Artist's conk is chemically rich - 324 compounds catalogued, including distinctive spiro-meroterpenoids - and shows antitumour, hepatoprotective, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, antibacterial and immunomodulatory activity in laboratory models. However, no clinical trials in humans were identified in either comprehensive review, and the 2024 review explicitly calls for animal and human studies of its mechanisms. Its traditional use as an anti-cancer and heat-clearing remedy in China and Japan is well documented, but modern scientific evidence for any human health outcome is effectively absent, so it should be treated as a traditional-use ingredient with preclinical promise only."},{"canonical":"red bamboo reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"thin cap reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"backward stem purple reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"reishi","research_target":"reishi","common_names":["Reishi mushroom / lingzhi","Ling Zhi (\u7075\u829d)","Ganoderma lucidum (also treated as G. lingzhi)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 classified in TCM as a spirit-calming and Qi-tonifying substance","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"For reishi the best evidence (a Cochrane review of 5 small Chinese RCTs) supports improved quality-of-life scores and modest immune-marker changes as an adjunct in cancer care, but not tumour shrinkage or survival, and the trials are small and methodologically weak. Small single RCTs suggest benefit for cancer-related fatigue, neurasthenia-type fatigue and mild lower urinary tract symptoms, while a well-conducted metabolic trial found no glycaemic benefit. The traditional claims of broad immortality/longevity, spirit-calming and immune 'boosting' are not substantiated at the level of hard clinical outcomes, and rare hepatotoxicity is documented."},{"canonical":"golden reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"stemless red reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"purple reishi","research_target":"reishi (purple variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi ('purple Ganoderma')","Zi Zhi","Ganoderma sinense J.D. Zhao, L.W. Hsu & X.Q. Zhang"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic / Qi tonic (lingzhi-class tonic used to calm the spirit, support Qi and 'nourish the heart'); Ganoderma sinense is one of the two Ganoderma species formally listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Regulatory approval as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A G. sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved in 2010 by China's State Food and Drug Administration as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy in cancer treatment; the approval rests on Chinese-language basic and clinical development data rather than on published international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense (taxonomy, zizhi naming and regulatory status)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_sinense","year":2024},{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anti-cytopenia activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2017 review in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy summarizing (largely Chinese-language) basic and preclinical work reported antitumour, antioxidant, anti-cytopenia and mushroom-poison detoxification properties of GSP, with no quantitative clinical outcomes available.","sources":[{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Absence of retrievable clinical trials of G. sinense polysaccharide tablets","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The authors of the 2017 overview state that they could not find clinical studies of GSP tablets either in the literature search or by contacting the drug manufacturers - an unusual gap for a nationally approved adjunctive drug.","sources":[{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"Purple reishi (Ganoderma sinense, zizhi) is pharmacopoeial and its polysaccharide tablet is an approved adjunctive drug in China for chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia, but the published evidence behind that indication is preclinical: the principal review on the compound explicitly could not locate clinical studies of the tablet. All human trial evidence in the Ganoderma space concerns G. lucidum, where Cochrane found only a weak, non-significant improvement in tumour response as an adjunct and explicitly did not support use as first-line therapy. Treating purple reishi as an evidence-supported immune or anticancer therapy would be an overstatement; its use is currently justified by traditional context, regulatory precedent in China, and animal/cell data."},{"canonical":"beehive reishi","research_target":"reishi (variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi (zi zhi)","Zi Zhi (\u7d2b\u829d)","Ganoderma sinense"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 used interchangeably with red lingzhi as a spirit-calming, Qi-tonifying longevity herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury (adjunctive use)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved by China's State FDA in 2010 as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy; the supporting literature reviewed is largely Chinese-language basic, preclinical and clinical-report data rather than international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anticytopenic activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Basic and preclinical studies report antitumour, antioxidant, anticytopenic and mushroom-poison detoxifying activity for G. sinense polysaccharide; no numerical human effect estimates are provided in the review.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide: An adjunctive drug used for cancer treatment","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030747/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immune/inflammatory gene expression differs from red reishi","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Microarray comparison in human monocytic THP-1 cells found only ~25% overlap of target genes between purple lingzhi (G. sinense) and red lingzhi (G. lucidum) extracts: purple lingzhi acted mainly on inflammation/immune-response pathways and up-regulated NF-kB pathway genes, whereas red lingzhi did not. Neither inhibited cell growth, so the two species are not pharmacologically interchangeable.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of two different Ganoderma species (Lingzhi) on gene expression in human monocytic THP-1 cells","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574926/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Interpreting 'reishi (variant)' as Ganoderma sinense (purple lingzhi/zi zhi), the modern evidence base is much thinner than for red reishi: it consists of Chinese preclinical work plus a polysaccharide tablet approved domestically in 2010 as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, with no identified international RCTs of the species itself. Gene-expression work shows purple and red lingzhi share only about a quarter of their molecular targets, so evidence for G. lucidum should not be transferred to this variant. In practice its use is best described as traditional plus preclinical, with regulatory acceptance in China rather than robust trial support."},{"canonical":"chaga","research_target":"chaga","common_names":["Chaga / clinker polypore","Bai Hua Rong (\u6866\u6811\u8338, birch mushroom)","Inonotus obliquus"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / immune-supporting tonic (a folk and Russian/Siberian medicinal fungus rather than a classical Chinese materia medica category; often marketed alongside Qi and Jing tonics)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"antitumour / antiproliferative activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Chaga polysaccharides and triterpenoids inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis across many cancer cell lines and reduce tumour growth in mouse models (S180, LLC1 allografts), but no randomized human oncology trial evidence exists.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides describe macrophage activation, cytokine modulation and immunostimulatory effects in cell and animal models; corresponding human immune-outcome trials are not available.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical.","sources":[{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Chaga has a substantial preclinical literature (polysaccharides and triterpenoids showing antitumour, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic activity in cells and rodents) but essentially no randomized controlled human trials for any marketed indication, so consumer claims are extrapolation from in vitro and animal work. The best-documented human data are harm signals: case reports of oxalate nephropathy and end-stage renal disease after months of high-dose use, now reinforced by a controlled rat model. On current evidence chaga should be regarded as unproven for efficacy and non-trivially risky at high chronic doses, particularly for kidney health."},{"canonical":"tiger milk reishi","research_target":"tiger milk mushroom (lignosus rhinocerotis)","common_names":["Tiger milk mushroom, cendawan susu rimau","Hu Ru Ling (marketing name; not a classical pharmacopoeia herb)","Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden (syn. Lignosus rhinocerus)"],"tcm_category":"Qi/Lung tonic in modern usage (respiratory and general tonic); traditionally an indigenous Southeast Asian tonic rather than a classical TCM category herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved pulmonary function and reduced upper-respiratory symptoms in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An open-label single-arm study of 50 adults taking 300 mg twice daily for 3 months reported FEV1 up 19.7%, FEV1/FVC up 27.2%, nasal symptom score down 74.1% and symptom VAS down 73.2%, with reduced IL-1beta and IL-8. Absence of a placebo group and the open-label design mean regression to the mean and expectancy effects cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) supplementation on respiratory health, immunity and antioxidant status: an open-label prospective study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8175741/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Anti-asthmatic effect (airway inflammation, bronchodilation, airway remodeling)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2026 systematic review found 9 studies (8 animal, 1 human): extracts at 1-500 mg/kg reduced eosinophilic infiltration and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) in animal asthma models, but the authors concluded the predominantly preclinical evidence does not permit conclusions about clinical efficacy for routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) on asthma: a systematic review","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12890-026-04190-6","year":2026},{"title":"Effectiveness of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) on asthma: a systematic review (PubMed record)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41877083/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory, antioxidant, neuritogenic and antiproliferative activities","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A status review of validated investigations documents cognitive/neuritogenic, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antiproliferative activity of sclerotium extracts in vitro and in animals. None of these has been confirmed in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Status Review of the Bioactive Activities of Tiger Milk Mushroom Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5775285/","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"Tiger milk mushroom has credible preclinical support for anti-inflammatory and bronchoprotective effects in asthma models, plus one open-label 50-person study reporting large improvements in spirometry and nasal symptoms. Because that human study lacked a control group and the 2026 systematic review found only one human study among nine, clinical efficacy is not established - the review states the evidence does not support routine clinical use. Traditional respiratory and general-tonic uses among Orang Asli and Malaysian Chinese communities are well documented ethnographically; short-term safety looks acceptable but is minimally characterised."},{"canonical":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","research_target":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","common_names":["Black hoof mushroom / sanghuang / meshimakobu","sang huang (\u6851\u9ec4)","Phellinus linteus (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Teng (syn. Sanghuangporus spp.)"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover / heat-clearing tonic (used to stop bleeding, resolve blood stasis and treat masses; marketed today as an immune/anticancer tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Longer overall survival in resected pancreatic cancer receiving non-FOLFIRINOX adjuvant chemotherapy","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a retrospective single-institution cohort of 407 patients (103 using perioperative Phellinus linteus), mean overall survival was 47.0 vs 35.0 months (p<0.001) and 43.9 vs 35.0 months in the non-FOLFIRINOX subgroup (p=0.021); after multivariable adjustment the association was only marginal (HR 0.614, p=0.051) and no benefit appeared with FOLFIRINOX.","sources":[{"title":"Perioperative Clinical Usage of Phellinus Linteus as a Nutraceutical for Non-FOLFIRINOX-Based Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Resected Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12214309/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Tumour regression in advanced cancer","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A narrative review compiles three case reports of regression - hormone-refractory prostate cancer with bone metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma with skull metastasis after 18 months of use, and HCC with lung metastases after one month of mycelial extract - but no controlled clinical trial exists and confounding by concurrent therapy cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Medicinal mushroom Phellinus linteus as an alternative cancer therapy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445909/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and chemosensitizing activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph and preclinical reviews describe antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects in cell and animal models, while stating explicitly that well-designed clinical trials are needed before efficacy can be claimed.","sources":[{"title":"Phellinus linteus - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center integrative medicine herb monograph","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/phellinus-linteus","year":2022},{"title":"Medicinal mushroom Phellinus linteus as an alternative cancer therapy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3445909/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Despite aggressive marketing as an anticancer mushroom, Phellinus linteus has no randomized controlled trial evidence. The best human data are a 2025 retrospective cohort in resected pancreatic cancer where the survival difference lost statistical significance after adjustment (HR 0.614, p=0.051), plus three uncontrolled case reports of tumour regression; the bulk of the literature is in vitro and animal work on polysaccharide and polyphenol fractions. Safety is not benign in this context: higher rates of grade 3+ hepatotoxicity were seen alongside chemotherapy, a supplement-associated case of acute toxic liver injury is documented, and immune stimulation has been linked to pemphigus exacerbation. Claims of demonstrated anticancer efficacy in humans are not substantiated."},{"canonical":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","research_target":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","common_names":["Matsutake / pine mushroom","Song Rong (\u677e\u8338)","Tricholoma matsutake (S. Ito & S. Imai) Singer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / food-grade tonic mushroom \u2014 used as a nourishing dietary tonic rather than as a classical categorized materia medica herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced excessive skin melanin production (topical, facial hyperpigmentation)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized clinical study of a topical serum containing matsutake polysaccharide extract (40 randomized, 36 completed; placebo n=10 versus 0.5% PETM serum arms) accompanied in vitro work showing 0.5 mg/mL PETM significantly reduced 8-MOP-induced melanin content, MITF expression and tyrosinase activity via reduced JNK phosphorylation, comparably to alpha-arbutin. This is a small cosmetic-endpoint trial with topical, not oral, dosing.","sources":[{"title":"Tricholoma matsutake polysaccharides suppress excessive melanogenesis via JNK-mediated pathway: B16-F10 cells and clinical study (Heliyon)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11033116/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 Journal of Ethnopharmacology review reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumour and radioprotective activities for Tricholoma polysaccharides, but records no quantitative human outcome data.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural characterization, pharmacological activities, and applications of Tricholoma polysaccharides: A review (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue and anti-aging effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory activities are described for Tricholoma polysaccharides in cell and animal models only; no clinical trials or effect sizes are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural characterization, pharmacological activities, and applications of Tricholoma polysaccharides: A review (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40441461/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Matsutake is primarily a prized culinary mushroom whose medicinal literature is almost entirely preclinical polysaccharide pharmacology (antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumour, radioprotective, hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue activities in cells and animals). The only human data located is a small randomized study of a topical 0.5% polysaccharide serum for facial hyperpigmentation, supported by a coherent JNK/MITF/tyrosinase mechanism - a cosmetic endpoint that says nothing about oral tonic use. There is no clinical evidence for the immune, anti-fatigue or longevity claims made for matsutake supplements, and ingestion can cause IgE-mediated anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals."},{"canonical":"turkey tail","research_target":"turkey tail","common_names":["Turkey tail / Coriolus","yun zhi (\u4e91\u829d)","Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd (syn. Coriolus versicolor)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / immune-supporting tonic (traditionally used to clear damp-heat and strengthen the constitution, especially for lung and liver conditions)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved 5-year survival in colorectal cancer when added to conventional treatment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2022 Cochrane review of 7 RCTs (1,569 adults, mostly PSK in Japan) found a small improvement in 5-year survival with adjunctive Coriolus versicolor (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; 1,094 participants; NNTB 16), rated low certainty because trials were unblinded and older.","sources":[{"title":"Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim.","sources":[{"title":"Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006).","sources":[{"title":"Medicinal Mushrooms (PDQ) - Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute","url":"https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/mushrooms-pdq","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"Turkey tail is the best-evidenced item in this batch, but only in a narrow form: the protein-bound polysaccharide PSK, given as a pharmaceutical adjuvant to chemotherapy in Japanese gastric and colorectal cancer trials, shows small but reproducible survival gains (Cochrane: RR 1.08 for 5-year survival, low certainty; PDQ-cited meta-analysis HR 0.88 in 8,009 gastric cancer patients). Notably, the popular claim that turkey tail eases chemotherapy side effects was NOT supported - Cochrane found little to no effect with very low certainty. Immune 'boosting' in healthy people, and the equivalence of over-the-counter mushroom powders to standardized PSK/PSP doses of 1-3 g/day, are unsubstantiated. Safety is favourable, with a documented interaction caution for cyclophosphamide."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":11,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved 5-year survival in colorectal cancer when added to conventional treatment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2022 Cochrane review of 7 RCTs (1,569 adults, mostly PSK in Japan) found a small improvement in 5-year survival with adjunctive Coriolus versicolor (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; 1,094 participants; NNTB 16), rated low certainty because trials were unblinded and older."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006)."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","outcome":"Immunomodulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A G. applanatum mycelial exobiopolymer (58.9% sugar, 17.1% protein) showed immunomodulatory activity in laboratory assays, in line with the broader Ganoderma polysaccharide literature; no human immunological outcomes are reported."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Immune modulation, antioxidant and prebiotic/gut-health effects of bamboo mushroom polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review in Journal of Fungi reports that Dictyophora (Phallus) indusiata polysaccharides enhance immune function via TLR4/NF-kB signalling, reduce oxidative stress, act as prebiotics and improve lipid profiles - all in cell and animal models, with no human trials or effect sizes reported."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and collagen-stimulating (wound healing) activity in vitro","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aqueous extracts of egg-stage D. indusiata inhibited nitric oxide and cytokine secretion and inhibited MMP-2 (collagen-preserving) in cell assays; strictly in vitro evidence for topical/wound applications."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Antioxidant, antimicrobial, organoprotective and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2022 Italian Journal of Mycology review of bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus describes antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, organoprotective and anticancer activities of its bioactive compounds and polysaccharides; no clinical studies are cited."},{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and chemosensitizing activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph and preclinical reviews describe antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects in cell and animal models, while stating explicitly that well-designed clinical trials are needed before efficacy can be claimed."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Immune modulation, antioxidant and prebiotic/gut-health effects of bamboo mushroom polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review in Journal of Fungi reports that Dictyophora (Phallus) indusiata polysaccharides enhance immune function via TLR4/NF-kB signalling, reduce oxidative stress, act as prebiotics and improve lipid profiles - all in cell and animal models, with no human trials or effect sizes reported."},{"ingredient":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue and anti-aging effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory activities are described for Tricholoma polysaccharides in cell and animal models only; no clinical trials or effect sizes are reported."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Immune support, anti-fatigue and general 'tonic' use in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review of the genus Fomitopsis lists traditional uses for headache, nausea, liver problems, haemostasis, inflammation, fatigue, immune enhancement and cancer, and reports antioxidant/immunomodulatory potential from laboratory work only; the striking metabolic figures it cites (e.g. large glucose and lipid changes) come from F. pinicola animal studies, not F. officinalis human trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006)."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Immune support, anti-fatigue and general 'tonic' use in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review of the genus Fomitopsis lists traditional uses for headache, nausea, liver problems, haemostasis, inflammation, fatigue, immune enhancement and cancer, and reports antioxidant/immunomodulatory potential from laboratory work only; the striking metabolic figures it cites (e.g. large glucose and lipid changes) come from F. pinicola animal studies, not F. officinalis human trials."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006)."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Survival benefit in breast cancer with PSK","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A review of 4 Asian RCTs (N=2,217) reported that PSK 3,000 mg/day significantly extended survival in ER-negative stage IIA node-negative patients and that chemotherapy plus PSK gave better 5- and 10-year survival than chemotherapy alone, but findings were subgroup-specific and have not been replicated in Western trials."},{"ingredient":"antrodia","outcome":"Improved hepatic steatosis and inflammation markers in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 6-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 28 NASH patients, 420 mg/day of A. cinnamomea mycelium lowered mean SteatoTest (0.66 to 0.49) and ActiTest (0.46 to 0.30) values (p < 0.029) and reduced TNF-alpha at 3 and 6 months, with no adverse events. The trial is very small and used surrogate biomarker panels rather than histology."},{"ingredient":"antrodia","outcome":"Reduction of ALT/AST in adults with marginally elevated liver enzymes","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 44 asymptomatic Japanese adults with ALT 31-50 U/L found no significant change in ALT or AST within or between the 250 mg/day mycelia-extract and placebo groups; only a post-hoc subgroup of regular drinkers (more than twice weekly) showed improved mean ALT. No treatment-related adverse effects occurred."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"antrodia","outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in mildly hypertensive adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomised controlled pilot clinical study evaluated oral A. cinnamomea mycelium in mildly hypertensive adults; the publicly available record confirms the pilot RCT design but does not report sample size or numerical blood-pressure outcomes, so the size and direction of any effect cannot be verified from the accessible source."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Glycaemic and metabolic-syndrome markers in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 84 adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (16 weeks of G. lucidum with or without Cordyceps) found no clinically meaningful improvement in glycaemic control or metabolic-syndrome parameters versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","outcome":"Hepatoprotective and hypoglycaemic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Liver protection, hypoglycaemic and anti-fat (lipid-lowering) effects are reported for the species, exclusively from in vitro and animal experiments."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Immune modulation, antioxidant and prebiotic/gut-health effects of bamboo mushroom polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review in Journal of Fungi reports that Dictyophora (Phallus) indusiata polysaccharides enhance immune function via TLR4/NF-kB signalling, reduce oxidative stress, act as prebiotics and improve lipid profiles - all in cell and animal models, with no human trials or effect sizes reported."},{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"glucose-lowering / metabolic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Antihyperglycaemic and lipid effects of chaga polysaccharides have been reported in rodent diabetes models within review syntheses; no human RCT confirmation was identified."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Antiviral activity (herpes simplex virus type 1)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of F. officinalis bioactive metabolites reports fomitopsin D inhibiting HSV-1 with an IC50 of 17 microgram/mL and describes broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral reports, while cautioning that crude-extract evidence is variable and non-standardized."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"antrodia","outcome":"Improved hepatic steatosis and inflammation markers in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 6-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 28 NASH patients, 420 mg/day of A. cinnamomea mycelium lowered mean SteatoTest (0.66 to 0.49) and ActiTest (0.46 to 0.30) values (p < 0.029) and reduced TNF-alpha at 3 and 6 months, with no adverse events. The trial is very small and used surrogate biomarker panels rather than histology."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and collagen-stimulating (wound healing) activity in vitro","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aqueous extracts of egg-stage D. indusiata inhibited nitric oxide and cytokine secretion and inhibited MMP-2 (collagen-preserving) in cell assays; strictly in vitro evidence for topical/wound applications."},{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and chemosensitizing activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph and preclinical reviews describe antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects in cell and animal models, while stating explicitly that well-designed clinical trials are needed before efficacy can be claimed."},{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical."},{"ingredient":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue and anti-aging effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Hypoglycaemic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory activities are described for Tricholoma polysaccharides in cell and animal models only; no clinical trials or effect sizes are reported."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Immune support, anti-fatigue and general 'tonic' use in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review of the genus Fomitopsis lists traditional uses for headache, nausea, liver problems, haemostasis, inflammation, fatigue, immune enhancement and cancer, and reports antioxidant/immunomodulatory potential from laboratory work only; the striking metabolic figures it cites (e.g. large glucose and lipid changes) come from F. pinicola animal studies, not F. officinalis human trials."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"pine needle mushroom (matsutake)","outcome":"Reduced excessive skin melanin production (topical, facial hyperpigmentation)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized clinical study of a topical serum containing matsutake polysaccharide extract (40 randomized, 36 completed; placebo n=10 versus 0.5% PETM serum arms) accompanied in vitro work showing 0.5 mg/mL PETM significantly reduced 8-MOP-induced melanin content, MITF expression and tyrosinase activity via reduced JNK phosphorylation, comparably to alpha-arbutin. This is a small cosmetic-endpoint trial with topical, not oral, dosing."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and collagen-stimulating (wound healing) activity in vitro","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aqueous extracts of egg-stage D. indusiata inhibited nitric oxide and cytokine secretion and inhibited MMP-2 (collagen-preserving) in cell assays; strictly in vitro evidence for topical/wound applications."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of fruiting-body extracts","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 spatial metabolomics study annotated 505 metabolites and found apical extracts richest in phenolics (116.12 mg GAE/100 g) with the strongest ABTS/DPPH/FRAP activity and MICs below 100 microgram/mL against most bacteria and dermatophytes (3.86 microgram/mL against E. coli)."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS) in older men","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind dose-ranging RCT in 88 men >49 years found 6 mg/day of a G. lucidum ethanol extract for 12 weeks improved total IPSS (mean difference -1.18 points, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.62, P<0.0001) with no change in urinary flow, residual urine, prostate volume, PSA or testosterone."},{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Tumour regression in advanced cancer","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A narrative review compiles three case reports of regression - hormone-refractory prostate cancer with bone metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma with skull metastasis after 18 months of use, and HCC with lung metastases after one month of mycelial extract - but no controlled clinical trial exists and confounding by concurrent therapy cannot be excluded."},{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Haemostasis, menstrual disorders and general tonification","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Asian traditional use for haemorrhage, haemostasis and menstrual disorders is documented in the MSKCC monograph, but no clinical study evaluating these endpoints was identified."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"antrodia","outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in mildly hypertensive adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomised controlled pilot clinical study evaluated oral A. cinnamomea mycelium in mildly hypertensive adults; the publicly available record confirms the pilot RCT design but does not report sample size or numerical blood-pressure outcomes, so the size and direction of any effect cannot be verified from the accessible source."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."},{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"oxalate nephropathy and renal failure with high-dose chronic use","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 72-year-old woman who consumed 4-5 teaspoons of chaga powder daily for 6 months developed biopsy-confirmed oxalate nephropathy requiring haemodialysis, and a further case mimicked renal cell carcinoma; a 16-week rat study confirmed dose-dependent oxalate-mediated kidney injury."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Tumour regression in advanced cancer","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A narrative review compiles three case reports of regression - hormone-refractory prostate cancer with bone metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma with skull metastasis after 18 months of use, and HCC with lung metastases after one month of mycelial extract - but no controlled clinical trial exists and confounding by concurrent therapy cannot be excluded."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Tumour regression in advanced cancer","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A narrative review compiles three case reports of regression - hormone-refractory prostate cancer with bone metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma with skull metastasis after 18 months of use, and HCC with lung metastases after one month of mycelial extract - but no controlled clinical trial exists and confounding by concurrent therapy cannot be excluded."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"artist's conk (ganoderma applanatum)","outcome":"Antioxidant and antibacterial activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Both reviews report antioxidant and antibacterial activity for G. applanatum extracts in standard in vitro assays."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Immune modulation, antioxidant and prebiotic/gut-health effects of bamboo mushroom polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review in Journal of Fungi reports that Dictyophora (Phallus) indusiata polysaccharides enhance immune function via TLR4/NF-kB signalling, reduce oxidative stress, act as prebiotics and improve lipid profiles - all in cell and animal models, with no human trials or effect sizes reported."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Antioxidant, antimicrobial, organoprotective and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2022 Italian Journal of Mycology review of bamboo mushroom Phallus indusiatus describes antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, organoprotective and anticancer activities of its bioactive compounds and polysaccharides; no clinical studies are cited."},{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and chemosensitizing activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph and preclinical reviews describe antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects in cell and animal models, while stating explicitly that well-designed clinical trials are needed before efficacy can be claimed."},{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of fruiting-body extracts","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 spatial metabolomics study annotated 505 metabolites and found apical extracts richest in phenolics (116.12 mg GAE/100 g) with the strongest ABTS/DPPH/FRAP activity and MICs below 100 microgram/mL against most bacteria and dermatophytes (3.86 microgram/mL against E. coli)."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Antibacterial activity including against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Two naturally occurring chlorinated coumarins isolated from an ethanol extract showed a narrow antimicrobial spectrum with their lowest MICs against the M. tuberculosis complex, and a review reports fomitopsins E and F inhibiting Bacillus cereus at MIC 6.25 microgram/mL."},{"ingredient":"ice man's fungus (fomitopsis officinalis)","outcome":"Antitrypanosomal activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Several lanostane-type triterpenoids from F. officinalis inhibited Trypanosoma congolense with IC50 values of 7-27.1 microM in vitro."},{"ingredient":"bamboo yellow mushroom","outcome":"Any benefit of the specific commercial ingredient 'Bamboo Yellow Mushroom'","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"'Bamboo Yellow Mushroom' appears only as an undescribed ingredient in a Western multi-mushroom tonic product, with no Latin binomial, no chemical analysis and no clinical or preclinical studies on that named material."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"black hoof mushroom (phellinus)","outcome":"Antiproliferative, antiangiogenic and chemosensitizing activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's monograph and preclinical reviews describe antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, antiangiogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating effects in cell and animal models, while stating explicitly that well-designed clinical trials are needed before efficacy can be claimed."},{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"immunomodulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides describe macrophage activation, cytokine modulation and immunostimulatory effects in cell and animal models; corresponding human immune-outcome trials are not available."}]}]},{"name":"Purple Reishi Drops, Organic","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/purple-reishi-drops-organic-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Organic Purple Reishi fruiting body extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["purple reishi"],"claims_vendor":["The rarest form of Reishi mushroom","Preferred by Reishi connoisseurs for 2,000 years","Sweeter and less bitter than Red Reishi","Wildcrafted to support sustainability","Liver and heart tonic","Brain tonic for wisdom and intelligence","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","Tonifies all three Treasures, adaptogenic, promotes longevity, protects.","Enters the Kidney, Spleen, and Pericardium meridians.","Strengthens hearing, fortifies joint health.","Sweet flavor.","Warm temperature."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"purple reishi","research_target":"reishi (purple variant)","common_names":["Purple reishi / purple lingzhi ('purple Ganoderma')","Zi Zhi","Ganoderma sinense J.D. Zhao, L.W. Hsu & X.Q. Zhang"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic / Qi tonic (lingzhi-class tonic used to calm the spirit, support Qi and 'nourish the heart'); Ganoderma sinense is one of the two Ganoderma species formally listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Regulatory approval as adjunctive therapy for chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia and haematopoietic injury","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A G. sinense polysaccharide tablet was approved in 2010 by China's State Food and Drug Administration as an adjunctive drug for leukopenia and haematopoietic injury caused by concurrent chemo/radiotherapy in cancer treatment; the approval rests on Chinese-language basic and clinical development data rather than on published international RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma sinense (taxonomy, zizhi naming and regulatory status)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganoderma_sinense","year":2024},{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Antitumour, antioxidant and anti-cytopenia activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2017 review in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy summarizing (largely Chinese-language) basic and preclinical work reported antitumour, antioxidant, anti-cytopenia and mushroom-poison detoxification properties of GSP, with no quantitative clinical outcomes available.","sources":[{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Absence of retrievable clinical trials of G. sinense polysaccharide tablets","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The authors of the 2017 overview state that they could not find clinical studies of GSP tablets either in the literature search or by contacting the drug manufacturers - an unusual gap for a nationally approved adjunctive drug.","sources":[{"title":"Overview of Ganoderma sinense polysaccharide - an adjunctive drug used during concurrent chemo/radiation therapy for cancer treatment in China","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29078264/","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"Purple reishi (Ganoderma sinense, zizhi) is pharmacopoeial and its polysaccharide tablet is an approved adjunctive drug in China for chemotherapy/radiotherapy-induced leukopenia, but the published evidence behind that indication is preclinical: the principal review on the compound explicitly could not locate clinical studies of the tablet. All human trial evidence in the Ganoderma space concerns G. lucidum, where Cochrane found only a weak, non-significant improvement in tumour response as an adjunct and explicitly did not support use as first-line therapy. Treating purple reishi as an evidence-supported immune or anticancer therapy would be an overstatement; its use is currently justified by traditional context, regulatory precedent in China, and animal/cell data."}],"combined_effect_profile":[]},{"name":"Diamond Mind Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/diamond-mind-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Ginkgo biloba leaf (standardized to 24% Ginkgo Flavone Glycosides and 6% Terpene Lactones)","Tibetan Rhodiola root","Polygonatum sibericum rhizome","Schizandra fruit","Eleuthero root"],"ingredients_canonical":["ginkgo biloba","rhodiola","polygonatum","schisandra","eleuthero"],"claims_vendor":["Superior grade brain tonic herbs","Supports cognition and memory","For creative people","Supports yoga and meditation","Diamond Mind Drops is designed to support the mind.","Tibetan Rhodiola has been used for centuries in Himalayan culture to support mental energy, depth of thought, mental endurance and wisdom.","Tibetan Rhodiola supports oxygen flow to the brain.","Standardized Ginkgo biloba has been demonstrated to improve blood flow in the brain and to deliver increased oxygen to brain cells, thus it may improve cognition, especially when combined with Himalayan Rhodiola.","Polygonatum rhizome is one of the most precious herbs used by Taoists to build the Three Treasures and to enhance life force.","Polygonatum rhizome has been used for centuries in the Orient to rejuvenate the brain and enhance mental power.","Each of the other herbs in this formula has been used for centuries to support concentration, focus, memory and mental energy.","The herbs in this formula have powerful general tonic benefits that will support physical vitality, mood, blood flow and cardiovascular functions.","Diamond Mind Drops is designed to strengthen and empower the mind.","Tibetan Rhodiola has been used for centuries in Himalayan culture to help strengthen mental power, increase depth of thought, improve mental endurance and to increase wisdom.","Tibetan Rhodiola increases oxygen flow to the brain.","Standardized Ginkgo biloba has been demonstrated to improve blood flow in the brain and to deliver increased oxygen to brain cells, thus improving normal, healthy cognition.","Eleuthero root and Schizandra fruit have been demonstrated to improve concentration and memory in normal, healthy individuals.","Polygonatum sibericum has traditionally been used to restore energy to the brain after prolonged mental work.","Diamond Mind Drops is a superb Qi tonic that is especially beneficial to the mind.","Diamond Mind Drops promotes creativity and focus while improving memory.","The herbs in this formula help increase physical vitality, help improve mood, help improve blood flow to the genital organs, and help benefit the cardiovascular and immune systems.","Tibetan Rhodiola has been used by the Tibetan people as a powerful adaptogenic vitalizer since the beginning of Tibetan civilization.","Tibetan Rhodiola was regarded by Shen Nong as a life-prolonging, wisdom enhancing \u201csuperior herb.\u201d","Consumption of a small amount of Tibetan Rhodiola extract significantly improves a person\u2019s capacity to absorb and utilize oxygen.","Tibetan Rhodiola is a superior tonic for those who work behind a desk or at a computer terminal for long periods of time.","Tibetan Rhodiola is a powerful brain tonic and alertness enhancer.","People who consume Rhodiola sacra find that they can work for much longer without losing their ability to concentrate and create.","Tibetan Rhodiola is a superb herb for writers, executives, lawyers, etc.","Tibetan Rhodiola is especially beneficial to those who live under stressful conditions.","Rhodiola sacra helps modulate the body\u2019s stress response, and thus protects against the physical side effects of occasional acute stress.","People stay focused and far less fatigued even under short-term severe stress.","Rhodiola sacra is the ideal herbal supplement for the modern world.","Tibetan Rhodiola has long been used by the Tibetan monks to enhance their spiritual power, the power of concentration and physical endurance.","Tibetan Rhodiola is a superb herb to take before meditation, since it supports respiration, clears the mind and supports focused mental states.","Tibetan Rhodiola has been shown to improve physical endurance.","Tibetan Rhodiola has been shown to be a superb tonic and energizer for those into physical fitness and for athletes, including extreme athletes.","Rhodiola sacra may be used by people of excessive weight to help in losing fat because it increases respiratory power and can act as a thermogenic agent.","By providing increased oxygen, Rhodiola sacra improves the ability to lose weight through exercise.","Rhodiola sacra supports muscle gain and fat loss, in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program.","Rhodiola sacra is rich in the primary active ingredient, salidroside.","Rhodiola sacra is a full potency herbal extract.","Rhodiola sacra is effective in very small quantities and its effects are felt by many people almost immediately.","Rhodiola sacra is a non-toxic herbal nutrient.","Safety studies, as well as 2000 years of experience, indicate conclusively that Rhodiola sacra is safe, having no side effects in humans when taken as suggested.","Rhodiola sacra has been used to help overcome short-term fatigue from heavy physical labor and to help increase the vitality necessary for completing extraordinary physical tasks.","Rhodiola sacra supports the tissues of the lungs and respiratory functions.","\u201cRhodiola sacra will make the body light and relaxed, and will make the eyes bright.\u201d","Polygonatum sibericum is used as a Qi and Yin tonic.","Polygonatum sibericum is said to have a specific benefit on the energy of the Brain.","Polygonatum sibericum is used in tonic formulations to support the Brain and help strengthen the mind.","Polygonatum sibericum is a Qi tonic to the brain.","Schizandra fruit is the quintessential tonic herb.","Schizandra fruit supports the mind and mental focus.","Studies indicate that Schizandra fruit supports memory and alertness.","Ginkgo biloba leaf promotes the flow of oxygen to the brain by improving circulation."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"ginkgo biloba","research_target":"ginkgo biloba","common_names":["Ginkgo leaf extract (leaf); ginkgo nut / white nut (seed)","Bai Guo Ye (\u767d\u679c\u53f6) leaf / Bai Guo (\u767d\u679c) seed","Ginkgo biloba L."],"tcm_category":"Not a classical tonic category: the seed (Bai Guo) is an astringent Lung herb used to stop cough and wheezing and check leakage; the leaf extract is a modern blood-moving/circulation agent","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Cognition and global clinical status in dementia","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2026 Cochrane review (82 RCTs, 10,613 participants) found that in dementia ginkgo may give a small benefit in global clinical status at 6 months (MD -0.06, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.20; 5 studies, 1,359 participants) and possibly better cognition, but with high heterogeneity (I2 = 88%) and low-certainty evidence; only 4 of 82 trials were at low risk of bias and over half were conducted in China.","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026},{"title":"What are the benefits and risks of Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia? (Cochrane plain-language summary)","url":"https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD013661_what-are-benefits-and-risks-ginkgo-biloba-cognitive-impairment-and-dementia","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Cognition, global status and activities of daily living in mild cognitive impairment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In MCI, ginkgo probably has little to no effect at 6 months on global clinical status (CDR: MD -0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.01; 3 studies, 631 participants), cognition (ADAS-Cog: MD -0.07, 95% CI -0.67 to 0.51) or instrumental ADLs (MD -0.05, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.19), all moderate-certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Subjective cognitive complaints in people without diagnosed impairment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"For subjective cognitive impairment the effect on global clinical status at 6 months was null and very uncertain (MD 0.00, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.33; 1 study, 197 participants), and adverse events may be more common with ginkgo in one larger 3-month study.","sources":[{"title":"Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41641880/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ginkgo biloba has by far the largest trial base in this batch, and the honest read of it is largely negative: the 2026 Cochrane review of 82 RCTs and 10,613 participants found little or no effect in mild cognitive impairment, subjective cognitive complaints or MS-related cognitive impairment, and only a small, low-certainty, highly heterogeneous possible benefit in established dementia. Two large long-term prevention trials (GuidAge, GEM) found no reduction in incident dementia, and reviews find no efficacy for tinnitus and no significant benefit in peripheral arterial disease. Tolerability is good, but product quality varies enormously (ginkgolic acid content), seeds are genuinely toxic via ginkgotoxin, and real-world data show frequent interaction-related coagulation abnormalities, so the popular 'memory and circulation booster' positioning is not supported."},{"canonical":"rhodiola","research_target":"rhodiola","common_names":["Golden root / roseroot (Rhodiola); Tibetan rhodiola","Hong Jing Tian","Rhodiola rosea L. (also R. crenulata Hook.f. & Thomson)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (Hong Jing Tian is used to tonify Qi, invigorate Blood and clear the Lung; widely treated as an adaptogen in Russian/European herbal medicine)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22643043/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups.","sources":[{"title":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/","year":2015}]}],"overall_assessment":"Rhodiola is one of the most-studied 'adaptogens' yet the aggregate evidence remains weak: a systematic review of 11 controlled fatigue trials found contradictory results with universally high risk of bias, the best-designed stress-fatigue RCT showed improvements in both arms consistent with placebo response, and the depression RCT found no significant advantage over placebo. A CONSORT audit of 39 Rhodiola RCTs found very poor reporting quality, and NCCIH concludes there is insufficient reliable evidence for any indication. The defensible statements are that short-term use appears well tolerated and better tolerated than sertraline, not that efficacy for fatigue, stress or depression has been demonstrated."},{"canonical":"polygonatum","research_target":"polygonatum","common_names":["Siberian Solomon's seal rhizome ('yellow essence')","Huang Jing","Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute (also P. cyrtonema, P. kingianum)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Yin tonic (with mild Jing-tonifying action); classed as a Qi tonic in Bensky/Gamble, and the raw herb is described as more Yin-tonifying while the wine-steamed form is more Qi-tonifying","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides: A promising strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39542041/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Mechanisms of action and applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide at the intestinal mucosa barrier: a review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polygonatum sibiricum (Huang Jing) has an extensive and well-characterized preclinical literature - its polysaccharide fraction is chemically well defined and shows antioxidant, immunomodulatory, glucose- and lipid-lowering, neuroprotective and gut-barrier effects in cells and rodents. What is essentially absent is human clinical evidence: no randomized controlled trials with clinical endpoints were identified, so every 'benefit' claim currently rests on mechanistic and animal data plus long traditional use as a Qi/Yin tonic. The honest position is that it is a plausible, food-grade tonic with a good safety record and interesting mechanisms, but no demonstrated clinical efficacy for fatigue, diabetes, cognition or aging in people."},{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"eleuthero","research_target":"eleuthero","common_names":["Eleuthero / Siberian ginseng / taiga root","Ci Wu Jia","Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. (syn. Acanthopanax senticosus)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / adaptogen (also warms and strengthens Kidney Yang and dispels wind-damp)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a randomized clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15207399/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Eleuthero is one of the best-known 'adaptogens', but the modern evidence base is thin: the most recent comprehensive review explicitly concludes that robust clinical evidence is lacking and that most supportive data come from 1960s-80s Soviet studies with poorly reported methods. The single well-described randomized trial (n=20) found only a transient improvement in one quality-of-life subscale. Chemistry and preclinical pharmacology are well characterised (eleutherosides B and E, anti-fatigue effects in animals), and the herb appears well tolerated, but claims of improved endurance, immunity and stress resistance in humans remain unsubstantiated at the level of adequately powered, blinded trials; EU registration rests on traditional use only."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Overall clinical usefulness for any indication","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"NCCIH's evidence summary concludes there is not enough reliable evidence to determine whether rhodiola is useful for any health purpose, and that most human research is of low-to-moderate quality - a judgement reinforced by a CONSORT appraisal of 39 Rhodiola RCTs whose mean reporting scores were only 0.33 (R. rosea), 0.25 (R. crenulata) and 0.17 (R. wallichiana), with just 15% reporting how sample size was determined."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Preclinical anti-fatigue and stress-protective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal data cited in the EMA assessment show increased swimming time to exhaustion and altered tissue energy substrates, and the phytochemical review attributes anti-fatigue activity partly to eleutheroside E; these findings are preclinical and do not establish clinical efficacy."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Immune modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":4,"mixed_count":5,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Cognition and global clinical status in dementia","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The 2026 Cochrane review (82 RCTs, 10,613 participants) found that in dementia ginkgo may give a small benefit in global clinical status at 6 months (MD -0.06, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.20; 5 studies, 1,359 participants) and possibly better cognition, but with high heterogeneity (I2 = 88%) and low-certainty evidence; only 4 of 82 trials were at low risk of bias and over half were conducted in China."},{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Cognition, global status and activities of daily living in mild cognitive impairment","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In MCI, ginkgo probably has little to no effect at 6 months on global clinical status (CDR: MD -0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.01; 3 studies, 631 participants), cognition (ADAS-Cog: MD -0.07, 95% CI -0.67 to 0.51) or instrumental ADLs (MD -0.05, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.19), all moderate-certainty."},{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Subjective cognitive complaints in people without diagnosed impairment","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"For subjective cognitive impairment the effect on global clinical status at 6 months was null and very uncertain (MD 0.00, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.33; 1 study, 197 participants), and adverse events may be more common with ginkgo in one larger 3-month study."},{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Cognitive impairment associated with multiple sclerosis","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Two RCTs (152 participants) showed ginkgo probably has little or no effect on the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire at 3 months (MD -0.09, 95% CI -0.41 to 0.22; moderate certainty)."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Prevention of progression to Alzheimer's disease / incident dementia","direction":"no effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"The GuidAge trial (2,854 participants, EGb 761 120 mg twice daily for 5 years) showed no reduction in progression to probable Alzheimer's disease (61 vs 73 cases), and the US GEM trial (3,069 adults aged 75+, ~6 years) likewise found no protective effect on incident dementia."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Walking distance in peripheral arterial disease","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In 14 randomized trials with 739 patients, ginkgo users walked 65 m farther than placebo users but the difference was not statistically significant."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginkgo biloba","outcome":"Tinnitus","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Across four randomized trials totalling 1,543 participants (1,143 with tinnitus as the primary complaint) there was no evidence of efficacy for ginkgo."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Better tolerability than a conventional SSRI","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the same comparison trial, R. rosea produced significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline and was better tolerated, which was the herb's clearest advantage in that study."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Immune modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Strengthening of the intestinal mucosal barrier and gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology review describes PSP acting on tight-junction proteins, mucus layer, immune signalling and microbiota composition at the intestinal mucosal barrier, entirely on the basis of in vitro and animal mechanistic evidence."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Strengthening of the intestinal mucosal barrier and gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology review describes PSP acting on tight-junction proteins, mucus layer, immune signalling and microbiota composition at the intestinal mucosal barrier, entirely on the basis of in vitro and animal mechanistic evidence."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]}]},{"name":"8 Immortals Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/8-immortals-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Cordyceps fruiting body","Wild Reishi fruiting body","Goji berries","Prepared He Shou Wu root","Schizandra fruit","Snow Lotus flower","Tibetan Rhodiola root","Wild American Ginseng root"],"ingredients_canonical":["cordyceps","reishi","goji","he shou wu","schisandra","snow lotus","rhodiola","american ginseng"],"claims_vendor":["Immune tonifying","Spirit lifting","Mind strengthening","Ultimate adaptogen","Supports optimal stress response"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cordyceps","research_target":"cordyceps","common_names":["Caterpillar fungus","dong chong xia cao","Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis); cultivated Cordyceps militaris"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Qi tonic (tonifies lung qi and kidney yang; one of the few herbs said to tonify both yin and yang)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2-3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52).","sources":[{"title":"Adjuvant treatment with Cordyceps sinensis for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cordyceps has more clinical trial volume than most tonic fungi, and meta-analyses consistently point in a favourable direction for adjunctive use in lung cancer chemoradiotherapy, stable COPD and dialysis-related inflammation. However, nearly all trials are small, conducted in China, frequently use multi-herb formulas or fermented mycelium rather than wild O. sinensis, and are rated low-to-moderate quality, so authors of these reviews explicitly decline to recommend routine use. The popular consumer claims - endurance, testosterone, 'energy' - are not supported by the clinical evidence retrieved and rest on preclinical and traditional reasoning."},{"canonical":"reishi","research_target":"reishi","common_names":["Reishi mushroom / lingzhi","Ling Zhi (\u7075\u829d)","Ganoderma lucidum (also treated as G. lingzhi)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 classified in TCM as a spirit-calming and Qi-tonifying substance","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"For reishi the best evidence (a Cochrane review of 5 small Chinese RCTs) supports improved quality-of-life scores and modest immune-marker changes as an adjunct in cancer care, but not tumour shrinkage or survival, and the trials are small and methodologically weak. Small single RCTs suggest benefit for cancer-related fatigue, neurasthenia-type fatigue and mild lower urinary tract symptoms, while a well-conducted metabolic trial found no glycaemic benefit. The traditional claims of broad immortality/longevity, spirit-calming and immune 'boosting' are not substantiated at the level of hard clinical outcomes, and rare hepatotoxicity is documented."},{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."},{"canonical":"he shou wu","research_target":"he shou wu","common_names":["Fo-ti, fleeceflower root","He Shou Wu","Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Reynoutria/Fallopia multiflora; Radix Polygoni Multiflori)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic / Jing (essence) tonic when prepared; the unprocessed root is a Heat-clearing, toxin-relieving, intestine-moistening herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (hepatitis, jaundice, rarely liver failure)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A systematic review of 76 articles collected 450 cases of hepatitis or liver damage associated with He Shou Wu, with symptoms typically appearing about one month after starting the herb; most cases resolved after discontinuation and treatment. This is the best-documented human effect of the herb.","sources":[{"title":"Liver Damage Associated with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4306360/","year":2015},{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548795/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim.","sources":[{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum extract support hair growth by elongating anagen phase and abrogating the effect of androgen in cultured human dermal papilla cells","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7218528/","year":2020},{"title":"Topical application of Polygonum multiflorum extract induces hair growth of resting hair follicles through upregulating Shh and beta-catenin expression in C57BL/6 mice","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874111001644","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127521/","year":2015},{"title":"2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG) from Polygonum multiflorum: pharmacology review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11989756/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"The strongest human evidence about he shou wu concerns harm, not benefit: hundreds of documented cases of idiosyncratic liver injury make it one of the best-characterised hepatotoxic Chinese herbs. Its famous anti-aging, hair-darkening and blood-tonifying claims are supported only by cell and animal studies of TSG and by traditional texts; no rigorous RCT demonstrates these benefits in people. Risk-benefit for casual tonic use is therefore unfavourable, particularly for raw-root products and long-duration use."},{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"snow lotus","research_target":"snow lotus","common_names":["Snow lotus / Tianshan snow lotus","tian shan xue lian (xue lian hua)","Saussurea involucrata Matsum. & Koidz. (also S. laniceps, S. medusa)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Blood-mover (warms and invigorates yang, dispels cold-damp, promotes blood circulation)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included.","sources":[{"title":"Comparison of the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of three medicinal plants known as 'Snow Lotus' herb in traditional Uighur and Tibetan medicines","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20083181/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial.","sources":[{"title":"Saussureae Involucratae Herba (Snow Lotus): Review of Chemical Compositions and Pharmacological Properties","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01549/full","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Overall therapeutic efficacy in humans (any indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"A comprehensive ethnopharmacology review of Saussurea involucrata covering Chinese and English databases, the Pharmacopoeia of China and local Uyghur/Mongolian/Kazakh herbal records reports more than 70 isolated compounds but states no clinical trial counts, participant numbers or effect sizes, and notes that correlations between specific constituents and specific bioactivities remain limited.","sources":[{"title":"Saussurea involucrata: A review of the botany, phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology of a rare traditional herbal medicine","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26113182/","year":2015}]}],"overall_assessment":"Snow lotus has a well-characterized phytochemistry (70+ compounds, with acacetin, hispidulin and rutin as leading actives) and reproducible anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in rodent edema and pain models, which is consistent with its traditional use for rheumatoid arthritis. However, no human randomized trials were identified: every efficacy claim retrieved rests on in vitro or animal data, so benefits in people are unsubstantiated. Practical concerns are botanical rather than clinical - the species is endangered and commonly substituted by other Saussurea species with different constituent profiles."},{"canonical":"rhodiola","research_target":"rhodiola","common_names":["Golden root / roseroot (Rhodiola); Tibetan rhodiola","Hong Jing Tian","Rhodiola rosea L. (also R. crenulata Hook.f. & Thomson)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (Hong Jing Tian is used to tonify Qi, invigorate Blood and clear the Lung; widely treated as an adaptogen in Russian/European herbal medicine)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22643043/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups.","sources":[{"title":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/","year":2015}]}],"overall_assessment":"Rhodiola is one of the most-studied 'adaptogens' yet the aggregate evidence remains weak: a systematic review of 11 controlled fatigue trials found contradictory results with universally high risk of bias, the best-designed stress-fatigue RCT showed improvements in both arms consistent with placebo response, and the depression RCT found no significant advantage over placebo. A CONSORT audit of 39 Rhodiola RCTs found very poor reporting quality, and NCCIH concludes there is insufficient reliable evidence for any indication. The defensible statements are that short-term use appears well tolerated and better tolerated than sertraline, not that efficacy for fatigue, stress or depression has been demonstrated."},{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":9,"negative_or_null_count":4,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Overall clinical usefulness for any indication","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"NCCIH's evidence summary concludes there is not enough reliable evidence to determine whether rhodiola is useful for any health purpose, and that most human research is of low-to-moderate quality - a judgement reinforced by a CONSORT appraisal of 39 Rhodiola RCTs whose mean reporting scores were only 0.33 (R. rosea), 0.25 (R. crenulata) and 0.17 (R. wallichiana), with just 15% reporting how sample size was determined."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":5,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Renal function support (creatinine, oliguria duration, urine osmolality) in renal dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies in 1,310 patients with renal dysfunction reported that adjunctive Cordyceps sinensis significantly reduced blood creatinine, shortened the oliguria period and increased urine osmolality, with greater apparent efficacy in northern than southern Chinese cohorts."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."},{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS) in older men","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind dose-ranging RCT in 88 men >49 years found 6 mg/day of a G. lucidum ethanol extract for 12 weeks improved total IPSS (mean difference -1.18 points, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.62, P<0.0001) with no change in urinary flow, residual urine, prostate volume, PSA or testosterone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Better tolerability than a conventional SSRI","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the same comparison trial, R. rosea produced significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline and was better tolerated, which was the herb's clearest advantage in that study."},{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Overall therapeutic efficacy in humans (any indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A comprehensive ethnopharmacology review of Saussurea involucrata covering Chinese and English databases, the Pharmacopoeia of China and local Uyghur/Mongolian/Kazakh herbal records reports more than 70 isolated compounds but states no clinical trial counts, participant numbers or effect sizes, and notes that correlations between specific constituents and specific bioactivities remain limited."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Blood-lipid lowering and laxative effect","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews report hypolipidaemic and intestine-moistening (anthraquinone-driven laxative) effects in animal models, consistent with the traditional use of raw root for constipation, but controlled human data are lacking."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."},{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial."}]}]},{"name":"Ginseng Sublime Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/ginseng-sublime-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Organically Grown Changbai Mountain Red Ginseng root","Organic Grown Changbai Mountain White Ginseng root (Fresh and Dried)","American Ginseng root"],"ingredients_canonical":["asian ginseng (red-processed)","asian ginseng","american ginseng"],"claims_vendor":["Supports strong Qi energy","Supports work ability","Supports mental clarity","Supports immune system","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","research_target":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","common_names":["Korean red ginseng / red Asian ginseng","Hong Shen (Ren Shen)","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (with Yang-warming emphasis after red processing)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng for erectile dysfunction (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng supplementation and vascular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12255128/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Red ginseng for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22139546/","year":2011}]}],"overall_assessment":"Red (steam-processed) Asian ginseng has the largest clinical evidence base of any Chinese tonic herb, and controlled trials most consistently support a small improvement in erectile function and modest effects on vascular measures and blood pressure - though the erectile-function effect sizes fall short of accepted clinical importance thresholds and certainty is rated low to moderate. For the classic tonic claims of energy, vitality and metabolic benefit the evidence is weaker: a red-ginseng-specific systematic review found no significant glycaemic benefit in type 2 diabetes. Safety in trials appears good, but the widely repeated warfarin interaction is supported mainly by case reports rather than controlled data, and red-ginseng-specific (as opposed to generic 'ginseng') trials remain few and small."},{"canonical":"asian ginseng","research_target":"asian ginseng","common_names":["Asian ginseng / Korean red ginseng","Ren Shen","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (primary Qi/Yuan Qi tonic; also treated as a Shen-calming and Jing-supporting herb in some traditions)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Ginseng on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Phytother Res 38:6023-6034)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39474788/","year":2024},{"title":"Ginseng for cognition (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007769.pub2/full","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Asian ginseng is among the best-studied tonic herbs: meta-analytic evidence supports modest glucose-lowering effects and suggestive benefit for erectile dysfunction and fatigue, and safety in trials appears comparable to placebo. Cognitive benefits remain unresolved - a Cochrane review found no convincing effect while a later meta-analysis of small trials reported improvements, so the traditional claim of memory and 'Qi' enhancement is not firmly substantiated. Traditional claims of rescuing collapse, longevity, and broad organ-system restoration have no controlled clinical evidence base, and lipid/blood-pressure effects are inconsistent."},{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved erectile function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 7 randomized trials of Korean red ginseng in erectile dysfunction found suggestive evidence of benefit over placebo, but the authors judged methodological quality to be low on average and the evidence not conclusive."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Tolerability / adverse-event burden in controlled trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the Cochrane erectile-dysfunction review adverse events were not significantly increased versus placebo (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.69 to 3.03, 7 studies), and a systematic safety analysis of Panax ginseng RCTs concluded that adverse-event rates in trials were generally comparable to placebo."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":4,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"adverse-event burden versus placebo in trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 44 randomized trials (3,092 participants) of oral Panax ginseng monopreparations found adverse-event rates broadly comparable to placebo, with mainly mild events reported."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A combined clinical and preclinical systematic review found several RCTs reporting reduced subjective fatigue with Panax ginseng, alongside animal mechanistic data, but trials were small and heterogeneous in dose, population and fatigue instruments."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample."}]}]},{"name":"American Ginseng Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/american-ginseng-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["American Ginseng"],"ingredients_canonical":["american ginseng"],"claims_vendor":["An energy tonic suitable for all to enhance mental and physical performance","Superb adaptogen, helps the body & mind handle stress","Promotes secretion of body fluids","Keeps the skin moist and supple","Nurtures the Yin, a cooling herb, the ultimate summer time tonic herb","A tonic for refined respiratory functions Lung Immune tonic"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]}]},{"name":"Duanwood Reishi Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/duanwood-reishi-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Duanwood Reishi"],"ingredients_canonical":["reishi"],"claims_vendor":["\u201cHerb of the Immortals\u201d","Immune modulating","Supports intelligence","Supports Liver functioning","Supports glowing health, longevity and spiritual attainment","Extremely safe and non-toxic","Immune tonifying","Promotes calmness, centeredness, balance, inner awareness and inner strength","Improves meditative practices","Protects the body, mind and spirit","Helps attain a long and healthy life and spiritual \u201cimmortality\u201d","Anti-stress","Helps calm the mind","Eases tension","Strengthens the nerves","Strengthens memory","Sharpens concentration","Improves focus","Builds will power","Helps build wisdom","Anti-aging","Highly protective","Improves how most people handle stress","Calming and centering","Supports healthy functions","Builds health on all levels","Helps adapt to the stresses and the challenges that come our way every day","Protects us physically, immunologically, mentally, and spiritually","Helps us adapt to the world","Provides additional power for us to achieve a superior level of life","The \u201cherb of good fortune\u201d","Helps develop energy","Supports digestion","Supports normal healthy immune functions","Helps to modulate and fine tune the immune system","Supports the body's overall immune functions","Supports liver functions","Supports normal functions of the immune system","Supports normal cardiovascular functions","Used to regulate allergic responses","Traditionally used for the attainment of radiant health, longevity and spiritual attainment","Traditionally used to improve the quality of life by improving the inner life of a human being"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"reishi","research_target":"reishi","common_names":["Reishi mushroom / lingzhi","Ling Zhi (\u7075\u829d)","Ganoderma lucidum (also treated as G. lingzhi)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 classified in TCM as a spirit-calming and Qi-tonifying substance","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"For reishi the best evidence (a Cochrane review of 5 small Chinese RCTs) supports improved quality-of-life scores and modest immune-marker changes as an adjunct in cancer care, but not tumour shrinkage or survival, and the trials are small and methodologically weak. Small single RCTs suggest benefit for cancer-related fatigue, neurasthenia-type fatigue and mild lower urinary tract symptoms, while a well-conducted metabolic trial found no glycaemic benefit. The traditional claims of broad immortality/longevity, spirit-calming and immune 'boosting' are not substantiated at the level of hard clinical outcomes, and rare hepatotoxicity is documented."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS) in older men","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind dose-ranging RCT in 88 men >49 years found 6 mg/day of a G. lucidum ethanol extract for 12 weeks improved total IPSS (mean difference -1.18 points, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.62, P<0.0001) with no change in urinary flow, residual urine, prostate volume, PSA or testosterone."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Glycaemic and metabolic-syndrome markers in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 84 adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (16 weeks of G. lucidum with or without Cordyceps) found no clinically meaningful improvement in glycaemic control or metabolic-syndrome parameters versus placebo."}]}]},{"name":"Supreme Shen Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/supreme-shen-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Chinese Asparagus root","Longan fruit","Wild Reishi fruiting body","Spirit Poria sclerotiurn","Albizzia julibrissin flower","Magnolia coco flower","Tibetan Rhodiola root","Polygala root","American Ginseng root","Luo Han Guo fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","longan","reishi","spirit poria","albizia","magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","rhodiola","polygala","american ginseng","monk fruit (luo han guo)"],"claims_vendor":["Powerful Shen tonic","Calming","Supports healthy stress responses","Helps stabilize emotions","Made from premium Shen herbs","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","Stabilizes and tonifies Shen. Nourishes Qi and Yin Jing to support the Shen further. Helps clear Qi ascend to the brain."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","research_target":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","common_names":["Chinese asparagus root / shiny asparagus tuber","Tian Men Dong (\u5929\u95e8\u51ac)","Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Lung and Kidney Yin), moistening/heat-clearing","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Tian Men Dong (Asparagus tuber) \u2014 TCM Herb monograph (Me & Qi)","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong","year":2025},{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Tian men dong has a well-documented 2,000-year TCM record as a Lung/Kidney Yin tonic for dry cough, thirst and constipation and a well-characterized chemistry dominated by steroidal saponins and fructans. Modern evidence, however, is essentially all preclinical: anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atopic and cytotoxic effects in rodent and cell models, with no randomized human trials located. Claims of clinical benefit in humans are therefore unsubstantiated, and safety in humans has not been formally evaluated."},{"canonical":"longan","research_target":"longan","common_names":["Longan fruit / dragon eye fruit (dried aril)","long yan rou","Dimocarpus longan Lour."],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (Heart-Spleen Blood tonic, also calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data.","sources":[{"title":"A Novel Polysaccharide Isolated From Fresh Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Activates Macrophage via TLR2/4-Mediated PI3/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 Pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8724522/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural features and biological activities of longan fruit pulp (Longyan) polysaccharides: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9358249/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35.","sources":[{"title":"Longan syrup with lingzhi mushroom extract: Evaluation of safety and efficacy on immune and inflammatory modulation in healthy adults","url":"https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Longan's modern evidence base is almost entirely preclinical: purified pulp polysaccharides show reproducible immunomodulatory, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-tumour activity in cells and rodents, and mouse data touch on learning and memory, which loosely parallels the traditional 'nourish Blood, calm the spirit' indication. The only human study identified used a longan-lingzhi syrup and found no significant immune, inflammatory, hepatic or renal changes, plus a high glycaemic index. Traditional claims for insomnia, palpitations, anaemia and mental fatigue are therefore not substantiated by clinical trial evidence."},{"canonical":"reishi","research_target":"reishi","common_names":["Reishi mushroom / lingzhi","Ling Zhi (\u7075\u829d)","Ganoderma lucidum (also treated as G. lingzhi)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 classified in TCM as a spirit-calming and Qi-tonifying substance","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"For reishi the best evidence (a Cochrane review of 5 small Chinese RCTs) supports improved quality-of-life scores and modest immune-marker changes as an adjunct in cancer care, but not tumour shrinkage or survival, and the trials are small and methodologically weak. Small single RCTs suggest benefit for cancer-related fatigue, neurasthenia-type fatigue and mild lower urinary tract symptoms, while a well-conducted metabolic trial found no glycaemic benefit. The traditional claims of broad immortality/longevity, spirit-calming and immune 'boosting' are not substantiated at the level of hard clinical outcomes, and rare hepatotoxicity is documented."},{"canonical":"spirit poria","research_target":"spirit poria","common_names":["Poria spirit / poria with hostwood (sclerotium containing the pine root core)","Fu Shen (\u832f\u795e)","Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. (syn. Poria cocos, Wolfiporia extensa)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic \u2014 spirit-calming herb (\u5b89\u795e\u836f) that also drains dampness; contrasted with plain Fu Ling, which is primarily a damp-draining Spleen herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved objective and subjective sleep quality","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An uncontrolled pre-post study in 21 adults with poor sleep found that 2 weeks of Poria cocos extract increased total sleep time by about 30 minutes (327 to 357 min, p=0.014), increased REM percentage (18.4% to 22.1%, p=0.005), reduced wake after sleep onset (76 to 48 min, p=0.009) and lowered the Insomnia Severity Index (13 to 10.6, p=0.012); PSQI change was borderline (p=0.052). No control group, so placebo effects cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Poria cocos Extract on Sleep Quality Enhancement (clinical study with polysomnography)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574255/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Diuretic effect / dampness draining","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizes animal and in vitro evidence for diuretic activity consistent with the traditional damp-draining indication, but notes clinical trials remain lacking.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Spirit poria (Fu Shen) is pharmacologically the same organism as Fu Ling - Wolfiporia cocos - and its chemistry (lanostane triterpenes including pachymic acid, plus beta-glucan polysaccharides) is well characterized. Human evidence is limited to a single small uncontrolled study of Poria cocos extract showing improved polysomnographic sleep measures over two weeks, which is suggestive but cannot separate drug effect from placebo or regression to the mean; all other activities (diuretic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumour) are preclinical. The specific traditional distinction that the pine-root-containing Fu Shen calms the spirit more strongly than plain Fu Ling has no modern experimental support at all."},{"canonical":"albizia","research_target":"albizia","common_names":["Mimosa tree bark / silk tree bark and flower ('happiness bark')","he huan pi (bark, \u5408\u6b22\u76ae) / he huan hua (flower, \u5408\u6b22\u82b1)","Albizia julibrissin Durazz."],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (calms the spirit / shen-calming and qi-and-blood moving herb; not a classical qi or yin tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anxiolytic effect (elevated plus-maze)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous stem-bark extract at 100-200 mg/kg orally increased open-arm time and entries in male Sprague-Dawley rats without locomotor or myorelaxant effects, comparable to buspirone; the effect was abolished by the serotonergic antagonist pindolol, implicating 5-HT1A signalling.","sources":[{"title":"Anxiolytic-like effects of extracts from Albizzia julibrissin bark in the elevated plus-maze in rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15464830/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb.","sources":[{"title":"Molecular basis and mechanism of action of Albizia julibrissin in depression treatment and clinical application of its formulae","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10230641/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Cytotoxic / antitumor and antiangiogenic activity of julibroside saponins","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Julibrosides J1 and J9 isolated from stem bark inhibited KB carcinoma cells in vitro, and a 2025 pharmacological review reports julibroside J8 inhibiting angiogenesis by about 64% at 50 microgram/egg in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, exceeding ginsenoside Rg3 at twice the dose.","sources":[{"title":"Two diastereomeric saponins with cytotoxic activity from Albizia julibrissin","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10724532/","year":2000},{"title":"Pharmacological Spectrum of Substances Derived from Albizia julibrissin Durazz.","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12386540/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Albizia julibrissin is one of the weaker-evidenced herbs in this group from a clinical standpoint: its anxiolytic and antidepressant reputation rests on rodent behavioural models and a plausible serotonergic mechanism (SERT inhibition by lignan glycosides), with no identified placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb. Human-level data exist only for multi-herb formulas containing it, which cannot isolate its contribution. Chemistry is well characterized (julibroside triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, lignans) and shows cytotoxic, antiangiogenic and antimicrobial activity in vitro, but these are laboratory findings, and formal toxicology and drug-interaction data are effectively absent."},{"canonical":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","research_target":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","common_names":["magnolia flower bud","xin yi hua / xin yi (\u8f9b\u5937\u82b1)","Magnolia biondii Pamp. (also M. denudata, M. sprengeri; Flos Magnoliae)"],"tcm_category":"Not a tonic \u2014 an exterior-releasing / wind-cold-dispersing herb that opens the nasal passages (pungent, warm; Lung and Stomach channels)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced nasal symptoms in perennial allergic rhinitis (as the formula Xin Yi San)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 108 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis found 3 months of Xin-yi-san attenuated sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion, reduced nasal airflow resistance, increased nostril cross-sectional area and suppressed serum specific IgE versus placebo. The intervention is a multi-herb formula, not isolated magnolia bud.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional Chinese medicine, Xin-yi-san, reduces nasal symptoms of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis by its diverse immunomodulatory effects","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20546945/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Improved total nasal symptom scores with oral Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (2,013 participants, 17 trials in Chinese) comparing oral Chinese herbal medicine with antihistamines/corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis pooled nasal symptom outcomes; magnolia flower bud (xin yi hua) is a common constituent of the tested formulas, but the herb was never tested alone and trial quality/language bias limits confidence.","sources":[{"title":"Oral application of Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8457023/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Inhibition of mast cell degranulation (antiallergic mechanism)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Of 33 lignans isolated from Magnolia biondii flower buds, compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, consistent with suppression of mast-cell activation as the antiallergic mechanism.","sources":[{"title":"New furofuran and tetrahydrofuran lignans from the flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp and their antiallergic effects","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36395104/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"For the traditional indication \u2014 nasal blockage from rhinitis and sinusitis \u2014 there is real human evidence, but it is at the formula level: one 108-patient placebo-controlled RCT of Xin Yi San and a meta-analysis of 18 Chinese-language RCTs of multi-herb formulas that commonly contain xin yi hua. The single-herb and single-compound evidence (lignans inhibiting mast-cell degranulation, reduced plasma histamine) is mechanistic only, so the specific contribution of magnolia bud cannot be isolated. Claims beyond nasal/upper-airway allergy \u2014 and any tonic framing \u2014 are unsupported."},{"canonical":"rhodiola","research_target":"rhodiola","common_names":["Golden root / roseroot (Rhodiola); Tibetan rhodiola","Hong Jing Tian","Rhodiola rosea L. (also R. crenulata Hook.f. & Thomson)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (Hong Jing Tian is used to tonify Qi, invigorate Blood and clear the Lung; widely treated as an adaptogen in Russian/European herbal medicine)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22643043/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups.","sources":[{"title":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/","year":2015}]}],"overall_assessment":"Rhodiola is one of the most-studied 'adaptogens' yet the aggregate evidence remains weak: a systematic review of 11 controlled fatigue trials found contradictory results with universally high risk of bias, the best-designed stress-fatigue RCT showed improvements in both arms consistent with placebo response, and the depression RCT found no significant advantage over placebo. A CONSORT audit of 39 Rhodiola RCTs found very poor reporting quality, and NCCIH concludes there is insufficient reliable evidence for any indication. The defensible statements are that short-term use appears well tolerated and better tolerated than sertraline, not that efficacy for fatigue, stress or depression has been demonstrated."},{"canonical":"polygala","research_target":"polygala","common_names":["Polygala root / Chinese senega root (Polygalae Radix)","yuan zhi","Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (also P. sibirica L.)"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (spirit-calming herb that also transforms Phlegm and opens the orifices)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy.","sources":[{"title":"Polygala tenuifolia and Acorus tatarinowii in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815298/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of BT-11 on memory in healthy humans","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19429065/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Reduced amyloid-beta damage and improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease mice by attenuating amyloid-beta damage and acting on the ERK pathway. Rodent model only.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharide from Polygala tenuifolia alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease mice by alleviating Abeta damage and targeting the ERK pathway","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38081400/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polygala is one of the better-studied Chinese spirit-calming herbs for cognition, but the human evidence is thin and confounded: the meta-analysis showing cognitive benefit in Alzheimer's disease tested Polygala combined with Acorus tatarinowii, usually on top of donepezil, in trials at high risk of bias, and the only clean monotherapy RCT (BT-11) is small, old and showed large placebo improvements on most memory subtests. Mechanistic support for the memory claim is reasonably consistent (neurogenesis, amyloid-beta handling, ERK signalling) but rodent-only. The best-documented human-relevant fact is a liability rather than a benefit: the saponins that drive sedative activity also cause dose-dependent gastrointestinal and throat irritation, which is why the root is traditionally processed."},{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."},{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":10,"negative_or_null_count":5,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Overall clinical usefulness for any indication","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"NCCIH's evidence summary concludes there is not enough reliable evidence to determine whether rhodiola is useful for any health purpose, and that most human research is of low-to-moderate quality - a judgement reinforced by a CONSORT appraisal of 39 Rhodiola RCTs whose mean reporting scores were only 0.33 (R. rosea), 0.25 (R. crenulata) and 0.17 (R. wallichiana), with just 15% reporting how sample size was determined."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Cytotoxic / antitumor and antiangiogenic activity of julibroside saponins","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Julibrosides J1 and J9 isolated from stem bark inhibited KB carcinoma cells in vitro, and a 2025 pharmacological review reports julibroside J8 inhibiting angiogenesis by about 64% at 50 microgram/egg in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, exceeding ginsenoside Rg3 at twice the dose."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Isolated furostanol/steroidal saponins such as methyl protodioscin show in vitro cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activity, which the review presents as a rationale for further study rather than clinical evidence."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":6,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Antidepressant effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Improved total nasal symptom scores with oral Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (2,013 participants, 17 trials in Chinese) comparing oral Chinese herbal medicine with antihistamines/corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis pooled nasal symptom outcomes; magnolia flower bud (xin yi hua) is a common constituent of the tested formulas, but the herb was never tested alone and trial quality/language bias limits confidence."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":6,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Reduced nasal symptoms in perennial allergic rhinitis (as the formula Xin Yi San)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 108 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis found 3 months of Xin-yi-san attenuated sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion, reduced nasal airflow resistance, increased nostril cross-sectional area and suppressed serum specific IgE versus placebo. The intervention is a multi-herb formula, not isolated magnolia bud."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Better tolerability than a conventional SSRI","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the same comparison trial, R. rosea produced significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline and was better tolerated, which was the herb's clearest advantage in that study."},{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Reduced plasma histamine","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An animal study cited in the allergic-rhinitis systematic review reported that aqueous extract of Magnoliae Flos (xin yi hua) reduced plasma histamine levels, supporting an antihistaminic mechanism for the traditional indication."},{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Diuretic effect / dampness draining","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizes animal and in vitro evidence for diuretic activity consistent with the traditional damp-draining indication, but notes clinical trials remain lacking."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."},{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Antidepressant effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb."},{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS) in older men","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind dose-ranging RCT in 88 men >49 years found 6 mg/day of a G. lucidum ethanol extract for 12 weeks improved total IPSS (mean difference -1.18 points, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.62, P<0.0001) with no change in urinary flow, residual urine, prostate volume, PSA or testosterone."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Improved objective and subjective sleep quality","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"An uncontrolled pre-post study in 21 adults with poor sleep found that 2 weeks of Poria cocos extract increased total sleep time by about 30 minutes (327 to 357 min, p=0.014), increased REM percentage (18.4% to 22.1%, p=0.005), reduced wake after sleep onset (76 to 48 min, p=0.009) and lowered the Insomnia Severity Index (13 to 10.6, p=0.012); PSQI change was borderline (p=0.052). No control group, so placebo effects cannot be excluded."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."},{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Insomnia, irritability and grief/emotional constraint in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Sedative, spirit-calming and blood-invigorating uses of he huan pi/hua are documented in Chinese materia medica and carried into modern reviews, but no placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb for sleep or mood was identified."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Rescued hippocampal neurogenesis and attenuated cognitive deficits","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An active constituent of P. tenuifolia attenuated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting a plausible neurobiological mechanism for the traditional memory indication."},{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Inhibition of mast cell degranulation (antiallergic mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Of 33 lignans isolated from Magnolia biondii flower buds, compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, consistent with suppression of mast-cell activation as the antiallergic mechanism."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."}]}]},{"name":"Wild Red Reishi Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/wild-red-reishi-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Wild Changbai Mountain Red Reishi fruiting body extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["reishi"],"claims_vendor":["100% wild Red Reishi mushroom, mountain-collected (Changbai Mountain, Manchuria)","Classically called the \u201cMushroom of the Immortals\u201d","Used as a tonic for centuries by Taoist and Zen seekers and masters, emperors and empresses","Powerful Shen tonic","Immune potentiating","Wisdom promoting"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"reishi","research_target":"reishi","common_names":["Reishi mushroom / lingzhi","Ling Zhi (\u7075\u829d)","Ganoderma lucidum (also treated as G. lingzhi)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic / Qi tonic \u2014 classified in TCM as a spirit-calming and Qi-tonifying substance","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished.","sources":[{"title":"Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) for cancer treatment (Cochrane Database Syst Rev)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6353236/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"For reishi the best evidence (a Cochrane review of 5 small Chinese RCTs) supports improved quality-of-life scores and modest immune-marker changes as an adjunct in cancer care, but not tumour shrinkage or survival, and the trials are small and methodologically weak. Small single RCTs suggest benefit for cancer-related fatigue, neurasthenia-type fatigue and mild lower urinary tract symptoms, while a well-conducted metabolic trial found no glycaemic benefit. The traditional claims of broad immortality/longevity, spirit-calming and immune 'boosting' are not substantiated at the level of hard clinical outcomes, and rare hepatotoxicity is documented."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Tumour response when added to conventional chemotherapy/radiotherapy in cancer patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Cochrane review of 5 RCTs (373 patients) found G. lucidum added to chemo/radiotherapy gave a non-robust increase in tumour response (RR 1.50, 95% CI 0.90-2.51) and no included trial reported survival data; used alone it produced no significant tumour regression. Authors judged the evidence insufficient to justify G. lucidum as first-line cancer treatment."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Improved quality of life (Karnofsky performance score) in cancer patients","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same Cochrane review, significantly more patients achieved improved Karnofsky scores with G. lucidum (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.86-3.40; 3 studies, 284 participants), though the underlying trials were small and mostly at unclear risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Immune parameters (CD3/CD4/CD8 T-lymphocyte percentages, NK activity)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooled data showed small increases in CD3 (+3.91%), CD4 (+3.05%) and CD8 (+2.02%) percentages in treated cancer patients, while NK-cell activity did not increase significantly (SMD 0.45, 95% CI -1.60 to 2.50; I2 = 94%). Clinical meaning of these surrogate shifts is unestablished."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Cancer-related fatigue, anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients on endocrine therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Pilot randomized trial in 48 women reported significant improvement in FACT-F fatigue and physical well-being subscales, less anxiety/depression and lower TNF-alpha and IL-6 after 4 weeks of G. lucidum spore powder, with no serious adverse effects. Small, single-centre and unreplicated."},{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS) in older men","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind dose-ranging RCT in 88 men >49 years found 6 mg/day of a G. lucidum ethanol extract for 12 weeks improved total IPSS (mean difference -1.18 points, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.62, P<0.0001) with no change in urinary flow, residual urine, prostate volume, PSA or testosterone."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Self-reported wellness/fatigue in neurasthenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 132 Chinese patients with neurasthenia (Ganoderma polysaccharide extract 1,800 mg three times daily for 8 weeks) reported greater improvement in wellness and fatigue scores than placebo, with no haematologic, hepatic or renal toxicity."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"reishi","outcome":"Glycaemic and metabolic-syndrome markers in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 84 adults with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (16 weeks of G. lucidum with or without Cordyceps) found no clinically meaningful improvement in glycaemic control or metabolic-syndrome parameters versus placebo."}]}]},{"name":"Super Yang Jing Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/super-yang-jing-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Epimedium leaf","Deer Antler tips","Cistanche stem","Cordyceps mycelium","Changbai Mountain Chinese Red Ginseng root","Astragalus root","Prepared He Shou Wu root","Cuscuta seed","Schizandra fruit","Eucommia bark","Cornus fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["epimedium (horny goat weed)","deer antler","cistanche","cordyceps","asian ginseng (red-processed)","astragalus","he shou wu","cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","schisandra","eucommia","cornus"],"claims_vendor":["Body strengthening","Supports inner power","Supports libido","Athletic power support","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","Yang tonic herbs are strengthening, invigorating and warming.","Many of the Yang tonics have traditionally been held in the Orient to be highly beneficial sex tonics for normal healthy individuals.","These same herbs have historically been used in tonic formulations used by Asia\u2019s richest men.","Every herb in the formula promotes the vitality of the Kidney system, tonifies Kidney Yang and stokes the Fire of Life.","Super Yang Jing Drops is a superb general tonic for highly active individuals."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","research_target":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","common_names":["Horny goat weed / barrenwort","yin yang huo","Epimedium brevicornu, E. sagittatum, E. koreanum (Herba Epimedii)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (tonifies kidney yang, strengthens sinews and bones, expels wind-damp)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%.","sources":[{"title":"Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17419678/","year":2007}]},{"outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized.","sources":[{"title":"The efficacy and safety of Epimedium in the treatment of osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491210/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Oral bioavailability of isolated icariin (relevant to efficacy of supplements)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety/pharmacokinetic trial of oral icariin 100-1,680 mg/day for 5 days in 24 healthy adults, plasma icariin was very low or undetectable at all doses - essentially all samples were below the limit of quantitation - so pharmacokinetic parameters could not be determined, implying very poor oral bioavailability of the isolated compound.","sources":[{"title":"Human Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study of Orally Administered Icariin: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X19856789","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"The strongest human evidence for Epimedium is for bone: one 24-month placebo-controlled trial and a 2025 meta-analysis of 10 mostly Chinese-language RCTs support improved BMD and reduced bone-resorption markers, though the landmark trial used a combination product (icariin plus soy isoflavones), which confounds attribution. The mass-market claim - erectile dysfunction and libido - has no controlled human trial support in the literature retrieved, and a human pharmacokinetic study found oral icariin is barely absorbed, which undercuts simple 'natural PDE5 inhibitor' reasoning. Liver-injury signals from Epimedium species are a genuine, if uncommon, safety concern."},{"canonical":"deer antler","research_target":"deer antler","common_names":["Deer antler velvet","Lu Rong","Cervus nippon / Cervus elaphus (cornu cervi pantotrichum)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (also classified as a Jing/essence and Blood tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests).","sources":[{"title":"A Randomized Clinical Trial of Elk Velvet Antler in Rheumatoid Arthritis (Biol Res Nurs)","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1099800407309505","year":2008},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing.","sources":[{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"no effect","summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of deer antler velvet extract or powder supplementation on aerobic power, erythropoiesis, and muscular strength and endurance characteristics","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14669926/","year":2003},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]}],"overall_assessment":"Controlled human evidence for deer antler velvet is sparse and largely negative: a systematic review of seven RCTs found five showing no effect and two with unconvincing positive findings, and the largest trial (168 patients, rheumatoid arthritis) was fully null. Sports-performance claims are not supported. Traditional Yang/Jing-tonifying uses are documented in materia medica but have not been operationalised or tested clinically, so the ingredient's reputation currently rests on tradition and preclinical rationale rather than clinical outcome data."},{"canonical":"cistanche","research_target":"cistanche","common_names":["Desert cistanche / desert ginseng","Rou Cong Rong","Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma (also C. tubulosa)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang; also nourishes Jing/Essence and Blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts on cognitive function","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy.","sources":[{"title":"An Open-Label, Nonplacebo-Controlled Study on Cistanche tubulosa Glycoside Capsules (Memoregain) for Treating Moderate Alzheimer's Disease","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10852647/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2965","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cistanche has a genuine, chemically well-characterized active fraction (echinacoside and acteoside) and preclinical support for neuroprotective, anti-fatigue and endocrine effects, plus reassuring rodent toxicology. Human evidence is thin: one 90-day RCT of a cistanche-Ginkgo combination showing small cognitive score gains, one uncontrolled 48-week Alzheimer's study, and one small 8-week exercise RCT - no independent replication and no trial of cistanche alone for the classical indications. The traditional claims most often marketed (kidney Yang/libido, anti-aging, senile constipation) remain essentially unsubstantiated by controlled human data."},{"canonical":"cordyceps","research_target":"cordyceps","common_names":["Caterpillar fungus","dong chong xia cao","Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis); cultivated Cordyceps militaris"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Qi tonic (tonifies lung qi and kidney yang; one of the few herbs said to tonify both yin and yang)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2-3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52).","sources":[{"title":"Adjuvant treatment with Cordyceps sinensis for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cordyceps has more clinical trial volume than most tonic fungi, and meta-analyses consistently point in a favourable direction for adjunctive use in lung cancer chemoradiotherapy, stable COPD and dialysis-related inflammation. However, nearly all trials are small, conducted in China, frequently use multi-herb formulas or fermented mycelium rather than wild O. sinensis, and are rated low-to-moderate quality, so authors of these reviews explicitly decline to recommend routine use. The popular consumer claims - endurance, testosterone, 'energy' - are not supported by the clinical evidence retrieved and rest on preclinical and traditional reasoning."},{"canonical":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","research_target":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","common_names":["Korean red ginseng / red Asian ginseng","Hong Shen (Ren Shen)","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (with Yang-warming emphasis after red processing)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng for erectile dysfunction (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng supplementation and vascular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12255128/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Red ginseng for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22139546/","year":2011}]}],"overall_assessment":"Red (steam-processed) Asian ginseng has the largest clinical evidence base of any Chinese tonic herb, and controlled trials most consistently support a small improvement in erectile function and modest effects on vascular measures and blood pressure - though the erectile-function effect sizes fall short of accepted clinical importance thresholds and certainty is rated low to moderate. For the classic tonic claims of energy, vitality and metabolic benefit the evidence is weaker: a red-ginseng-specific systematic review found no significant glycaemic benefit in type 2 diabetes. Safety in trials appears good, but the widely repeated warfarin interaction is supported mainly by case reports rather than controlled data, and red-ginseng-specific (as opposed to generic 'ginseng') trials remain few and small."},{"canonical":"astragalus","research_target":"astragalus","common_names":["Astragalus root, milkvetch root","Huang Qi","Astragalus membranaceus (Astragali Radix)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (tonifies Spleen/Lung qi, raises yang, secures the exterior)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical value of Astragalus membranaceus in diabetic nephropathy (DARE record)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK81215/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating.","sources":[{"title":"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs and platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of randomized trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16421421/","year":2006}]},{"outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10811102/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Astragalus has the largest clinical dataset of any Chinese qi tonic: multiple meta-analyses suggest adjunctive benefit in diabetic kidney disease, chronic heart failure and platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCLC. However nearly all included RCTs are small, Chinese-language, short in duration, often use injectable preparations, and are rated low quality, so the true effect size is uncertain. The widely marketed claims of immune enhancement, anti-aging and 'wei qi' protection rest mainly on preclinical mechanistic data rather than confirmatory human trials."},{"canonical":"he shou wu","research_target":"he shou wu","common_names":["Fo-ti, fleeceflower root","He Shou Wu","Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Reynoutria/Fallopia multiflora; Radix Polygoni Multiflori)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic / Jing (essence) tonic when prepared; the unprocessed root is a Heat-clearing, toxin-relieving, intestine-moistening herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (hepatitis, jaundice, rarely liver failure)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A systematic review of 76 articles collected 450 cases of hepatitis or liver damage associated with He Shou Wu, with symptoms typically appearing about one month after starting the herb; most cases resolved after discontinuation and treatment. This is the best-documented human effect of the herb.","sources":[{"title":"Liver Damage Associated with Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4306360/","year":2015},{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548795/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim.","sources":[{"title":"Polygonum multiflorum extract support hair growth by elongating anagen phase and abrogating the effect of androgen in cultured human dermal papilla cells","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7218528/","year":2020},{"title":"Topical application of Polygonum multiflorum extract induces hair growth of resting hair follicles through upregulating Shh and beta-catenin expression in C57BL/6 mice","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874111001644","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional usages, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7127521/","year":2015},{"title":"2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (TSG) from Polygonum multiflorum: pharmacology review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11989756/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"The strongest human evidence about he shou wu concerns harm, not benefit: hundreds of documented cases of idiosyncratic liver injury make it one of the best-characterised hepatotoxic Chinese herbs. Its famous anti-aging, hair-darkening and blood-tonifying claims are supported only by cell and animal studies of TSG and by traditional texts; no rigorous RCT demonstrates these benefits in people. Risk-benefit for casual tonic use is therefore unfavourable, particularly for raw-root products and long-duration use."},{"canonical":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","research_target":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","common_names":["Chinese dodder seed, cuscuta seed","Tu Si Zi","Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Semen Cuscutae / Cuscutae Semen)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney yang) with Jing/essence-securing and liver-nourishing actions","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it.","sources":[{"title":"Therapeutic roles and molecular mechanisms of Cuscutae Semen in reproductive diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491298/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic / bone-protective effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bioactivity-guided fractionation identified quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, hyperoside and astragalin as osteogenic (alkaline-phosphatase-stimulating) and partly oestrogen-receptor-active compounds in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells, and Cuscuta chinensis extract (100 mg/kg/day) increased bone mineral density and suppressed osteoclasts in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. No human bone-density trial exists.","sources":[{"title":"Antiosteoporotic compounds from seeds of Cuscuta chinensis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463675/","year":2011},{"title":"Beneficial effects of Cuscuta chinensis extract on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis through modulation of RANKL/OPG signals","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31826180/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotective and anti-aging (anti-oxidative) effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In D-galactose-aged rodents, the classical Cuscuta-containing formula Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage; ethnopharmacological reviews similarly report antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity for C. chinensis extracts. Evidence is animal-level only.","sources":[{"title":"Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduces D-galactose-induced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12966258/","year":2025},{"title":"The genus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae): An updated review on indigenous uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7038433/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cuscuta seed is chemically well characterised (flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides) and shows consistent pro-fertility, bone-protective and antioxidant activity in cell and rodent models. However there are essentially no randomised trials of the single herb in humans; the only clinical data come from multi-herb formulas, so its reputation as a kidney-yang/essence tonic remains traditionally rather than clinically substantiated. Safety appears acceptable at traditional doses but is under-studied."},{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"eucommia","research_target":"eucommia","common_names":["Eucommia bark / hardy rubber tree bark","Du Zhong (\u675c\u4ef2)","Eucommia ulmoides Oliv."],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang / Liver and Kidney tonic), sinew- and bone-strengthening","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008).","sources":[{"title":"A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a standardized Eucommia ulmoides Oliver bark extract to treat hypertension (Altern Med Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Beta-adrenergic-blocking mechanism for the hypotensive effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a human fat-cell assay, Eucommia extract at 0.5% w/v reduced isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis from 2.67 to 1.4 times buffer control (P<0.001), consistent with beta-adrenergic blocking activity as a plausible mechanism.","sources":[{"title":"A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a standardized Eucommia ulmoides Oliver bark extract to treat hypertension (Altern Med Rev)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22214253/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional application and modern pharmacological research of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00482-7","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Eucommia bark's traditional role as a Kidney-Yang/sinew-and-bone tonic is well documented, and there is a plausible pharmacological story (lignans such as pinoresinol diglucoside, beta-adrenergic blocking activity) behind its modern use for blood pressure. Human evidence is nonetheless thin and inconsistent: one small randomized study found no blood-pressure effect at 500 mg three times daily while a second at 1 g three times daily found a 7.5/3.9 mmHg reduction, and the osteoporosis, anti-inflammatory and metabolic claims rest almost entirely on rodent and cell data. The traditional claims about strengthening bones and stabilizing pregnancy are not supported by controlled human trials."},{"canonical":"cornus","research_target":"cornus","common_names":["Cornelian cherry fruit / Asiatic dogwood fruit (Corni Fructus)","Shan Zhu Yu","Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc."],"tcm_category":"Jing/Yin tonic with astringent action (secures Kidney essence; stabilises Liver and Kidney)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and improved diabetic symptoms","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In diabetic animal models, Corni Fructus extract (300-400 mg/kg p.o.) and its isolated constituents loganin, morroniside and ursolic acid (200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) significantly lowered fasting blood glucose and alleviated polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss; metformin outperformed the herb in a head-to-head animal comparison.","sources":[{"title":"Corni Fructus: a review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb.","sources":[{"title":"Research progress on Cornus officinalis and its active compounds in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10354237/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone.","sources":[{"title":"Liuwei Dihuang Pills Enhance the Effect of Western Medicine in Treating Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/","year":2016},{"title":"Impact of liuwei dihuang pills (decoction) on early diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cornus officinalis has a well-documented phytochemistry (loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid) and a fairly consistent preclinical signal for glucose lowering, beta-cell protection and renoprotection. However, human evidence for the single herb is almost absent - essentially one small obesity RCT - and the meta-analytic support in diabetic nephropathy comes from the six-herb formula Liuwei Dihuang Wan in low-quality, Chinese-language trials, which cannot isolate Cornus's contribution. The traditional astringent indications (spermatorrhoea, enuresis, excessive sweating, uterine bleeding) have no controlled clinical evidence at all."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":15,"negative_or_null_count":5,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":12,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":10,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008)."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Body-weight/obesity outcomes in humans","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The 2021 Frontiers review cites one randomized, double-blind, controlled Korean trial in 76 obese women using a Cornus officinalis preparation; this is the only clinical trial highlighted for the single herb and it is too small and isolated to support a general claim."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":9,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Tolerability / adverse-event burden in controlled trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the Cochrane erectile-dysfunction review adverse events were not significantly increased versus placebo (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.69 to 3.03, 7 studies), and a systematic safety analysis of Panax ginseng RCTs concluded that adverse-event rates in trials were generally comparable to placebo."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"sexual function","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"One RCT of velvet antler for sexual function was included in the systematic review of seven trials, five of which found no effect; the review concluded claims for velvet antler are not based on rigorous human trial evidence."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Beta-cell protection and alpha-glucosidase inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid and butyl morroniside (100 micromol/L) protected high-glucose-exposed pancreatic beta-cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis and may increase insulin release, while the extract and phenolics inhibited alpha-glucosidase and suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis in vitro."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","direction":"no effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests)."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Renal function support (creatinine, oliguria duration, urine osmolality) in renal dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies in 1,310 patients with renal dysfunction reported that adjunctive Cordyceps sinensis significantly reduced blood creatinine, shortened the oliguria period and increased urine osmolality, with greater apparent efficacy in northern than southern Chinese cohorts."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Blood pressure reduction in adults with high-normal to mildly elevated blood pressure","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Two small randomized studies in the same publication gave discordant results: 500 mg of 8%-PG standardized aqueous bark extract three times daily for 8 weeks in 24 adults produced no difference in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 1 g three times daily for 2 weeks in 30 adults lowered blood pressure by an average of 7.5/3.9 mmHg (P<0.008)."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Antihypertensive effect in earlier Chinese clinical reporting","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2021 review cites a 1983 clinical report in 53 patients (18 men, 35 women) with mild hypertension, alongside consistent blood-pressure lowering in spontaneously hypertensive rats; the clinical report predates modern trial standards."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52)."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"cordyceps","outcome":"Athletic performance / VO2max improvement","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No systematic review or meta-analysis confirming an ergogenic benefit was identified in this session; the widely marketed 'endurance' claim is not supported by the clinical literature retrieved here, which concerns COPD, renal disease and oncology adjunct use."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Blood-lipid lowering and laxative effect","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews report hypolipidaemic and intestine-moistening (anthraquinone-driven laxative) effects in animal models, consistent with the traditional use of raw root for constipation, but controlled human data are lacking."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Relief of constipation (the main classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Bowel-moistening/laxative use for senile constipation is documented in materia medica and review literature, but no controlled human trial of cistanche for constipation was identified in this search."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."},{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective and anti-fatigue activities","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2021 narrative review catalogues extensive in vitro and animal evidence for cardiovascular regulation, anti-osteoporotic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anti-fatigue effects, while noting only one old clinical trial."},{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Neuroprotection / anti-aging activity relevant to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of the herb attribute anti-aging and neuroprotective actions mainly to TSG, based on cell and rodent models of neurodegeneration, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Human efficacy trials are absent."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"he shou wu","outcome":"Hair growth promotion / anti-androgenetic alopecia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Polygonum multiflorum extract prolonged anagen and counteracted androgen effects in cultured human dermal papilla cells and ex-vivo hair follicles, and topical extract induced anagen in resting mouse follicles. No controlled human trial supports the traditional hair-darkening or hair-regrowth claim."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eucommia","outcome":"Beta-adrenergic-blocking mechanism for the hypotensive effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In a human fat-cell assay, Eucommia extract at 0.5% w/v reduced isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis from 2.67 to 1.4 times buffer control (P<0.001), consistent with beta-adrenergic blocking activity as a plausible mechanism."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Vision protection / retinal and ocular benefit","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The traditional indication of brightening the eyes is documented in materia medica sources, but no clinical study of cuscuta seed on visual acuity or eye disease was identified."}]}]},{"name":"Changbai Mountain Ant Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/changbai-mountain-ant-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Changbai Mountain Ant","Changbai Mountain Chinese Red Ginseng root","Heaven Mountain Goji berries","Schizandra fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["polyrhachis ant","asian ginseng (red-processed)","goji","schisandra"],"claims_vendor":["Adaptogenic","Supports energy","Immune fortifying","Liver protecting"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"polyrhachis ant","research_target":"polyrhachis ant","common_names":["Chinese black (mountain) ant","Hei Ma Yi / Xuan Ju","Polyrhachis vicina Roger (also P. dives)"],"tcm_category":"Jing/Yang tonic (marketed as a Kidney-tonifying Jing and Qi tonic; classically described among strength-building animal medicinals)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Lowered serum uric acid and reduced kidney injury in hyperuricemic rats","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An active petroleum-ether fraction of Polyrhachis vicina (AFPR, 3.96% yield, mostly unsaturated fatty acids) produced hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rats. Rodent model only; no human data.","sources":[{"title":"Hypouricemic and Nephroprotective Effects of an Active Fraction from Polyrhachis vicina Roger on Potassium Oxonate-Induced Hyperuricemia in Rats","url":"https://karger.com/kbr/article/43/1/220/187131/Hypouricemic-and-Nephroprotective-Effects-of-an","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant activity and pancreatic lipase inhibition in vitro","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A hydro-ethanolic extract of P. vicina was characterized by UPLC-MS (14 polyphenols, fatty acid profile) and showed DPPH/ABTS/hydroxyl radical scavenging, FRAP activity and inhibition of pancreatic lipase - a proposed anti-obesity mechanism tested only in test-tube assays.","sources":[{"title":"Characterization, Antioxidant Activities, and Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitory Effect of Extract From the Edible Insect Polyrhachis vicina","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9021923/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory activity of supercritical CO2 extract","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A supercritical CO2 extract of edible Chinese black ant P. vicina showed immunomodulatory effects in experimental models, supporting the traditional 'tonic' framing at a mechanistic level only.","sources":[{"title":"Immunomodulatory effects of edible Chinese black ant, Polyrhachis vicina Roger extract by using supercritical CO2","url":"https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/sea-190954","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polyrhachis ant has a real folk-medicine record (gout/rheumatism in southwest China, 'strength' claims in the Compendium of Materia Medica) and a small preclinical literature: rat studies show hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects from a fatty-acid-rich fraction, and in vitro work shows antioxidant, lipase-inhibiting and immunomodulatory activity. There are no human clinical trials of any kind, so the widely marketed claims of energy, libido, immune enhancement and 'Jing' restoration are unsubstantiated. Its documented value is essentially nutritional (protein, unsaturated fatty acids, zinc) plus traditional context, and allergenicity of insect material is an unstudied risk."},{"canonical":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","research_target":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","common_names":["Korean red ginseng / red Asian ginseng","Hong Shen (Ren Shen)","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (with Yang-warming emphasis after red processing)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng for erectile dysfunction (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng supplementation and vascular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12255128/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Red ginseng for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22139546/","year":2011}]}],"overall_assessment":"Red (steam-processed) Asian ginseng has the largest clinical evidence base of any Chinese tonic herb, and controlled trials most consistently support a small improvement in erectile function and modest effects on vascular measures and blood pressure - though the erectile-function effect sizes fall short of accepted clinical importance thresholds and certainty is rated low to moderate. For the classic tonic claims of energy, vitality and metabolic benefit the evidence is weaker: a red-ginseng-specific systematic review found no significant glycaemic benefit in type 2 diabetes. Safety in trials appears good, but the widely repeated warfarin interaction is supported mainly by case reports rather than controlled data, and red-ginseng-specific (as opposed to generic 'ginseng') trials remain few and small."},{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."},{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Antioxidant activity and pancreatic lipase inhibition in vitro","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A hydro-ethanolic extract of P. vicina was characterized by UPLC-MS (14 polyphenols, fatty acid profile) and showed DPPH/ABTS/hydroxyl radical scavenging, FRAP activity and inhibition of pancreatic lipase - a proposed anti-obesity mechanism tested only in test-tube assays."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Antioxidant activity and pancreatic lipase inhibition in vitro","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A hydro-ethanolic extract of P. vicina was characterized by UPLC-MS (14 polyphenols, fatty acid profile) and showed DPPH/ABTS/hydroxyl radical scavenging, FRAP activity and inhibition of pancreatic lipase - a proposed anti-obesity mechanism tested only in test-tube assays."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Isolation of anti-inflammatory / kidney-tonifying constituents from Polyrhachis dives","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Phytochemical work on edible Chinese black ants (P. dives), traditionally used for kidney tonifying and anti-inflammatory purposes, isolated constituents with in vitro bioactivity; again no clinical endpoints."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Tolerability / adverse-event burden in controlled trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the Cochrane erectile-dysfunction review adverse events were not significantly increased versus placebo (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.69 to 3.03, 7 studies), and a systematic safety analysis of Panax ginseng RCTs concluded that adverse-event rates in trials were generally comparable to placebo."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Energy, libido, strength or 'Jing' benefits in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial or even a controlled clinical case series of Polyrhachis ant for vitality, sexual function, fatigue or immunity was identified; vendor claims cite nutritional composition and rodent work rather than human trials."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Energy, libido, strength or 'Jing' benefits in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial or even a controlled clinical case series of Polyrhachis ant for vitality, sexual function, fatigue or immunity was identified; vendor claims cite nutritional composition and rodent work rather than human trials."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Immunomodulatory activity of supercritical CO2 extract","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A supercritical CO2 extract of edible Chinese black ant P. vicina showed immunomodulatory effects in experimental models, supporting the traditional 'tonic' framing at a mechanistic level only."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Immunomodulatory activity of supercritical CO2 extract","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A supercritical CO2 extract of edible Chinese black ant P. vicina showed immunomodulatory effects in experimental models, supporting the traditional 'tonic' framing at a mechanistic level only."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Energy, libido, strength or 'Jing' benefits in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial or even a controlled clinical case series of Polyrhachis ant for vitality, sexual function, fatigue or immunity was identified; vendor claims cite nutritional composition and rodent work rather than human trials."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Energy, libido, strength or 'Jing' benefits in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial or even a controlled clinical case series of Polyrhachis ant for vitality, sexual function, fatigue or immunity was identified; vendor claims cite nutritional composition and rodent work rather than human trials."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Lowered serum uric acid and reduced kidney injury in hyperuricemic rats","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An active petroleum-ether fraction of Polyrhachis vicina (AFPR, 3.96% yield, mostly unsaturated fatty acids) produced hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rats. Rodent model only; no human data."},{"ingredient":"polyrhachis ant","outcome":"Isolation of anti-inflammatory / kidney-tonifying constituents from Polyrhachis dives","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Phytochemical work on edible Chinese black ants (P. dives), traditionally used for kidney tonifying and anti-inflammatory purposes, isolated constituents with in vitro bioactivity; again no clinical endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]}]},{"name":"Schizandra Drops, Organic","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/schizandra-drops-organic-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Changbai Mountain Schizandra fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["schisandra"],"claims_vendor":["Premium grade organic superfruit extract","Known as the quintessence of tonic herbs","Tonifies all 3 Treasures","Nurtures all 5 Elements","Supports all 12 organ systems","Potent antioxidant","Brain tonic","From Changbai Mountain, Manchuria","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","Tonifies all 3 treasures.","Enters all 12 meridians","Nurtures all 5 elements."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]}]},{"name":"Zizyphus Dreamzzz Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/zizyphus-dreamzzz-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Zizyphus sativa seed extract","Jujube dates extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","jujube"],"claims_vendor":["Used for thousands of years to calm the mind","May cause drowsiness"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","research_target":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","common_names":["Spiny jujube seed / sour jujube kernel (Semen Ziziphi Spinosae)","suan zao ren","Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chou"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic / spirit-calming herb that nourishes heart and liver blood and yin (nourishes the heart, calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality (PSQI) and clinical response in insomnia with suanzaoren-containing formulae","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (1,454 patients, suanzaoren 24-36 g/day, treatment 15 days to 12 weeks) found formulae containing Semen Ziziphi Spinosae improved PSQI versus placebo (6 studies, n=438: SMD -1.05, 95% CI -1.49 to -0.60, P<0.00001; I2=74%, falling to SMD -0.82 with I2=36% after excluding one small study) and raised the clinical effective rate (4 studies, n=256: RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.25-2.39, P=0.0009).","sources":[{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5811769/","year":2018},{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms (journal version)","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.00076/full","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Improved subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency in methadone-maintained patients with sleep disturbance","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 90 methadone-maintained patients (Suan Zao Ren Tang 4 g three times daily for 4 weeks), PSQI fell by 3.8 points versus 1.9 with placebo (between-group P=0.007) and diary-based sleep efficiency rose 11.4 vs 5.0 percentage points (P=0.017); total sleep time and time in bed did not differ significantly between groups.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suan Zao Ren Tang, for Sleep Disturbance during Methadone Maintenance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4539464/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Comparative efficacy versus benzodiazepines (diazepam/estazolam)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Within the same meta-analysis, five trials compared suanzaoren formulae with diazepam and others used the formula as an adjunct to estazolam; the review concluded suanzaoren formulae could be an alternative treatment for insomnia and were well tolerated, but all 13 included trials were Chinese-language studies conducted in China with varying diagnostic criteria, limiting certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Suanzaoren Formulae for Insomnia: Updated Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5811769/","year":2018}]}],"overall_assessment":"Suan zao ren has some of the better human evidence in this batch for its exact traditional indication: a meta-analysis of 13 RCTs found moderate-to-large PSQI improvements versus placebo and a nearly doubled clinical response rate, and an independent double-blind placebo-controlled trial in methadone-maintained patients showed a 3.8-point PSQI improvement (P=0.007) with a coherent GABAergic/serotonergic mechanism. The main limitations are that almost all trials are Chinese-language, single-country and modest in quality, and crucially they test multi-herb formulae such as Suan Zao Ren Tang rather than the isolated seed, so efficacy of a standalone suan zao ren supplement is inferred rather than demonstrated. Claims beyond sleep and anxiety - for instance sweating, cardiovascular or cognitive benefits - are not supported by clinical evidence retrieved."},{"canonical":"jujube","research_target":"jujube","common_names":["Chinese date / red date / jujube","Da Zao (fruit); Suan Zao Ren (seed of Z. jujuba var. spinosa)","Ziziphus jujuba Mill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Blood tonic (fruit, Da Zao); the seed Suan Zao Ren is a Shen-calming/spirit-quieting herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improvement in metabolic factors (lipids, glycaemia, anthropometry)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials concluded that Ziziphus jujuba consumption may improve some metabolic indicators, but effects were not consistent across all outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of consumption Ziziphus jujuba on metabolic factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (Clin Nutr Open Sci)","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667268524000172","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial (Complement Ther Med 82:103041)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05).","sources":[{"title":"The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial (Complement Ther Med 82:103041)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Jujube has real but modest clinical evidence: a meta-analysis of RCTs suggests improvement in some metabolic markers, and individual small trials support benefits for chronic constipation, triglycerides/HDL/waist circumference, and subjective sleep quality. Effects on fasting glucose, LDL, blood pressure and mood were null in the best-described RCT, so blanket 'blood-tonifying' or antidiabetic claims outrun the data. Traditional Qi/Blood tonic and Shen-calming uses are only loosely mapped onto tested endpoints, and most supporting neuroprotection data remain preclinical."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","outcome":"Improved sleep quality (PSQI) and clinical response in insomnia with suanzaoren-containing formulae","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (1,454 patients, suanzaoren 24-36 g/day, treatment 15 days to 12 weeks) found formulae containing Semen Ziziphi Spinosae improved PSQI versus placebo (6 studies, n=438: SMD -1.05, 95% CI -1.49 to -0.60, P<0.00001; I2=74%, falling to SMD -0.82 with I2=36% after excluding one small study) and raised the clinical effective rate (4 studies, n=256: RR 1.73, 95% CI 1.25-2.39, P=0.0009)."},{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","outcome":"Comparative efficacy versus benzodiazepines (diazepam/estazolam)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Within the same meta-analysis, five trials compared suanzaoren formulae with diazepam and others used the formula as an adjunct to estazolam; the review concluded suanzaoren formulae could be an alternative treatment for insomnia and were well tolerated, but all 13 included trials were Chinese-language studies conducted in China with varying diagnostic criteria, limiting certainty."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"improved subjective sleep quality","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind RCT in 106 postmenopausal women with PSQI >=5 tested 250 mg jujube seed capsules twice daily for 21 days against placebo and reported improved sleep-quality scores; the trial was small, single-centre and short."},{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","outcome":"Improved subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency in methadone-maintained patients with sleep disturbance","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 90 methadone-maintained patients (Suan Zao Ren Tang 4 g three times daily for 4 weeks), PSQI fell by 3.8 points versus 1.9 with placebo (between-group P=0.007) and diary-based sleep efficiency rose 11.4 vs 5.0 percentage points (P=0.017); total sleep time and time in bed did not differ significantly between groups."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."},{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","outcome":"Sedative-hypnotic and anxiolytic mechanism via GABAergic and serotonergic signalling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Mechanistic work summarized alongside the clinical review indicates spinosin and 6'''-feruloylspinosin potentiate GABA receptor activity as the primary sedative mechanism, while jujubosides reduce spontaneous activity in mice via the serotonin system and modulate GABA-related gene expression - a plausible pharmacological basis for the observed sleep effects."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"improvement in metabolic factors (lipids, glycaemia, anthropometry)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials concluded that Ziziphus jujuba consumption may improve some metabolic indicators, but effects were not consistent across all outcomes."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","outcome":"Comparative efficacy versus benzodiazepines (diazepam/estazolam)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Within the same meta-analysis, five trials compared suanzaoren formulae with diazepam and others used the formula as an adjunct to estazolam; the review concluded suanzaoren formulae could be an alternative treatment for insomnia and were well tolerated, but all 13 included trials were Chinese-language studies conducted in China with varying diagnostic criteria, limiting certainty."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"relief of chronic idiopathic constipation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind controlled trial in 37 patients with prolonged colonic transit found liquid Z. jujuba extract reduced symptom severity and transit markers with far fewer dropouts for severe constipation than control (2/18, 12% vs 16/19, 84%)."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."},{"ingredient":"zizyphus seed (suan zao ren)","outcome":"Sedative-hypnotic and anxiolytic mechanism via GABAergic and serotonergic signalling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Mechanistic work summarized alongside the clinical review indicates spinosin and 6'''-feruloylspinosin potentiate GABA receptor activity as the primary sedative mechanism, while jujubosides reduce spontaneous activity in mice via the serotonin system and modulate GABA-related gene expression - a plausible pharmacological basis for the observed sleep effects."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"relief of chronic idiopathic constipation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind controlled trial in 37 patients with prolonged colonic transit found liquid Z. jujuba extract reduced symptom severity and transit markers with far fewer dropouts for severe constipation than control (2/18, 12% vs 16/19, 84%)."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"improved subjective sleep quality","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind RCT in 106 postmenopausal women with PSQI >=5 tested 250 mg jujube seed capsules twice daily for 21 days against placebo and reported improved sleep-quality scores; the trial was small, single-centre and short."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]}]},{"name":"Wild Siberian Chaga Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/wild-siberian-chaga-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Wild Chaga fruiting body extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["chaga"],"claims_vendor":["Supports immune functions","Supports liver health","Supports brain health","Supports healthy aging"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"chaga","research_target":"chaga","common_names":["Chaga / clinker polypore","Bai Hua Rong (\u6866\u6811\u8338, birch mushroom)","Inonotus obliquus"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / immune-supporting tonic (a folk and Russian/Siberian medicinal fungus rather than a classical Chinese materia medica category; often marketed alongside Qi and Jing tonics)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"antitumour / antiproliferative activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Chaga polysaccharides and triterpenoids inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis across many cancer cell lines and reduce tumour growth in mouse models (S180, LLC1 allografts), but no randomized human oncology trial evidence exists.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides describe macrophage activation, cytokine modulation and immunostimulatory effects in cell and animal models; corresponding human immune-outcome trials are not available.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Developments in Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) Polysaccharides: Isolation, Structural Characteristics, Biological Activities and Application (Polymers 13:1441)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124789/","year":2021},{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical.","sources":[{"title":"A brief overview of the medicinal and nutraceutical importance of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga) (Heliyon 10:e35638)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11336990/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Chaga has a substantial preclinical literature (polysaccharides and triterpenoids showing antitumour, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and antidiabetic activity in cells and rodents) but essentially no randomized controlled human trials for any marketed indication, so consumer claims are extrapolation from in vitro and animal work. The best-documented human data are harm signals: case reports of oxalate nephropathy and end-stage renal disease after months of high-dose use, now reinforced by a controlled rat model. On current evidence chaga should be regarded as unproven for efficacy and non-trivially risky at high chronic doses, particularly for kidney health."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"oxalate nephropathy and renal failure with high-dose chronic use","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 72-year-old woman who consumed 4-5 teaspoons of chaga powder daily for 6 months developed biopsy-confirmed oxalate nephropathy requiring haemodialysis, and a further case mimicked renal cell carcinoma; a 16-week rat study confirmed dose-dependent oxalate-mediated kidney injury."},{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"antitumour / antiproliferative activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Chaga polysaccharides and triterpenoids inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis across many cancer cell lines and reduce tumour growth in mouse models (S180, LLC1 allografts), but no randomized human oncology trial evidence exists."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"oxalate nephropathy and renal failure with high-dose chronic use","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 72-year-old woman who consumed 4-5 teaspoons of chaga powder daily for 6 months developed biopsy-confirmed oxalate nephropathy requiring haemodialysis, and a further case mimicked renal cell carcinoma; a 16-week rat study confirmed dose-dependent oxalate-mediated kidney injury."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"immunomodulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides describe macrophage activation, cytokine modulation and immunostimulatory effects in cell and animal models; corresponding human immune-outcome trials are not available."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"immunomodulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides describe macrophage activation, cytokine modulation and immunostimulatory effects in cell and animal models; corresponding human immune-outcome trials are not available."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review compiled in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory data plus in silico and cell-culture antiviral results (including SARS-CoV-2 docking energies and IC50 values in Vero cells) for chaga constituents, all preclinical."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chaga","outcome":"glucose-lowering / metabolic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Antihyperglycaemic and lipid effects of chaga polysaccharides have been reported in rodent diabetes models within review syntheses; no human RCT confirmation was identified."}]}]},{"name":"Dew Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/dew-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Chinese Asparagus root","American Ginseng root","Pseudostellaria root","Poria sclerotium","Lily flower","Chinese Licorice root"],"ingredients_canonical":["chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","american ginseng","pseudostellaria","poria","lily flower","licorice"],"claims_vendor":["Supports healthy body moisture","Supports skin elasticity","Supports healthy aging"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","research_target":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","common_names":["Chinese asparagus root / shiny asparagus tuber","Tian Men Dong (\u5929\u95e8\u51ac)","Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Lung and Kidney Yin), moistening/heat-clearing","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Tian Men Dong (Asparagus tuber) \u2014 TCM Herb monograph (Me & Qi)","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong","year":2025},{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Tian men dong has a well-documented 2,000-year TCM record as a Lung/Kidney Yin tonic for dry cough, thirst and constipation and a well-characterized chemistry dominated by steroidal saponins and fructans. Modern evidence, however, is essentially all preclinical: anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atopic and cytotoxic effects in rodent and cell models, with no randomized human trials located. Claims of clinical benefit in humans are therefore unsubstantiated, and safety in humans has not been formally evaluated."},{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."},{"canonical":"pseudostellaria","research_target":"pseudostellaria","common_names":["Prince ginseng / pseudostellaria root (Radix Pseudostellariae)","tai zi shen (\u592a\u5b50\u53c2)","Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (mild qi-and-yin tonic; tonifies spleen and lung qi while generating fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Amelioration of 'spleen deficiency' syndrome: weight gain, gastrin, immune-organ indices and gut microbiota","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day rat model of drug-induced spleen-deficiency syndrome (20 SD rats), P. heterophylla decoction and purified polysaccharide increased body-weight gain, gastrin and immune-organ indices and reduced colonic inflammatory infiltration, IL-6 and TNF-alpha (p<0.05), while increasing butyrate, microbiota richness and Lactobacillus abundance; the isolated polysaccharide outperformed the whole decoction.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharides from Pseudostellaria heterophylla modulate gut microbiota and alleviate syndrome of spleen deficiency in rats","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24329-9","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Hypoglycaemic and triglyceride-lowering activity of root polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A chemistry and pharmacology review reports that P. heterophylla polysaccharide fractions in the 50-210 kDa range lowered blood sugar and serum triglycerides in animal models, and notes that quality-control methods for these fractions remain inadequate.","sources":[{"title":"Chemistry, pharmacology and analysis of Pseudostellaria heterophylla: a mini-review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533724/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antitumour activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review of P. heterophylla research summarizes immunomodulatory and antitumour pharmacology attributed to 19 cyclic peptides, 10 polysaccharides, 6 saponins, 7 oligosaccharides and 4 sapogenins, but presents no human trial data; much of the paper concerns cultivation and continuous-cropping yield loss.","sources":[{"title":"Advances in Pseudostellaria heterophylla Research: Active Constituents, Pharmacology, Biosynthesis and Cultivation","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12429892/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Pseudostellaria heterophylla is well characterized chemically - cyclic peptides (heterophyllins, pseudostellarins) and a high polysaccharide content are distinctive - and rodent studies support the traditional 'spleen-strengthening' claim in a mechanistic sense (improved weight gain, gastrin, immune-organ indices, reduced IL-6/TNF-alpha, favourable gut-microbiota shifts). However, no human randomized or controlled trials were found for any indication, so its use as a mild qi-and-yin tonic for fatigue, appetite, sweating and dry cough remains traditional-use evidence supported only by preclinical plausibility. Hypoglycaemic, immunomodulatory and antitumour claims are animal- and cell-level findings, and both safety data and material standardization are lacking."},{"canonical":"poria","research_target":"poria","common_names":["Poria / hoelen / fu ling mushroom sclerotium","fu ling","Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. (syn. Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / damp-draining harmonising herb (strengthens Spleen, drains Dampness, calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae.","sources":[{"title":"Benefits of herbal formulae containing Poria cocos (Fuling) for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278536","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans.","sources":[{"title":"The Positive Effects of Poria cocos Extract on Quality of Sleep in Insomnia Rat Models","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9180690/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"The Role of Wolfiporia cocos (F. A. Wolf) Ryvarden and Gilb. Polysaccharides in Regulating the Gut Microbiota and Its Health Benefits","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11944627/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Poria is supported by a large clinical meta-analysis, but that analysis tests multi-herb formulae containing Fuling added to conventional hypoglycaemics, so the roughly 0.8 mmol/L fasting glucose reduction cannot be attributed to Poria itself, and the trials were low-to-moderate quality and all Chinese. Everything else - sedation via GABA-A receptors, lipid-lowering, anti-obesity, gut-microbiota and renoprotective effects - is animal or in vitro, and even the classic diuretic claim is inconsistent across extract types. Poria appears well tolerated, and the practical safety concerns are allergic reactions, additive diuresis and sulfur-fumigated raw material rather than intrinsic toxicity."},{"canonical":"lily flower","research_target":"lily flower","common_names":["Daylily flower / golden needle flower (Hemerocallis); in some TCM sources 'lily' refers to the bulb Bai He","Jin Zhen Hua / Huang Hua Cai (daylily flower); Bai He (Lilium bulb)","Hemerocallis fulva L. (Asphodelaceae); cf. Lilium brownii F.E.Br. (Liliaceae)"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic / spirit-calming and heat-clearing herb (yin-moistening in the Lilium 'Bai He' sense)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning; reduced sleep latency","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a human study of adult volunteers, a water extract of daylily flowers improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning and shortened sleep latency compared with water; sample size, dose and duration were not reported in the abstract, so the strength of this single trial is uncertain.","sources":[{"title":"Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva Linn.) flowers improve sleep quality in human and reduce nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production in macrophages","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect (behavioural despair, monoamine turnover)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In rats, ethanol extract of Hemerocallis fulva flowers (3, 15 or 30 g/kg raw-equivalent, 7 or 28 days of oral gavage) reduced immobility in the forced swimming test comparably to fluoxetine and, after chronic dosing, increased brain serotonin concentration and reduced serotonin turnover.","sources":[{"title":"The Antidepressant-like Effect of Ethanol Extract of Daylily Flowers (Jin Zhen Hua) in Rats","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3924984/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Reduced nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production (anti-inflammatory)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous and ethanol extracts of daylily flowers inhibited nitric oxide and IL-6 production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"Daylily (Hemerocallis fulva Linn.) flowers improve sleep quality in human and reduce nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production in macrophages","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37929342/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"The strongest finding for 'lily flower' interpreted as daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) is a single human study reporting improved sleep quality, efficiency and daytime functioning with a water extract - encouraging but unreplicated, with dose and sample size unreported. Everything else is preclinical: antidepressant-like effects in rats mediated by serotonergic changes, and anti-inflammatory inhibition of nitric oxide and IL-6 in macrophages. If the intended herb is instead the Lilium bulb (Bai He), the evidence is similarly preclinical (polysaccharide glucose-lowering, microbiota-mediated sleep effects) with clinical data only for multi-herb decoctions. Traditional claims about immunity, brain-invigorating and pain-relieving effects are not substantiated by controlled human trials, and the naming ambiguity between Hemerocallis and Lilium material is itself a limitation."},{"canonical":"licorice","research_target":"licorice","common_names":["licorice / liquorice root","gan cao (\u7518\u8349)","Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. / Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Radix Glycyrrhizae)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / harmonizing herb (tonifies Spleen and Heart Qi; the classical 'harmonizer' added to moderate other herbs)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP).","sources":[{"title":"The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201745","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843).","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Licorice Functional Components Intakes on Blood Pressure: a systematic review, meta-analysis and network toxicology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39519602/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed.","sources":[{"title":"A low dose of daily licorice intake affects renin, aldosterone, and home blood pressure in a randomized crossover trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246526/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Licorice has the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch, but much of it is evidence of harm: two independent meta-analyses and a recent crossover RCT show that glycyrrhizic acid reliably raises blood pressure and lowers potassium even at modest, food-level doses. On the benefit side, one good-quality 200-patient RCT supports a deglycyrrhizinated flavonoid extract for reflux symptoms, and earlier trials support functional dyspepsia, so gastrointestinal soothing is the best-substantiated therapeutic claim. The traditional framing as a gentle universal 'harmonizer' and Qi tonic is not supported by outcome data, and unqualified long-term use of glycyrrhizin-containing licorice is a genuine cardiovascular risk."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":9,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Glucose lowering and beta-cell effects (Lilium/Baihe interpretation)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"If 'lily' is taken as Lilium brownii/Baihe, its polysaccharides promoted islet beta-cell proliferation and insulin secretion in vitro and dose-dependently lowered blood glucose in alloxan-hyperglycaemic mice; no significant alpha-glucosidase inhibition was seen."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":4,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843)."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect (behavioural despair, monoamine turnover)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rats, ethanol extract of Hemerocallis fulva flowers (3, 15 or 30 g/kg raw-equivalent, 7 or 28 days of oral gavage) reduced immobility in the forced swimming test comparably to fluoxetine and, after chronic dosing, increased brain serotonin concentration and reduced serotonin turnover."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Insomnia relief via gut-microbiota and metabolite modulation (Lilium/Baihe)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Lilium brownii bulb is a common Chinese medicine for insomnia and animal work links its effect to reversal of adverse changes in intestinal flora abundance/diversity and faecal metabolites; the clinical dataset for the bulb remains limited to small formula studies such as Baihe Gujin decoction (150 lung-cancer patients, no obvious side effects)."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session."},{"ingredient":"pseudostellaria","outcome":"Fatigue, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating and dry cough in qi-yin deficiency","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica documents tai zi shen as a mild qi-and-yin tonic for lassitude, spontaneous sweating, poor appetite, dry mouth, cough with scanty phlegm, palpitations and insomnia, used especially for post-illness recovery; no controlled human trial of the single herb for these endpoints was identified."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect (behavioural despair, monoamine turnover)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rats, ethanol extract of Hemerocallis fulva flowers (3, 15 or 30 g/kg raw-equivalent, 7 or 28 days of oral gavage) reduced immobility in the forced swimming test comparably to fluoxetine and, after chronic dosing, increased brain serotonin concentration and reduced serotonin turnover."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning; reduced sleep latency","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a human study of adult volunteers, a water extract of daylily flowers improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning and shortened sleep latency compared with water; sample size, dose and duration were not reported in the abstract, so the strength of this single trial is uncertain."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Insomnia relief via gut-microbiota and metabolite modulation (Lilium/Baihe)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Lilium brownii bulb is a common Chinese medicine for insomnia and animal work links its effect to reversal of adverse changes in intestinal flora abundance/diversity and faecal metabolites; the clinical dataset for the bulb remains limited to small formula studies such as Baihe Gujin decoction (150 lung-cancer patients, no obvious side effects)."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans."},{"ingredient":"pseudostellaria","outcome":"Fatigue, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating and dry cough in qi-yin deficiency","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica documents tai zi shen as a mild qi-and-yin tonic for lassitude, spontaneous sweating, poor appetite, dry mouth, cough with scanty phlegm, palpitations and insomnia, used especially for post-illness recovery; no controlled human trial of the single herb for these endpoints was identified."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Diuresis and renoprotection in kidney disease models","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Poria triterpenoids reports renoprotective effects across ischaemia-reperfusion, ureteral obstruction, 5/6 nephrectomy, adenine-CKD, nephrotic-syndrome and diabetic-kidney-disease rodent models, but notes that the aqueous extract did not significantly increase urine output while high-dose ethanol extract did, and that no human intervention study exists."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning; reduced sleep latency","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a human study of adult volunteers, a water extract of daylily flowers improved sleep quality, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning and shortened sleep latency compared with water; sample size, dose and duration were not reported in the abstract, so the strength of this single trial is uncertain."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect (behavioural despair, monoamine turnover)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rats, ethanol extract of Hemerocallis fulva flowers (3, 15 or 30 g/kg raw-equivalent, 7 or 28 days of oral gavage) reduced immobility in the forced swimming test comparably to fluoxetine and, after chronic dosing, increased brain serotonin concentration and reduced serotonin turnover."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."},{"ingredient":"pseudostellaria","outcome":"Fatigue, poor appetite, spontaneous sweating and dry cough in qi-yin deficiency","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica documents tai zi shen as a mild qi-and-yin tonic for lassitude, spontaneous sweating, poor appetite, dry mouth, cough with scanty phlegm, palpitations and insomnia, used especially for post-illness recovery; no controlled human trial of the single herb for these endpoints was identified."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Reduced nitric oxide and interleukin-6 production (anti-inflammatory)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aqueous and ethanol extracts of daylily flowers inhibited nitric oxide and IL-6 production in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages in vitro."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."},{"ingredient":"pseudostellaria","outcome":"Amelioration of 'spleen deficiency' syndrome: weight gain, gastrin, immune-organ indices and gut microbiota","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In a 14-day rat model of drug-induced spleen-deficiency syndrome (20 SD rats), P. heterophylla decoction and purified polysaccharide increased body-weight gain, gastrin and immune-organ indices and reduced colonic inflammatory infiltration, IL-6 and TNF-alpha (p<0.05), while increasing butyrate, microbiota richness and Lactobacillus abundance; the isolated polysaccharide outperformed the whole decoction."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Isolated furostanol/steroidal saponins such as methyl protodioscin show in vitro cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activity, which the review presents as a rationale for further study rather than clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"lily flower","outcome":"Insomnia relief via gut-microbiota and metabolite modulation (Lilium/Baihe)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Lilium brownii bulb is a common Chinese medicine for insomnia and animal work links its effect to reversal of adverse changes in intestinal flora abundance/diversity and faecal metabolites; the clinical dataset for the bulb remains limited to small formula studies such as Baihe Gujin decoction (150 lung-cancer patients, no obvious side effects)."},{"ingredient":"pseudostellaria","outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of P. heterophylla research summarizes immunomodulatory and antitumour pharmacology attributed to 19 cyclic peptides, 10 polysaccharides, 6 saponins, 7 oligosaccharides and 4 sapogenins, but presents no human trial data; much of the paper concerns cultivation and continuous-cropping yield loss."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."}]}]},{"name":"Eleuthero Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/eleuthero-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Eleuthero root"],"ingredients_canonical":["eleuthero"],"claims_vendor":["Supports endurance","Promotes physical strength","Aids in recovery from exercise","Supports mental endurance"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"eleuthero","research_target":"eleuthero","common_names":["Eleuthero / Siberian ginseng / taiga root","Ci Wu Jia","Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. (syn. Acanthopanax senticosus)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / adaptogen (also warms and strengthens Kidney Yang and dispels wind-damp)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a randomized clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15207399/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Eleuthero is one of the best-known 'adaptogens', but the modern evidence base is thin: the most recent comprehensive review explicitly concludes that robust clinical evidence is lacking and that most supportive data come from 1960s-80s Soviet studies with poorly reported methods. The single well-described randomized trial (n=20) found only a transient improvement in one quality-of-life subscale. Chemistry and preclinical pharmacology are well characterised (eleutherosides B and E, anti-fatigue effects in animals), and the herb appears well tolerated, but claims of improved endurance, immunity and stress resistance in humans remain unsubstantiated at the level of adequately powered, blinded trials; EU registration rests on traditional use only."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Preclinical anti-fatigue and stress-protective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal data cited in the EMA assessment show increased swimming time to exhaustion and altered tissue energy substrates, and the phytochemical review attributes anti-fatigue activity partly to eleutheroside E; these findings are preclinical and do not establish clinical efficacy."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Preclinical anti-fatigue and stress-protective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal data cited in the EMA assessment show increased swimming time to exhaustion and altered tissue energy substrates, and the phytochemical review attributes anti-fatigue activity partly to eleutheroside E; these findings are preclinical and do not establish clinical efficacy."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards."}]}]},{"name":"Goji Drops, Heaven Mountain\u00ae","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/heaven-mountain-goji-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Heaven Mountain\u2122 Goji berries (Lycium or Gou Qi Zi)"],"ingredients_canonical":["goji"],"claims_vendor":["Exquisite extract of premium Heaven Mountain Goji","Rich and thick","Loaded with LBPs (Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides) and antioxidants","Easy way to consume your daily dose of Goji","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."}]}]},{"name":"Qi Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/qi-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Astragalus root","Gynostemma leaf","Chinese Ginseng root","Eleuthero root","Codonopsis root","Tibetan Rhodiola root","White Atractylodes rhizome","Chinese Yam rhizome","Polygonatum sibericum* rhizome","Chinese Licorice root","Aged Tangerine rind"],"ingredients_canonical":["astragalus","gynostemma","asian ginseng","eleuthero","codonopsis","rhodiola","white atractylodes","dioscorea (chinese yam)","polygonatum","licorice","tangerine peel (aged)"],"claims_vendor":["World class Qi tonic herbs","Superbly extracted from superior quality herbs","Supports adaptability","Supports body strength","Potentiates immune functions","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"astragalus","research_target":"astragalus","common_names":["Astragalus root, milkvetch root","Huang Qi","Astragalus membranaceus (Astragali Radix)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (tonifies Spleen/Lung qi, raises yang, secures the exterior)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical value of Astragalus membranaceus in diabetic nephropathy (DARE record)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK81215/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating.","sources":[{"title":"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs and platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of randomized trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16421421/","year":2006}]},{"outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10811102/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Astragalus has the largest clinical dataset of any Chinese qi tonic: multiple meta-analyses suggest adjunctive benefit in diabetic kidney disease, chronic heart failure and platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCLC. However nearly all included RCTs are small, Chinese-language, short in duration, often use injectable preparations, and are rated low quality, so the true effect size is uncertain. The widely marketed claims of immune enhancement, anti-aging and 'wei qi' protection rest mainly on preclinical mechanistic data rather than confirmatory human trials."},{"canonical":"gynostemma","research_target":"gynostemma","common_names":["Jiaogulan / southern ginseng / five-leaf ginseng","jiao gu lan (\u7ede\u80a1\u84dd)","Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (adaptogenic qi tonic; also clears heat, transforms phlegm and detoxifies in folk use)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China.","sources":[{"title":"Gynostemma pentaphyllum for dyslipidemia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9459123/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 24 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients randomized to authenticated GP tea 6 g/day or placebo tea for 12 weeks, fasting plasma glucose fell 3.0 +/- 1.8 vs 0.6 +/- 2.2 mmol/L (p<0.01), HbA1c fell about 2 vs 0.2 percentage points (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR improved (p<0.05), with no hypoglycemia reported.","sources":[{"title":"Antidiabetic effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea in randomly assigned type 2 diabetic patients","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20213586/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of abdominal fat and body weight in obesity","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 obese Korean adults given 450 mg/day heat-processed GP extract (actiponin) showed significant reductions versus placebo in total abdominal fat area (p=0.044), body weight, body fat mass, percent body fat and BMI, with no clinically significant safety changes.","sources":[{"title":"Antiobesity effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract (actiponin): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23804546/","year":2014}]}],"overall_assessment":"Gynostemma has the strongest human evidence base of this batch: multiple small placebo-controlled RCTs support metabolic benefits (fasting glucose and HbA1c reduction in early type 2 diabetes, abdominal fat and weight reduction in obesity) and a 22-RCT review supports adjunctive lipid improvement, though that review rated certainty as very low and found GP alone weaker than statins or red yeast rice. Effects on anxiety and exercise performance come from single trials with partly non-significant secondary endpoints. Trials are small (24-100 participants), short (8-12 weeks), mostly conducted in Korea, China and Vietnam, and use non-standardized extracts, so the broad traditional 'adaptogen for longevity and immunity' claim remains unproven even where the metabolic signals look real."},{"canonical":"asian ginseng","research_target":"asian ginseng","common_names":["Asian ginseng / Korean red ginseng","Ren Shen","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (primary Qi/Yuan Qi tonic; also treated as a Shen-calming and Jing-supporting herb in some traditions)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Ginseng on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Phytother Res 38:6023-6034)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39474788/","year":2024},{"title":"Ginseng for cognition (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007769.pub2/full","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Asian ginseng is among the best-studied tonic herbs: meta-analytic evidence supports modest glucose-lowering effects and suggestive benefit for erectile dysfunction and fatigue, and safety in trials appears comparable to placebo. Cognitive benefits remain unresolved - a Cochrane review found no convincing effect while a later meta-analysis of small trials reported improvements, so the traditional claim of memory and 'Qi' enhancement is not firmly substantiated. Traditional claims of rescuing collapse, longevity, and broad organ-system restoration have no controlled clinical evidence base, and lipid/blood-pressure effects are inconsistent."},{"canonical":"eleuthero","research_target":"eleuthero","common_names":["Eleuthero / Siberian ginseng / taiga root","Ci Wu Jia","Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. (syn. Acanthopanax senticosus)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / adaptogen (also warms and strengthens Kidney Yang and dispels wind-damp)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a randomized clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15207399/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and cholesterol effects","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"The reviewed Soviet clinical literature reported decreased blood pressure in some hypertensive subjects but increased blood pressure in others, and contradictory cholesterol results (decreased, unchanged and increased), so no reliable direction of effect can be assigned.","sources":[{"title":"Eleutherococcus root: a comprehensive review of its phytochemistry and pharmacological potential in the context of its adaptogenic effect","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12605232/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Eleuthero is one of the best-known 'adaptogens', but the modern evidence base is thin: the most recent comprehensive review explicitly concludes that robust clinical evidence is lacking and that most supportive data come from 1960s-80s Soviet studies with poorly reported methods. The single well-described randomized trial (n=20) found only a transient improvement in one quality-of-life subscale. Chemistry and preclinical pharmacology are well characterised (eleutherosides B and E, anti-fatigue effects in animals), and the herb appears well tolerated, but claims of improved endurance, immunity and stress resistance in humans remain unsubstantiated at the level of adequately powered, blinded trials; EU registration rests on traditional use only."},{"canonical":"codonopsis","research_target":"codonopsis","common_names":["Codonopsis root / poor man's ginseng / bellflower root","dang shen (\u515a\u53c2)","Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (spleen and lung qi; secondarily nourishes blood and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis.","sources":[{"title":"Dang Shen [Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf] Herbal Formulae for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.5248","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the mechanism of action and potential medicinal value of Codonopsis pilosula in diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11128667/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Antitumor activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data.","sources":[{"title":"A Systematic Review of the Phytochemical Profile and Potential Medicinal Functions of Codonopsis pilosula in Cancer","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40008240/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"The only clinical-grade human evidence for Codonopsis is from multi-herb Chinese formulas in COPD, where a 48-RCT meta-analysis showed real but modest improvements in FEV1, symptom scores and walk distance - benefits that cannot be attributed to Codonopsis alone and come from largely low-quality Chinese trials. Everything else (immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, gastroprotective, cardioprotective actions) is preclinical network-pharmacology and cell/animal work. Its classical role as a mild ginseng substitute for fatigue and poor appetite remains traditional-use knowledge with no dedicated placebo-controlled trials, and safety data beyond mild gastrointestinal complaints are essentially absent."},{"canonical":"rhodiola","research_target":"rhodiola","common_names":["Golden root / roseroot (Rhodiola); Tibetan rhodiola","Hong Jing Tian","Rhodiola rosea L. (also R. crenulata Hook.f. & Thomson)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Blood-mover (Hong Jing Tian is used to tonify Qi, invigorate Blood and clear the Lung; widely treated as an adaptogen in Russian/European herbal medicine)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22643043/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups.","sources":[{"title":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19016404/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant.","sources":[{"title":"Rhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4385215/","year":2015}]}],"overall_assessment":"Rhodiola is one of the most-studied 'adaptogens' yet the aggregate evidence remains weak: a systematic review of 11 controlled fatigue trials found contradictory results with universally high risk of bias, the best-designed stress-fatigue RCT showed improvements in both arms consistent with placebo response, and the depression RCT found no significant advantage over placebo. A CONSORT audit of 39 Rhodiola RCTs found very poor reporting quality, and NCCIH concludes there is insufficient reliable evidence for any indication. The defensible statements are that short-term use appears well tolerated and better tolerated than sertraline, not that efficacy for fatigue, stress or depression has been demonstrated."},{"canonical":"white atractylodes","research_target":"white atractylodes","common_names":["White atractylodes rhizome","Bai Zhu","Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (Spleen Qi tonic that also dries Dampness)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"global symptom relief in functional dyspepsia (as a component of multi-herb formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Bayesian network meta-analysis of 28 prokinetic-controlled RCTs (2,736 adults, 26 Chinese herbal formulae, many containing Bai Zhu) found herbal formulae generally at least comparable to prokinetics for global dyspepsia symptoms, though no trial was at low risk of bias; a separate meta-analysis reached similar conclusions for Chinese herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Benefit cannot be attributed to Bai Zhu alone.","sources":[{"title":"Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: a network meta-analysis of prokinetic-controlled randomised trials (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00556-6","year":2021},{"title":"Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6048609/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"gastrointestinal motility regulation and gut-barrier protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews document that Bai Zhu extracts and atractylenolides modulate gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota in rodent and cell models, providing the mechanistic rationale for its digestive use.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of the Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Application, Quality Control, Processing, Toxicology, and Pharmacokinetics of the Dried Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803677/","year":2021},{"title":"Polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala: A Review of Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights into Intestinal Disorders (Nutrients 17:3722)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41374013/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides show immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory effects (macrophage/cytokine modulation, colitis models) in preclinical studies; corresponding human trials of the single herb were not identified.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala: A Review of Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights into Intestinal Disorders (Nutrients 17:3722)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41374013/","year":2025},{"title":"The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30130541/","year":2018}]}],"overall_assessment":"Bai Zhu is pharmacologically well characterised (atractylenolides, polysaccharides) with consistent preclinical support for gastrointestinal motility, gut-barrier and immunomodulatory effects that align with its traditional Spleen-Qi/Dampness indications. Clinical evidence, however, is indirect: meta-analyses showing benefit in functional dyspepsia tested multi-herb formulas in which Bai Zhu is one ingredient, and all included trials had risk-of-bias concerns. There are no adequate single-herb RCTs, and claims about anticancer, anti-osteoporosis or pregnancy-supporting effects remain preclinical or purely traditional."},{"canonical":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","research_target":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","common_names":["Chinese yam rhizome","Shan Yao","Dioscorea opposita Thunb. (Dioscorea polystachya; Rhizoma Dioscoreae)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic with Yin-tonifying action (sweet, neutral; enters Spleen, Lung and Kidney channels)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04).","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Prebiotic shift in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same randomized trial Bifidobacterium rose 23% and Lactobacillus 17% while Enterococcus fell 14% and E. coli 19% (p<0.05), with increases in faecal acetate, propionate and butyrate; a separate 6-week open-label single-arm study in 10 obese adults eating a high-fibre yam snack also increased Bifidobacterium spp. and the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale group (p<0.05).","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Gastrointestinal motility, gastroprotection and anti-diarrhoeal effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 systematic review of 27 studies found only 2 human trials against 25 animal experiments; the animal data support improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit, mucosal protection and reduced diarrhoea, but no pooled meta-analysis or human confirmation was possible.","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Chinese yam is better supported as a functional food than as a therapeutic agent. The single decent randomized trial (post-operative colorectal cancer patients with diabetes) showed consistent improvements in gut-barrier markers, inflammatory cytokines, microbiota composition, wound healing and infection rate, which fits the traditional Spleen-tonifying indication, but the 2025 systematic review found only 2 human studies against 25 animal experiments and could not pool results. Traditional claims for Lung and Kidney tonification, chronic cough, urinary frequency and 'essence' retention have no clinical trial support; the antidiabetic and immune claims currently rest on cell and rodent work."},{"canonical":"polygonatum","research_target":"polygonatum","common_names":["Siberian Solomon's seal rhizome ('yellow essence')","Huang Jing","Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute (also P. cyrtonema, P. kingianum)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Yin tonic (with mild Jing-tonifying action); classed as a Qi tonic in Bensky/Gamble, and the raw herb is described as more Yin-tonifying while the wine-steamed form is more Qi-tonifying","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides: A promising strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39542041/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Mechanisms of action and applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide at the intestinal mucosa barrier: a review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polygonatum sibiricum (Huang Jing) has an extensive and well-characterized preclinical literature - its polysaccharide fraction is chemically well defined and shows antioxidant, immunomodulatory, glucose- and lipid-lowering, neuroprotective and gut-barrier effects in cells and rodents. What is essentially absent is human clinical evidence: no randomized controlled trials with clinical endpoints were identified, so every 'benefit' claim currently rests on mechanistic and animal data plus long traditional use as a Qi/Yin tonic. The honest position is that it is a plausible, food-grade tonic with a good safety record and interesting mechanisms, but no demonstrated clinical efficacy for fatigue, diabetes, cognition or aging in people."},{"canonical":"licorice","research_target":"licorice","common_names":["licorice / liquorice root","gan cao (\u7518\u8349)","Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. / Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Radix Glycyrrhizae)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / harmonizing herb (tonifies Spleen and Heart Qi; the classical 'harmonizer' added to moderate other herbs)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP).","sources":[{"title":"The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201745","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843).","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Licorice Functional Components Intakes on Blood Pressure: a systematic review, meta-analysis and network toxicology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39519602/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed.","sources":[{"title":"A low dose of daily licorice intake affects renin, aldosterone, and home blood pressure in a randomized crossover trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246526/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Licorice has the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch, but much of it is evidence of harm: two independent meta-analyses and a recent crossover RCT show that glycyrrhizic acid reliably raises blood pressure and lowers potassium even at modest, food-level doses. On the benefit side, one good-quality 200-patient RCT supports a deglycyrrhizinated flavonoid extract for reflux symptoms, and earlier trials support functional dyspepsia, so gastrointestinal soothing is the best-substantiated therapeutic claim. The traditional framing as a gentle universal 'harmonizer' and Qi tonic is not supported by outcome data, and unqualified long-term use of glycyrrhizin-containing licorice is a genuine cardiovascular risk."},{"canonical":"tangerine peel (aged)","research_target":"tangerine peel (aged)","common_names":["Aged tangerine peel / dried tangerine peel","Chen Pi (Chen Ju Pi)","Citrus reticulata Blanco - Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, CRP)"],"tcm_category":"Qi regulator (Regulate the Qi category); tonifies the Spleen indirectly and transforms Phlegm-Damp","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract, uniquely enriched in 5-hydroxy polymethoxyflavones, prevented obesity and diabetes in high-fat-diet mice, apparently via AMPK activation in adipose tissue and improved lipid metabolism. Animal model only.","sources":[{"title":"Prevention of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes with Aged Citrus Peel (Chenpi) Extract","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b06157","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Beneficial modulation of gut microbiota and digestive function","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 Food Research International review describes CRP flavonoids (neohesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin) promoting beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogens, with reported improvement of 'spleen deficiency' digestive symptoms; the review reports no controlled human outcome data.","sources":[{"title":"Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium modulates gut microbiota: Impacts on human health","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40597475/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Advances in the Health Benefits and Application of Tangerine Peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium): A Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11241192/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Aged tangerine peel is chemically interesting and well characterized - aging demonstrably enriches 5-demethylated polymethoxyflavones - and animal and in vitro studies support anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and gut-microbiota effects. However, no randomized controlled human trials of chen pi as a single agent were found for any outcome, so claims about digestion, phlegm, appetite or metabolic health rest on tradition plus preclinical mechanism. It is best regarded as a safe culinary-medicinal food with plausible but clinically unproven benefits."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":17,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":6,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":10,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04)."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduced fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 24 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients randomized to authenticated GP tea 6 g/day or placebo tea for 12 weeks, fasting plasma glucose fell 3.0 +/- 1.8 vs 0.6 +/- 2.2 mmol/L (p<0.01), HbA1c fell about 2 vs 0.2 percentage points (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR improved (p<0.05), with no hypoglycemia reported."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04)."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Immune modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"global symptom relief in functional dyspepsia (as a component of multi-herb formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Bayesian network meta-analysis of 28 prokinetic-controlled RCTs (2,736 adults, 26 Chinese herbal formulae, many containing Bai Zhu) found herbal formulae generally at least comparable to prokinetics for global dyspepsia symptoms, though no trial was at low risk of bias; a separate meta-analysis reached similar conclusions for Chinese herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Benefit cannot be attributed to Bai Zhu alone."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Gastrointestinal motility, gastroprotection and anti-diarrhoeal effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 systematic review of 27 studies found only 2 human trials against 25 animal experiments; the animal data support improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit, mucosal protection and reduced diarrhoea, but no pooled meta-analysis or human confirmation was possible."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Beneficial modulation of gut microbiota and digestive function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Food Research International review describes CRP flavonoids (neohesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin) promoting beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogens, with reported improvement of 'spleen deficiency' digestive symptoms; the review reports no controlled human outcome data."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"gastrointestinal motility regulation and gut-barrier protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews document that Bai Zhu extracts and atractylenolides modulate gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota in rodent and cell models, providing the mechanistic rationale for its digestive use."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04)."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Antitumor activity","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":5,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A combined clinical and preclinical systematic review found several RCTs reporting reduced subjective fatigue with Panax ginseng, alongside animal mechanistic data, but trials were small and heterogeneous in dose, population and fatigue instruments."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduced anxiety in adults with chronic psychological stress","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 72 healthy Korean adults with chronic stress given 200 mg GP leaf extract twice daily for 8 weeks, trait anxiety (Trait-STAI) improved 16.8% versus placebo (p=0.041), but state anxiety, HAM-A and BAI showed no significant between-group differences."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved exercise capacity / reduced fatigue","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 healthy Korean adults using gypenoside L-containing GP extract found higher VO2 max (p=0.007) and O2 pulse (p=0.047), lower free fatty acids (p=0.042), improved perceived exertion/temporal fatigue and higher blood eNOS (p=0.047)."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Symptom reduction in mild-to-moderate major depressive disorder","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 12-week phase II RCT (n=57) comparing R. rosea, sertraline and placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference in HAM-D-17 change (p=0.79); HAM-D fell 8.2 points with sertraline, 5.1 with rhodiola and 4.6 with placebo, so rhodiola beat placebo by only 0.5 points. BDI (p=0.28) and CGI-C (p=0.17) were also non-significant."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Reduction of physical and mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 11 controlled trials (10 RCTs, 1 CCT) found only 2 of 6 physical-fatigue trials and 3 of 5 mental-fatigue trials reported Rhodiola rosea to be effective, and every included study had high risk of bias or reporting flaws that prevented assessment of true validity. The authors concluded the evidence is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Stress-related fatigue syndrome (burnout, attention, cortisol response)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 28-day phase III RCT of 60 adults with fatigue syndrome, 576 mg/day SHR-5 extract and placebo both improved Pines' burnout scale, SF-36 mental health, MADRS and several attention indices, consistent with a placebo effect; only a limited set of measures (including the saliva cortisol awakening response and some attention indices) differentiated the groups."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Prevention of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract, uniquely enriched in 5-hydroxy polymethoxyflavones, prevented obesity and diabetes in high-fat-diet mice, apparently via AMPK activation in adipose tissue and improved lipid metabolism. Animal model only."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":4,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843)."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Health-related quality of life in elderly hypertensive patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind trial of 20 patients aged 65+ given 300 mg/day dry extract or placebo for 8 weeks, only the SF-36 social functioning score improved at 4 weeks (p=0.02) and this difference did not persist at 8 weeks; no adverse events occurred and blood pressure control was unaffected."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Relief of bloating, nausea, poor appetite and phlegm/cough in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Qi stagnation with distension, nausea, damp-phlegm cough) are documented in materia medica sources, but no randomized controlled trial of chen pi as a single agent for these symptoms was located."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"adverse-event burden versus placebo in trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 44 randomized trials (3,092 participants) of oral Panax ginseng monopreparations found adverse-event rates broadly comparable to placebo, with mainly mild events reported."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola","outcome":"Better tolerability than a conventional SSRI","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the same comparison trial, R. rosea produced significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline and was better tolerated, which was the herb's clearest advantage in that study."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Prebiotic shift in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"In the same randomized trial Bifidobacterium rose 23% and Lactobacillus 17% while Enterococcus fell 14% and E. coli 19% (p<0.05), with increases in faecal acetate, propionate and butyrate; a separate 6-week open-label single-arm study in 10 obese adults eating a high-fibre yam snack also increased Bifidobacterium spp. and the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale group (p<0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved erectile function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 7 randomized trials of Korean red ginseng in erectile dysfunction found suggestive evidence of benefit over placebo, but the authors judged methodological quality to be low on average and the evidence not conclusive."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"use in pregnancy to 'calm the fetus'","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Reviews record the classical indication of quieting fetal irritability and reducing minimal vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, but this rests on ethnopharmacological documentation rather than controlled human trial data."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."},{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Prevention of influenza and seasonal respiratory infections / immune modulation","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Older Soviet studies reported fewer influenza and respiratory infections with eleuthero use, and the EMA assessment cites a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of an ethanol root extract standardised to 0.2% syringin measuring immune-cell parameters; neither body of evidence meets modern methodological standards."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Chinese yam describe immune-regulating, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of its polysaccharides and dioscorin in cell and rodent models, consistent with the traditional Qi-tonifying claim but without clinical endpoint data."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Immune modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"eleuthero","outcome":"Fatigue, work capacity and physical/mental endurance","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review summarising 46 Soviet clinical studies (1962-1986) reports improved work capacity, endurance, reduced recovery time and resistance to fatigue, but participant numbers and doses were often unreported and the review's central conclusion is a lack of robust modern clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Strengthening of the intestinal mucosal barrier and gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology review describes PSP acting on tight-junction proteins, mucus layer, immune signalling and microbiota composition at the intestinal mucosal barrier, entirely on the basis of in vitro and animal mechanistic evidence."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour, anti-osteoporosis, diuretic and hepatoprotective effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Comprehensive reviews list anticancer, anti-osteoporotic, diuretic and liver-protective activities (including protection against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats) from in vitro and animal work, with no controlled clinical confirmation."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Chinese yam describe immune-regulating, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of its polysaccharides and dioscorin in cell and rodent models, consistent with the traditional Qi-tonifying claim but without clinical endpoint data."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."}]}]},{"name":"Longan Fruit Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/longan-fruit-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Longan fruit extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["longan"],"claims_vendor":["Beauty:** Longan is a famous beauty herb. It adds luster and beauty to the skin.","Sleep:** Promotes tranquility and has been found to promote deep, refreshing sleep.","Memory & Stress:** Can be used to enhance memory and steady the nerves by fortifying*Blood* and*Qi*.","Energy:** Great*Qi* tonic for building up your everyday energy. Consumed regularly, Longan boosts temporary energy as well as long term vitality, yet it is not a stimulant like caffeine. It gives you energy while simultaneously relaxing you.","Blood-Building:** In Chinese herbalism, there is a saying: \u201cWomen are governed by*Blood*\u201d. It reflects a fundamental concept that*Blood* plays a particularly pivotal role in women\u2019s health. It is closely linked to several critical physiological functions, including menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, emotional well-being, and menopause.*Blood* tonics such as Longan build healthy rich blood. Everyone can benefit from*Blood* tonics, but women frequently need*Blood* tonics because of their hormonal and menstrual functions. Since blood nourishment is closely tied to the condition of the skin,*Blood* tonics are also used to promote radiant and healthy skin.","Heart Health:** Longan is traditionally used as a*Heart* tonic."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"longan","research_target":"longan","common_names":["Longan fruit / dragon eye fruit (dried aril)","long yan rou","Dimocarpus longan Lour."],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (Heart-Spleen Blood tonic, also calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data.","sources":[{"title":"A Novel Polysaccharide Isolated From Fresh Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Activates Macrophage via TLR2/4-Mediated PI3/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 Pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8724522/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural features and biological activities of longan fruit pulp (Longyan) polysaccharides: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9358249/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35.","sources":[{"title":"Longan syrup with lingzhi mushroom extract: Evaluation of safety and efficacy on immune and inflammatory modulation in healthy adults","url":"https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Longan's modern evidence base is almost entirely preclinical: purified pulp polysaccharides show reproducible immunomodulatory, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-tumour activity in cells and rodents, and mouse data touch on learning and memory, which loosely parallels the traditional 'nourish Blood, calm the spirit' indication. The only human study identified used a longan-lingzhi syrup and found no significant immune, inflammatory, hepatic or renal changes, plus a high glycaemic index. Traditional claims for insomnia, palpitations, anaemia and mental fatigue are therefore not substantiated by clinical trial evidence."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect."}]}]},{"name":"Tibetan Ever Young Drops 2 oz.- PRIVATE RESERVE","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/tibetan-ever-young-drops-private-reserve.html","ingredients_raw":["Tibetan Ever Young raw herb extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["tibetan ever young formula"],"claims_vendor":["Supports Yang and Yin Jing","Supports sexual functions in men and women","Has a strong reputation as a Yang tonic","Is a tonic to the whole body"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"tibetan ever young formula","research_target":"tibetan ever young formula","common_names":["Tibetan Ever Young (Dragon Herbs tincture; 'Ever Young' herb)","Bu Lao Cao (\u4e0d\u8001\u8349, 'never-old herb'); related to Rou Cong Rong (Cistanche)","Cistanche spp. (described as a relative of Cistanche deserticola; Cistanche tubulosa is the best-studied species)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic and Jing (essence) tonic; the product is marketed as supporting both Yang and Yin Jing","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improved cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly adults (Cistanche tubulosa plus Ginkgo)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 90-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 Chinese middle-aged and elderly participants at risk of neurodegeneration found significant gains versus placebo in MMSE (26.5 to 27.1), MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) and quality-of-life scores (all p<0.001), plus reductions in blood tau phospho-species; the intervention combined Cistanche with Ginkgo biloba, so effects cannot be attributed to Cistanche alone.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts for the improvement of cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people (Phytother Res)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"preserved walking ability in locomotive syndrome","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study in 26 analysed subjects with pre-symptomatic or mild locomotive syndrome found Cistanche tubulosa extract improved two-step test step width and 5-m gait speed in those over 60 (p=0.046) without change in skeletal muscle mass; the sample was very small.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Cistanche tubulosa Wight Extract on Locomotive Syndrome: A Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind Study (Nutrients 13:264)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33477648/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"reduced chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a botanical product containing Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts reported improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms in adults; again a combination product.","sources":[{"title":"A Botanical Product Containing Cistanche and Ginkgo Extracts Potentially Improves Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms in Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Study (Front Nutr)","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.658630/pdf","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"'Tibetan Ever Young' is a proprietary single-herb tincture whose vendor identifies it as a Himalayan Cistanche relative (Bu Lao Cao), so the only relevant clinical literature concerns Cistanche tubulosa - a different, cultivated species - and mostly in combination with Ginkgo biloba. Those trials are genuinely randomized and placebo-controlled and show modest benefits for cognition, gait in locomotive syndrome, fatigue and hair health, but they are small, largely industry-linked, and cannot be extrapolated to a wild Tibetan species or to this product. The marketed claims specific to this item - Yang and Yin Jing support, sexual function, and 'ever young' longevity - have no clinical trial evidence and rest entirely on traditional and vendor framing."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"improved cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly adults (Cistanche tubulosa plus Ginkgo)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 90-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 Chinese middle-aged and elderly participants at risk of neurodegeneration found significant gains versus placebo in MMSE (26.5 to 27.1), MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) and quality-of-life scores (all p<0.001), plus reductions in blood tau phospho-species; the intervention combined Cistanche with Ginkgo biloba, so effects cannot be attributed to Cistanche alone."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"preserved walking ability in locomotive syndrome","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study in 26 analysed subjects with pre-symptomatic or mild locomotive syndrome found Cistanche tubulosa extract improved two-step test step width and 5-m gait speed in those over 60 (p=0.046) without change in skeletal muscle mass; the sample was very small."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"reduced chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a botanical product containing Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts reported improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms in adults; again a combination product."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"reduced hair loss / improved hair health","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a Cistanche tubulosa plus Laminaria japonica complex (MK-R7) in patients with hair loss reported improvements in hair health measures."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"reduced hair loss / improved hair health","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a Cistanche tubulosa plus Laminaria japonica complex (MK-R7) in patients with hair loss reported improvements in hair health measures."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"sexual function and 'Yang/Yin Jing' support, anti-aging/longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The specific claims made for the Tibetan Ever Young product - supporting Yang and Yin Jing and sexual function in men and women - come from the vendor's traditional framing; no clinical trial of this Tibetan Cistanche species or product for sexual function or longevity was identified."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tibetan ever young formula","outcome":"sexual function and 'Yang/Yin Jing' support, anti-aging/longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The specific claims made for the Tibetan Ever Young product - supporting Yang and Yin Jing and sexual function in men and women - come from the vendor's traditional framing; no clinical trial of this Tibetan Cistanche species or product for sexual function or longevity was identified."}]}]},{"name":"Coriolus Turkey Tail Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/coriolus-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Coriolus Turkey Tail (Coriolus versicolor)"],"ingredients_canonical":["turkey tail"],"claims_vendor":["Supports immunity","In traditional herbalism, extracts of Coriolus were used to support Lung and Liver health.","The cloud mushroom is beneficial to one\u2019s spirit (Shen) and vital energy (Qi), and strengthens the tendons and bones (Jing).","If cloud mushroom is taken for a long time, it will make one vigorous and will contribute to a long life.","Coriolus is an important immune modulator."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"turkey tail","research_target":"turkey tail","common_names":["Turkey tail / Coriolus","yun zhi (\u4e91\u829d)","Trametes versicolor (L.) Lloyd (syn. Coriolus versicolor)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / immune-supporting tonic (traditionally used to clear damp-heat and strengthen the constitution, especially for lung and liver conditions)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved 5-year survival in colorectal cancer when added to conventional treatment","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2022 Cochrane review of 7 RCTs (1,569 adults, mostly PSK in Japan) found a small improvement in 5-year survival with adjunctive Coriolus versicolor (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; 1,094 participants; NNTB 16), rated low certainty because trials were unblinded and older.","sources":[{"title":"Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim.","sources":[{"title":"Coriolus (Trametes) versicolor mushroom to reduce adverse effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy in people with colorectal cancer","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9707730/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006).","sources":[{"title":"Medicinal Mushrooms (PDQ) - Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute","url":"https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/mushrooms-pdq","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"Turkey tail is the best-evidenced item in this batch, but only in a narrow form: the protein-bound polysaccharide PSK, given as a pharmaceutical adjuvant to chemotherapy in Japanese gastric and colorectal cancer trials, shows small but reproducible survival gains (Cochrane: RR 1.08 for 5-year survival, low certainty; PDQ-cited meta-analysis HR 0.88 in 8,009 gastric cancer patients). Notably, the popular claim that turkey tail eases chemotherapy side effects was NOT supported - Cochrane found little to no effect with very low certainty. Immune 'boosting' in healthy people, and the equivalence of over-the-counter mushroom powders to standardized PSK/PSP doses of 1-3 g/day, are unsubstantiated. Safety is favourable, with a documented interaction caution for cyclophosphamide."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved 5-year survival in colorectal cancer when added to conventional treatment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2022 Cochrane review of 7 RCTs (1,569 adults, mostly PSK in Japan) found a small improvement in 5-year survival with adjunctive Coriolus versicolor (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15; 1,094 participants; NNTB 16), rated low certainty because trials were unblinded and older."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006)."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Survival benefit in breast cancer with PSK","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A review of 4 Asian RCTs (N=2,217) reported that PSK 3,000 mg/day significantly extended survival in ER-negative stage IIA node-negative patients and that chemotherapy plus PSK gave better 5- and 10-year survival than chemotherapy alone, but findings were subgroup-specific and have not been replicated in Western trials."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Immunostimulation and direct antitumor activity of PSK/PSP","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2020 review documents cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in cancer cell lines, cytokine and immune-cell activation, and notes a hepatocellular carcinoma trial (2.4 g/day) that improved quality of life but not median time to progression."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006)."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Reduction of chemotherapy/radiotherapy adverse effects (nausea, diarrhoea, neutropenia, fatigue, oral disorders)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same Cochrane review found the evidence very uncertain and showed little to no demonstrable effect of adjunctive Coriolus on chemotherapy- or radiotherapy-related side effects, including withdrawal due to adverse events (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.34), despite this being the most common marketing claim."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Improved disease-free and overall survival in resected gastric cancer with adjuvant PSK","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"NCI's PDQ summary cites a 1994 Lancet RCT in which adjuvant PSK gave 5-year disease-free survival of 70.7% vs 59.4% (p=0.047) and survival 73.0% vs 60.0% (p=0.044), and a 2007 meta-analysis of 8,009 patients showing improved overall survival (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p=0.018); a 2006 colorectal meta-analysis reported 5-year OS OR 0.71 (p=0.006)."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Survival benefit in breast cancer with PSK","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A review of 4 Asian RCTs (N=2,217) reported that PSK 3,000 mg/day significantly extended survival in ER-negative stage IIA node-negative patients and that chemotherapy plus PSK gave better 5- and 10-year survival than chemotherapy alone, but findings were subgroup-specific and have not been replicated in Western trials."},{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Immunostimulation and direct antitumor activity of PSK/PSP","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2020 review documents cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in cancer cell lines, cytokine and immune-cell activation, and notes a hepatocellular carcinoma trial (2.4 g/day) that improved quality of life but not median time to progression."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"turkey tail","outcome":"Immunostimulation and direct antitumor activity of PSK/PSP","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2020 review documents cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in cancer cell lines, cytokine and immune-cell activation, and notes a hepatocellular carcinoma trial (2.4 g/day) that improved quality of life but not median time to progression."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/sweetfruit-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)"],"claims_vendor":["Add low-glycemic sweetness to anything","Sweeter than sugar","Great tasting","Safe for children and adults","Immune tonic"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Drops Cinnamon Bark Oil","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/sweetfruit-drops-cinnamon-bark-oil-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract","Cinnamon bark essential oil"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)","cinnamon (essential oil)"],"claims_vendor":["A wonderful addition to almost any elixir, tea or blender drink","Made with Sweetfruit (Luo Han Guo) extract, which is a very-low-glycemic ingredient","Sweetfruit extract is not only delicious, it possesses strong immune supporting capacity","Contains pure Chinese Cinnamon Bark Oil derived from the bark of Cinnamon zeylanicum. This oil is not from young twigs, but from bark that has matured over many years","REAL Cinnamon bark, the King of Kidney Yang herbs!"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."},{"canonical":"cinnamon (essential oil)","research_target":"cinnamon","common_names":["Cassia cinnamon / Chinese cinnamon bark","rou gui (bark); gui zhi (twig)","Cinnamomum cassia (syn. C. aromaticum); cf. C. verum (Ceylon)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (interior-warming); rou gui warms the kidneys and fortifies yang, gui zhi is a warm exterior-releasing/channel-opening herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The Cochrane review of 10 RCTs (577 participants, mean ~2 g/day for 4-16 weeks) found no reliable effect: fasting glucose MD -0.83 mmol/L (95% CI -1.67 to 0.02, P=0.06, I2=82%) which fell to -0.08 mmol/L (P=0.55) after excluding two studies of questionable quality, and HbA1c MD -0.06% (95% CI -0.29 to 0.18, P=0.63). A separate meta-analysis of 6 trials (435 patients, 1-6 g/day) reported small significant reductions (HbA1c -0.09%; FPG -0.84 mmol/L), so the literature is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6486047/","year":2012},{"title":"Cinnamon in glycaemic control: Systematic review and meta analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22579946/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Improved insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) across metabolic populations","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella meta-analysis of 11 meta-analyses of RCTs (type 2 diabetes, PCOS and metabolic syndrome populations, primary studies published 2008-2021) reported that four of the pooled analyses showed significant reductions in HOMA-IR with cinnamon supplementation, while individual glycaemic endpoints were less consistent.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An umbrella meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10268424/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK623885/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cinnamon is one of the most-studied herbs in this batch, yet the highest-quality synthesis - the Cochrane review - found no convincing effect on fasting glucose or HbA1c once low-quality trials were excluded, while other meta-analyses report small reductions; the most consistent signal across pooled analyses is improved HOMA-IR rather than hard glycaemic endpoints. It should therefore not be presented as a glucose-lowering therapy. The traditional TCM 'yang-warming' indications have no direct clinical trial evidence, and the best-documented clinical fact about cassia cinnamon is a real, if rare, coumarin-related hepatotoxicity risk at supplement-level doses."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Drops Zen","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/sweetfruit-drops-zen-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract","Green Tea extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)","green tea"],"claims_vendor":["Made from the 100% natural amino acid L-Theanine, purified from GREEN TEA leaves","L-Theanine promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness.","Deliciously sweet","Made with Sweetfruit (Luo Han Guo) extract, which is a very-low-glycemic ingredient","Benefits the Lungs and immune system"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."},{"canonical":"green tea","research_target":"green tea","common_names":["Green tea","Lu Cha","Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze"],"tcm_category":"Heat-clearing (cool, bitter-sweet); not a classical tonic - also resolves Phlegm and food stagnation","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced total and LDL cholesterol","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs (n=1,415; 145-3,000 mg/day catechins, 3-24 weeks) found total cholesterol -5.46 mg/dL (95% CI -9.59 to -1.32) and LDL -5.30 mg/dL (95% CI -9.99 to -0.62), with no significant change in HDL or triglycerides.","sources":[{"title":"Green tea catechins decrease total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22027055/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on glycemic control in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23426037/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure.","sources":[{"title":"Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK246911/","year":2014}]}],"overall_assessment":"Green tea has by far the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch: multiple meta-analyses of RCTs show real but small cardiometabolic effects (total and LDL cholesterol down roughly 5 mg/dL, fasting glucose down ~1.5 mg/dL, modest blood pressure reduction), while HbA1c, insulin resistance and CRP are unchanged. Lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality is supported only by prospective cohorts - no eligible RCTs exist - so that claim is associational. The main clinically important harm signal is well documented: concentrated green tea extract supplements, unlike brewed tea, can cause hepatocellular liver injury, and popular claims about weight loss or cancer prevention are far stronger than the trial data supporting them."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Reduced total and LDL cholesterol","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs (n=1,415; 145-3,000 mg/day catechins, 3-24 weeks) found total cholesterol -5.46 mg/dL (95% CI -9.59 to -1.32) and LDL -5.30 mg/dL (95% CI -9.99 to -0.62), with no significant change in HDL or triglycerides."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Lower cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality with higher habitual tea intake","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A dose-response meta-analysis synthesizing 39 prospective cohort publications found inverse associations between tea intake and CVD and all-cause mortality; notably no RCT met eligibility criteria, so causality is unproven and confounding by lifestyle is likely."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"No meaningful change in C-reactive protein (inflammation)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs of green tea catechin supplementation found no noteworthy impact on plasma C-reactive protein, regardless of dose or study duration."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Hepatocellular liver injury from concentrated green tea extract","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The USP systematic review analysed 20 RCTs plus 51 case-report articles covering 75 cases of liver injury linked to green tea extract; injury was predominantly hepatocellular and associated with concentrated catechin preparations, bolus dosing and fasting intake."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Drops Ginger Oil","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/sweetfruit-drops-ginger-oil-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract","Ginger essential oil"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)","ginger (essential oil)"],"claims_vendor":["A wonderful addition to almost any elixir, tea or blender drink","Made with Sweetfruit (Luo Han Guo) extract, which is a very-low-glycemic ingredient","Sweetfruit extract is delicious, and it possesses strong immune supporting capacity","Warming. Stomach tonic. Enhances digestion. Great for raw foodies and vegetarians."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."},{"canonical":"ginger (essential oil)","research_target":"ginger","common_names":["Ginger rhizome (fresh = sheng jiang; dried = gan jiang)","Sheng Jiang (\u751f\u59dc) / Gan Jiang (\u5e72\u59dc)","Zingiber officinale Roscoe"],"tcm_category":"Warm/acrid exterior-releasing and interior-warming herb (Yang-warming, not a classic tonic); harmonizing and antiemetic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella review of 24 systematic reviews (180 primary studies) of orally consumed ginger found nausea and vomiting of pregnancy among the outcomes most consistently improved, though many included reviews were of low or critically low AMSTAR-2 quality and 59% of meta-analysed outcomes had very low to low GRADE certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Orally consumed ginger and human health: an umbrella review of systematic reviews (Am J Clin Nutr)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170469/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative vomiting","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bayesian network meta-analysis of 18 publications (2,199 patients) found ginger oil ranked best for reducing postoperative vomiting versus placebo (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.96), with high-to-moderate confidence in the estimate.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative nausea (as distinct from vomiting)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the same network meta-analysis, no ginger regimen was statistically superior to placebo for postoperative nausea intensity, indicating the antiemetic effect is clearer for vomiting than for nausea.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ginger is one of the best-studied items in this batch and the aggregate evidence genuinely supports modest antiemetic benefit (pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, postoperative vomiting, acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting) and small reductions in osteoarthritis pain and disability. It does not support ginger as a glucose-lowering agent in type 2 diabetes, and its effect on nausea intensity as opposed to vomiting is inconsistent. Study quality is a real limitation: most contributing systematic reviews are low quality with heterogeneous preparations and doses, and gastrointestinal intolerance causes more withdrawals than placebo."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Drops Zen with Lime Oil","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/sweetfruit-drops-zen-with-lime-oil-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract","Green Tea extract","Lime essential oil"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)","green tea","lime (essential oil)"],"claims_vendor":["L-Theanine promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness.","Benefits the Lungs and immune system."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."},{"canonical":"green tea","research_target":"green tea","common_names":["Green tea","Lu Cha","Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze"],"tcm_category":"Heat-clearing (cool, bitter-sweet); not a classical tonic - also resolves Phlegm and food stagnation","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced total and LDL cholesterol","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs (n=1,415; 145-3,000 mg/day catechins, 3-24 weeks) found total cholesterol -5.46 mg/dL (95% CI -9.59 to -1.32) and LDL -5.30 mg/dL (95% CI -9.99 to -0.62), with no significant change in HDL or triglycerides.","sources":[{"title":"Green tea catechins decrease total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22027055/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on glycemic control in adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23426037/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure.","sources":[{"title":"Green tea catechins and blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK246911/","year":2014}]}],"overall_assessment":"Green tea has by far the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch: multiple meta-analyses of RCTs show real but small cardiometabolic effects (total and LDL cholesterol down roughly 5 mg/dL, fasting glucose down ~1.5 mg/dL, modest blood pressure reduction), while HbA1c, insulin resistance and CRP are unchanged. Lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality is supported only by prospective cohorts - no eligible RCTs exist - so that claim is associational. The main clinically important harm signal is well documented: concentrated green tea extract supplements, unlike brewed tea, can cause hepatocellular liver injury, and popular claims about weight loss or cancer prevention are far stronger than the trial data supporting them."},{"canonical":"lime (essential oil)","research_target":"lime","common_names":["Key lime, Mexican lime, sour lime","(not a classical Chinese tonic herb; Chinese 'suan gan'/lime fruit)","Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle (syn. Citrus aurantifolia)"],"tcm_category":"Not a classical TCM tonic category; a sour-cooling fruit used as a Fluid-generating / digestive and Heat-clearing food (folk use), sometimes included in formulations for its vitamin C rather than tonic action","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention/treatment of scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Citrus juices, historically including lime, are antiscorbutic because of their vitamin C content; the historical citrus trials and subsequent literature on scurvy establish this as the clearest clinical benefit of lime consumption. Lime juice is a weaker source than lemon and loses vitamin C on storage and heating.","sources":[{"title":"Scurvy: Past, present and future","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0953620510002189","year":2011},{"title":"Citrus aurantiifolia (lime) - CABI Compendium","url":"https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Small reduction in blood pressure (attributable to vitamin C, not lime specifically)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of RCTs of oral vitamin C supplementation (>=2 weeks) found modest reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but the trials used purified supplements at doses far above what lime juice provides, and the authors called for longer trials before recommending it. No trial tests lime juice itself for blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3325833/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer / antiproliferative activity of lime extracts","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of Citrus aurantifolia reports cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects in cancer cell lines (e.g. ~78% growth inhibition of SW-480 colon cancer cells at ~100 microg/mL over 48 h) with caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. These are in-vitro findings with no human clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Anticancer Activity of Key Lime, Citrus aurantifolia","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5214556/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"Lime is a nutritious food rather than a Chinese tonic herb, and its only firmly established clinical benefit is as a source of vitamin C (antiscorbutic). Claims of anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action come from in-vitro extract studies at concentrations unrelated to dietary intake, and the one meta-analysis of relevance tested purified vitamin C supplements, not lime. The best-documented human effect of lime handling is actually an adverse one - phytophotodermatitis."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Reduced total and LDL cholesterol","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 20 RCTs (n=1,415; 145-3,000 mg/day catechins, 3-24 weeks) found total cholesterol -5.46 mg/dL (95% CI -9.59 to -1.32) and LDL -5.30 mg/dL (95% CI -9.99 to -0.62), with no significant change in HDL or triglycerides."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Lower cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality with higher habitual tea intake","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A dose-response meta-analysis synthesizing 39 prospective cohort publications found inverse associations between tea intake and CVD and all-cause mortality; notably no RCT met eligibility criteria, so causality is unproven and confounding by lifestyle is likely."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"No meaningful change in C-reactive protein (inflammation)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs of green tea catechin supplementation found no noteworthy impact on plasma C-reactive protein, regardless of dose or study duration."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Lower fasting blood glucose, but no change in insulin, HbA1c or HOMA-IR","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 22 RCTs (1,584 adults) found fasting glucose fell by 1.48 mg/dL (95% CI -2.57 to -0.40) while fasting insulin (+0.04 uU/mL), HbA1c (-0.04%) and HOMA-IR (-0.05) were unchanged. The glucose effect is clinically trivial."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Modest reduction in blood pressure","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of 13 RCTs published 1995-2013 examined green tea consumption and blood pressure, reporting small significant reductions in systolic and diastolic pressure."},{"ingredient":"green tea","outcome":"Hepatocellular liver injury from concentrated green tea extract","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The USP systematic review analysed 20 RCTs plus 51 case-report articles covering 75 cases of liver injury linked to green tea extract; injury was predominantly hepatocellular and associated with concentrated catechin preparations, bolus dosing and fasting intake."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Drops Dang Gui Oil","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/sweetfruit-drops-dang-gui-oil-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract","Dang Gui essential oil"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)","dang gui (essential oil)"],"claims_vendor":["Sweetfruit extract possesses strong immune supporting capacity.","Dang Gui is especially beloved by women.","Dang Gui oil promotes healthy blood circulation and supports digestive, immunological and respiratory functions.","Dang Gui is well known as \u201cWomen\u2019s Ginseng.\u201d","Dang Gui is favored by women for its blood tonic and circulation enhancing actions.","Dang Gui has a traditional capacity to help regulate menstrual, menopausal and post-menopausal women\u2019s functions.","Dang Gui is considered to be an ultimate \u201cbalancing\u201d or \u201cregulating\u201d herb.","The oil in Dang Gui roots is considered to be a primary active constituent of this highly aromatic herb."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."},{"canonical":"dang gui (essential oil)","research_target":"dang gui","common_names":["Dong quai / Chinese angelica root","dang gui (\u5f53\u5f52)","Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also blood-mover / blood-regulating; harmonizes and invigorates blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index.","sources":[{"title":"Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/","year":1997}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568789/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with Western medicine for anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/13926/html","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"For its single best-tested Western indication - menopausal hot flashes - dong quai monotherapy failed in a placebo-controlled RCT, and the Astragalus-containing Dang Gui Buxue Tang beat placebo only for mild flushes, so the popular 'female tonic' claim is not well substantiated. The strongest positive human data are Chinese meta-analyses of multi-herb decoctions (anemia indices, pulmonary fibrosis symptoms) which are low-quality, small and cannot isolate Angelica sinensis itself. Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective claims rest largely on polysaccharide work in cells and animals, and the practically important safety signal (coumarin-related bleeding risk with anticoagulants, photosensitivity) is based on case reports rather than trials."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]}]},{"name":"Albizia Flower Shen Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/albizia-flower-shen-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Albizia flower","Magnolia coco (Cantonese Hard Albizia) flower"],"ingredients_canonical":["albizia","magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)"],"claims_vendor":["Made with 2 varieties of Albizia flower","Both Albizia flowers are profound Shen tonics","Use any time","Great natural taste","Immediate and long-term benefits","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction","The flower of *Albizia julibrissin* has been used for centuries in Asia as a superior Shen tonic.","A properly-prepared extract of the freshly harvested flowers lifts the spirit, calms the emotions, stabilizes mood and points our psyche in a positive direction.","This extremely useful Shen tonic can have miraculous benefits.","In southern China, the flower from the *Magnolia coco* tree has been used similarly.","This wonderfully aromatic flower has a powerful calming effect when one is overcome by anger, frustration, worry, fear, anxiety and other tough emotions.","By combining these two flowers and extracting them by advanced technology so as to assure the preservation of the aromatic oils and other components, we produce a Shen tonic that belongs in everyone\u2019s home elixir bar, and many people\u2019s bags and purses.","It\u2019s naturally delicious and easy to take."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"albizia","research_target":"albizia","common_names":["Mimosa tree bark / silk tree bark and flower ('happiness bark')","he huan pi (bark, \u5408\u6b22\u76ae) / he huan hua (flower, \u5408\u6b22\u82b1)","Albizia julibrissin Durazz."],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (calms the spirit / shen-calming and qi-and-blood moving herb; not a classical qi or yin tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anxiolytic effect (elevated plus-maze)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aqueous stem-bark extract at 100-200 mg/kg orally increased open-arm time and entries in male Sprague-Dawley rats without locomotor or myorelaxant effects, comparable to buspirone; the effect was abolished by the serotonergic antagonist pindolol, implicating 5-HT1A signalling.","sources":[{"title":"Anxiolytic-like effects of extracts from Albizzia julibrissin bark in the elevated plus-maze in rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15464830/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb.","sources":[{"title":"Molecular basis and mechanism of action of Albizia julibrissin in depression treatment and clinical application of its formulae","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10230641/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Cytotoxic / antitumor and antiangiogenic activity of julibroside saponins","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Julibrosides J1 and J9 isolated from stem bark inhibited KB carcinoma cells in vitro, and a 2025 pharmacological review reports julibroside J8 inhibiting angiogenesis by about 64% at 50 microgram/egg in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, exceeding ginsenoside Rg3 at twice the dose.","sources":[{"title":"Two diastereomeric saponins with cytotoxic activity from Albizia julibrissin","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10724532/","year":2000},{"title":"Pharmacological Spectrum of Substances Derived from Albizia julibrissin Durazz.","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12386540/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Albizia julibrissin is one of the weaker-evidenced herbs in this group from a clinical standpoint: its anxiolytic and antidepressant reputation rests on rodent behavioural models and a plausible serotonergic mechanism (SERT inhibition by lignan glycosides), with no identified placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb. Human-level data exist only for multi-herb formulas containing it, which cannot isolate its contribution. Chemistry is well characterized (julibroside triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, lignans) and shows cytotoxic, antiangiogenic and antimicrobial activity in vitro, but these are laboratory findings, and formal toxicology and drug-interaction data are effectively absent."},{"canonical":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","research_target":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","common_names":["Magnolia coco flower / 'Cantonese albizia flower' (a regional substitute for he huan hua)","ye he hua (\u591c\u5408\u82b1), also called he huan hua in southern China","Magnolia coco (Lour.) DC. (syn. Michelia coco; Flos Magnoliae Cocinis)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit)-calming herb by substitution \u2014 in southern China and in Western practice Magnoliae cocinis Flos (ye he hua) is commonly dispensed in place of Albiziae Flos (he huan hua), a Shen-calming/Liver-Qi-regulating herb; it is not listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia in its own right","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Calming the spirit / relieving irritability and insomnia (traditional indication, by substitution for Albizia flower)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No clinical or animal efficacy study of Magnolia coco flower for any health outcome was located. The available literature consists of taxonomy/authentication work and phytochemical isolation from leaves and stem, plus materia medica notes that the flower is used as a regional substitute for Albizia flower.","sources":[{"title":"Identification of Easily Confused Species of Chinese Materia Medica in Hong Kong: Flos Albiziae vs Flos Magnoliae Cocinis (Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office, HKSAR)","url":"https://www.cmro.gov.hk/files/gcmti/research/mmi/ech_search/006_FA_vs_FMC_en.pdf","year":2020},{"title":"Two new constituents from the leaves of Magnolia coco","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9722488/","year":1998}]},{"outcome":"Antimicrobial activity of stem essential oil","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Hydro-distilled essential oil from Magnolia coco stem was chemically characterised and showed in vitro antimicrobial activity; this is an in vitro finding on a different plant part from the medicinal flower and has no clinical relevance established.","sources":[{"title":"Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oil from the Stem of Magnolia coco (Lour.) DC. from Vietnam","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0972060X.2020.1829998","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Modern scientific evidence for Magnolia coco flower is essentially absent: there are no clinical trials, no animal efficacy studies and no toxicology, only phytochemical isolation work on leaves and stem and official authentication documents distinguishing it from Albizia flower. Its use as a 'Shen tonic' in the Western tonic-herb market is inherited from Albizia julibrissin flower (he huan hua), for which it is a southern-Chinese substitute, and even that herb's calming claims are traditional rather than trial-supported. Any marketing claim for this ingredient should be described as traditional use only, with the added caveat that the material is not in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and species substitution is common."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Anxiolytic effect (elevated plus-maze)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aqueous stem-bark extract at 100-200 mg/kg orally increased open-arm time and entries in male Sprague-Dawley rats without locomotor or myorelaxant effects, comparable to buspirone; the effect was abolished by the serotonergic antagonist pindolol, implicating 5-HT1A signalling."},{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Antidepressant effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb."},{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Insomnia, irritability and grief/emotional constraint in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Sedative, spirit-calming and blood-invigorating uses of he huan pi/hua are documented in Chinese materia medica and carried into modern reviews, but no placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb for sleep or mood was identified."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Antidepressant effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Antidepressant effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 mechanistic review reports that A. julibrissin extracts and isolated lignan glycosides (SAG, SBG) act as non-competitive serotonin-transporter inhibitors with weak dopamine/noradrenaline transporter activity in preclinical depression models; the only clinical-style comparison cited is a multi-herb formula (Jiawei Wendan Decoction) with efficacy similar to fluoxetine (76.7% vs 80.0%), not the isolated herb."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Cytotoxic / antitumor and antiangiogenic activity of julibroside saponins","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Julibrosides J1 and J9 isolated from stem bark inhibited KB carcinoma cells in vitro, and a 2025 pharmacological review reports julibroside J8 inhibiting angiogenesis by about 64% at 50 microgram/egg in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, exceeding ginsenoside Rg3 at twice the dose."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Antimicrobial and antiparasitic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic phytochemical/pharmacological review covering 2004-2024 reports MICs of 40-48 microgram/mL against four bacterial pathogens and 74.75% inhibition of Leishmania major promastigotes at 1000 microgram/mL for A. julibrissin extracts."},{"ingredient":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","outcome":"Calming the spirit / relieving irritability and insomnia (traditional indication, by substitution for Albizia flower)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No clinical or animal efficacy study of Magnolia coco flower for any health outcome was located. The available literature consists of taxonomy/authentication work and phytochemical isolation from leaves and stem, plus materia medica notes that the flower is used as a regional substitute for Albizia flower."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","outcome":"Antimicrobial activity of stem essential oil","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Hydro-distilled essential oil from Magnolia coco stem was chemically characterised and showed in vitro antimicrobial activity; this is an in vitro finding on a different plant part from the medicinal flower and has no clinical relevance established."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"albizia","outcome":"Insomnia, irritability and grief/emotional constraint in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Sedative, spirit-calming and blood-invigorating uses of he huan pi/hua are documented in Chinese materia medica and carried into modern reviews, but no placebo-controlled human trial of the single herb for sleep or mood was identified."},{"ingredient":"magnolia coco (cantonese hard albizia)","outcome":"Calming the spirit / relieving irritability and insomnia (traditional indication, by substitution for Albizia flower)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No clinical or animal efficacy study of Magnolia coco flower for any health outcome was located. The available literature consists of taxonomy/authentication work and phytochemical isolation from leaves and stem, plus materia medica notes that the flower is used as a regional substitute for Albizia flower."}]}]},{"name":"Shanghai Lady Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/shanghai-lady-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Deer Antler tips","Changbai Mountain Schizandra fruit","Desert Cistanche stem","Luo Han Guo fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["deer antler","schisandra","cistanche","monk fruit (luo han guo)"],"claims_vendor":["Ancient beauty tonic","Sex tonic for ladies","Made with Deer Antler tips and Schizandra berries","Powerful tonic herbs","Safe for long term use","Super potent hydro-ethanolic extraction"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"deer antler","research_target":"deer antler","common_names":["Deer antler velvet","Lu Rong","Cervus nippon / Cervus elaphus (cornu cervi pantotrichum)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (also classified as a Jing/essence and Blood tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests).","sources":[{"title":"A Randomized Clinical Trial of Elk Velvet Antler in Rheumatoid Arthritis (Biol Res Nurs)","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1099800407309505","year":2008},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing.","sources":[{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"no effect","summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of deer antler velvet extract or powder supplementation on aerobic power, erythropoiesis, and muscular strength and endurance characteristics","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14669926/","year":2003},{"title":"Health benefits of deer and elk velvet antler supplements: a systematic review of randomised controlled studies (N Z Med J 125(1367):80-86)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321886/","year":2012}]}],"overall_assessment":"Controlled human evidence for deer antler velvet is sparse and largely negative: a systematic review of seven RCTs found five showing no effect and two with unconvincing positive findings, and the largest trial (168 patients, rheumatoid arthritis) was fully null. Sports-performance claims are not supported. Traditional Yang/Jing-tonifying uses are documented in materia medica but have not been operationalised or tested clinically, so the ingredient's reputation currently rests on tradition and preclinical rationale rather than clinical outcome data."},{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"cistanche","research_target":"cistanche","common_names":["Desert cistanche / desert ginseng","Rou Cong Rong","Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma (also C. tubulosa)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang; also nourishes Jing/Essence and Blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of Cistanche tubulosa and Ginkgo biloba extracts on cognitive function","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38972848/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy.","sources":[{"title":"An Open-Label, Nonplacebo-Controlled Study on Cistanche tubulosa Glycoside Capsules (Memoregain) for Treating Moderate Alzheimer's Disease","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10852647/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma Supplementation on Muscle Strength and Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2965","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cistanche has a genuine, chemically well-characterized active fraction (echinacoside and acteoside) and preclinical support for neuroprotective, anti-fatigue and endocrine effects, plus reassuring rodent toxicology. Human evidence is thin: one 90-day RCT of a cistanche-Ginkgo combination showing small cognitive score gains, one uncontrolled 48-week Alzheimer's study, and one small 8-week exercise RCT - no independent replication and no trial of cistanche alone for the classical indications. The traditional claims most often marketed (kidney Yang/libido, anti-aging, senile constipation) remain essentially unsubstantiated by controlled human data."},{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"Kidney-Yang tonification, growth/'Jing' replenishment, longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Kidney Yang deficiency, essence depletion, bone development) have not been tested as endpoints in controlled human trials."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"athletic performance: aerobic power, strength and endurance","direction":"no effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Three sports-performance RCTs were included in the systematic review and did not demonstrate convincing ergogenic benefit; a controlled trial of deer antler velvet extract or powder in active men found no meaningful improvement in maximal aerobic power or trainability of strength and endurance versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"symptom relief in rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial of elk velvet antler in 168 patients with rheumatoid arthritis found no significant between-group differences on any outcome (arthritis impact scales, joint counts, VAS, blood tests)."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"osteoarthritis pain and function","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The systematic review of velvet antler RCTs identified one osteoarthritis trial among the two of seven trials reporting some positive effects, but the reviewers judged neither positive trial convincing."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Muscle strength, recovery and serum testosterone in resistance-trained adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial combining supervised resistance training with C. deserticola supplementation reported higher serum testosterone, lower oxidative stress and inflammatory markers (CRP, CK) and improved strength/recovery outcomes versus placebo. Single small trial, industry-relevant outcome set."},{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"sexual function","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"One RCT of velvet antler for sexual function was included in the systematic review of seven trials, five of which found no effect; the review concluded claims for velvet antler are not based on rigorous human trial evidence."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Improved cognitive test scores (MMSE, MoCA) in middle-aged and older adults at risk of neurodegeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 90-day double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of 100 Chinese participants, a Cistanche tubulosa + Ginkgo biloba tablet (72 mg echinacoside + 27 mg flavonol glycosides per daily pair) raised MMSE (26.5 to 27.1) and MoCA (23.4 to 25.3) scores and WHOQOL scores versus placebo (all p<0.001). The effect cannot be attributed to cistanche alone because the product is a combination."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Cognitive/functional change in Alzheimer's disease","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"An open-label, non-placebo-controlled 48-week study of Cistanche tubulosa glycoside capsules (Memoregain, 1800 mg/day) in moderate Alzheimer's disease tracked ADAS-cog, MMSE, ADL and behavioural scales. Without a control arm the results cannot separate drug effect from natural course or expectancy."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Relief of constipation (the main classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Bowel-moistening/laxative use for senile constipation is documented in materia medica and review literature, but no controlled human trial of cistanche for constipation was identified in this search."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cistanche","outcome":"Neuroprotection, anti-fatigue, endocrine and bone effects (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided 2024 Phytomedicine review of C. deserticola summarizes cell and animal work on phenylethanoid glycosides, including mitigation of exercise-induced testosterone decline and pituitary/gonadal signalling, plus neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. No quantitative human outcomes are pooled."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"deer antler","outcome":"Kidney-Yang tonification, growth/'Jing' replenishment, longevity","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Kidney Yang deficiency, essence depletion, bone development) have not been tested as endpoints in controlled human trials."}]}]},{"name":"Red Ginseng Changbai Mountain Drops, Organic","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/red-ginseng-changbai-mountain-drops-organic-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Organically Grown Changbai Mountain Red Ginseng root"],"ingredients_canonical":["asian ginseng (red-processed)"],"claims_vendor":["The King of Herbs","Potent ginsenoside profile","World class adaptogen","Asian Red Ginseng is a top-tier tonic herb famous for 3 millennia and around the world for promoting robust life force in those who consume it regularly."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","research_target":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","common_names":["Korean red ginseng / red Asian ginseng","Hong Shen (Ren Shen)","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (with Yang-warming emphasis after red processing)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng for erectile dysfunction (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33871063/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions.","sources":[{"title":"Ginseng supplementation and vascular function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12255128/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Red ginseng for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22139546/","year":2011}]}],"overall_assessment":"Red (steam-processed) Asian ginseng has the largest clinical evidence base of any Chinese tonic herb, and controlled trials most consistently support a small improvement in erectile function and modest effects on vascular measures and blood pressure - though the erectile-function effect sizes fall short of accepted clinical importance thresholds and certainty is rated low to moderate. For the classic tonic claims of energy, vitality and metabolic benefit the evidence is weaker: a red-ginseng-specific systematic review found no significant glycaemic benefit in type 2 diabetes. Safety in trials appears good, but the widely repeated warfarin interaction is supported mainly by case reports rather than controlled data, and red-ginseng-specific (as opposed to generic 'ginseng') trials remain few and small."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved erectile function (IIEF scores) in men with mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Cochrane review of 9 placebo-controlled trials in 587 men found ginseng improved IIEF-15 erectile-function domain scores (MD 3.52, 95% CI 1.79 to 5.25) and IIEF-5 scores (MD 2.39, 95% CI 0.89 to 3.88), but both effects were below the assumed minimal clinically important differences (4 and 5 points) and certainty was low to moderate with follow-up only to 12 weeks."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Tolerability / adverse-event burden in controlled trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the Cochrane erectile-dysfunction review adverse events were not significantly increased versus placebo (RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.69 to 3.03, 7 studies), and a systematic safety analysis of Panax ginseng RCTs concluded that adverse-event rates in trials were generally comparable to placebo."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Improved vascular function (flow-mediated dilation, arterial stiffness, nitric oxide)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 RCTs (774 participants, 0.21-6 g/day) evaluated flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index and nitric oxide; the authors report a lowering effect of ginseng on systolic blood pressure and effects on vascular measures, but the trial base is small, heterogeneous and dominated by short interventions."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review specific to red ginseng found only 4 RCTs; pooled placebo-controlled data (n=76, 12 weeks) showed no significant benefit for fasting plasma glucose (WMD -0.43 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.16 to 0.30, p=0.25) or fasting insulin (WMD -8.43 pmol/L, 95% CI -19.54 to 2.68, p=0.14), and no favourable effect on HbA1c versus no treatment."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng (red-processed)","outcome":"Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction with warfarin","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, open-label study of 25 ischaemic stroke patients (12 ginseng + warfarin, 13 warfarin alone, 2 weeks), peak INR/PT and INR and PT area-under-curve did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting co-administration did not alter warfarin's pharmacologic action in this small sample."}]}]},{"name":"American Beauty","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/american-beauty-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Longan","American Ginseng (10 parts Longan and 1 part American Ginseng)"],"ingredients_canonical":["longan","american ginseng"],"claims_vendor":["Promotes the secretion of body fluids, thereby keeping the skin moist and supple.","Provides nourishment to the skin.","Promotes deep refreshing beauty sleep.","Helps improve alertness and mental clarity during working hours.","Helps you relax and clear your mind at bedtime.","Quickly replenishes Heart Blood.","Longan is a major Blood tonic.","American Ginseng is a major Yin and Lung tonic.","American Ginseng balances out Longan\u2019s warmth, making this formula neutral and suitable for most people and during the hot months.","Longan is a Qi tonic for building up everyday energy.","Consumed regularly, Longan boosts temporary energy as well as long-term vitality.","Gives you energy while simultaneously relaxing you.","Promotes deep refreshing sleep.","Especially beneficial for people who suffer from insomnia as a result of Heart Blood deficiency.","The combination is adaptogenic.","Provides nourishment, moisture and beauty sleep.","Blood tonics such as Longan build healthy rich blood.","Helps restore sleep to normal.","Provides much more energy, especially from the afternoon to the evening.","Helps reduce afternoon sleepiness, even without a nap.","Helps support energy for shopping, cooking and helping children study.","Helps reduce heart tightening or aching when tired."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"longan","research_target":"longan","common_names":["Longan fruit / dragon eye fruit (dried aril)","long yan rou","Dimocarpus longan Lour."],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (Heart-Spleen Blood tonic, also calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data.","sources":[{"title":"A Novel Polysaccharide Isolated From Fresh Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Activates Macrophage via TLR2/4-Mediated PI3/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 Pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8724522/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural features and biological activities of longan fruit pulp (Longyan) polysaccharides: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9358249/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35.","sources":[{"title":"Longan syrup with lingzhi mushroom extract: Evaluation of safety and efficacy on immune and inflammatory modulation in healthy adults","url":"https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Longan's modern evidence base is almost entirely preclinical: purified pulp polysaccharides show reproducible immunomodulatory, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-tumour activity in cells and rodents, and mouse data touch on learning and memory, which loosely parallels the traditional 'nourish Blood, calm the spirit' indication. The only human study identified used a longan-lingzhi syrup and found no significant immune, inflammatory, hepatic or renal changes, plus a high glycaemic index. Traditional claims for insomnia, palpitations, anaemia and mental fatigue are therefore not substantiated by clinical trial evidence."},{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]}]},{"name":"Gynostemma Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/gynostemma-drops-multi.html","ingredients_raw":["Gynostemma leaf extract"],"ingredients_canonical":["gynostemma"],"claims_vendor":["A premier adaptogenic herb from Southern China","Superb Qi tonic and adaptogenic herb","Rich in gypenosides, saponins that support a balanced immune system","Supports adaptability under stressful circumstances and radical change","Supports healthy aging","Strong **anti-fatigue** effect albeit caffeine free","Supports healthy aging**(exhibits antioxidant activity)","Japanese studies have indicated that Gynostemma has a dual-direction regulating influence on the central nervous system. It is **calming** when one is overexcited and**invigorating** when one is fatigued.","Widely known for its **\u201cspirit-lifting\u201d effect**.","Support the body\u2019s systemic dual-direction **immune** response","Gynostemma accelerates the body\u2019s **metabolism** and helps maintain healthy**blood sugar** and**blood fat** levels within a normal range.","Gynostemma has developed an enormous reputation in Asia as a major aid in **weight management** programs. Gynostemma has been shown to have a double-direction activity with regard to weight. Gynostemma can be useful in reducing excessive body fat, when combined with a reasonable exercise program and a healthy diet that modulates caloric intake. Gynostemma may also help athletes, body builders or excessively slim people to gain weight.","Gynostemma tea is very **soothing** to the stomach. It protects the stomach lining. A safe alternative to green tea for people with sensitive stomachs.","Helps support **respiratory**,**hepatic**, and**cardiovascular** functions.","Although Gynostemma is not a laxative, it may help maintain healthy **bowel movements**."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"gynostemma","research_target":"gynostemma","common_names":["Jiaogulan / southern ginseng / five-leaf ginseng","jiao gu lan (\u7ede\u80a1\u84dd)","Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (adaptogenic qi tonic; also clears heat, transforms phlegm and detoxifies in folk use)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China.","sources":[{"title":"Gynostemma pentaphyllum for dyslipidemia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9459123/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 24 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients randomized to authenticated GP tea 6 g/day or placebo tea for 12 weeks, fasting plasma glucose fell 3.0 +/- 1.8 vs 0.6 +/- 2.2 mmol/L (p<0.01), HbA1c fell about 2 vs 0.2 percentage points (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR improved (p<0.05), with no hypoglycemia reported.","sources":[{"title":"Antidiabetic effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea in randomly assigned type 2 diabetic patients","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20213586/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of abdominal fat and body weight in obesity","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 obese Korean adults given 450 mg/day heat-processed GP extract (actiponin) showed significant reductions versus placebo in total abdominal fat area (p=0.044), body weight, body fat mass, percent body fat and BMI, with no clinically significant safety changes.","sources":[{"title":"Antiobesity effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract (actiponin): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23804546/","year":2014}]}],"overall_assessment":"Gynostemma has the strongest human evidence base of this batch: multiple small placebo-controlled RCTs support metabolic benefits (fasting glucose and HbA1c reduction in early type 2 diabetes, abdominal fat and weight reduction in obesity) and a 22-RCT review supports adjunctive lipid improvement, though that review rated certainty as very low and found GP alone weaker than statins or red yeast rice. Effects on anxiety and exercise performance come from single trials with partly non-significant secondary endpoints. Trials are small (24-100 participants), short (8-12 weeks), mostly conducted in Korea, China and Vietnam, and use non-standardized extracts, so the broad traditional 'adaptogen for longevity and immunity' claim remains unproven even where the metabolic signals look real."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduced fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 24 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients randomized to authenticated GP tea 6 g/day or placebo tea for 12 weeks, fasting plasma glucose fell 3.0 +/- 1.8 vs 0.6 +/- 2.2 mmol/L (p<0.01), HbA1c fell about 2 vs 0.2 percentage points (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR improved (p<0.05), with no hypoglycemia reported."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduced anxiety in adults with chronic psychological stress","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 72 healthy Korean adults with chronic stress given 200 mg GP leaf extract twice daily for 8 weeks, trait anxiety (Trait-STAI) improved 16.8% versus placebo (p=0.041), but state anxiety, HAM-A and BAI showed no significant between-group differences."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved exercise capacity / reduced fatigue","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 healthy Korean adults using gypenoside L-containing GP extract found higher VO2 max (p=0.007) and O2 pulse (p=0.047), lower free fatty acids (p=0.042), improved perceived exertion/temporal fatigue and higher blood eNOS (p=0.047)."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in dyslipidemia (as add-on to lipid-lowering drugs)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 22 RCTs (2,407 dyslipidemia participants) found G. pentaphyllum added to lipid-lowering agents improved triglycerides (MD -0.65 mmol/L), LDL-C (MD -0.57) and HDL-C (MD 0.15), but GP alone was inferior to statins, fenofibrate and red yeast rice, and overall certainty of evidence was very low with nearly all trials conducted in China."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduced fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 24 drug-naive type 2 diabetes patients randomized to authenticated GP tea 6 g/day or placebo tea for 12 weeks, fasting plasma glucose fell 3.0 +/- 1.8 vs 0.6 +/- 2.2 mmol/L (p<0.01), HbA1c fell about 2 vs 0.2 percentage points (p<0.001) and HOMA-IR improved (p<0.05), with no hypoglycemia reported."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduction of abdominal fat and body weight in obesity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 obese Korean adults given 450 mg/day heat-processed GP extract (actiponin) showed significant reductions versus placebo in total abdominal fat area (p=0.044), body weight, body fat mass, percent body fat and BMI, with no clinically significant safety changes."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Reduced anxiety in adults with chronic psychological stress","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 72 healthy Korean adults with chronic stress given 200 mg GP leaf extract twice daily for 8 weeks, trait anxiety (Trait-STAI) improved 16.8% versus placebo (p=0.041), but state anxiety, HAM-A and BAI showed no significant between-group differences."},{"ingredient":"gynostemma","outcome":"Improved exercise capacity / reduced fatigue","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 healthy Korean adults using gypenoside L-containing GP extract found higher VO2 max (p=0.007) and O2 pulse (p=0.047), lower free fatty acids (p=0.042), improved perceived exertion/temporal fatigue and higher blood eNOS (p=0.047)."}]}]},{"name":"Heaven Drops 2 oz.- PRIVATE RESERVE","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/heaven-drops-private-reserve.html","ingredients_raw":["Wild American Ginseng root (dried and fresh)","Wild Chinese Ginseng root (dried and fresh)"],"ingredients_canonical":["american ginseng","asian ginseng"],"claims_vendor":["supports glowing health, longevity, mental and sexual wellbeing, and physical vigor","used as a tonic in China, Korea and Japan for thousands of years","used as an adaptogen to increase resistance to physical, chemical (toxic) and biological stress","used to boost general vitality","used to improve mental power","used to slow down aging","used to prolong the years of one's life","taken orally as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and in the treatment of sexual dysfunction in men","believed to be rich in \"three treasures\" \u2013 *Jing*, *Qi* and *Shen","a tonic to all three treasures","referred to as the King of Herbs","used primarily as a tonic to invigorate weak bodies","used to boost mental power","used to promote spiritual potency","used to calm the nerves","used to increase the vitality of warriors, workers and athletes","used to enhance sexual power","used to help restore bodily balance (homeostasis) after periods of depletion due to overwork, stress, trauma or illness","considered to be the ultimate Qi tonic herb in the world","capable of quickly and profoundly restoring spent Qi in those who consume it"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."},{"canonical":"asian ginseng","research_target":"asian ginseng","common_names":["Asian ginseng / Korean red ginseng","Ren Shen","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (primary Qi/Yuan Qi tonic; also treated as a Shen-calming and Jing-supporting herb in some traditions)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Ginseng on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Phytother Res 38:6023-6034)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39474788/","year":2024},{"title":"Ginseng for cognition (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007769.pub2/full","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Asian ginseng is among the best-studied tonic herbs: meta-analytic evidence supports modest glucose-lowering effects and suggestive benefit for erectile dysfunction and fatigue, and safety in trials appears comparable to placebo. Cognitive benefits remain unresolved - a Cochrane review found no convincing effect while a later meta-analysis of small trials reported improvements, so the traditional claim of memory and 'Qi' enhancement is not firmly substantiated. Traditional claims of rescuing collapse, longevity, and broad organ-system restoration have no controlled clinical evidence base, and lipid/blood-pressure effects are inconsistent."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved erectile function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 7 randomized trials of Korean red ginseng in erectile dysfunction found suggestive evidence of benefit over placebo, but the authors judged methodological quality to be low on average and the evidence not conclusive."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"adverse-event burden versus placebo in trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 44 randomized trials (3,092 participants) of oral Panax ginseng monopreparations found adverse-event rates broadly comparable to placebo, with mainly mild events reported."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A combined clinical and preclinical systematic review found several RCTs reporting reduced subjective fatigue with Panax ginseng, alongside animal mechanistic data, but trials were small and heterogeneous in dose, population and fatigue instruments."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]}]},{"name":"Sweetfruit Collection Mini Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/mini-drops-sweet-collection.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) extract","L-Theanine","Lime essential oil","Cinnamon bark essential oil","Dang Gui essential oil","Ginger essential oil"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)","l-theanine","lime (essential oil)","cinnamon (essential oil)","dang gui (essential oil)","ginger (essential oil)"],"claims_vendor":["A low-calorie sweetening agent with tonic benefits.","1.5-2 ml (about 2-3 dropperful) of Sweetfruit equals the sweetness of 1 tsp of sugar.","Negligible effect on blood sugar level.","Luo Han Guo is traditionally used to sooth the throat and moisten the lungs.","Supports normal immune functions.","Safe for children and adults.","Luo Han Guo helps to moisten the Lungs and build immunity.","Promotes a Zen calm.","Perfect for taking the edge off coffee.","Delicious Shen tonic.","Promotes mental focus.","Promotes a Zen calm with a sweet citrus twist.","Supports healthy sugar balance and builds core Yang Qi.","Dang Gui is a blood tonic and skin tonic.","A woman's favorite.","Warming stomach tonic that enhances digestion."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."},{"canonical":"l-theanine","research_target":"l-theanine","common_names":["L-theanine (N-ethyl-L-glutamine)","Cha An Suan (theanine, from cha \u8336 = tea)","Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze - source plant"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (calming/spirit-settling) - an isolated tea constituent rather than a classical materia medica item; tea itself is used to clear heat and sharpen the mind","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improved attention / choice reaction time after a single dose","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 31 RCTs (n=1,168) found a single 200 mg dose taken 30-60 minutes before testing significantly improved choice reaction time (SMD 0.51, 95% CI 0.25-0.77).","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"reduced acute stress","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis found only a modest acute stress reduction (SMD 0.31) that was largely driven by studies at high risk of bias, so the anti-stress claim is weakly supported.","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"reduced depressive symptoms","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"After excluding one outlier, a single dose significantly reduced depressive symptoms in healthy individuals (SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.13-1.25) with low heterogeneity; anxiety effects were inconsistent and non-significant except in a single trial of psychotic anxiety (400 mg/day, 8 weeks).","sources":[{"title":"Cognitive and affective effects of L-Theanine: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (Mol Psychiatry)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42410082/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"L-theanine has the strongest modern trial base of any item in this batch: pooled RCT data support a real acute improvement in attention/choice reaction time at 200 mg, and reasonably consistent tolerability. Claims for stress and anxiety reduction are weaker than marketing implies - the acute stress effect is small and driven by high-risk-of-bias studies, anxiety effects are inconsistent, and fatigue shows no effect. Sleep benefit at 200-450 mg/day is plausible but the underlying 13-trial evidence base was too heterogeneous to pool, so it should be treated as promising rather than established."},{"canonical":"lime (essential oil)","research_target":"lime","common_names":["Key lime, Mexican lime, sour lime","(not a classical Chinese tonic herb; Chinese 'suan gan'/lime fruit)","Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle (syn. Citrus aurantifolia)"],"tcm_category":"Not a classical TCM tonic category; a sour-cooling fruit used as a Fluid-generating / digestive and Heat-clearing food (folk use), sometimes included in formulations for its vitamin C rather than tonic action","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention/treatment of scurvy (vitamin C deficiency)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Citrus juices, historically including lime, are antiscorbutic because of their vitamin C content; the historical citrus trials and subsequent literature on scurvy establish this as the clearest clinical benefit of lime consumption. Lime juice is a weaker source than lemon and loses vitamin C on storage and heating.","sources":[{"title":"Scurvy: Past, present and future","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0953620510002189","year":2011},{"title":"Citrus aurantiifolia (lime) - CABI Compendium","url":"https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/cabicompendium.13438","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Small reduction in blood pressure (attributable to vitamin C, not lime specifically)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of RCTs of oral vitamin C supplementation (>=2 weeks) found modest reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but the trials used purified supplements at doses far above what lime juice provides, and the authors called for longer trials before recommending it. No trial tests lime juice itself for blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of vitamin C supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3325833/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer / antiproliferative activity of lime extracts","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of Citrus aurantifolia reports cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing effects in cancer cell lines (e.g. ~78% growth inhibition of SW-480 colon cancer cells at ~100 microg/mL over 48 h) with caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. These are in-vitro findings with no human clinical evidence.","sources":[{"title":"Anticancer Activity of Key Lime, Citrus aurantifolia","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5214556/","year":2016}]}],"overall_assessment":"Lime is a nutritious food rather than a Chinese tonic herb, and its only firmly established clinical benefit is as a source of vitamin C (antiscorbutic). Claims of anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action come from in-vitro extract studies at concentrations unrelated to dietary intake, and the one meta-analysis of relevance tested purified vitamin C supplements, not lime. The best-documented human effect of lime handling is actually an adverse one - phytophotodermatitis."},{"canonical":"cinnamon (essential oil)","research_target":"cinnamon","common_names":["Cassia cinnamon / Chinese cinnamon bark","rou gui (bark); gui zhi (twig)","Cinnamomum cassia (syn. C. aromaticum); cf. C. verum (Ceylon)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (interior-warming); rou gui warms the kidneys and fortifies yang, gui zhi is a warm exterior-releasing/channel-opening herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The Cochrane review of 10 RCTs (577 participants, mean ~2 g/day for 4-16 weeks) found no reliable effect: fasting glucose MD -0.83 mmol/L (95% CI -1.67 to 0.02, P=0.06, I2=82%) which fell to -0.08 mmol/L (P=0.55) after excluding two studies of questionable quality, and HbA1c MD -0.06% (95% CI -0.29 to 0.18, P=0.63). A separate meta-analysis of 6 trials (435 patients, 1-6 g/day) reported small significant reductions (HbA1c -0.09%; FPG -0.84 mmol/L), so the literature is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6486047/","year":2012},{"title":"Cinnamon in glycaemic control: Systematic review and meta analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22579946/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Improved insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) across metabolic populations","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella meta-analysis of 11 meta-analyses of RCTs (type 2 diabetes, PCOS and metabolic syndrome populations, primary studies published 2008-2021) reported that four of the pooled analyses showed significant reductions in HOMA-IR with cinnamon supplementation, while individual glycaemic endpoints were less consistent.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An umbrella meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10268424/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK623885/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cinnamon is one of the most-studied herbs in this batch, yet the highest-quality synthesis - the Cochrane review - found no convincing effect on fasting glucose or HbA1c once low-quality trials were excluded, while other meta-analyses report small reductions; the most consistent signal across pooled analyses is improved HOMA-IR rather than hard glycaemic endpoints. It should therefore not be presented as a glucose-lowering therapy. The traditional TCM 'yang-warming' indications have no direct clinical trial evidence, and the best-documented clinical fact about cassia cinnamon is a real, if rare, coumarin-related hepatotoxicity risk at supplement-level doses."},{"canonical":"dang gui (essential oil)","research_target":"dang gui","common_names":["Dong quai / Chinese angelica root","dang gui (\u5f53\u5f52)","Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also blood-mover / blood-regulating; harmonizes and invigorates blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index.","sources":[{"title":"Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/","year":1997}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568789/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with Western medicine for anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/13926/html","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"For its single best-tested Western indication - menopausal hot flashes - dong quai monotherapy failed in a placebo-controlled RCT, and the Astragalus-containing Dang Gui Buxue Tang beat placebo only for mild flushes, so the popular 'female tonic' claim is not well substantiated. The strongest positive human data are Chinese meta-analyses of multi-herb decoctions (anemia indices, pulmonary fibrosis symptoms) which are low-quality, small and cannot isolate Angelica sinensis itself. Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective claims rest largely on polysaccharide work in cells and animals, and the practically important safety signal (coumarin-related bleeding risk with anticoagulants, photosensitivity) is based on case reports rather than trials."},{"canonical":"ginger (essential oil)","research_target":"ginger","common_names":["Ginger rhizome (fresh = sheng jiang; dried = gan jiang)","Sheng Jiang (\u751f\u59dc) / Gan Jiang (\u5e72\u59dc)","Zingiber officinale Roscoe"],"tcm_category":"Warm/acrid exterior-releasing and interior-warming herb (Yang-warming, not a classic tonic); harmonizing and antiemetic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella review of 24 systematic reviews (180 primary studies) of orally consumed ginger found nausea and vomiting of pregnancy among the outcomes most consistently improved, though many included reviews were of low or critically low AMSTAR-2 quality and 59% of meta-analysed outcomes had very low to low GRADE certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Orally consumed ginger and human health: an umbrella review of systematic reviews (Am J Clin Nutr)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170469/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative vomiting","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bayesian network meta-analysis of 18 publications (2,199 patients) found ginger oil ranked best for reducing postoperative vomiting versus placebo (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.96), with high-to-moderate confidence in the estimate.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative nausea (as distinct from vomiting)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the same network meta-analysis, no ginger regimen was statistically superior to placebo for postoperative nausea intensity, indicating the antiemetic effect is clearer for vomiting than for nausea.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ginger is one of the best-studied items in this batch and the aggregate evidence genuinely supports modest antiemetic benefit (pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, postoperative vomiting, acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting) and small reductions in osteoarthritis pain and disability. It does not support ginger as a glucose-lowering agent in type 2 diabetes, and its effect on nausea intensity as opposed to vomiting is inconsistent. Study quality is a real limitation: most contributing systematic reviews are low quality with heterogeneous preparations and doses, and gastrointestinal intolerance causes more withdrawals than placebo."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced depressive symptoms","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"After excluding one outlier, a single dose significantly reduced depressive symptoms in healthy individuals (SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.13-1.25) with low heterogeneity; anxiety effects were inconsistent and non-significant except in a single trial of psychotic anxiety (400 mg/day, 8 weeks)."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"cognition, mood and sleep in healthy adults (tea/theanine +/- caffeine)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on tea, L-theanine and L-theanine plus caffeine in healthy participants found small and inconsistent effects across cognition, sleep and mood domains."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced stress-related symptoms and improved executive function with 4-week dosing","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 30 healthy adults (mean age 48) taking 200 mg/day before sleep for 4 weeks reported improvements in stress-related symptoms (including sleep and cognitive measures) with 100% compliance and no significant adverse events."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"improved attention / choice reaction time after a single dose","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 31 RCTs (n=1,168) found a single 200 mg dose taken 30-60 minutes before testing significantly improved choice reaction time (SMD 0.51, 95% CI 0.25-0.77)."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"cognition, mood and sleep in healthy adults (tea/theanine +/- caffeine)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on tea, L-theanine and L-theanine plus caffeine in healthy participants found small and inconsistent effects across cognition, sleep and mood domains."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced stress-related symptoms and improved executive function with 4-week dosing","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 30 healthy adults (mean age 48) taking 200 mg/day before sleep for 4 weeks reported improvements in stress-related symptoms (including sleep and cognitive measures) with 100% compliance and no significant adverse events."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced acute stress","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis found only a modest acute stress reduction (SMD 0.31) that was largely driven by studies at high risk of bias, so the anti-stress claim is weakly supported."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced depressive symptoms","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"After excluding one outlier, a single dose significantly reduced depressive symptoms in healthy individuals (SMD 0.69, 95% CI 0.13-1.25) with low heterogeneity; anxiety effects were inconsistent and non-significant except in a single trial of psychotic anxiety (400 mg/day, 8 weeks)."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"no effect on fatigue","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of RCTs found no significant effect of L-theanine on fatigue outcomes."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"cognition, mood and sleep in healthy adults (tea/theanine +/- caffeine)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on tea, L-theanine and L-theanine plus caffeine in healthy participants found small and inconsistent effects across cognition, sleep and mood domains."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced stress-related symptoms and improved executive function with 4-week dosing","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 30 healthy adults (mean age 48) taking 200 mg/day before sleep for 4 weeks reported improvements in stress-related symptoms (including sleep and cognitive measures) with 100% compliance and no significant adverse events."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"cognition, mood and sleep in healthy adults (tea/theanine +/- caffeine)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs on tea, L-theanine and L-theanine plus caffeine in healthy participants found small and inconsistent effects across cognition, sleep and mood domains."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"improved sleep quality","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A 2026 systematic review of 13 human trials (11 RCTs, 550 participants, ages ~9-57) found signals that 200-450 mg/day supports sleep quality, but heterogeneity in designs and outcomes prevented meta-analysis and prevented firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"l-theanine","outcome":"reduced stress-related symptoms and improved executive function with 4-week dosing","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 30 healthy adults (mean age 48) taking 200 mg/day before sleep for 4 weeks reported improvements in stress-related symptoms (including sleep and cognitive measures) with 100% compliance and no significant adverse events."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]}]},{"name":"Licorice Soothing Formula Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/licorice-soothing-formula-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Chinese Licorice Root","White Peony Root"],"ingredients_canonical":["licorice","white peony"],"claims_vendor":["Relieves temporary pain of tissue or muscular contraction","Nourishes blood","Harmonizes and regulates functions of and between Liver and Spleen","Ideal for modern fast-paced, active, often physically demanding life","Releases tightness, tension, rigidity & any physical sense of being \u2018bound up\u2019","Helps relieve nervous tension","Helps relax stiffness throughout the body","Gentle blood cleansing and broad-spectrum antioxidant benefits","Balances female functions","Ultimate grade prepared Licorice root provides optimal safety & balance","Used with great success for thousands of years for any type of temporary cramping condition, tightness, or sense of being \u201cbound up\u201d anywhere in the body","Restores and replenishes Yin through harmonization of the Spleen","Nourishes the Blood and enhances its delivery to all the cells of the body","Nourishes all connective tissues and muscles","Brings rapid relaxation and relief of temporary pains or muscle contraction","Helps maintain the natural cleanliness of the Liver and Blood","Has profound and safe muscle relaxing and blood detoxifying capacity","Relaxes both smooth and striated muscle","Can be used as a tonic tea by those practicing yoga and other sports","Can be used as temporary relief by those experiencing transient muscle tension, spasmodic pain, muscle cramps, back tension, back spasms, menstrual cramps, abdominal cramps, hand and foot cramps, calf cramps and so on","Both Chinese Licorice root and White Peony root have innate muscle relaxing capacity","The amount of Licorice root in this formula is considered safe so long as it is consumed as directed","Famously used by the elderly for stiffness and pain, as well as by children","Can relax the bronchial and intestinal smooth muscles","Can be consumed as a very soothing herbal tea"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"licorice","research_target":"licorice","common_names":["licorice / liquorice root","gan cao (\u7518\u8349)","Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. / Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Radix Glycyrrhizae)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / harmonizing herb (tonifies Spleen and Heart Qi; the classical 'harmonizer' added to moderate other herbs)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP).","sources":[{"title":"The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201745","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843).","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Licorice Functional Components Intakes on Blood Pressure: a systematic review, meta-analysis and network toxicology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39519602/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed.","sources":[{"title":"A low dose of daily licorice intake affects renin, aldosterone, and home blood pressure in a randomized crossover trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246526/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Licorice has the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch, but much of it is evidence of harm: two independent meta-analyses and a recent crossover RCT show that glycyrrhizic acid reliably raises blood pressure and lowers potassium even at modest, food-level doses. On the benefit side, one good-quality 200-patient RCT supports a deglycyrrhizinated flavonoid extract for reflux symptoms, and earlier trials support functional dyspepsia, so gastrointestinal soothing is the best-substantiated therapeutic claim. The traditional framing as a gentle universal 'harmonizer' and Qi tonic is not supported by outcome data, and unqualified long-term use of glycyrrhizin-containing licorice is a genuine cardiovascular risk."},{"canonical":"white peony","research_target":"white peony","common_names":["White peony root","Bai Shao","Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also described as astringing Yin and 'softening' the Liver)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with methotrexate and leflunomide for active rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical safety of total glucosides of paeony adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality.","sources":[{"title":"Total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A methodological and reporting quality evaluation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32871476/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"White peony is one of the better-studied Chinese herbs, but essentially all clinical evidence concerns the standardized extract total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used as an add-on to conventional drugs in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in small trials almost exclusively conducted in mainland China. Pooled results are favorable and TGP appears to reduce methotrexate/leflunomide hepatotoxicity, but an overview of 11 meta-analyses rated all of them critically low in methodological quality with no high-quality GRADE outcomes, so effect sizes are uncertain. The traditional gynecological and antispasmodic uses of the whole root (menstrual regulation, cramping, night sweats) have no comparable controlled human evidence."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]}]},{"name":"Spirit Poria Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/poria-shen-fu-shen-pure-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Spirit Poria"],"ingredients_canonical":["spirit poria"],"claims_vendor":["Helps support a calm, centered, and balanced state of mind","Promotes stability and ease during times of stress or emotional fluctuation","Supports mental clarity while maintaining a relaxed, grounded state","Helps support healthy water metabolism and internal balance","A more refined form of Poria traditionally valued for deeper mind support","Gentle and suitable for consistent, long-term use","Supports Shen (mind and spirit)","Promotes a sense of calm, emotional balance, and mental clarity","Helps the mind remain steady and centered without heaviness or overstimulation","Supports fluid balance and overall internal harmony","Traditionally valued for its enhanced ability to support Shen (mind and spirit)","Used historically by Daoist practitioners","Suitable for daily use, especially for those seeking a more refined approach to calm and clarity"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"spirit poria","research_target":"spirit poria","common_names":["Poria spirit / poria with hostwood (sclerotium containing the pine root core)","Fu Shen (\u832f\u795e)","Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. (syn. Poria cocos, Wolfiporia extensa)"],"tcm_category":"Shen (spirit) tonic \u2014 spirit-calming herb (\u5b89\u795e\u836f) that also drains dampness; contrasted with plain Fu Ling, which is primarily a damp-draining Spleen herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved objective and subjective sleep quality","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An uncontrolled pre-post study in 21 adults with poor sleep found that 2 weeks of Poria cocos extract increased total sleep time by about 30 minutes (327 to 357 min, p=0.014), increased REM percentage (18.4% to 22.1%, p=0.005), reduced wake after sleep onset (76 to 48 min, p=0.009) and lowered the Insomnia Severity Index (13 to 10.6, p=0.012); PSQI change was borderline (p=0.052). No control group, so placebo effects cannot be excluded.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Poria cocos Extract on Sleep Quality Enhancement (clinical study with polysomnography)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574255/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Diuretic effect / dampness draining","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizes animal and in vitro evidence for diuretic activity consistent with the traditional damp-draining indication, but notes clinical trials remain lacking.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7533546/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Spirit poria (Fu Shen) is pharmacologically the same organism as Fu Ling - Wolfiporia cocos - and its chemistry (lanostane triterpenes including pachymic acid, plus beta-glucan polysaccharides) is well characterized. Human evidence is limited to a single small uncontrolled study of Poria cocos extract showing improved polysomnographic sleep measures over two weeks, which is suggestive but cannot separate drug effect from placebo or regression to the mean; all other activities (diuretic, immunomodulatory, anti-tumour) are preclinical. The specific traditional distinction that the pine-root-containing Fu Shen calms the spirit more strongly than plain Fu Ling has no modern experimental support at all."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Improved objective and subjective sleep quality","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"An uncontrolled pre-post study in 21 adults with poor sleep found that 2 weeks of Poria cocos extract increased total sleep time by about 30 minutes (327 to 357 min, p=0.014), increased REM percentage (18.4% to 22.1%, p=0.005), reduced wake after sleep onset (76 to 48 min, p=0.009) and lowered the Insomnia Severity Index (13 to 10.6, p=0.012); PSQI change was borderline (p=0.052). No control group, so placebo effects cannot be excluded."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Diuretic effect / dampness draining","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Frontiers in Pharmacology review summarizes animal and in vitro evidence for diuretic activity consistent with the traditional damp-draining indication, but notes clinical trials remain lacking."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anti-tumour, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Triterpenes and polysaccharides showed anti-tumour activity in sarcoma-180 mouse models and HepG2 cells plus immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, hepato-, renal- and neuroprotective effects in preclinical models."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"spirit poria","outcome":"Anxiolytic/spirit-calming effect specific to the pine-root-containing Fu Shen portion","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The distinction between Fu Shen and Fu Ling and the claim that Fu Shen better calms the Heart rest entirely on TCM materia medica tradition; no study comparing the two parts in humans or animals was located."}]}]},{"name":"Rehmannia Prepared Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/rehmannia-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Prepared Rehmannia"],"ingredients_canonical":["rehmannia (prepared)"],"claims_vendor":["Deep Vitality Support: Supports your body's core energy reserves (Yin Jing) for long-term vitality","Reproductive Vitality: Traditionally used to support foundational reproductive energy","Nourishment and Balance: Helps maintain overall nourishment and internal balance","Grounded Energy: Promotes a feeling of being more rested, centered, and replenished over time","When You Feel Run Down: Ideal during times of high demand, overexertion, or general fatigue","Sustained Energy: Supports steady, long-term vitality rather than quick bursts of energy","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"rehmannia (prepared)","research_target":"rehmannia (prepared)","common_names":["Prepared rehmannia root (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata)","Shu Di Huang","Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC. (Libosch.)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic / Yin and Jing tonic (after processing; raw sheng di huang instead clears heat and cools blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria in primary chronic glomerulonephritis (Rehmannia acteosides plus irbesartan)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized controlled trial of 479 patients, Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides (200 mg x2 twice daily) plus irbesartan reduced 24-hour proteinuria by 36.42% from baseline versus 27.97% with irbesartan alone (p=0.0278), with similar low adverse-drug-reaction rates (0.4% vs 1.2%, p=0.3724). Note the tested material was an acteoside extract of Rehmannia leaves, not the prepared root.","sources":[{"title":"Treatment of primary chronic glomerulonephritis with Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides in combination with irbesartan: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23519822/","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion and improved renal indices in early diabetic nephropathy (as Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - whose chief herb is prepared Rehmannia - added to Western medicine report significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion rate versus Western medicine alone (18 RCTs/~1,275 patients in 2016; 11 RCTs/1,007 patients in 2026); all trials were conducted in China, published in Chinese and of limited quality, and the effect cannot be attributed to Rehmannia alone.","sources":[{"title":"Liuwei Dihuang Pills Enhance the Effect of Western Medicine in Treating Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/","year":2016},{"title":"Impact of liuwei dihuang pills (decoction) on early diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Blood-glucose lowering (catalpol)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Catalpol, the signature iridoid of Rehmannia, reduced blood glucose in diabetic rats via AMPK-pathway activation and is described across reviews as a multifunctional antidiabetic iridoid; no controlled human data exist for isolated catalpol.","sources":[{"title":"Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Rehmannia glutinosa","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12110064/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Prepared Rehmannia is chemically well studied (catalpol, acteoside, processing chemistry) and it is the chief herb of a formula, Liuwei Dihuang Wan, that has been meta-analysed favourably for early diabetic nephropathy - but those meta-analyses pool low-quality Chinese-language trials and cannot isolate Rehmannia's contribution. The single large RCT often cited for 'Rehmannia' (479 patients, reduced proteinuria) actually tested an acteoside extract of Rehmannia leaves, not the prepared root, so it is only indirect support. Core traditional claims - nourishing blood and Yin, replenishing essence, treating anaemia, menopausal and reproductive complaints - remain supported by tradition plus animal/mechanistic work rather than controlled human trials."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion and improved renal indices in early diabetic nephropathy (as Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - whose chief herb is prepared Rehmannia - added to Western medicine report significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion rate versus Western medicine alone (18 RCTs/~1,275 patients in 2016; 11 RCTs/1,007 patients in 2026); all trials were conducted in China, published in Chinese and of limited quality, and the effect cannot be attributed to Rehmannia alone."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria in primary chronic glomerulonephritis (Rehmannia acteosides plus irbesartan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial of 479 patients, Rehmannia glutinosa acteosides (200 mg x2 twice daily) plus irbesartan reduced 24-hour proteinuria by 36.42% from baseline versus 27.97% with irbesartan alone (p=0.0278), with similar low adverse-drug-reaction rates (0.4% vs 1.2%, p=0.3724). Note the tested material was an acteoside extract of Rehmannia leaves, not the prepared root."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion and improved renal indices in early diabetic nephropathy (as Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - whose chief herb is prepared Rehmannia - added to Western medicine report significantly reduced urinary albumin excretion rate versus Western medicine alone (18 RCTs/~1,275 patients in 2016; 11 RCTs/1,007 patients in 2026); all trials were conducted in China, published in Chinese and of limited quality, and the effect cannot be attributed to Rehmannia alone."},{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Blood-glucose lowering (catalpol)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Catalpol, the signature iridoid of Rehmannia, reduced blood glucose in diabetic rats via AMPK-pathway activation and is described across reviews as a multifunctional antidiabetic iridoid; no controlled human data exist for isolated catalpol."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Improvement of ovarian hypofunction / reproductive endocrine effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Frontiers review maps potential mechanisms by which processed Rehmanniae Radix (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) acts on ovarian hypofunction, and links processing-induced compositional change to the traditional tonic property; the mechanistic evidence is animal and cell based."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Immune modulation, anti-inflammatory and haematological ('blood-nourishing') effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Network-pharmacology and pharmacological reviews attribute immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, blood-circulation and anti-anaemia activity to Rehmannia's iridoids and phenylethanoids, while noting that traditional use rests largely on empirical knowledge without clearly identified bioactive targets."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Immune modulation, anti-inflammatory and haematological ('blood-nourishing') effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Network-pharmacology and pharmacological reviews attribute immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, blood-circulation and anti-anaemia activity to Rehmannia's iridoids and phenylethanoids, while noting that traditional use rests largely on empirical knowledge without clearly identified bioactive targets."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rehmannia (prepared)","outcome":"Immune modulation, anti-inflammatory and haematological ('blood-nourishing') effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Network-pharmacology and pharmacological reviews attribute immune-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, blood-circulation and anti-anaemia activity to Rehmannia's iridoids and phenylethanoids, while noting that traditional use rests largely on empirical knowledge without clearly identified bioactive targets."}]}]},{"name":"Dendrobium Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/dendrobium-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Dendrobium"],"ingredients_canonical":["dendrobium"],"claims_vendor":["Replenishes Yin Jing","Generates and maintains fluids especially during exercise","Clears heat","Traditionally known for moistening the stomach and Lungs","Nourishes saliva, also known as Precious fluid","Helps maintain skin moisture"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"dendrobium","research_target":"dendrobium","common_names":["Dendrobium stem / noble orchid stem (tie pi shi hu)","shi hu","Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo (also D. nobile Lindl.)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Stomach and Kidney Yin tonic that generates fluids and clears deficiency Heat)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased salivary secretion in patients with deficient saliva production","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review reports a small clinical study in 16 female patients with deficient salivary secretion who were randomly assigned to Dendrobium officinale extract 0.5 g/5 mL three times daily for one week, with improvement in saliva output. This is the only human intervention identified, and it is very small and reported second-hand.","sources":[{"title":"Bioactivities and Mechanism of Actions of Dendrobium officinale: A Comprehensive Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9507758/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved glucose and lipid metabolism / reduced progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide alleviated type 2 diabetes in mice by restoring gut microbiota (Helicobacter -94.57%, Bifidobacterium +139.41%, Lactobacillus +88.95%) and repairing the intestinal barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB axis, and 200 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks prevented progression from prediabetes in high-fat/high-sugar-diet plus streptozotocin mice (n = 48). All findings are animal-based.","sources":[{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Alleviates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Restoring Gut Microbiota and Repairing Intestinal Barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB Axis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37526282/","year":2023},{"title":"Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharide Prevents Diabetes via the Regulation of Gut Microbiota in Prediabetic Mice","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10296996/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Gut microbiota modulation and intestinal barrier protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides concludes their prebiotic and antidiabetic potential is supported only by in vitro fermentation, cell and animal studies, and states explicitly that there are no registered or published human clinical trials of DOPs on gut microbiota or metabolic outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The therapeutic effects of dendrobium officinale polysaccharides on diabetes mellitus: from the perspective of gut microbiota","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12540139/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Dendrobium's traditional core use - generating fluids for dry mouth and Stomach Yin deficiency - has the only human support available, and that is a single week-long study in 16 women reported through a review, which is far too weak to be treated as established. Its most active research area, polysaccharide-mediated improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function, is coherent and dose-responsive but entirely preclinical; a 2025 review states outright that no human trials of these polysaccharides exist. Claims about diabetes, immunity, eye health and anti-ageing should be presented as animal-level evidence only."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Increased salivary secretion in patients with deficient saliva production","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A comprehensive review reports a small clinical study in 16 female patients with deficient salivary secretion who were randomly assigned to Dendrobium officinale extract 0.5 g/5 mL three times daily for one week, with improvement in saliva output. This is the only human intervention identified, and it is very small and reported second-hand."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Improved glucose and lipid metabolism / reduced progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide alleviated type 2 diabetes in mice by restoring gut microbiota (Helicobacter -94.57%, Bifidobacterium +139.41%, Lactobacillus +88.95%) and repairing the intestinal barrier via the LPS/TLR4/TRIF/NF-kB axis, and 200 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks prevented progression from prediabetes in high-fat/high-sugar-diet plus streptozotocin mice (n = 48). All findings are animal-based."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Gut microbiota modulation and intestinal barrier protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides concludes their prebiotic and antidiabetic potential is supported only by in vitro fermentation, cell and animal studies, and states explicitly that there are no registered or published human clinical trials of DOPs on gut microbiota or metabolic outcomes."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Reduced colonic inflammation in chronic colitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide relieved DSS-induced chronic colitis in C57BL/6J mice and shifted colonic microflora structure. Mouse model only."},{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Reduced colonic inflammation in chronic colitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide relieved DSS-induced chronic colitis in C57BL/6J mice and shifted colonic microflora structure. Mouse model only."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dendrobium","outcome":"Protection of gastric mucosal epithelium against oxidative injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides at 250 and 500 microgram/mL protected human gastric mucosal epithelial cells against hydrogen-peroxide-induced apoptosis, offering an in vitro rationale for the traditional 'benefits the Stomach' use."}]}]},{"name":"Achyranthes Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/achyranthes-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Achyranthes Root"],"ingredients_canonical":["achyranthes"],"claims_vendor":["Traditionally used to help guide formulas toward the lower body","Supports overall vitality as part of balanced tonic formulations","Contributes to foundational energy (Jing) when used in combination formulas","Helps support the effectiveness and direction of other tonic herbs","Traditionally associated with support for the Kidneys and lower body systems","A gentle, complementary herb often used to round out formulations","Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas","Traditionally used in yang tonic formulations for its supportive and directional properties","Used to help direct herbal activity toward the Kidneys and lower body","Contributes mild support to Jing, the body's foundational energy reserve","Helps enhance synergy and overall effectiveness as part of a balanced herbal formula"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"achyranthes","research_target":"achyranthes","common_names":["Achyranthes root / ox knee","Niu Xi (Huai Niu Xi)","Achyranthes bidentata Blume"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and dispels stasis) with secondary Liver/Kidney tonic and tendon/bone strengthening actions","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported.","sources":[{"title":"Achyranthes bidentata Blume (Amaranthaceae): a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology","url":"https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data.","sources":[{"title":"Isolation, Structures, and Bioactivities of Polysaccharides from Achyranthes bidentata: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40572489/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Analgesic / joint and low-back pain relief in humans (the main traditional indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Achyranthes bidentata as a single herb for joint or back pain was identified; reviews of the herb report no human clinical trials, so this use rests on materia medica tradition and multi-herb formula practice.","sources":[{"title":"Achyranthes bidentata Blume (Amaranthaceae): a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology","url":"https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Achyranthes bidentata is phytochemically rich (saponins, phytoecdysteroids, polysaccharides) and has a substantial preclinical literature for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, neuroprotection and immunomodulation, but the 2024 comprehensive review explicitly found no human clinical trials. Therefore every human-facing claim - joint and low-back pain, bone strengthening, menstrual regulation - is currently traditional-use or mechanistic only. The clearest reproducible finding is a safety one: estrogenic/antifertility activity supporting the traditional contraindication in pregnancy."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Analgesic / joint and low-back pain relief in humans (the main traditional indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Achyranthes bidentata as a single herb for joint or back pain was identified; reviews of the herb report no human clinical trials, so this use rests on materia medica tradition and multi-herb formula practice."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Analgesic / joint and low-back pain relief in humans (the main traditional indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Achyranthes bidentata as a single herb for joint or back pain was identified; reviews of the herb report no human clinical trials, so this use rests on materia medica tradition and multi-herb formula practice."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Anti-fertility / pregnancy-interceptory activity","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Root extracts showed estrogenic and pregnancy-interceptory (antifertility) activity in female albino rats, consistent with the herb's traditional use as an abortifacient. This is a safety signal rather than a therapeutic benefit."}]}]},{"name":"Dang Gui Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/dang-gui-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis)"],"ingredients_canonical":["dang gui"],"claims_vendor":["Blood tonic","Especially beloved by women","Promotes healthy blood circulation","Supports digestive functions","Supports immunological functions","Supports respiratory functions","Favored by women for its blood tonic and circulation enhancing actions","Traditional capacity to help regulate menstrual, menopausal and post-menopausal women's functions","Considered to be an ultimate \u201cbalancing\u201d or \u201cregulating\u201d herb"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"dang gui","research_target":"dang gui","common_names":["Dong quai / Chinese angelica root","dang gui (\u5f53\u5f52)","Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also blood-mover / blood-regulating; harmonizes and invigorates blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index.","sources":[{"title":"Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/","year":1997}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568789/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with Western medicine for anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/13926/html","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"For its single best-tested Western indication - menopausal hot flashes - dong quai monotherapy failed in a placebo-controlled RCT, and the Astragalus-containing Dang Gui Buxue Tang beat placebo only for mild flushes, so the popular 'female tonic' claim is not well substantiated. The strongest positive human data are Chinese meta-analyses of multi-herb decoctions (anemia indices, pulmonary fibrosis symptoms) which are low-quality, small and cannot isolate Angelica sinensis itself. Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective claims rest largely on polysaccharide work in cells and animals, and the practically important safety signal (coumarin-related bleeding risk with anticoagulants, photosensitivity) is based on case reports rather than trials."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]}]},{"name":"Chinese Licorice Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/chinese-licorice-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Chinese Licorice Root"],"ingredients_canonical":["licorice"],"claims_vendor":["Regulates the function of the Stomach","Invigorates the Spleen","Tonifies the Qi","Clears heat and the Lungs","Harmonizes and regulates the twelve (12) organs","Supports Qi (vital energy)","Helps to harmonize and balance herbal formulations","Traditionally used to enhance the effectiveness of other herbs","Promotes smooth, balanced activity within the body","Traditionally used to support digestion, energy, and overall vitality","Traditionally used to support throat comfort and respiratory balance, especially during times of overuse or environmental stress","Provides balance, support, and overall harmony"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"licorice","research_target":"licorice","common_names":["licorice / liquorice root","gan cao (\u7518\u8349)","Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. / Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Radix Glycyrrhizae)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / harmonizing herb (tonifies Spleen and Heart Qi; the classical 'harmonizer' added to moderate other herbs)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP).","sources":[{"title":"The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/jhh201745","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843).","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Licorice Functional Components Intakes on Blood Pressure: a systematic review, meta-analysis and network toxicology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39519602/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"negative/harm","summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed.","sources":[{"title":"A low dose of daily licorice intake affects renin, aldosterone, and home blood pressure in a randomized crossover trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38246526/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Licorice has the strongest human evidence base of any herb in this batch, but much of it is evidence of harm: two independent meta-analyses and a recent crossover RCT show that glycyrrhizic acid reliably raises blood pressure and lowers potassium even at modest, food-level doses. On the benefit side, one good-quality 200-patient RCT supports a deglycyrrhizinated flavonoid extract for reflux symptoms, and earlier trials support functional dyspepsia, so gastrointestinal soothing is the best-substantiated therapeutic claim. The traditional framing as a gentle universal 'harmonizer' and Qi tonic is not supported by outcome data, and unqualified long-term use of glycyrrhizin-containing licorice is a genuine cardiovascular risk."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":3,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Increased blood pressure and hypokalaemia (pseudohyperaldosteronism)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 trials (337 participants) ingesting >=100 mg/day glycyrrhizic acid found pooled increases of +5.45 mmHg systolic (95% CI 3.51-7.39) and +3.19 mmHg diastolic blood pressure, with plasma potassium falling 0.33 mmol/L and renin and aldosterone strongly suppressed; dose-response correlations were r2 = 0.55 (SBP) and 0.65 (DBP)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure rise is specific to glycyrrhizic acid, not to licorice flavonoids","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (541 participants) found glycyrrhizic-acid-dominant interventions raised SBP by 3.48 mmHg (95% CI 2.74-4.21) and DBP by 1.27 mmHg (0.76-1.78), while flavonoid-dominant licorice preparations had no significant effect on SBP (0.58 mmHg, p=0.511) or DBP (0.17 mmHg, p=0.843)."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Blood pressure elevation at doses as low as 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized 2x2 crossover trial in 28 healthy volunteers (NCT05661721) found 2 weeks of licorice containing 100 mg glycyrrhizic acid/day raised home systolic BP by 3.1 mmHg (95% CI 0.8-5.4; p=0.018) and suppressed renin by 30% and aldosterone by 45%, indicating licorice is more potent than previously assumed."},{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Improved gastro-oesophageal reflux symptoms and quality of life","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase III double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized 200 adults with reflux symptoms to a standardized Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (GutGard 75 mg twice daily) or placebo for 28 days; the extract group had significantly better GERD-HRQL scores at day 28 (p=0.014) with earlier resolution of heartburn and regurgitation."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"licorice","outcome":"Cardiovascular adverse events from chronic confectionery-level intake","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of licorice cardiovascular effects catalogued case reports of hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemic myopathy, arrhythmia and deaths after sustained licorice consumption, attributed to 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 and producing cortisol-mediated mineralocorticoid excess."}]}]},{"name":"Bupleurum Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/bupleurum-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Bupleurum"],"ingredients_canonical":["bupleurum"],"claims_vendor":["Flow and Balance Support: Helps support the smooth movement of Qi throughout the body","Liver System Support: Supports balance in the Liver and Gallbladder systems","Tension Relief Support: Traditionally used to support ease and relaxation in the body","Digestive Harmony: Helps support overall digestive balance and comfort","Clearing Support: Traditionally used to help maintain internal clarity and balance","Reset Herb: Often used at the beginning of herbal programs to support overall flow","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas.","Bupleurum is a widely used herb in traditional Chinese herbalism, valued for its ability to support the smooth flow of Qi (energy) and overall internal balance.","Helping the body maintain movement, flow, and balance, particularly in the Liver system","Traditionally used in formulas designed to support tension release, digestive harmony, and internal balance","Often included at the early stages of herbal programs to help establish a strong foundation for overall wellness","Convenient way to incorporate this time-honored herb into your routine for balance, flow, and a more harmonious internal state"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"bupleurum","research_target":"bupleurum","common_names":["Bupleurum root / thorowax root (Radix Bupleuri)","Chai Hu","Bupleurum chinense DC. / Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd."],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover / Qi-regulator category - specifically an exterior-releasing, Liver-Qi-spreading herb (not a tonic; it disperses stagnation and raises Yang Qi)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduction of depressive symptoms (Bupleurum-containing formula Xiao Yao San)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review of 26 RCTs (1,837 patients with depression) found Xiao Yao San alone or combined with antidepressants outperformed antidepressants alone on HAMD and related scales, but methodological quality was low to moderate (only 1 trial reported allocation concealment, 4 reported blinding, none reported sample-size calculation).","sources":[{"title":"Chinese Herbal Formula Xiao Yao San for Treatment of Depression: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3159992/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"reduction of anxiety symptoms (Xiao Yao San)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (809 patients, treatment 28-56 days, all conducted in China) found Xiao Yao San alone or added to anxiolytics improved anxiety outcomes versus anxiolytics alone, but the evidence base is geographically narrow and at risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Xiao Yao San as a Treatment for Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9007650/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"hepatoprotection in liver inflammation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins show anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity in hepatic stellate cell and rodent models, but the same reviews note that excess dosing causes liver damage, so the hepatic effect is dose-dependent and bidirectional.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the active saikosaponins and extracts isolated from Radix Bupleuri and their applications (Pharm Biol 55:620-635)","url":"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13880209.2016.1262433","year":2017},{"title":"Genus Bupleurum: a review of its phytochemistry, pharmacology and modes of action","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7197585/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Bupleurum's human evidence is almost entirely formula-level: meta-analyses of Xiao Yao San suggest benefit for depression and anxiety, but the trials are small, China-based, poorly blinded and cannot isolate Chai Hu's contribution. Single-herb pharmacology is well developed - saikosaponins have reproducible anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, hepatic and antitumour activity in preclinical models - yet none of this has been confirmed in controlled human trials. Importantly, the same literature documents dose-dependent hepatotoxicity, so Bupleurum is not a benign 'tonic' and prolonged high-dose use is not supported."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"reduction of depressive symptoms (Bupleurum-containing formula Xiao Yao San)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 26 RCTs (1,837 patients with depression) found Xiao Yao San alone or combined with antidepressants outperformed antidepressants alone on HAMD and related scales, but methodological quality was low to moderate (only 1 trial reported allocation concealment, 4 reported blinding, none reported sample-size calculation)."},{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"reduction of anxiety symptoms (Xiao Yao San)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (809 patients, treatment 28-56 days, all conducted in China) found Xiao Yao San alone or added to anxiolytics improved anxiety outcomes versus anxiolytics alone, but the evidence base is geographically narrow and at risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"dose-dependent hepatotoxicity","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Excess Radix Bupleuri dosing induces oxidative liver damage; a proteomic mouse study showed saikosaponin-induced hepatotoxicity via lipid-metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress, defining a therapeutic-window concern."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"hepatoprotection in liver inflammation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins show anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity in hepatic stellate cell and rodent models, but the same reviews note that excess dosing causes liver damage, so the hepatic effect is dose-dependent and bidirectional."},{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic pharmacological review of 128 papers documents antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating actions of Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins in cell and animal models, consistent with traditional fever-reducing use."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Saikosaponin D inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis/autophagy across multiple cancer cell lines and xenografts; reviewers judge it potentially effective but requiring far more research, with no clinical trials in humans."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic pharmacological review of 128 papers documents antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating actions of Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins in cell and animal models, consistent with traditional fever-reducing use."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic pharmacological review of 128 papers documents antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating actions of Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins in cell and animal models, consistent with traditional fever-reducing use."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"hepatoprotection in liver inflammation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Radix Bupleuri extracts and saikosaponins show anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity in hepatic stellate cell and rodent models, but the same reviews note that excess dosing causes liver damage, so the hepatic effect is dose-dependent and bidirectional."},{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"dose-dependent hepatotoxicity","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Excess Radix Bupleuri dosing induces oxidative liver damage; a proteomic mouse study showed saikosaponin-induced hepatotoxicity via lipid-metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress, defining a therapeutic-window concern."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"dose-dependent hepatotoxicity","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Excess Radix Bupleuri dosing induces oxidative liver damage; a proteomic mouse study showed saikosaponin-induced hepatotoxicity via lipid-metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress, defining a therapeutic-window concern."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"bupleurum","outcome":"dose-dependent hepatotoxicity","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Excess Radix Bupleuri dosing induces oxidative liver damage; a proteomic mouse study showed saikosaponin-induced hepatotoxicity via lipid-metabolism dysregulation and oxidative stress, defining a therapeutic-window concern."}]}]},{"name":"Alisma Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/alisma-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Alisma"],"ingredients_canonical":["alisma"],"claims_vendor":["Fluid Balance Support: Helps support healthy water metabolism and fluid movement","Light and Refreshing: Traditionally used to support the body during times of excess fluid retention","Kidney and Bladder Support: Supports balance in the body's fluid-regulating systems","Clearing and Balancing: Traditionally used to help maintain internal clarity and fluid harmony","Digestive System Support: Supports overall balance across the Spleen and digestive system","Gentle Daily Support: A mild, widely used herb suitable for inclusion in tonic programs","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"alisma","research_target":"alisma","common_names":["Water plantain rhizome (Rhizoma Alismatis)","Ze Xie","Alisma plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale (Sam.) Sam. / Alisma orientale"],"tcm_category":"Damp-draining diuretic (not a tonic; used within Yin-tonifying formulas to prevent stagnation)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Diuresis (increased urine volume and electrolyte excretion)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Ethanol and salt-processed Alisma extracts increased urine volume and urinary sodium, potassium and chloride in rats, but the effect was biphasic: lower ethanol-extract doses promoted diuresis while higher doses inhibited it. No human diuretic trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Targets of Alisol Triterpenoids from Alismatis Rhizoma","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/","year":2022},{"title":"Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and processing of Rhizoma alismatis: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Lipid lowering / anti-atherosclerotic effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The alisol review classifies lipid-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antidiabetic effects as its 'group 1' activities, i.e. supported by both robust in vitro and animal in vivo data - but not by clinical trials.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Properties and Molecular Targets of Alisol Triterpenoids from Alismatis Rhizoma","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9406200/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotection, blood-pressure and blood-glucose lowering","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 review of Rhizoma alismatis (185 studies, 1970-2024) reports diuretic, liver-protective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic and anticancer activities for extracts and isolated compounds, all derived from laboratory and animal models.","sources":[{"title":"Botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology and processing of Rhizoma alismatis: a review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12712712/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Alisma is a well-studied herb chemically - over 100 protostane triterpenoids, with alisols A and B as leads - and its traditional diuretic and dampness-draining use is supported by consistent rodent data, including for the salt-processed form. But there are essentially no human trials of Alisma alone: every clinical-grade result comes from multi-herb formulas such as Liuwei Dihuang Wan in low-quality Chinese RCTs. Lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic effects sit at the preclinical level only, anticancer claims are largely in vitro, and reviewers explicitly flag toxicology (including renal/hepatic findings in repeat-dose animal studies) as needing attention - so this is not an ingredient with an established human efficacy or safety margin."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of the six-herb Liuwei Dihuang formula containing Alisma report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal function versus Western medicine alone (11 RCTs, 1,007 patients), but the trials are low quality and the contribution of Alisma specifically cannot be separated."},{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Lipid lowering / anti-atherosclerotic effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The alisol review classifies lipid-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antidiabetic effects as its 'group 1' activities, i.e. supported by both robust in vitro and animal in vivo data - but not by clinical trials."},{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Hepatoprotection, blood-pressure and blood-glucose lowering","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 review of Rhizoma alismatis (185 studies, 1970-2024) reports diuretic, liver-protective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic and anticancer activities for extracts and isolated compounds, all derived from laboratory and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of the six-herb Liuwei Dihuang formula containing Alisma report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal function versus Western medicine alone (11 RCTs, 1,007 patients), but the trials are low quality and the contribution of Alisma specifically cannot be separated."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Diuresis (increased urine volume and electrolyte excretion)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and salt-processed Alisma extracts increased urine volume and urinary sodium, potassium and chloride in rats, but the effect was biphasic: lower ethanol-extract doses promoted diuresis while higher doses inhibited it. No human diuretic trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Hepatoprotection, blood-pressure and blood-glucose lowering","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 review of Rhizoma alismatis (185 studies, 1970-2024) reports diuretic, liver-protective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic and anticancer activities for extracts and isolated compounds, all derived from laboratory and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Lipid lowering / anti-atherosclerotic effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The alisol review classifies lipid-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antidiabetic effects as its 'group 1' activities, i.e. supported by both robust in vitro and animal in vivo data - but not by clinical trials."},{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Hepatoprotection, blood-pressure and blood-glucose lowering","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 review of Rhizoma alismatis (185 studies, 1970-2024) reports diuretic, liver-protective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic and anticancer activities for extracts and isolated compounds, all derived from laboratory and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Hepatoprotection, blood-pressure and blood-glucose lowering","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 review of Rhizoma alismatis (185 studies, 1970-2024) reports diuretic, liver-protective, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic and anticancer activities for extracts and isolated compounds, all derived from laboratory and animal models."},{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Anticancer / antiproliferative activity","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Alisol triterpenoids show antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects, but the review places these in 'group 2' - supported essentially or exclusively by in vitro data - because robust in vivo antitumour evidence is lacking."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Diuresis (increased urine volume and electrolyte excretion)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and salt-processed Alisma extracts increased urine volume and urinary sodium, potassium and chloride in rats, but the effect was biphasic: lower ethanol-extract doses promoted diuresis while higher doses inhibited it. No human diuretic trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"alisma","outcome":"Lipid lowering / anti-atherosclerotic effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The alisol review classifies lipid-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory, cell-protective and antidiabetic effects as its 'group 1' activities, i.e. supported by both robust in vitro and animal in vivo data - but not by clinical trials."}]}]},{"name":"Andrographis Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/andrographis-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Andrographis"],"ingredients_canonical":["andrographis"],"claims_vendor":["None stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"andrographis","research_target":"andrographis","common_names":["King of bitters, green chiretta, kalmegh","Chuan Xin Lian","Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees"],"tcm_category":"Not a tonic - Heat-clearing / toxin-resolving (clears Heat, resolves toxicity, cools Blood, dries Dampness)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced severity/duration of cough and sore throat in acute respiratory tract infection","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 33 RCTs (7,175 patients) found A. paniculata improved overall symptoms versus placebo (SMD -0.69, 95% CI -1.26 to -0.12), cough (SMD -0.39, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.10) and sore throat (SMD -1.13, 95% CI -1.37 to -0.89), and improved symptom response versus usual care (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.57). Trial quality and product standardisation were poor - only 3 trials quantified andrographolide by HPLC and only 1 reported GMP manufacture.","sources":[{"title":"Andrographis paniculata (Chuan Xin Lian) for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory tract infections in adults and children: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0181780","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection (single-herb trials)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Two 2004 systematic reviews of randomised trials of standardised A. paniculata extract (alone or with Eleutherococcus senticosus) concluded it may be more effective than placebo for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection, while calling for further research.","sources":[{"title":"Andrographis paniculata in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review of safety and efficacy","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15095142/","year":2004},{"title":"Andrographis paniculata in the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14748896/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Induction of clinical response/remission in mildly-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An 8-week multicentre double-blind trial randomised 224 adults to placebo or HMPL-004 (A. paniculata extract) 1,200 or 1,800 mg/day across 52 centres in 5 countries, reporting higher clinical response with the extract than placebo. A later phase III programme did not establish it as a therapy, so this remains a single positive trial rather than established efficacy.","sources":[{"title":"Andrographis paniculata Extract (HMPL-004) for Active Ulcerative Colitis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3538174/","year":2013}]}],"overall_assessment":"Andrographis has some of the better human evidence among Chinese herbs for a narrow indication: meta-analysed RCTs show modest but consistent symptomatic relief of cough and sore throat in acute respiratory tract infection, with a good safety profile aside from common mild GI effects and rash. Evidence for ulcerative colitis and progressive multiple sclerosis rests on single trials and is not established. Trial quality and product standardisation are the main weaknesses, and it is a heat-clearing herb, not a tonic - claims of general immune 'boosting' or long-term tonic use are not supported."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Reduced severity/duration of cough and sore throat in acute respiratory tract infection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 33 RCTs (7,175 patients) found A. paniculata improved overall symptoms versus placebo (SMD -0.69, 95% CI -1.26 to -0.12), cough (SMD -0.39, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.10) and sore throat (SMD -1.13, 95% CI -1.37 to -0.89), and improved symptom response versus usual care (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.57). Trial quality and product standardisation were poor - only 3 trials quantified andrographolide by HPLC and only 1 reported GMP manufacture."},{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection (single-herb trials)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Two 2004 systematic reviews of randomised trials of standardised A. paniculata extract (alone or with Eleutherococcus senticosus) concluded it may be more effective than placebo for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection, while calling for further research."},{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immunomodulatory mechanisms (NF-kB inhibition)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Andrographolide inhibits NF-kB signalling and inflammatory cytokine release and shows antiviral activity in vitro, which is the proposed basis for symptom relief in respiratory infection and interest during COVID-19; clinical confirmation for antiviral indications is lacking."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection (single-herb trials)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Two 2004 systematic reviews of randomised trials of standardised A. paniculata extract (alone or with Eleutherococcus senticosus) concluded it may be more effective than placebo for symptomatic relief of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection, while calling for further research."},{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immunomodulatory mechanisms (NF-kB inhibition)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Andrographolide inhibits NF-kB signalling and inflammatory cytokine release and shows antiviral activity in vitro, which is the proposed basis for symptom relief in respiratory infection and interest during COVID-19; clinical confirmation for antiviral indications is lacking."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Induction of clinical response/remission in mildly-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week multicentre double-blind trial randomised 224 adults to placebo or HMPL-004 (A. paniculata extract) 1,200 or 1,800 mg/day across 52 centres in 5 countries, reporting higher clinical response with the extract than placebo. A later phase III programme did not establish it as a therapy, so this remains a single positive trial rather than established efficacy."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Induction of clinical response/remission in mildly-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week multicentre double-blind trial randomised 224 adults to placebo or HMPL-004 (A. paniculata extract) 1,200 or 1,800 mg/day across 52 centres in 5 countries, reporting higher clinical response with the extract than placebo. A later phase III programme did not establish it as a therapy, so this remains a single positive trial rather than established efficacy."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Slowed brain-volume loss in non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (andrographolide)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An exploratory double-blind RCT (44 patients, 140 mg andrographolide twice daily for 24 months) found annualised brain-volume change of -0.679% versus -1.069% with placebo (mean difference -0.39, 95% CI -0.836 to 0.055, p = 0.08) - a 36.5% relative reduction that did not reach statistical significance."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"andrographis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antiviral and immunomodulatory mechanisms (NF-kB inhibition)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Andrographolide inhibits NF-kB signalling and inflammatory cytokine release and shows antiviral activity in vitro, which is the proposed basis for symptom relief in respiratory infection and interest during COVID-19; clinical confirmation for antiviral indications is lacking."}]}]},{"name":"Asparagus Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/asparagus-root-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Asparagus"],"ingredients_canonical":["chinese asparagus (tian men dong)"],"claims_vendor":["Also known as Chinese Asparagus root or Tian Men Dong","Perfect as a restorative daily tea to relax, replenish, and refresh both body and spirit","Supports the Kidney and Lung systems","Nourishes Yin Jing (essence) to support vitality","Generates fluids and moistens the Lungs for comfort and clarity","Clears heat and cools the body naturally"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","research_target":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","common_names":["Chinese asparagus root / shiny asparagus tuber","Tian Men Dong (\u5929\u95e8\u51ac)","Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (Lung and Kidney Yin), moistening/heat-clearing","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.","sources":[{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Tian Men Dong (Asparagus tuber) \u2014 TCM Herb monograph (Me & Qi)","url":"https://www.meandqi.com/knowledge-base/herbs/tian-men-dong","year":2025},{"title":"Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications (Front Pharmacol)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9748433/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Tian men dong has a well-documented 2,000-year TCM record as a Lung/Kidney Yin tonic for dry cough, thirst and constipation and a well-characterized chemistry dominated by steroidal saponins and fructans. Modern evidence, however, is essentially all preclinical: anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atopic and cytotoxic effects in rodent and cell models, with no randomized human trials located. Claims of clinical benefit in humans are therefore unsubstantiated, and safety in humans has not been formally evaluated."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Reduced airway inflammation and asthma-like remodeling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovalbumin-sensitized mice, water extracts and total saponins at 250-500 mg/kg reduced immune-cell infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, bronchial wall thickness, mucus score and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) and COX-2. All data are animal/cell based; no human asthma trials were identified."},{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Antitussive/expectorant and moistening actions claimed traditionally for dry cough","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core TCM indication (Lung-Yin-deficiency dry cough) is documented in classical and modern materia medica sources and pharmacopoeia listings, but no controlled human trials of A. cochinchinensis for cough were identified in this session."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / anti-atopic-dermatitis effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts (200-400 mg/kg) reduced ear-skin thickening, IgE, epidermal thickness and mast-cell infiltration in mice, and inhibited NO/COX-2/ROS in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"chinese asparagus (tian men dong)","outcome":"Cytotoxicity against tumour cell lines","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Isolated furostanol/steroidal saponins such as methyl protodioscin show in vitro cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activity, which the review presents as a rationale for further study rather than clinical evidence."}]}]},{"name":"Red Atractylodes Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/atractylodes-red-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Red Atractylodes"],"ingredients_canonical":["red atractylodes"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims are stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"red atractylodes","research_target":"red atractylodes","common_names":["Red atractylodes rhizome / black atractylodes","Cang Zhu","Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC."],"tcm_category":"Damp-drying / aromatic transforming herb rather than a true tonic; supports Spleen function indirectly (often grouped with Qi-supporting digestives)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"safety and pharmacokinetics of standardised extract in humans","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An open, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I trial gave healthy volunteers a single 1,000 mg dose or 1,000 mg daily for 21 days (20:4 allocation per group) and reported a satisfactory safety profile with characterised atractylodin pharmacokinetics.","sources":[{"title":"Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of capsule formulation of the standardized extract of Atractylodes lancea (J Tradit Complement Med 11:343-355)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8240349/","year":2021},{"title":"Atractylodes lancea for cholangiocarcinoma (PLOS ONE)","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277614","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"anticancer activity in cholangiocarcinoma (advanced intrahepatic)","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A Phase 2A trial in advanced-stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma administered low- and high-dose standardised A. lancea capsules and reported effects on tumour-associated gene expression, immune response and circulating tumour cells; these are early-phase, non-comparative signals rather than proof of survival benefit.","sources":[{"title":"Targeting tumor-associated genes, immune response, and circulating tumor cells in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Therapeutic potential of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC - Phase 2A trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40359186/","year":2025},{"title":"Atractylodes lancea for cholangiocarcinoma (PLOS ONE)","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277614","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation in healthy volunteers","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A modelling analysis combining PBPK simulation of atractylodin with immunomodulatory data from earlier clinical studies concluded that once-daily 1,500-2,000 mg regimens are promising for Phase 2A trials with lower predicted toxicity than four-times-daily regimens.","sources":[{"title":"Immunomodulatory Effects of Atractylodes lancea in Healthy Volunteers with Dosage Prediction for Cholangiocarcinoma Therapy (Pharmaceuticals 18:198)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11860138/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cang Zhu is unusual among tonic-market herbs in having formal early-phase clinical development: a Phase I trial established safety and atractylodin pharmacokinetics, and a Phase 2A programme in advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has reported biomarker and immune signals. That work is early, non-comparative and disease-specific, so it does not validate general supplement use. Its traditional damp-drying, digestive and joint indications are supported only by animal pharmacology and classical texts, and no RCT has tested Cang Zhu for any everyday wellness outcome."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"safety and pharmacokinetics of standardised extract in humans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An open, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase I trial gave healthy volunteers a single 1,000 mg dose or 1,000 mg daily for 21 days (20:4 allocation per group) and reported a satisfactory safety profile with characterised atractylodin pharmacokinetics."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"anticancer activity in cholangiocarcinoma (advanced intrahepatic)","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A Phase 2A trial in advanced-stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma administered low- and high-dose standardised A. lancea capsules and reported effects on tumour-associated gene expression, immune response and circulating tumour cells; these are early-phase, non-comparative signals rather than proof of survival benefit."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"immunomodulation in healthy volunteers","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A modelling analysis combining PBPK simulation of atractylodin with immunomodulatory data from earlier clinical studies concluded that once-daily 1,500-2,000 mg regimens are promising for Phase 2A trials with lower predicted toxicity than four-times-daily regimens."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour and anti-inflammatory mechanisms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic review of Atractylodes species reports multi-target anticancer effects of extracts and constituents in cell and animal models, and pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu document anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and gastrointestinal-motility effects."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"gastroprotective / digestive (traditional stomachic) effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Chinese pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu describe gastric-protective, anti-ulcer and motility-regulating actions of its essential oil and sesquiterpenes in animal models, aligning with its traditional stomachic use; no controlled human digestive trials were identified."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"anticancer activity in cholangiocarcinoma (advanced intrahepatic)","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A Phase 2A trial in advanced-stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma administered low- and high-dose standardised A. lancea capsules and reported effects on tumour-associated gene expression, immune response and circulating tumour cells; these are early-phase, non-comparative signals rather than proof of survival benefit."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"immunomodulation in healthy volunteers","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A modelling analysis combining PBPK simulation of atractylodin with immunomodulatory data from earlier clinical studies concluded that once-daily 1,500-2,000 mg regimens are promising for Phase 2A trials with lower predicted toxicity than four-times-daily regimens."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"Wind-Damp joint pain, exterior-releasing sweating","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The classical indications for damp painful obstruction and Damp-Cold exterior syndromes have not been tested as endpoints in clinical trials."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"anticancer activity in cholangiocarcinoma (advanced intrahepatic)","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A Phase 2A trial in advanced-stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma administered low- and high-dose standardised A. lancea capsules and reported effects on tumour-associated gene expression, immune response and circulating tumour cells; these are early-phase, non-comparative signals rather than proof of survival benefit."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour and anti-inflammatory mechanisms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic review of Atractylodes species reports multi-target anticancer effects of extracts and constituents in cell and animal models, and pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu document anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and gastrointestinal-motility effects."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour and anti-inflammatory mechanisms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic review of Atractylodes species reports multi-target anticancer effects of extracts and constituents in cell and animal models, and pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu document anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and gastrointestinal-motility effects."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"gastroprotective / digestive (traditional stomachic) effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Chinese pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu describe gastric-protective, anti-ulcer and motility-regulating actions of its essential oil and sesquiterpenes in animal models, aligning with its traditional stomachic use; no controlled human digestive trials were identified."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour and anti-inflammatory mechanisms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Systematic review of Atractylodes species reports multi-target anticancer effects of extracts and constituents in cell and animal models, and pharmacology reviews of Cangzhu document anti-inflammatory, gastroprotective and gastrointestinal-motility effects."},{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"Wind-Damp joint pain, exterior-releasing sweating","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The classical indications for damp painful obstruction and Damp-Cold exterior syndromes have not been tested as endpoints in clinical trials."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"red atractylodes","outcome":"Wind-Damp joint pain, exterior-releasing sweating","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The classical indications for damp painful obstruction and Damp-Cold exterior syndromes have not been tested as endpoints in clinical trials."}]}]},{"name":"White Atractylodes Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/atractylodes-white-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["White Atractylodes"],"ingredients_canonical":["white atractylodes"],"claims_vendor":["Digestive Strength: Supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption","Qi and Energy Support: Helps maintain steady energy and overall vitality","Metabolic Efficiency: Supports the body's ability to process and utilize nutrients","Performance and Endurance: Supports stamina and sustained physical performance","Fluid Balance Support: Helps maintain healthy moisture balance in the body","Appetite Balance: Supports a healthy, balanced appetite","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas.","Traditionally used to support digestion, energy, and overall vitality","Especially known for supporting the Spleen system, which plays a central role in nutrient absorption and energy production","Supports steady energy and long-term vitality","Supports physical stamina and endurance","Traditionally used to support fluid balance and overall internal harmony"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"white atractylodes","research_target":"white atractylodes","common_names":["White atractylodes rhizome","Bai Zhu","Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (Spleen Qi tonic that also dries Dampness)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"global symptom relief in functional dyspepsia (as a component of multi-herb formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A Bayesian network meta-analysis of 28 prokinetic-controlled RCTs (2,736 adults, 26 Chinese herbal formulae, many containing Bai Zhu) found herbal formulae generally at least comparable to prokinetics for global dyspepsia symptoms, though no trial was at low risk of bias; a separate meta-analysis reached similar conclusions for Chinese herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Benefit cannot be attributed to Bai Zhu alone.","sources":[{"title":"Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: a network meta-analysis of prokinetic-controlled randomised trials (Chin Med)","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13020-021-00556-6","year":2021},{"title":"Chinese herbal medicine for functional dyspepsia: systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6048609/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"gastrointestinal motility regulation and gut-barrier protection","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews document that Bai Zhu extracts and atractylenolides modulate gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota in rodent and cell models, providing the mechanistic rationale for its digestive use.","sources":[{"title":"A Review of the Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Application, Quality Control, Processing, Toxicology, and Pharmacokinetics of the Dried Rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34803677/","year":2021},{"title":"Polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala: A Review of Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights into Intestinal Disorders (Nutrients 17:3722)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41374013/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides show immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory effects (macrophage/cytokine modulation, colitis models) in preclinical studies; corresponding human trials of the single herb were not identified.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharides from Atractylodes macrocephala: A Review of Mechanistic and Therapeutic Insights into Intestinal Disorders (Nutrients 17:3722)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41374013/","year":2025},{"title":"The traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (J Ethnopharmacol)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30130541/","year":2018}]}],"overall_assessment":"Bai Zhu is pharmacologically well characterised (atractylenolides, polysaccharides) with consistent preclinical support for gastrointestinal motility, gut-barrier and immunomodulatory effects that align with its traditional Spleen-Qi/Dampness indications. Clinical evidence, however, is indirect: meta-analyses showing benefit in functional dyspepsia tested multi-herb formulas in which Bai Zhu is one ingredient, and all included trials had risk-of-bias concerns. There are no adequate single-herb RCTs, and claims about anticancer, anti-osteoporosis or pregnancy-supporting effects remain preclinical or purely traditional."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"global symptom relief in functional dyspepsia (as a component of multi-herb formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Bayesian network meta-analysis of 28 prokinetic-controlled RCTs (2,736 adults, 26 Chinese herbal formulae, many containing Bai Zhu) found herbal formulae generally at least comparable to prokinetics for global dyspepsia symptoms, though no trial was at low risk of bias; a separate meta-analysis reached similar conclusions for Chinese herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Benefit cannot be attributed to Bai Zhu alone."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"gastrointestinal motility regulation and gut-barrier protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews document that Bai Zhu extracts and atractylenolides modulate gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota in rodent and cell models, providing the mechanistic rationale for its digestive use."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides show immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory effects (macrophage/cytokine modulation, colitis models) in preclinical studies; corresponding human trials of the single herb were not identified."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"global symptom relief in functional dyspepsia (as a component of multi-herb formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A Bayesian network meta-analysis of 28 prokinetic-controlled RCTs (2,736 adults, 26 Chinese herbal formulae, many containing Bai Zhu) found herbal formulae generally at least comparable to prokinetics for global dyspepsia symptoms, though no trial was at low risk of bias; a separate meta-analysis reached similar conclusions for Chinese herbal medicine in functional dyspepsia. Benefit cannot be attributed to Bai Zhu alone."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"gastrointestinal motility regulation and gut-barrier protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews document that Bai Zhu extracts and atractylenolides modulate gastrointestinal motility, intestinal barrier integrity and microbiota in rodent and cell models, providing the mechanistic rationale for its digestive use."},{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour, anti-osteoporosis, diuretic and hepatoprotective effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Comprehensive reviews list anticancer, anti-osteoporotic, diuretic and liver-protective activities (including protection against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats) from in vitro and animal work, with no controlled clinical confirmation."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides show immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory effects (macrophage/cytokine modulation, colitis models) in preclinical studies; corresponding human trials of the single herb were not identified."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides show immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory effects (macrophage/cytokine modulation, colitis models) in preclinical studies; corresponding human trials of the single herb were not identified."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour, anti-osteoporosis, diuretic and hepatoprotective effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Comprehensive reviews list anticancer, anti-osteoporotic, diuretic and liver-protective activities (including protection against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats) from in vitro and animal work, with no controlled clinical confirmation."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"antitumour, anti-osteoporosis, diuretic and hepatoprotective effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Comprehensive reviews list anticancer, anti-osteoporotic, diuretic and liver-protective activities (including protection against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats) from in vitro and animal work, with no controlled clinical confirmation."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white atractylodes","outcome":"use in pregnancy to 'calm the fetus'","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Reviews record the classical indication of quieting fetal irritability and reducing minimal vaginal bleeding in pregnancy, but this rests on ethnopharmacological documentation rather than controlled human trial data."}]}]},{"name":"Cinnamon Bark Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/cinnamon-bark-vietnamese-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Cinnamon Bark"],"ingredients_canonical":["cinnamon"],"claims_vendor":["Deep Warming Support:** Helps support warmth and internal balance throughout the body","Circulation Support:** Supports healthy blood flow and the smooth movement of Qi","Yang Energy Support:** Helps support vitality, strength, and foundational energy","Cold Sensitivity Support:** Ideal for those who tend to feel cold or low in warmth","Tension Release Support:** Helps promote ease and relaxation, especially in the upper body","Radiant Vitality:** Traditionally used to support a warm, vibrant, and energized state","Designed For Easy Compounding:** Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cinnamon","research_target":"cinnamon","common_names":["Cassia cinnamon / Chinese cinnamon bark","rou gui (bark); gui zhi (twig)","Cinnamomum cassia (syn. C. aromaticum); cf. C. verum (Ceylon)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (interior-warming); rou gui warms the kidneys and fortifies yang, gui zhi is a warm exterior-releasing/channel-opening herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The Cochrane review of 10 RCTs (577 participants, mean ~2 g/day for 4-16 weeks) found no reliable effect: fasting glucose MD -0.83 mmol/L (95% CI -1.67 to 0.02, P=0.06, I2=82%) which fell to -0.08 mmol/L (P=0.55) after excluding two studies of questionable quality, and HbA1c MD -0.06% (95% CI -0.29 to 0.18, P=0.63). A separate meta-analysis of 6 trials (435 patients, 1-6 g/day) reported small significant reductions (HbA1c -0.09%; FPG -0.84 mmol/L), so the literature is contradictory.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon for diabetes mellitus (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6486047/","year":2012},{"title":"Cinnamon in glycaemic control: Systematic review and meta analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22579946/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Improved insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) across metabolic populations","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella meta-analysis of 11 meta-analyses of RCTs (type 2 diabetes, PCOS and metabolic syndrome populations, primary studies published 2008-2021) reported that four of the pooled analyses showed significant reductions in HOMA-IR with cinnamon supplementation, while individual glycaemic endpoints were less consistent.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of cinnamon supplementation on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: An umbrella meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10268424/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Cinnamon - LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK623885/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cinnamon is one of the most-studied herbs in this batch, yet the highest-quality synthesis - the Cochrane review - found no convincing effect on fasting glucose or HbA1c once low-quality trials were excluded, while other meta-analyses report small reductions; the most consistent signal across pooled analyses is improved HOMA-IR rather than hard glycaemic endpoints. It should therefore not be presented as a glucose-lowering therapy. The traditional TCM 'yang-warming' indications have no direct clinical trial evidence, and the best-documented clinical fact about cassia cinnamon is a real, if rare, coumarin-related hepatotoxicity risk at supplement-level doses."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The Cochrane review of 10 RCTs (577 participants, mean ~2 g/day for 4-16 weeks) found no reliable effect: fasting glucose MD -0.83 mmol/L (95% CI -1.67 to 0.02, P=0.06, I2=82%) which fell to -0.08 mmol/L (P=0.55) after excluding two studies of questionable quality, and HbA1c MD -0.06% (95% CI -0.29 to 0.18, P=0.63). A separate meta-analysis of 6 trials (435 patients, 1-6 g/day) reported small significant reductions (HbA1c -0.09%; FPG -0.84 mmol/L), so the literature is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Improved insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) across metabolic populations","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An umbrella meta-analysis of 11 meta-analyses of RCTs (type 2 diabetes, PCOS and metabolic syndrome populations, primary studies published 2008-2021) reported that four of the pooled analyses showed significant reductions in HOMA-IR with cinnamon supplementation, while individual glycaemic endpoints were less consistent."},{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The Cochrane review of 10 RCTs (577 participants, mean ~2 g/day for 4-16 weeks) found no reliable effect: fasting glucose MD -0.83 mmol/L (95% CI -1.67 to 0.02, P=0.06, I2=82%) which fell to -0.08 mmol/L (P=0.55) after excluding two studies of questionable quality, and HbA1c MD -0.06% (95% CI -0.29 to 0.18, P=0.63). A separate meta-analysis of 6 trials (435 patients, 1-6 g/day) reported small significant reductions (HbA1c -0.09%; FPG -0.84 mmol/L), so the literature is contradictory."},{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo."},{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Hepatotoxicity (herb-induced liver injury) from coumarin in cassia cinnamon","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"The NIH LiverTox monograph states cinnamon is generally well tolerated but has been implicated in isolated, rare reports of acute liver injury, with more serious events attributed to coumarin content; in coumarin clinical trials (7 trials, 1,106 patients) 2 patients developed jaundice and 1 required liver transplantation, and post-licensure hepatotoxicity was reported in roughly 0.2% of exposed patients."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cinnamon","outcome":"Blood pressure and lipid improvement","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"Individual randomized trials summarized in the NIH LiverTox monograph disagree: a 12-week controlled trial of cinnamon 800 mg three times daily in 59 adults with type 2 diabetes found no between-group differences in blood pressure, glycaemic control or lipids, whereas a 3-month trial of 500 mg twice daily in 138 adults reported greater improvements in body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c and cholesterol than placebo."}]}]},{"name":"Tangerine Peel Green Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/citrus-peel-aurantium-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Green Tangerine Peel (Citrus aurantium)"],"ingredients_canonical":["tangerine peel (green)"],"claims_vendor":["Digestive Support:** Helps support healthy digestion and nutrient processing","Light Metabolic Support:** Supports the body's natural metabolic activity","Energy from Within:** Helps maintain a light, refreshed sense of energy","Bloat and Fullness Support:** Traditionally used to support comfort after meals","Flow and Movement:** Supports the smooth movement of Qi related to digestion","Daily Balance:** A simple, effective herb for maintaining digestive harmony","Green Tangerine Peel is a traditional herbal ingredient valued for its ability to support healthy digestion and internal balance.","Commonly used in Chinese herbalism to help maintain the smooth flow of Qi (energy) within the digestive system, supporting comfort and efficiency after meals.","Traditionally associated with supporting the body's natural metabolic functions, helping maintain a light, energized feeling without heaviness."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"tangerine peel (green)","research_target":"tangerine peel (green)","common_names":["Green/immature tangerine peel, blue citrus","qing pi (\u9752\u76ae)","Citrus reticulata Blanco (Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae Viride)"],"tcm_category":"Qi-regulating / qi-moving herb (not a tonic: it breaks up and disperses stagnant qi; bitter, acrid, warm; enters liver, gallbladder and stomach)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Chemical/quality characterization distinguishing green peel from mature peel","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"GC-MS, Orbitrap-MS and HPLC-PDA analysis of green tangerine peel identified 56 volatile and 42 non-volatile constituents and quantified hesperidin 160.78 mg/g, synephrine 5.57 mg/g, nobiletin 4.29 mg/g, tangeretin 3.07 mg/g and limonin 4.11 mg/g, with terpenes making up about 70% of the volatile fraction.","sources":[{"title":"Identification of volatile and nonvolatile compounds in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride using GC-MS, UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS, and HPLC-PDA","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10002908/","year":2023},{"title":"Evaluation of chemical components in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium of different cultivars collected from different regions by GC-MS and HPLC","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849905/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Prokinetic effect - improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 30-day multistress mouse model of delayed gastric emptying, Citrus reticulata plus Citrus aurantium extract (the classical prokinetic 'couplet') improved gastric emptying, intestinal transit and stress-related behaviour, with changes in 5-HT, motilin, substance P, 5-HT4R and c-kit signalling; effects were stronger when Bupleurum was added.","sources":[{"title":"Prokinetic effects of Citrus reticulata and Citrus aurantium extract on a multistress-induced delayed gastric emptying mouse model","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9897790/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant activity of peel flavonoids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Comparative analysis of tangerine peel across 25 batches and 10 cultivars attributes anti-neuroinflammatory capacity chiefly to hesperidin, nobiletin and tangeretin, and reports wide compositional variation (hesperidin 16.6-79.6 mg/g in mature peel; volatile oil yield 0.90-67.43 g/kg), which limits reproducibility of any pharmacological effect.","sources":[{"title":"Evaluation of chemical components in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium of different cultivars collected from different regions by GC-MS and HPLC","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849905/","year":2018}]}],"overall_assessment":"Green tangerine peel is chemically well defined - hesperidin-dominant with polymethoxyflavones, limonin, terpene-rich volatile oil and, distinctively, higher p-synephrine than mature peel - but there are no clinical trials of qing pi itself for its traditional indications (liver-qi stagnation, breast distension, food stagnation, hypochondriac pain). Supporting pharmacology is limited to animal prokinetic models of citrus 'couplet' extracts and in vitro anti-inflammatory/antioxidant work on its flavonoids. The clearest human-trial evidence relating to a green-peel constituent is actually a safety finding: meta-analysed p-synephrine trials show a modest but real rise in blood pressure without weight-loss benefit. Large cultivar-to-cultivar variation in constituent content further undermines claims of predictable effects."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Blood-pressure elevation attributable to p-synephrine content","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 placebo-controlled trials (341 adults) of p-synephrine - the alkaloid concentrated in immature citrus peel - found prolonged use raised systolic blood pressure by 6.37 mmHg and diastolic by 4.33 mmHg after 8 weeks with a tendency to higher heart rate, while producing no significant weight-loss benefit."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Prokinetic effect - improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In a 30-day multistress mouse model of delayed gastric emptying, Citrus reticulata plus Citrus aurantium extract (the classical prokinetic 'couplet') improved gastric emptying, intestinal transit and stress-related behaviour, with changes in 5-HT, motilin, substance P, 5-HT4R and c-kit signalling; effects were stronger when Bupleurum was added."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Liver-qi stagnation symptoms: distending chest/flank pain, breast distension and lumps, food stagnation","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Materia medica sources describe qing pi as a strong qi-breaking herb for liver-qi constraint with breast pain and lumps, hypochondriac pain, hernial pain and food stagnation, used 3-10 g in decoction; no clinical trials of the isolated herb for these indications were identified."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Blood-pressure elevation attributable to p-synephrine content","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 placebo-controlled trials (341 adults) of p-synephrine - the alkaloid concentrated in immature citrus peel - found prolonged use raised systolic blood pressure by 6.37 mmHg and diastolic by 4.33 mmHg after 8 weeks with a tendency to higher heart rate, while producing no significant weight-loss benefit."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Blood-pressure elevation attributable to p-synephrine content","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 placebo-controlled trials (341 adults) of p-synephrine - the alkaloid concentrated in immature citrus peel - found prolonged use raised systolic blood pressure by 6.37 mmHg and diastolic by 4.33 mmHg after 8 weeks with a tendency to higher heart rate, while producing no significant weight-loss benefit."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Prokinetic effect - improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In a 30-day multistress mouse model of delayed gastric emptying, Citrus reticulata plus Citrus aurantium extract (the classical prokinetic 'couplet') improved gastric emptying, intestinal transit and stress-related behaviour, with changes in 5-HT, motilin, substance P, 5-HT4R and c-kit signalling; effects were stronger when Bupleurum was added."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Prokinetic effect - improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In a 30-day multistress mouse model of delayed gastric emptying, Citrus reticulata plus Citrus aurantium extract (the classical prokinetic 'couplet') improved gastric emptying, intestinal transit and stress-related behaviour, with changes in 5-HT, motilin, substance P, 5-HT4R and c-kit signalling; effects were stronger when Bupleurum was added."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant activity of peel flavonoids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Comparative analysis of tangerine peel across 25 batches and 10 cultivars attributes anti-neuroinflammatory capacity chiefly to hesperidin, nobiletin and tangeretin, and reports wide compositional variation (hesperidin 16.6-79.6 mg/g in mature peel; volatile oil yield 0.90-67.43 g/kg), which limits reproducibility of any pharmacological effect."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant activity of peel flavonoids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Comparative analysis of tangerine peel across 25 batches and 10 cultivars attributes anti-neuroinflammatory capacity chiefly to hesperidin, nobiletin and tangeretin, and reports wide compositional variation (hesperidin 16.6-79.6 mg/g in mature peel; volatile oil yield 0.90-67.43 g/kg), which limits reproducibility of any pharmacological effect."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Liver-qi stagnation symptoms: distending chest/flank pain, breast distension and lumps, food stagnation","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Materia medica sources describe qing pi as a strong qi-breaking herb for liver-qi constraint with breast pain and lumps, hypochondriac pain, hernial pain and food stagnation, used 3-10 g in decoction; no clinical trials of the isolated herb for these indications were identified."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (green)","outcome":"Chemical/quality characterization distinguishing green peel from mature peel","direction":"n.a.","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"GC-MS, Orbitrap-MS and HPLC-PDA analysis of green tangerine peel identified 56 volatile and 42 non-volatile constituents and quantified hesperidin 160.78 mg/g, synephrine 5.57 mg/g, nobiletin 4.29 mg/g, tangeretin 3.07 mg/g and limonin 4.11 mg/g, with terpenes making up about 70% of the volatile fraction."}]}]},{"name":"Tangerine Peel Aged Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/citrus-peel-aged-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Tangerine Peel"],"ingredients_canonical":["tangerine peel (aged)"],"claims_vendor":["Regulates Qi and normalizes functions of the Spleen and stomach","Assists digestion and assimilation","Gentle but powerful herb used by billions of people throughout the ages","Perfect after a big meal"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"tangerine peel (aged)","research_target":"tangerine peel (aged)","common_names":["Aged tangerine peel / dried tangerine peel","Chen Pi (Chen Ju Pi)","Citrus reticulata Blanco - Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, CRP)"],"tcm_category":"Qi regulator (Regulate the Qi category); tonifies the Spleen indirectly and transforms Phlegm-Damp","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract, uniquely enriched in 5-hydroxy polymethoxyflavones, prevented obesity and diabetes in high-fat-diet mice, apparently via AMPK activation in adipose tissue and improved lipid metabolism. Animal model only.","sources":[{"title":"Prevention of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes with Aged Citrus Peel (Chenpi) Extract","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.5b06157","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Beneficial modulation of gut microbiota and digestive function","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 Food Research International review describes CRP flavonoids (neohesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin) promoting beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogens, with reported improvement of 'spleen deficiency' digestive symptoms; the review reports no controlled human outcome data.","sources":[{"title":"Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium modulates gut microbiota: Impacts on human health","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40597475/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal.","sources":[{"title":"Recent Advances in the Health Benefits and Application of Tangerine Peel (Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium): A Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11241192/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Aged tangerine peel is chemically interesting and well characterized - aging demonstrably enriches 5-demethylated polymethoxyflavones - and animal and in vitro studies support anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and gut-microbiota effects. However, no randomized controlled human trials of chen pi as a single agent were found for any outcome, so claims about digestion, phlegm, appetite or metabolic health rest on tradition plus preclinical mechanism. It is best regarded as a safe culinary-medicinal food with plausible but clinically unproven benefits."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Prevention of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract, uniquely enriched in 5-hydroxy polymethoxyflavones, prevented obesity and diabetes in high-fat-diet mice, apparently via AMPK activation in adipose tissue and improved lipid metabolism. Animal model only."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Aging time and geographic origin change the chemical profile","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An analytical review confirms that aging time, cultivar and origin measurably alter CRP's flavonoid and volatile composition - supporting the traditional premium on long-aged Xinhui peel as a chemical (not just cultural) distinction, though no clinical benefit of aging has been tested in humans."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Aging time and geographic origin change the chemical profile","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An analytical review confirms that aging time, cultivar and origin measurably alter CRP's flavonoid and volatile composition - supporting the traditional premium on long-aged Xinhui peel as a chemical (not just cultural) distinction, though no clinical benefit of aging has been tested in humans."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Prevention of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Aged citrus peel (chenpi) extract, uniquely enriched in 5-hydroxy polymethoxyflavones, prevented obesity and diabetes in high-fat-diet mice, apparently via AMPK activation in adipose tissue and improved lipid metabolism. Animal model only."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Beneficial modulation of gut microbiota and digestive function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Food Research International review describes CRP flavonoids (neohesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin) promoting beneficial bacteria and inhibiting pathogens, with reported improvement of 'spleen deficiency' digestive symptoms; the review reports no controlled human outcome data."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Relief of bloating, nausea, poor appetite and phlegm/cough in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Qi stagnation with distension, nausea, damp-phlegm cough) are documented in materia medica sources, but no randomized controlled trial of chen pi as a single agent for these symptoms was located."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Relief of bloating, nausea, poor appetite and phlegm/cough in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Qi stagnation with distension, nausea, damp-phlegm cough) are documented in materia medica sources, but no randomized controlled trial of chen pi as a single agent for these symptoms was located."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Foods review of CRP compiles effects across cell lines (A549, HepG2, nasopharyngeal carcinoma lines) and rodent models for respiratory, hepatic, metabolic and inflammatory endpoints; all supporting evidence is in vitro or animal."},{"ingredient":"tangerine peel (aged)","outcome":"Relief of bloating, nausea, poor appetite and phlegm/cough in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The core traditional indications (Qi stagnation with distension, nausea, damp-phlegm cough) are documented in materia medica sources, but no randomized controlled trial of chen pi as a single agent for these symptoms was located."}]}]},{"name":"Codonopsis Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/codonopsis-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Codonopsis"],"ingredients_canonical":["codonopsis"],"claims_vendor":["Everyday Energy Support: Helps maintain steady, natural energy without overstimulation","Qi and Vitality Builder: Supports the body's core energy (Qi) and overall vitality","Nourishment Support: Helps maintain healthy nourishment and internal balance","Respiratory and Digestive Support: Supports the Spleen and Lung systems for overall function","Gentle Yet Effective: A mild, well-rounded tonic suitable for long-term daily use","Ginseng Alternative: Offers balanced energy support for those who prefer a gentler option","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas","Codonopsis is one of the most widely used tonic herbs in traditional Chinese herbalism, valued for its ability to support Qi (vital energy) and overall nourishment in a gentle, balanced way.","Often used as a milder alternative to Ginseng, Codonopsis helps maintain steady energy, resilience, and internal balance without overstimulation.","It is especially associated with supporting the Spleen and Lung systems, which play key roles in energy production and overall vitality.","In traditional use, Codonopsis is appreciated for its versatility, supporting both energy and nourishment at the same time.","Its mild nature makes it suitable for a wide range of individuals, including those who prefer a more balanced, sustainable approach to daily energy support."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"codonopsis","research_target":"codonopsis","common_names":["Codonopsis root / poor man's ginseng / bellflower root","dang shen (\u515a\u53c2)","Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (spleen and lung qi; secondarily nourishes blood and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis.","sources":[{"title":"Dang Shen [Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf] Herbal Formulae for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.5248","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the mechanism of action and potential medicinal value of Codonopsis pilosula in diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11128667/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Antitumor activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data.","sources":[{"title":"A Systematic Review of the Phytochemical Profile and Potential Medicinal Functions of Codonopsis pilosula in Cancer","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40008240/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"The only clinical-grade human evidence for Codonopsis is from multi-herb Chinese formulas in COPD, where a 48-RCT meta-analysis showed real but modest improvements in FEV1, symptom scores and walk distance - benefits that cannot be attributed to Codonopsis alone and come from largely low-quality Chinese trials. Everything else (immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, gastroprotective, cardioprotective actions) is preclinical network-pharmacology and cell/animal work. Its classical role as a mild ginseng substitute for fatigue and poor appetite remains traditional-use knowledge with no dedicated placebo-controlled trials, and safety data beyond mild gastrointestinal complaints are essentially absent."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Antitumor activity","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Characterized chemical basis of activity (lobetyolin-type polyacetylenes, flavonoids, sterols)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Phytochemical isolation work from C. pilosula root identified twelve compounds including hesperidin, atractylenolide III, lobetyolin, lobetyolinin, taraxerol, alpha-spinasterol and beta-sitosterol, establishing the marker constituents used for quality control rather than any health outcome."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]}]},{"name":"Cornus Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/cornus-officinale-fruit-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Cornus"],"ingredients_canonical":["cornus"],"claims_vendor":["Essence Conservation: Helps support the body's ability to maintain and preserve foundational energy (Jing)","Targeted Lower Body Support: Traditionally associated with supporting Kidney and lower body balance","Astringent Action: Helps maintain internal balance by supporting the body's natural containment functions","Yin Support with Warmth: A unique herb that supports Yin while maintaining internal warmth","Formula Enhancer: Helps strengthen and focus the effects of other tonic herbs","Grounded Vitality: Supports a sense of stability, control, and centered energy","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cornus","research_target":"cornus","common_names":["Cornelian cherry fruit / Asiatic dogwood fruit (Corni Fructus)","Shan Zhu Yu","Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc."],"tcm_category":"Jing/Yin tonic with astringent action (secures Kidney essence; stabilises Liver and Kidney)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and improved diabetic symptoms","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In diabetic animal models, Corni Fructus extract (300-400 mg/kg p.o.) and its isolated constituents loganin, morroniside and ursolic acid (200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) significantly lowered fasting blood glucose and alleviated polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss; metformin outperformed the herb in a head-to-head animal comparison.","sources":[{"title":"Corni Fructus: a review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6020197/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb.","sources":[{"title":"Research progress on Cornus officinalis and its active compounds in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10354237/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone.","sources":[{"title":"Liuwei Dihuang Pills Enhance the Effect of Western Medicine in Treating Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4779512/","year":2016},{"title":"Impact of liuwei dihuang pills (decoction) on early diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13111135/","year":2026}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cornus officinalis has a well-documented phytochemistry (loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid) and a fairly consistent preclinical signal for glucose lowering, beta-cell protection and renoprotection. However, human evidence for the single herb is almost absent - essentially one small obesity RCT - and the meta-analytic support in diabetic nephropathy comes from the six-herb formula Liuwei Dihuang Wan in low-quality, Chinese-language trials, which cannot isolate Cornus's contribution. The traditional astringent indications (spermatorrhoea, enuresis, excessive sweating, uterine bleeding) have no controlled clinical evidence at all."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Body-weight/obesity outcomes in humans","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The 2021 Frontiers review cites one randomized, double-blind, controlled Korean trial in 76 obese women using a Cornus officinalis preparation; this is the only clinical trial highlighted for the single herb and it is too small and isolated to support a general claim."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and improved diabetic symptoms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In diabetic animal models, Corni Fructus extract (300-400 mg/kg p.o.) and its isolated constituents loganin, morroniside and ursolic acid (200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) significantly lowered fasting blood glucose and alleviated polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss; metformin outperformed the herb in a head-to-head animal comparison."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Beta-cell protection and alpha-glucosidase inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid and butyl morroniside (100 micromol/L) protected high-glucose-exposed pancreatic beta-cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis and may increase insulin release, while the extract and phenolics inhibited alpha-glucosidase and suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Reduced urinary albumin excretion in early diabetic nephropathy (as part of Liuwei Dihuang Wan)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analyses of Liuwei Dihuang Pills - in which Cornus officinalis is one of six herbs - added to Western therapy report reduced urinary albumin excretion rate and improved renal indices (18 RCTs, ~1,275 patients in the 2016 analysis; 11 RCTs, 1,007 patients in the 2026 analysis), but all included trials were Chinese-language and of limited methodological quality, and effects cannot be attributed to Cornus alone."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose and improved diabetic symptoms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In diabetic animal models, Corni Fructus extract (300-400 mg/kg p.o.) and its isolated constituents loganin, morroniside and ursolic acid (200 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks) significantly lowered fasting blood glucose and alleviated polyphagia, polydipsia, polyuria and weight loss; metformin outperformed the herb in a head-to-head animal comparison."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Beta-cell protection and alpha-glucosidase inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid and butyl morroniside (100 micromol/L) protected high-glucose-exposed pancreatic beta-cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis and may increase insulin release, while the extract and phenolics inhibited alpha-glucosidase and suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb."},{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Beta-cell protection and alpha-glucosidase inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid and butyl morroniside (100 micromol/L) protected high-glucose-exposed pancreatic beta-cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis and may increase insulin release, while the extract and phenolics inhibited alpha-glucosidase and suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Renoprotection in diabetic nephropathy (reduced proteinuria, podocyte protection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2023 review of Cornus officinalis in diabetic nephropathy summarises animal and cell studies showing reduced proteinuria, glomerular podocyte protection, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects; clinical support comes from multi-herb formulas rather than the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cornus","outcome":"Beta-cell protection and alpha-glucosidase inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Loganin, morroniside, ursolic acid and butyl morroniside (100 micromol/L) protected high-glucose-exposed pancreatic beta-cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis and may increase insulin release, while the extract and phenolics inhibited alpha-glucosidase and suppressed hepatic gluconeogenesis in vitro."}]}]},{"name":"Cynomorium Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/cynomorium-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Cynomorium"],"ingredients_canonical":["cynomorium"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cynomorium","research_target":"cynomorium","common_names":["cynomorium / Songaria cynomorium fleshy stem","suo yang (\u9501\u9633)","Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (Cynomorii Herba)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (tonifies Kidney Yang); sweet, warm; Kidney, Liver and Large Intestine channels","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function via PDE-5 inhibition","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides were characterised as potent natural phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and ameliorated erectile dysfunction in animal models, which the authors framed as mechanistic validation of the herb's traditional use. No human trial was reported.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides ameliorate erectile dysfunction through potent inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41554452/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. flavonoids improve cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive function damage by regulating the testosterone synthesis pathway","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11374658/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal.","sources":[{"title":"A decade review on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711325002429","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cynomorium is one of the better-characterised Yang tonics at the preclinical level: rodent and cell studies show protection of testosterone synthesis and PDE-5 inhibition that plausibly explain its traditional reputation for impotence and low-back weakness, and a full toxicology package shows a very wide safety margin. However there is no human clinical trial evidence at all for any indication, so every efficacy claim should be labelled preclinical. The honest position is 'mechanistically plausible, traditionally established, clinically unproven'."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Improved erectile function via PDE-5 inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides were characterised as potent natural phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and ameliorated erectile dysfunction in animal models, which the authors framed as mechanistic validation of the herb's traditional use. No human trial was reported."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Absence of acute, genetic or 90-day repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A formal toxicology assessment found no mortality or gross lesions in mice given a single 18 g/kg oral dose (432x the clinical human dose, maximum tolerable dose >15 g/kg), negative Ames, bone-marrow micronucleus and spermatocyte chromosomal aberration assays, and no toxicity signal in rats dosed 1.04-4.16 g/kg/day (25-100x clinical dose) for 90 days."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Efficacy for impotence, infertility or lumbar weakness in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Cynomorium songaricum in humans was located; all identified reproductive and metabolic evidence is from rodent or cell models, so the clinical claims rest on traditional use."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Efficacy for impotence, infertility or lumbar weakness in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Cynomorium songaricum in humans was located; all identified reproductive and metabolic evidence is from rodent or cell models, so the clinical claims rest on traditional use."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Absence of acute, genetic or 90-day repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A formal toxicology assessment found no mortality or gross lesions in mice given a single 18 g/kg oral dose (432x the clinical human dose, maximum tolerable dose >15 g/kg), negative Ames, bone-marrow micronucleus and spermatocyte chromosomal aberration assays, and no toxicity signal in rats dosed 1.04-4.16 g/kg/day (25-100x clinical dose) for 90 days."}]}]},{"name":"Dioscorea Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/dioscorea-shan-yao-mountain-yam-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Dioscorea"],"ingredients_canonical":["dioscorea (chinese yam)"],"claims_vendor":["Digestive Strength: Supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption","Dual Energy Support: Helps maintain both Yin (nourishment) and Qi (energy) balance","Kidney Support: Supports foundational vitality and internal balance","Fluid Support: Helps maintain healthy hydration and internal moisture levels","Gentle Daily Tonic: Mild and balanced; ideal for consistent, long-term use","Foundation Builder: Supports steady energy and overall system harmony","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas.","Dioscorea is traditionally used to support both Qi (energy) and Yin Jing (deep nourishment) in a balanced, gentle way.","Dioscorea is traditionally used to support the Spleen, Kidneys, and Lungs.","Supports digestion, energy production, and overall vitality.","Helps maintain healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.","Supports the body's ability to generate energy from food.","Supports fluid balance and internal hydration.","Supports overall nourishment and stability.","Supports steady, long-term vitality and balance.","Mild, safe, and food-like in nature."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","research_target":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","common_names":["Chinese yam rhizome","Shan Yao","Dioscorea opposita Thunb. (Dioscorea polystachya; Rhizoma Dioscoreae)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic with Yin-tonifying action (sweet, neutral; enters Spleen, Lung and Kidney channels)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04).","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Prebiotic shift in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same randomized trial Bifidobacterium rose 23% and Lactobacillus 17% while Enterococcus fell 14% and E. coli 19% (p<0.05), with increases in faecal acetate, propionate and butyrate; a separate 6-week open-label single-arm study in 10 obese adults eating a high-fibre yam snack also increased Bifidobacterium spp. and the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale group (p<0.05).","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Gastrointestinal motility, gastroprotection and anti-diarrhoeal effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The 2025 systematic review of 27 studies found only 2 human trials against 25 animal experiments; the animal data support improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit, mucosal protection and reduced diarrhoea, but no pooled meta-analysis or human confirmation was possible.","sources":[{"title":"The Effect of Dioscoreae Rhizoma on Gastrointestinal Function: A Systematic Review","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/18/2943","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Chinese yam is better supported as a functional food than as a therapeutic agent. The single decent randomized trial (post-operative colorectal cancer patients with diabetes) showed consistent improvements in gut-barrier markers, inflammatory cytokines, microbiota composition, wound healing and infection rate, which fits the traditional Spleen-tonifying indication, but the 2025 systematic review found only 2 human studies against 25 animal experiments and could not pool results. Traditional claims for Lung and Kidney tonification, chronic cough, urinary frequency and 'essence' retention have no clinical trial support; the antidiabetic and immune claims currently rest on cell and rodent work."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04)."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved glucose handling / insulin sensitivity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"High-purity Chinese yam polysaccharide at 200 microg/mL increased glucose uptake and GLUT2 expression and restored insulin sensitivity in TNF-alpha-treated liver cells, and the surgical RCT reported improved fasting and 2-hour post-prandial glucose (p<0.01); dedicated clinical antidiabetic trials are lacking."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04)."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved intestinal barrier function and reduced inflammation after colorectal cancer surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized trial of 92 post-operative colorectal cancer patients with T2DM, adding 150 g/day yam porridge for 3 weeks lowered diamine oxidase (8.7 vs 11.2 U/L) and D-lactate (12.6 vs 16.4 mg/L; both p<0.05), reduced TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta (p<0.01), shortened wound healing (11.0 vs 13.9 days, p<0.001) and cut post-operative infection (6.8% vs 22.2%, p=0.04)."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Prebiotic shift in gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"In the same randomized trial Bifidobacterium rose 23% and Lactobacillus 17% while Enterococcus fell 14% and E. coli 19% (p<0.05), with increases in faecal acetate, propionate and butyrate; a separate 6-week open-label single-arm study in 10 obese adults eating a high-fibre yam snack also increased Bifidobacterium spp. and the Clostridium coccoides-Eubacterium rectale group (p<0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Gastrointestinal motility, gastroprotection and anti-diarrhoeal effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 systematic review of 27 studies found only 2 human trials against 25 animal experiments; the animal data support improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit, mucosal protection and reduced diarrhoea, but no pooled meta-analysis or human confirmation was possible."},{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Improved glucose handling / insulin sensitivity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"High-purity Chinese yam polysaccharide at 200 microg/mL increased glucose uptake and GLUT2 expression and restored insulin sensitivity in TNF-alpha-treated liver cells, and the surgical RCT reported improved fasting and 2-hour post-prandial glucose (p<0.01); dedicated clinical antidiabetic trials are lacking."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Gastrointestinal motility, gastroprotection and anti-diarrhoeal effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The 2025 systematic review of 27 studies found only 2 human trials against 25 animal experiments; the animal data support improved gastric emptying and intestinal transit, mucosal protection and reduced diarrhoea, but no pooled meta-analysis or human confirmation was possible."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Chinese yam describe immune-regulating, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of its polysaccharides and dioscorin in cell and rodent models, consistent with the traditional Qi-tonifying claim but without clinical endpoint data."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dioscorea (chinese yam)","outcome":"Immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of Chinese yam describe immune-regulating, antioxidant and anti-aging activities of its polysaccharides and dioscorin in cell and rodent models, consistent with the traditional Qi-tonifying claim but without clinical endpoint data."}]}]},{"name":"Epimedium Prepared Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/epimedium-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Epimedium"],"ingredients_canonical":["epimedium (horny goat weed)"],"claims_vendor":["Yang Energy Support:** Helps support foundational energy, strength, and vitality","Desire and Performance:** Traditionally used to support libido, confidence, and physical performance","Drive and Motivation:** Supports energy, focus, and personal drive","Endurance and Resilience:** Helps maintain stamina during physical and daily demands","Warm, Activating Energy**: Promotes internal warmth and energized balance","Longevity Support:** Traditionally used to support active, long-term vitality","Designed For Easy Compounding:** Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","research_target":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","common_names":["Horny goat weed / barrenwort","yin yang huo","Epimedium brevicornu, E. sagittatum, E. koreanum (Herba Epimedii)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (tonifies kidney yang, strengthens sinews and bones, expels wind-damp)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%.","sources":[{"title":"Epimedium-derived phytoestrogen flavonoids exert beneficial effect on preventing bone loss in late postmenopausal women: a 24-month randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17419678/","year":2007}]},{"outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized.","sources":[{"title":"The efficacy and safety of Epimedium in the treatment of osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491210/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Oral bioavailability of isolated icariin (relevant to efficacy of supplements)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety/pharmacokinetic trial of oral icariin 100-1,680 mg/day for 5 days in 24 healthy adults, plasma icariin was very low or undetectable at all doses - essentially all samples were below the limit of quantitation - so pharmacokinetic parameters could not be determined, implying very poor oral bioavailability of the isolated compound.","sources":[{"title":"Human Safety and Pharmacokinetics Study of Orally Administered Icariin: Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1934578X19856789","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"The strongest human evidence for Epimedium is for bone: one 24-month placebo-controlled trial and a 2025 meta-analysis of 10 mostly Chinese-language RCTs support improved BMD and reduced bone-resorption markers, though the landmark trial used a combination product (icariin plus soy isoflavones), which confounds attribution. The mass-market claim - erectile dysfunction and libido - has no controlled human trial support in the literature retrieved, and a human pharmacokinetic study found oral icariin is barely absorbed, which undercuts simple 'natural PDE5 inhibitor' reasoning. Liver-injury signals from Epimedium species are a genuine, if uncommon, safety concern."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Improved bone mineral density and symptom scores in osteoporosis as adjunct or alternative to standard therapy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 RCTs (890 analysed participants; Epimedium extracts, total flavonoids, granules or compound preparations, usually added to alendronate/calcium) reported greater lumbar vertebral BMD in the Epimedium groups (reported SMD around 1.15) and improved clinical symptoms, with the caveat that 7 of 10 included trials were Chinese-language and dosing was not standardized."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Oral bioavailability of isolated icariin (relevant to efficacy of supplements)","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety/pharmacokinetic trial of oral icariin 100-1,680 mg/day for 5 days in 24 healthy adults, plasma icariin was very low or undetectable at all doses - essentially all samples were below the limit of quantitation - so pharmacokinetic parameters could not be determined, implying very poor oral bioavailability of the isolated compound."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Hepatotoxicity / herb-induced liver injury","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Epimedii Folium is a recognized cause of emerging herb-induced liver injury concern; in Sprague-Dawley rats given Epimedium koreanum ethanol extract (2 g original herb/kg/day for 28 days, n=6/group) liver weight ratios rose and serum AST, ALP and total bilirubin increased significantly (P=0.01, 0.0345, 0.018) with hepatocyte steatosis and severe cytoplasmic vacuolation on histology."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Prevention of bone loss / increased lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density in late postmenopausal women","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 late-postmenopausal women (60 mg icariin + 15 mg daidzein + 3 mg genistein daily plus 300 mg calcium), BMD change patterns differed significantly between groups (lumbar spine P=0.006; femoral neck time-by-group P=0.045): placebo lost 2.4% lumbar and 1.8% femoral-neck BMD at 24 months while the treatment group gained 1.3% and 1.6%, and the bone resorption marker deoxypyridinoline fell 39-43%."},{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Erectile dysfunction / libido enhancement (the dominant consumer claim)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial or meta-analysis testing Epimedium or icariin for erectile function in humans was retrieved in this session; the rationale is preclinical (icariin is a weak PDE5 inhibitor in vitro and in animal models), and the one human trial of oral icariin was a safety/PK study that measured sexual function only as a side-effect scale."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"epimedium (horny goat weed)","outcome":"Hepatotoxicity / herb-induced liver injury","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Epimedii Folium is a recognized cause of emerging herb-induced liver injury concern; in Sprague-Dawley rats given Epimedium koreanum ethanol extract (2 g original herb/kg/day for 28 days, n=6/group) liver weight ratios rose and serum AST, ALP and total bilirubin increased significantly (P=0.01, 0.0345, 0.018) with hepatocyte steatosis and severe cytoplasmic vacuolation on histology."}]}]},{"name":"White Peony Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/white-peony-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["White Peony Root"],"ingredients_canonical":["white peony"],"claims_vendor":["Blood Nourishment Support: Helps support overall blood vitality and internal balance","Women's Balance Support: Traditionally used to support natural balance and monthly rhythms","Calm and Relaxation: Helps promote a relaxed, steady, and balanced state","Muscle Ease Support: Traditionally used to support comfort and flexibility in the body","Skin Vitality: Supports healthy-looking, radiant skin from within","Longevity and Beauty Herb: A classic tonic used to support graceful aging and vitality","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"white peony","research_target":"white peony","common_names":["White peony root","Bai Shao","Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also described as astringing Yin and 'softening' the Liver)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with methotrexate and leflunomide for active rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical safety of total glucosides of paeony adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality.","sources":[{"title":"Total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A methodological and reporting quality evaluation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32871476/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"White peony is one of the better-studied Chinese herbs, but essentially all clinical evidence concerns the standardized extract total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used as an add-on to conventional drugs in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in small trials almost exclusively conducted in mainland China. Pooled results are favorable and TGP appears to reduce methotrexate/leflunomide hepatotoxicity, but an overview of 11 meta-analyses rated all of them critically low in methodological quality with no high-quality GRADE outcomes, so effect sizes are uncertain. The traditional gynecological and antispasmodic uses of the whole root (menstrual regulation, cramping, night sweats) have no comparable controlled human evidence."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]}]},{"name":"Gastrodia Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/gastrodia-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Gastrodia"],"ingredients_canonical":["gastrodia"],"claims_vendor":["Calm and Balance Support: Helps maintain a sense of internal calm and stability","Head and Tension Support: Traditionally used to support comfort and balance in the head","Nervous System Support: Helps support a relaxed, steady internal state","Movement and Ease: Traditionally used to support smooth, coordinated movement","Liver System Support: Supports balance within the Liver system","Formula Specialist: A key herb often used in targeted, advanced herbal formulations","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"gastrodia","research_target":"gastrodia","common_names":["Gastrodia tuber / tall gastrodia","tian ma","Gastrodia elata Blume (Rhizoma Gastrodiae)"],"tcm_category":"Liver-wind-extinguishing / Shen-calming herb (not a classic tonic) - extinguishes internal wind, calms the liver and settles tremor","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved clinical response and reduced pain scores in migraine (as add-on to conventional prophylaxis)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,332-1,670 participants, all conducted in China, 8-56 days of treatment) found gastrodin added to conventional therapy raised clinical efficacy (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.17-1.27; 93.2% vs 76.8% responders) and reduced pain scores (MD -1.65, 95% CI -2.28 to -1.02), though GRADE certainty was limited by trial quality and inconsistent participant counts between the abstract and the full text.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness of gastrodin for migraine: A meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9454298/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced headache frequency and higher effective rate in tension-type headache","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (1,091 participants; 565 gastrodin, 526 control) found gastrodin reduced headache frequency (MD -2.90, 95% CI -3.76 to -2.03, P<0.00001) and improved overall effective rate versus western medicine (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.29-1.68, P<0.00001), with benefit in both capsule (RR 1.42) and injection (RR 1.50) subgroups; only one trial reported adverse reactions in detail, so safety conclusions could not be drawn.","sources":[{"title":"Systematic review and Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of gastrodin in treatment of tension-type headache","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34581069/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Higher cure rate in hospitalized dizziness/vertigo compared with Ginkgo biloba extract injection","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from 131 Chinese hospitals (9,251 eligible dizziness/vertigo patients; 329 per group after propensity-score matching) found gastrodin injection produced a higher cure rate than Ginkgo biloba leaf extract injection (42.9% vs 25.5%, P<0.05; overall treatment-effect comparison P<0.001), with similar hospitalization duration (7 vs 8 days, P=0.080).","sources":[{"title":"Clinical and economic analysis of Gastrodin injection for treating dizziness/vertigo: a real-world study","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8725493/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Gastrodia is unusual among Chinese herbs in having two meta-analyses of RCTs behind a specific, traditionally matching indication - headache and migraine - and both report clinically meaningful improvements in response rate and pain, reinforced by a large real-world cohort for vertigo. The critical caveats are that essentially all trials were conducted in China, many used gastrodin injection or isolated gastrodin rather than the whole tuber, methodological quality and adverse-event reporting are weak, and neuroprotective claims for dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's disease remain preclinical. Evidence for tian ma as a general 'brain tonic' or nootropic is absent."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Improved clinical response and reduced pain scores in migraine (as add-on to conventional prophylaxis)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,332-1,670 participants, all conducted in China, 8-56 days of treatment) found gastrodin added to conventional therapy raised clinical efficacy (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.17-1.27; 93.2% vs 76.8% responders) and reduced pain scores (MD -1.65, 95% CI -2.28 to -1.02), though GRADE certainty was limited by trial quality and inconsistent participant counts between the abstract and the full text."},{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Reduced headache frequency and higher effective rate in tension-type headache","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (1,091 participants; 565 gastrodin, 526 control) found gastrodin reduced headache frequency (MD -2.90, 95% CI -3.76 to -2.03, P<0.00001) and improved overall effective rate versus western medicine (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.29-1.68, P<0.00001), with benefit in both capsule (RR 1.42) and injection (RR 1.50) subgroups; only one trial reported adverse reactions in detail, so safety conclusions could not be drawn."},{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Higher cure rate in hospitalized dizziness/vertigo compared with Ginkgo biloba extract injection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from 131 Chinese hospitals (9,251 eligible dizziness/vertigo patients; 329 per group after propensity-score matching) found gastrodin injection produced a higher cure rate than Ginkgo biloba leaf extract injection (42.9% vs 25.5%, P<0.05; overall treatment-effect comparison P<0.001), with similar hospitalization duration (7 vs 8 days, P=0.080)."},{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Neuroprotection in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and cognitive impairment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A pharmacology review of gastrodin concludes it has prominent neuroprotective activity across models of epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, emotional disorders, neuropathic pain, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial hypertrophy and hypertension; these conclusions derive from cell and animal work rather than controlled clinical trials."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Improved clinical response and reduced pain scores in migraine (as add-on to conventional prophylaxis)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,332-1,670 participants, all conducted in China, 8-56 days of treatment) found gastrodin added to conventional therapy raised clinical efficacy (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.17-1.27; 93.2% vs 76.8% responders) and reduced pain scores (MD -1.65, 95% CI -2.28 to -1.02), though GRADE certainty was limited by trial quality and inconsistent participant counts between the abstract and the full text."},{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Reduced headache frequency and higher effective rate in tension-type headache","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (1,091 participants; 565 gastrodin, 526 control) found gastrodin reduced headache frequency (MD -2.90, 95% CI -3.76 to -2.03, P<0.00001) and improved overall effective rate versus western medicine (RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.29-1.68, P<0.00001), with benefit in both capsule (RR 1.42) and injection (RR 1.50) subgroups; only one trial reported adverse reactions in detail, so safety conclusions could not be drawn."},{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Neuroprotection in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and cognitive impairment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A pharmacology review of gastrodin concludes it has prominent neuroprotective activity across models of epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, emotional disorders, neuropathic pain, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial hypertrophy and hypertension; these conclusions derive from cell and animal work rather than controlled clinical trials."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Neuroprotection in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and cognitive impairment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A pharmacology review of gastrodin concludes it has prominent neuroprotective activity across models of epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, emotional disorders, neuropathic pain, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial hypertrophy and hypertension; these conclusions derive from cell and animal work rather than controlled clinical trials."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Neuroprotection in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and cognitive impairment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A pharmacology review of gastrodin concludes it has prominent neuroprotective activity across models of epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, emotional disorders, neuropathic pain, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial hypertrophy and hypertension; these conclusions derive from cell and animal work rather than controlled clinical trials."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"gastrodia","outcome":"Neuroprotection in epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and cognitive impairment","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A pharmacology review of gastrodin concludes it has prominent neuroprotective activity across models of epilepsy, Tourette syndrome, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, emotional disorders, neuropathic pain, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial hypertrophy and hypertension; these conclusions derive from cell and animal work rather than controlled clinical trials."}]}]},{"name":"Rhodiola Sacra Tibetan Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/rhodiola-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Rhodiola Sacra"],"ingredients_canonical":["rhodiola sacra"],"claims_vendor":["One of the most precious tonic herbs in the world","Only available in very limited quantities through Dragon Herbs, as it cannot be cultivated and is only collected from the wild","Collected wild from above the Himalayan snow line of Tibet and Bhutan","Enhances oxygenation, energy, mental energy and adaptability","An herb of spiritual potency"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"rhodiola sacra","research_target":"rhodiola sacra","common_names":["sacred rhodiola / Tibetan rhodiola (a Rhodiola species used as hong jing tian)","hong jing tian (\u7ea2\u666f\u5929)","Rhodiola sacra (Prain ex Hamet) S.H. Fu"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / adaptogen (strengthens Qi, invigorates Blood, supports Lung and Heart); used in Tibetan as well as Chinese medicine","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved blood oxygenation and symptoms in acute high-altitude disease (Rhodiola crenulata extract)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A PRISMA-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,690 participants, all conducted in China and published in Chinese) found R. crenulata extract improved SaO2 versus placebo (MD 7.11, 95% CI 1.55-12.68, I2=93%), PaO2 (MD 2.06, 95% CI 1.43-2.69) and total clinical efficacy (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.75), but showed no difference versus western medicine (SaO2 MD -2.01, 95% CI -9.33 to 5.30; efficacy RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.76-2.18). Certainty of evidence was rated low because of methodological limitations and very high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Rhodiola crenulata extract in the treatment of acute high altitude disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12202619/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Prevention of acute mountain sickness","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs in 424 healthy adults (R. rosea and R. crenulata) found Rhodiola did not prevent acute mountain sickness (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.69-1.52) and did not increase VO2max (95% CI -0.91 to 2.99; p=0.30), concluding the genus is antioxidant but not ergogenic or altitude-protective in healthy adults.","sources":[{"title":"Antioxidant but Not Ergogenic or Altitude-Protective: A Meta-Analysis of Rhodiola Species in Healthy Adults","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2026.1908897/full","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Improved endurance performance and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress (Rhodiola rosea)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in 668 healthy participants found R. rosea supplementation improved time-trial performance (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.01), time to exhaustion (0.38, 0.07-0.69) and VO2max (0.32, 0.12-0.52), and reduced creatine kinase (-0.84) and malondialdehyde (-1.21) while raising total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; heterogeneity was high for the biochemical outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on endurance performance and oxidative stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1645346/full","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Almost all clinical evidence attributed to 'rhodiola' belongs to two other species: R. rosea (26-RCT meta-analysis showing modest gains in endurance, VO2max and antioxidant markers) and R. crenulata (19 Chinese RCTs for acute high-altitude disease, rated low certainty with I2 above 90%). A 2026 meta-analysis in healthy adults found no ergogenic or altitude-protective effect and no AMS prevention, so even the genus-level picture is mixed and best supported for antioxidant status rather than performance. For Rhodiola sacra itself the literature is phytochemical only - novel sacranosides and cyanoglycosides with in vitro histamine-release inhibition - so any human benefit claim for this specific species is an extrapolation from congeners and should be labelled as such."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Improved endurance performance and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress (Rhodiola rosea)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in 668 healthy participants found R. rosea supplementation improved time-trial performance (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.01), time to exhaustion (0.38, 0.07-0.69) and VO2max (0.32, 0.12-0.52), and reduced creatine kinase (-0.84) and malondialdehyde (-1.21) while raising total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; heterogeneity was high for the biochemical outcomes."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Reduced stress, fatigue and burnout symptoms (Rhodiola rosea preparations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A review of clinical studies of standardised R. rosea preparations reported improvements in physical fitness, neuro-motor function, mental performance and stress/fatigue symptoms across trials in students, physicians and burnout populations, though trials were small and mostly with one proprietary extract."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Improved blood oxygenation and symptoms in acute high-altitude disease (Rhodiola crenulata extract)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,690 participants, all conducted in China and published in Chinese) found R. crenulata extract improved SaO2 versus placebo (MD 7.11, 95% CI 1.55-12.68, I2=93%), PaO2 (MD 2.06, 95% CI 1.43-2.69) and total clinical efficacy (RR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.75), but showed no difference versus western medicine (SaO2 MD -2.01, 95% CI -9.33 to 5.30; efficacy RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.76-2.18). Certainty of evidence was rated low because of methodological limitations and very high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Prevention of acute mountain sickness","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs in 424 healthy adults (R. rosea and R. crenulata) found Rhodiola did not prevent acute mountain sickness (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.69-1.52) and did not increase VO2max (95% CI -0.91 to 2.99; p=0.30), concluding the genus is antioxidant but not ergogenic or altitude-protective in healthy adults."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Improved endurance performance and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress (Rhodiola rosea)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in 668 healthy participants found R. rosea supplementation improved time-trial performance (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.01), time to exhaustion (0.38, 0.07-0.69) and VO2max (0.32, 0.12-0.52), and reduced creatine kinase (-0.84) and malondialdehyde (-1.21) while raising total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; heterogeneity was high for the biochemical outcomes."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Improved endurance performance and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress (Rhodiola rosea)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in 668 healthy participants found R. rosea supplementation improved time-trial performance (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.01), time to exhaustion (0.38, 0.07-0.69) and VO2max (0.32, 0.12-0.52), and reduced creatine kinase (-0.84) and malondialdehyde (-1.21) while raising total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; heterogeneity was high for the biochemical outcomes."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Prevention of acute mountain sickness","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 9 RCTs in 424 healthy adults (R. rosea and R. crenulata) found Rhodiola did not prevent acute mountain sickness (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.69-1.52) and did not increase VO2max (95% CI -0.91 to 2.99; p=0.30), concluding the genus is antioxidant but not ergogenic or altitude-protective in healthy adults."},{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Improved endurance performance and reduced exercise-induced oxidative stress (Rhodiola rosea)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 26 RCTs in 668 healthy participants found R. rosea supplementation improved time-trial performance (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.78 to -0.01), time to exhaustion (0.38, 0.07-0.69) and VO2max (0.32, 0.12-0.52), and reduced creatine kinase (-0.84) and malondialdehyde (-1.21) while raising total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase; heterogeneity was high for the biochemical outcomes."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Reduced stress, fatigue and burnout symptoms (Rhodiola rosea preparations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A review of clinical studies of standardised R. rosea preparations reported improvements in physical fitness, neuro-motor function, mental performance and stress/fatigue symptoms across trials in students, physicians and burnout populations, though trials were small and mostly with one proprietary extract."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Rhodiola sacra specifically: histamine-release inhibition and anti-inflammatory lung effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Work specific to R. sacra is limited to phytochemistry and bioassay: novel monoterpene and cyanoglycosides were isolated as histamine-release inhibitors from the underground part, and R. sacra extract was reported to mitigate histological lung changes and inflammatory stimulation in a quantitative comparison of Rhodiola species."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"rhodiola sacra","outcome":"Rhodiola sacra specifically: histamine-release inhibition and anti-inflammatory lung effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Work specific to R. sacra is limited to phytochemistry and bioassay: novel monoterpene and cyanoglycosides were isolated as histamine-release inhibitors from the underground part, and R. sacra extract was reported to mitigate histological lung changes and inflammatory stimulation in a quantitative comparison of Rhodiola species."}]}]},{"name":"Jujube Red Date Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/jujube-dates-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Jujube Red Date"],"ingredients_canonical":["jujube"],"claims_vendor":["Consume consistently for glowing health","Calms the mind and energizes the body","Nourishes the blood","Builds and strengthens muscle","A part of the Chinese Shaolin monk\u2019s daily diet","Combine with other herbs to build Qi"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"jujube","research_target":"jujube","common_names":["Chinese date / red date / jujube","Da Zao (fruit); Suan Zao Ren (seed of Z. jujuba var. spinosa)","Ziziphus jujuba Mill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Blood tonic (fruit, Da Zao); the seed Suan Zao Ren is a Shen-calming/spirit-quieting herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"improvement in metabolic factors (lipids, glycaemia, anthropometry)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials concluded that Ziziphus jujuba consumption may improve some metabolic indicators, but effects were not consistent across all outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"The effect of consumption Ziziphus jujuba on metabolic factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (Clin Nutr Open Sci)","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667268524000172","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial (Complement Ther Med 82:103041)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05).","sources":[{"title":"The effects of jujube (Ziziphus jujube) on metabolic and mental health in patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized controlled trial (Complement Ther Med 82:103041)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38648942/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Jujube has real but modest clinical evidence: a meta-analysis of RCTs suggests improvement in some metabolic markers, and individual small trials support benefits for chronic constipation, triglycerides/HDL/waist circumference, and subjective sleep quality. Effects on fasting glucose, LDL, blood pressure and mood were null in the best-described RCT, so blanket 'blood-tonifying' or antidiabetic claims outrun the data. Traditional Qi/Blood tonic and Shen-calming uses are only loosely mapped onto tested endpoints, and most supporting neuroprotection data remain preclinical."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"improvement in metabolic factors (lipids, glycaemia, anthropometry)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials concluded that Ziziphus jujuba consumption may improve some metabolic indicators, but effects were not consistent across all outcomes."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"relief of chronic idiopathic constipation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind controlled trial in 37 patients with prolonged colonic transit found liquid Z. jujuba extract reduced symptom severity and transit markers with far fewer dropouts for severe constipation than control (2/18, 12% vs 16/19, 84%)."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"improved subjective sleep quality","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind RCT in 106 postmenopausal women with PSQI >=5 tested 250 mg jujube seed capsules twice daily for 21 days against placebo and reported improved sleep-quality scores; the trial was small, single-centre and short."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"relief of chronic idiopathic constipation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 12-week double-blind controlled trial in 37 patients with prolonged colonic transit found liquid Z. jujuba extract reduced symptom severity and transit markers with far fewer dropouts for severe constipation than control (2/18, 12% vs 16/19, 84%)."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"improved subjective sleep quality","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind RCT in 106 postmenopausal women with PSQI >=5 tested 250 mg jujube seed capsules twice daily for 21 days against placebo and reported improved sleep-quality scores; the trial was small, single-centre and short."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"reduced waist circumference and triglycerides, increased HDL in metabolic syndrome","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a parallel RCT of 60 adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g/day dried jujube powder for 8 weeks significantly improved waist circumference (-3.98 vs -0.51 cm, p=0.01), triglycerides (-24.96 vs -0.73, p=0.03), HDL (+2.83 vs +0.40, p=0.01) and perceived stress (p=0.01) versus placebo."},{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"fasting blood glucose, total/LDL cholesterol and blood pressure","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week metabolic-syndrome RCT found no significant between-group changes in fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores (all p>0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"jujube","outcome":"neuroprotection / brain protection","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of jujube fruit describe neurite outgrowth, antioxidant and sedative effects in cell and rodent models supporting its use for neurological protection and sleep, without confirmatory clinical endpoints."}]}]},{"name":"Ophiopogon Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/ophiopogon-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Ophiopogon"],"ingredients_canonical":["ophiopogon"],"claims_vendor":["Provides cooling Yin to the Heart, Lungs, and Stomach","Great for the skin","Promotes production of body fluids","Excellent for moistening any dryness in the body","Helps eliminate false heat from the body","A major Shen tonic that soothes irritability","For centuries, Ophiopogon has been used by Taoist adepts in rejuvenation and longevity formulations."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"ophiopogon","research_target":"ophiopogon","common_names":["Dwarf lilyturf tuber / mondo grass root","mai men dong (maidong)","Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl. (Radix Ophiopogonis)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (moistens the lung and stomach, nourishes heart yin, generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved NYHA functional class and cardiac function in heart failure (as part of the Sheng Mai/Shengmai formula)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The Cochrane review of Shengmai - a three-herb formula of Panax ginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus and Schisandra chinensis - pooled 6 RCTs (440 patients) and found Shengmai plus usual treatment improved NYHA classification (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25-0.54) with reported gains in ejection fraction, cardiac output and stroke volume, but conclusions were limited by low patient numbers, significant heterogeneity and the inability to attribute effects to any single herb.","sources":[{"title":"Shengmai (a traditional Chinese herbal medicine) for heart failure (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005052.pub3/abstract","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of ophiopogonin D","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 pharmacology review of ophiopogonin D found only animal and cell-model evidence (no human clinical trials): e.g. concentrations below 100 microM did not harm cardiomyocyte morphology while the isomer OP-D' at 6 microM increased apoptosis and endoplasmic-reticulum stress gene expression, and rat pharmacokinetics after 77.0 microg/kg IV fitted a two-compartment model.","sources":[{"title":"Ophiopogonin D: review of pharmacological activity","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11295246/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Anticancer activity (tumour growth and metastasis suppression)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided review in Phytomedicine reports that Ophiopogon japonicus extracts and the constituents DT-13, ophiopogonin B and ophiopogonin D inhibit a variety of cancer cell lines in vitro and suppress tumour growth and metastasis in vivo by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting angiogenesis, reportedly without serious toxicity; no clinical trial data are presented.","sources":[{"title":"Ophiopogon japonicus and its active compounds: A review of potential anticancer effects and underlying mechanisms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36854203/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for ophiopogon exists almost exclusively as one component of the Shengmai/Shenmai formula in heart failure, where a Cochrane review found improved NYHA class but explicitly could not attribute the effect to any individual herb and judged the trials small and heterogeneous. Everything else - cardioprotection, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anticancer activity via ophiopogonins B/D and DT-13 - is in vitro and animal data with no clinical translation. Its classical uses for dry cough and fluid-generating 'yin nourishment' have not been tested in controlled human studies, and high-dose isolated saponins show concentration-dependent cytotoxicity in cardiomyocytes."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Improved NYHA functional class and cardiac function in heart failure (as part of the Sheng Mai/Shengmai formula)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The Cochrane review of Shengmai - a three-herb formula of Panax ginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus and Schisandra chinensis - pooled 6 RCTs (440 patients) and found Shengmai plus usual treatment improved NYHA classification (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25-0.54) with reported gains in ejection fraction, cardiac output and stroke volume, but conclusions were limited by low patient numbers, significant heterogeneity and the inability to attribute effects to any single herb."},{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Dry cough, xerostomia and 'lung yin' moistening in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Ophiopogon japonicus alone for cough, dry mouth or yin-deficiency symptoms was identified in this session; human evidence exists only for multi-herb formulas such as Shengmai/Shenmai in cardiovascular indications."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Improved NYHA functional class and cardiac function in heart failure (as part of the Sheng Mai/Shengmai formula)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The Cochrane review of Shengmai - a three-herb formula of Panax ginseng, Ophiopogon japonicus and Schisandra chinensis - pooled 6 RCTs (440 patients) and found Shengmai plus usual treatment improved NYHA classification (RR 0.37, 95% CI 0.25-0.54) with reported gains in ejection fraction, cardiac output and stroke volume, but conclusions were limited by low patient numbers, significant heterogeneity and the inability to attribute effects to any single herb."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Anticancer activity (tumour growth and metastasis suppression)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided review in Phytomedicine reports that Ophiopogon japonicus extracts and the constituents DT-13, ophiopogonin B and ophiopogonin D inhibit a variety of cancer cell lines in vitro and suppress tumour growth and metastasis in vivo by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting angiogenesis, reportedly without serious toxicity; no clinical trial data are presented."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Anticancer activity (tumour growth and metastasis suppression)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided review in Phytomedicine reports that Ophiopogon japonicus extracts and the constituents DT-13, ophiopogonin B and ophiopogonin D inhibit a variety of cancer cell lines in vitro and suppress tumour growth and metastasis in vivo by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy and inhibiting angiogenesis, reportedly without serious toxicity; no clinical trial data are presented."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of ophiopogonin D","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 pharmacology review of ophiopogonin D found only animal and cell-model evidence (no human clinical trials): e.g. concentrations below 100 microM did not harm cardiomyocyte morphology while the isomer OP-D' at 6 microM increased apoptosis and endoplasmic-reticulum stress gene expression, and rat pharmacokinetics after 77.0 microg/kg IV fitted a two-compartment model."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of ophiopogonin D","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 pharmacology review of ophiopogonin D found only animal and cell-model evidence (no human clinical trials): e.g. concentrations below 100 microM did not harm cardiomyocyte morphology while the isomer OP-D' at 6 microM increased apoptosis and endoplasmic-reticulum stress gene expression, and rat pharmacokinetics after 77.0 microg/kg IV fitted a two-compartment model."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of ophiopogonin D","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 pharmacology review of ophiopogonin D found only animal and cell-model evidence (no human clinical trials): e.g. concentrations below 100 microM did not harm cardiomyocyte morphology while the isomer OP-D' at 6 microM increased apoptosis and endoplasmic-reticulum stress gene expression, and rat pharmacokinetics after 77.0 microg/kg IV fitted a two-compartment model."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ophiopogon","outcome":"Dry cough, xerostomia and 'lung yin' moistening in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Ophiopogon japonicus alone for cough, dry mouth or yin-deficiency symptoms was identified in this session; human evidence exists only for multi-herb formulas such as Shengmai/Shenmai in cardiovascular indications."}]}]},{"name":"Fennel Seed Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/fennel-seed-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Fennel Seed"],"ingredients_canonical":["fennel"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims are stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"fennel","research_target":"fennel","common_names":["Fennel seed (fennel fruit)","Xiao Hui Xiang","Foeniculum vulgare Mill."],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / interior-warming herb (warms the Kidneys and disperses cold, regulates Qi and harmonizes the stomach) rather than a Qi or Yin tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced pain in primary dysmenorrhoea versus placebo","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Two independent meta-analyses agree on benefit: 7 RCTs (n=468) gave SMD -3.27 (95% CI -5.28 to -1.26, p=0.001) but with I2=98%, and a second meta-analysis of 7 studies gave SMD -0.632 (95% CI -0.827 to -0.436, p<0.001, I2=0%). The Nutrients review judged overall certainty low, risk of bias moderate, all trials Iranian, with possible publication bias.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel for Reducing Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3438","year":2020},{"title":"Effect of fennel on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187122/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Equivalence to NSAID (mefenamic acid) for menstrual pain","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"Head-to-head pooling found no significant difference between fennel and conventional drug therapy: SMD 0.07 (95% CI -0.08 to 0.21, 7 RCTs, n=502, I2=0%) in one review and SMD -0.214 (95% CI -0.446 to 0.017, p=0.07, 6 trials) in the other - i.e. comparable analgesia rather than superiority.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel for Reducing Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3438","year":2020},{"title":"Effect of fennel on primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34187122/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Improved menopausal symptoms","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 7 RCTs found that the two placebo-controlled trials favoured fennel for overall menopausal symptoms (n=145; SMD -1.32, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.87, p<0.00001), although included RCTs generally had concerning risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) for the management of menopausal women's health: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33725577/","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Fennel has more human RCT evidence than most tonic-herb ingredients, and two independent meta-analyses agree it reduces primary dysmenorrhoea pain versus placebo with efficacy statistically indistinguishable from mefenamic acid; a smaller pooled analysis also favours it for overall menopausal symptoms. The caveats are substantial: the trials are almost all small, Iranian, moderate-to-high risk of bias, with extreme heterogeneity (I2=98%) and suspected publication bias, so the true effect size is uncertain. Galactagogue and infant-colic uses remain poorly substantiated, and the estragole content plus phytoestrogenic anethole mean fennel is not a 'safe by default' herb for infants, prolonged high-dose use, or hormone-sensitive conditions."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Reduced pain in primary dysmenorrhoea versus placebo","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Two independent meta-analyses agree on benefit: 7 RCTs (n=468) gave SMD -3.27 (95% CI -5.28 to -1.26, p=0.001) but with I2=98%, and a second meta-analysis of 7 studies gave SMD -0.632 (95% CI -0.827 to -0.436, p<0.001, I2=0%). The Nutrients review judged overall certainty low, risk of bias moderate, all trials Iranian, with possible publication bias."},{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Equivalence to NSAID (mefenamic acid) for menstrual pain","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Head-to-head pooling found no significant difference between fennel and conventional drug therapy: SMD 0.07 (95% CI -0.08 to 0.21, 7 RCTs, n=502, I2=0%) in one review and SMD -0.214 (95% CI -0.446 to 0.017, p=0.07, 6 trials) in the other - i.e. comparable analgesia rather than superiority."},{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Improved menopausal symptoms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 7 RCTs found that the two placebo-controlled trials favoured fennel for overall menopausal symptoms (n=145; SMD -1.32, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.87, p<0.00001), although included RCTs generally had concerning risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Sexual function, quality of life and psychological health in menopausal women","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same review, studies addressing sexual function, quality of life and psychological health did not show beneficial effects of fennel, and the authors concluded effectiveness and safety for quality of life and psychological health remain unclear."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Improved menopausal symptoms","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 7 RCTs found that the two placebo-controlled trials favoured fennel for overall menopausal symptoms (n=145; SMD -1.32, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.87, p<0.00001), although included RCTs generally had concerning risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Sexual function, quality of life and psychological health in menopausal women","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same review, studies addressing sexual function, quality of life and psychological health did not show beneficial effects of fennel, and the authors concluded effectiveness and safety for quality of life and psychological health remain unclear."},{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Increased breast-milk production (galactagogue effect)","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"LactMed concludes fennel is a purported galactagogue: two small studies found increases in some parameters such as milk volume, fat content and infant weight gain, but the evidence base is small and confounded, and anethole and 1,8-cineole measurably pass into breast milk."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Reduced pain in primary dysmenorrhoea versus placebo","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Two independent meta-analyses agree on benefit: 7 RCTs (n=468) gave SMD -3.27 (95% CI -5.28 to -1.26, p=0.001) but with I2=98%, and a second meta-analysis of 7 studies gave SMD -0.632 (95% CI -0.827 to -0.436, p<0.001, I2=0%). The Nutrients review judged overall certainty low, risk of bias moderate, all trials Iranian, with possible publication bias."},{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Equivalence to NSAID (mefenamic acid) for menstrual pain","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Head-to-head pooling found no significant difference between fennel and conventional drug therapy: SMD 0.07 (95% CI -0.08 to 0.21, 7 RCTs, n=502, I2=0%) in one review and SMD -0.214 (95% CI -0.446 to 0.017, p=0.07, 6 trials) in the other - i.e. comparable analgesia rather than superiority."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Relief of infantile colic","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"Fennel decoctions are a classical remedy for infant colic and a placebo-controlled trial of fennel seed oil emulsion in infantile colic exists, but the safety review notes that concerns about estragole exposure in babies prompted regulatory restrictions, so efficacy and safety must be weighed together in this population."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"fennel","outcome":"Increased breast-milk production (galactagogue effect)","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"LactMed concludes fennel is a purported galactagogue: two small studies found increases in some parameters such as milk volume, fat content and infant weight gain, but the evidence base is small and confounded, and anethole and 1,8-cineole measurably pass into breast milk."}]}]},{"name":"Ginger Dried Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/ginger-root-dried-kind-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Ginger"],"ingredients_canonical":["ginger"],"claims_vendor":["Aids digestion","Warms the body","Expels cold","Supports digestive warmth, Qi movement, and internal balance","Helps maintain healthy digestion, especially when the body feels cold, sluggish, or lacking in internal warmth","Supports the Spleen and digestive system","Helps the body process and utilize nutrients more efficiently","Acts as a supportive herb in formulations","Helps enhance the activity of other herbs, particularly Qi tonics","Promotes warmth and circulation"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"ginger","research_target":"ginger","common_names":["Ginger rhizome (fresh = sheng jiang; dried = gan jiang)","Sheng Jiang (\u751f\u59dc) / Gan Jiang (\u5e72\u59dc)","Zingiber officinale Roscoe"],"tcm_category":"Warm/acrid exterior-releasing and interior-warming herb (Yang-warming, not a classic tonic); harmonizing and antiemetic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An umbrella review of 24 systematic reviews (180 primary studies) of orally consumed ginger found nausea and vomiting of pregnancy among the outcomes most consistently improved, though many included reviews were of low or critically low AMSTAR-2 quality and 59% of meta-analysed outcomes had very low to low GRADE certainty.","sources":[{"title":"Orally consumed ginger and human health: an umbrella review of systematic reviews (Am J Clin Nutr)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9170469/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative vomiting","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bayesian network meta-analysis of 18 publications (2,199 patients) found ginger oil ranked best for reducing postoperative vomiting versus placebo (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.96), with high-to-moderate confidence in the estimate.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]},{"outcome":"Postoperative nausea (as distinct from vomiting)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the same network meta-analysis, no ginger regimen was statistically superior to placebo for postoperative nausea intensity, indicating the antiemetic effect is clearer for vomiting than for nausea.","sources":[{"title":"Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) preparations for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A Bayesian network meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37379959/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ginger is one of the best-studied items in this batch and the aggregate evidence genuinely supports modest antiemetic benefit (pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, postoperative vomiting, acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting) and small reductions in osteoarthritis pain and disability. It does not support ginger as a glucose-lowering agent in type 2 diabetes, and its effect on nausea intensity as opposed to vomiting is inconsistent. Study quality is a real limitation: most contributing systematic reviews are low quality with heterogeneous preparations and doses, and gastrointestinal intolerance causes more withdrawals than placebo."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An umbrella review of 24 systematic reviews (180 primary studies) of orally consumed ginger found nausea and vomiting of pregnancy among the outcomes most consistently improved, though many included reviews were of low or critically low AMSTAR-2 quality and 59% of meta-analysed outcomes had very low to low GRADE certainty."},{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Postoperative vomiting","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Bayesian network meta-analysis of 18 publications (2,199 patients) found ginger oil ranked best for reducing postoperative vomiting versus placebo (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16-0.96), with high-to-moderate confidence in the estimate."},{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Postoperative nausea (as distinct from vomiting)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the same network meta-analysis, no ginger regimen was statistically superior to placebo for postoperative nausea intensity, indicating the antiemetic effect is clearer for vomiting than for nausea."},{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Chemotherapy-induced acute vomiting and fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis found ginger <=1 g/day for more than 3 days reduced acute vomiting (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.81; moderate-quality evidence) and reduced fatigue (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.03-0.87; low quality), but there was no significant effect on overall or delayed vomiting or on nausea likelihood/severity."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Osteoarthritis pain and disability","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 5 placebo-controlled RCTs (593 patients) found modest reductions in pain (SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.09) and disability (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.04) with oral ginger, rated moderate-quality evidence."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Osteoarthritis pain and disability","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 5 placebo-controlled RCTs (593 patients) found modest reductions in pain (SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.09) and disability (SMD -0.22, 95% CI -0.39 to -0.04) with oral ginger, rated moderate-quality evidence."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Chemotherapy-induced acute vomiting and fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis found ginger <=1 g/day for more than 3 days reduced acute vomiting (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.81; moderate-quality evidence) and reduced fatigue (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.03-0.87; low quality), but there was no significant effect on overall or delayed vomiting or on nausea likelihood/severity."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Chemotherapy-induced acute vomiting and fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis found ginger <=1 g/day for more than 3 days reduced acute vomiting (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.17-0.81; moderate-quality evidence) and reduced fatigue (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.03-0.87; low quality), but there was no significant effect on overall or delayed vomiting or on nausea likelihood/severity."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (ginger powder 1.2-2 g/day for 4-12 weeks) found no significant pooled effect on fasting blood glucose or HbA1c, although two individual trials reported reductions in fasting glucose."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ginger","outcome":"Glycaemic control (fasting glucose, HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 5 RCTs (ginger powder 1.2-2 g/day for 4-12 weeks) found no significant pooled effect on fasting blood glucose or HbA1c, although two individual trials reported reductions in fasting glucose."}]}]},{"name":"Crataegus Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/hawthorn-fruit-crataegus-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Crataegus"],"ingredients_canonical":["hawthorn"],"claims_vendor":["Digestive Support: Helps support healthy digestion and breakdown of food","Post-Meal Comfort: Traditionally used to support comfort after heavy or rich meals","Digestive Flow: Supports the smooth processing and movement of food","Bloat & Fullness Support: Helps maintain a light, comfortable feeling after eating","Metabolic Support: Supports the body\u2019s natural processing of fats and nutrients","Heart System Support: Traditionally associated with overall circulatory balance"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"hawthorn","research_target":"hawthorn","common_names":["Hawthorn fruit / berry (also leaf and flower)","Shan Zha","Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge; Crataegus monogyna / laevigata (European, extract WS 1442)"],"tcm_category":"Food-stagnation resolver / digestive (xiao shi) and Blood-mover (invigorates Blood, dispels stasis)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved exercise tolerance and symptoms in chronic heart failure (adjunct therapy)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"The Cochrane review of double-blind placebo-controlled trials of hawthorn leaf-and-flower monopreparations included 14 trials, 10 of them (855 patients) in meta-analysis, and concluded there is significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes (e.g. maximal workload, pressure-heart-rate product) when hawthorn is added to conventional treatment.","sources":[{"title":"Hawthorn extract for treating chronic heart failure (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD005312)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18254076/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced blood pressure in hypertension","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 PRISMA meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42024557170) of randomized placebo-controlled trials in hypertensive adults - 7 studies, 449 patients - found systolic BP fell by a mean 6.65 mmHg (95% CI -11.72 to 1.59) and diastolic by 7.19 mmHg (95% CI -15.17 to 0.79) after 2-6 months; the point estimates are clinically meaningful but the confidence intervals cross zero.","sources":[{"title":"Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) Clinically Significantly Reduces Blood Pressure in Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12298042/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Blood pressure and lipids with hawthorn fruit drink in mild hypertension/hyperlipidemia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (61 completers, two 8-week periods, extract from 60 g fresh fruit daily) in Chinese patients with mild hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia tested BP and cholesterol endpoints; the high sucrose load of the beverage (~112 g/day) complicates interpretation of metabolic outcomes.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Hawthorn Fruit Extract Drink in Chinese Patients With Mild Hypertension and/or Hyperlipidaemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study","url":"https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15593258241303136","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Hawthorn is one of the few herbs in this batch with genuine randomized-trial support: the Cochrane review of 14 double-blind trials found consistent improvement in exercise capacity and symptoms when leaf-and-flower extract is added to standard chronic heart failure therapy, and a 2025 meta-analysis suggests a clinically sizeable but statistically imprecise blood-pressure reduction. Importantly, no trial has shown a reduction in mortality or hard cardiac events, and evidence for the fruit (Shan Zha) specifically - as opposed to standardized European leaf/flower extracts such as WS 1442 - is much weaker. The traditional TCM digestive indication and popular lipid-lowering/weight-loss claims are not supported by controlled human trials, and the main practical caution is interference with digoxin immunoassays in cardiac patients."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Improved exercise tolerance and symptoms in chronic heart failure (adjunct therapy)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The Cochrane review of double-blind placebo-controlled trials of hawthorn leaf-and-flower monopreparations included 14 trials, 10 of them (855 patients) in meta-analysis, and concluded there is significant benefit in symptom control and physiologic outcomes (e.g. maximal workload, pressure-heart-rate product) when hawthorn is added to conventional treatment."},{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Reduced blood pressure in hypertension","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42024557170) of randomized placebo-controlled trials in hypertensive adults - 7 studies, 449 patients - found systolic BP fell by a mean 6.65 mmHg (95% CI -11.72 to 1.59) and diastolic by 7.19 mmHg (95% CI -15.17 to 0.79) after 2-6 months; the point estimates are clinically meaningful but the confidence intervals cross zero."},{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Mortality / hard cardiovascular endpoints in heart failure","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The benefit-risk assessment of the standardized extract WS 1442 notes that while symptom and exercise-capacity benefits are reproducible, trials have not demonstrated a reduction in mortality or major cardiac events."},{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Blood pressure and lipids with hawthorn fruit drink in mild hypertension/hyperlipidemia","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (61 completers, two 8-week periods, extract from 60 g fresh fruit daily) in Chinese patients with mild hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia tested BP and cholesterol endpoints; the high sucrose load of the beverage (~112 g/day) complicates interpretation of metabolic outcomes."},{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Cardiovascular pharmacology: positive inotropy, antioxidant and vasodilatory effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In vitro and animal studies show hawthorn extracts produce mild positive inotropic effects, coronary vasodilation, antioxidant activity and hypolipidemic effects, providing a mechanistic basis for the heart failure trials."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Reduced blood pressure in hypertension","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42024557170) of randomized placebo-controlled trials in hypertensive adults - 7 studies, 449 patients - found systolic BP fell by a mean 6.65 mmHg (95% CI -11.72 to 1.59) and diastolic by 7.19 mmHg (95% CI -15.17 to 0.79) after 2-6 months; the point estimates are clinically meaningful but the confidence intervals cross zero."},{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Blood pressure and lipids with hawthorn fruit drink in mild hypertension/hyperlipidemia","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (61 completers, two 8-week periods, extract from 60 g fresh fruit daily) in Chinese patients with mild hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia tested BP and cholesterol endpoints; the high sucrose load of the beverage (~112 g/day) complicates interpretation of metabolic outcomes."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Reduced blood pressure in hypertension","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2025 PRISMA meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42024557170) of randomized placebo-controlled trials in hypertensive adults - 7 studies, 449 patients - found systolic BP fell by a mean 6.65 mmHg (95% CI -11.72 to 1.59) and diastolic by 7.19 mmHg (95% CI -15.17 to 0.79) after 2-6 months; the point estimates are clinically meaningful but the confidence intervals cross zero."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Blood pressure and lipids with hawthorn fruit drink in mild hypertension/hyperlipidemia","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study (61 completers, two 8-week periods, extract from 60 g fresh fruit daily) in Chinese patients with mild hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia tested BP and cholesterol endpoints; the high sucrose load of the beverage (~112 g/day) complicates interpretation of metabolic outcomes."},{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Cardiovascular pharmacology: positive inotropy, antioxidant and vasodilatory effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In vitro and animal studies show hawthorn extracts produce mild positive inotropic effects, coronary vasodilation, antioxidant activity and hypolipidemic effects, providing a mechanistic basis for the heart failure trials."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Cardiovascular pharmacology: positive inotropy, antioxidant and vasodilatory effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In vitro and animal studies show hawthorn extracts produce mild positive inotropic effects, coronary vasodilation, antioxidant activity and hypolipidemic effects, providing a mechanistic basis for the heart failure trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"hawthorn","outcome":"Digestive / food-stagnation relief (the primary TCM indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Hawthorn fruit's classical role in promoting digestion of fatty foods is well documented in materia medica but was not supported by any controlled clinical trial identified in this search."}]}]},{"name":"Monk Fruit Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/luo-han-guo-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Monk Fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["monk fruit (luo han guo)"],"claims_vendor":["Throat Comfort Support: Helps support a soothing, comfortable throat","Cooling Balance: Promotes a refreshing, cooling effect for internal balance","Respiratory Support: Traditionally used to support clear and comfortable breathing","Natural Sweetness: Provides a naturally sweet, pleasant taste","Lung System Support: Supports overall balance in the Lung system","Light and Refreshing: Ideal for maintaining a clear, refreshed feeling","Monk Fruit is traditionally used to support throat comfort, respiratory balance, and internal cooling.","In Chinese herbalism, it is valued for its ability to promote a sense of refreshment and clarity, especially when the body feels warm or exposed to environmental stressors.","Its gentle, cooling nature makes it a popular choice for supporting balance in the Lung system.","Monk Fruit is also known for its pleasant, naturally sweet flavor, making it both enjoyable and easy to incorporate into daily routines."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","research_target":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","common_names":["monk fruit","luo han guo (\u7f57\u6c49\u679c)","Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (syn. Momordica grosvenorii; Fructus Momordicae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / heat-clearing, Lung-moistening herb (sweet, cool; enters Lung and Spleen channels) \u2014 not a classical Qi tonic","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous.","sources":[{"title":"Monk Fruit Extract and Sustainable Health: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12073669/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Luo Han Guo on throat complications associated with tracheal intubation: a randomized controlled trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683879/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints.","sources":[{"title":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: chemical composition, pharmacology and applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11024725/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"The best-supported claim is metabolic neutrality: when monk fruit extract replaces sugar, small RCTs consistently show lower postprandial glucose and insulin excursions, and one 203-patient RCT supports a throat-soothing effect consistent with the traditional Lung-moistening indication. Everything beyond that \u2014 antitussive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-obesity claims \u2014 rests on cell and rodent work only, and EFSA has explicitly called the toxicology database inadequate to set an acceptable daily intake. Monk fruit is best regarded as a well-tolerated sweetener with plausible throat/cough benefit, not as a validated therapeutic tonic."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced postprandial glucose and insulin response when substituted for sugar","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants, doses ~250-300 mg/day monk fruit extract, durations from single-session to 6 months) reported reductions in postprandial glucose of roughly 10-18% and in insulin response of roughly 12-22% versus sucrose comparators, with no severe adverse events. No meta-analytic pooling was performed and trials were small and heterogeneous."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Reduced sore throat, hoarseness and cough after tracheal intubation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A double-blind randomized controlled trial (203 enrolled, 189 analysed; ChiCTR-INR-17012203) in women undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy tested a Luo Han Guo preparation for post-intubation throat complications and reported reduced throat pain and hoarseness versus control."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Antihyperglycaemic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antitussive activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Siraitia grosvenorii catalogued in vitro and rodent evidence for glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antitussive effects of mogrosides, but identified no controlled human trials for these endpoints."},{"ingredient":"monk fruit (luo han guo)","outcome":"Genotoxicity and repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"EFSA's safety assessment found monk fruit extract negative in the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro micronucleus assays, with a 28-day rat NOAEL of 7,478 mg extract/kg bw/day; however EFSA concluded the overall toxicity database was insufficient to establish safety as a food additive and could not set a health-based guidance value."}]}]},{"name":"Ligusticum Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/ligusticum-chuanxiong-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Ligusticum"],"ingredients_canonical":["ligusticum"],"claims_vendor":["Circulation Support: Helps support healthy blood flow and overall circulation","Flow and Movement: Traditionally used to promote smooth movement of Qi and Blood","Women's Balance Support: Supports natural balance and comfort as part of a well-rounded routine","Warmth and Activation: Provides warming support to help maintain internal flow and balance","Heart System Support: Supports overall cardiovascular and circulatory wellness","Formula Synergy: A key herb used to enhance movement and effectiveness within formulas","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas.","Ligusticum is one of the primary herbs in traditional Chinese herbalism used to support the movement of Blood and Qi, helping maintain healthy circulation and internal flow.","Traditionally associated with the Liver and Heart systems, Ligusticum is valued for its warming and activating nature, supporting balance in areas where flow may feel stagnant or restricted.","It is often used to promote movement and circulation.","Ligusticum is also commonly included in herbal blends designed to support women's health and overall balance, where maintaining proper circulation is considered essential."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"ligusticum","research_target":"ligusticum","common_names":["Szechuan lovage root / chuanxiong rhizome","Chuan Xiong","Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (syn. Conioselinum anthriscoides)"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood and promotes qi movement; not a tonic per se)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical effect of ligustrazine on diabetic nephropathy","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22298446/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Clinical efficacy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ligustrazine as add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (366 patients) found benefit for ligustrazine added to conventional therapy, but every included trial was rated low quality on the modified Jadad scale (two scored 2, five scored 1) with no described allocation concealment or blinding, so the pooled result is at high risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-Analysis of Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Ligustrazine in the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7665923/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose.","sources":[{"title":"Ligusticum chuanxiong: a chemical, pharmacological and clinical review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Chuanxiong is chemically well characterised and its constituent tetramethylpyrazine has been developed into an injectable drug with meta-analysed benefits in diabetic nephropathy and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - but those meta-analyses pool small, uniformly low-quality Chinese trials with no allocation concealment or blinding, and the largest reports no numerical effect sizes. Evidence for the traditional oral uses (headache, dysmenorrhoea, blood stasis) rests on tradition and preclinical vasodilatory/antiplatelet mechanisms rather than rigorous trials. Overall: plausible cardiovascular and renal pharmacology, weak clinical proof, and results from IV ligustrazine should not be read as evidence for oral chuanxiong products."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Clinical efficacy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ligustrazine as add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (366 patients) found benefit for ligustrazine added to conventional therapy, but every included trial was rated low quality on the modified Jadad scale (two scored 2, five scored 1) with no described allocation concealment or blinding, so the pooled result is at high risk of bias."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review."}]}]},{"name":"Ligustrum Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/ligustrum-fruit-seed-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Ligustrum"],"ingredients_canonical":["ligustrum"],"claims_vendor":["Yin Jing Support: Helps support deep nourishment and foundational vitality","Longevity Support: Traditionally used to promote long-term vitality and graceful aging","Hair Vitality Support: Supports healthy-looking hair and helps maintain natural color over time","Lower Body Support: Supports strength and balance in the lower back and legs","Vision and Hearing Support: Traditionally used to support clarity of the senses","Cooling Balance: Provides gentle cooling support to help maintain internal harmony","Ligustrum is traditionally used to support Yin Jing, the body's deep reserve of nourishment and long-term vitality.","Ligustrum offers a similar range of benefits to Polygonum with a naturally cooling quality, making it a valuable option for those seeking balance while supporting foundational energy.","Ligustrum has long been used in traditional herbal systems to promote longevity, resilience, and overall vitality, especially as part of a consistent tonic program.","Ligustrum is traditionally associated with supporting healthy hair, vision, and overall sensory clarity, reflecting its role in maintaining vitality as the body ages."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"ligustrum","research_target":"ligustrum","common_names":["glossy privet fruit / ligustrum","nu zhen zi (\u5973\u8d1e\u5b50)","Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin); also described as a kidney-tonifying herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract on bone turnover and calcium balance in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16462034/","year":2006},{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi aqueous extract promotes calcium balance and short-chain fatty acids production in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34153448/","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ligustrum lucidum has a coherent and fairly deep preclinical story for bone: multiple ovariectomized-rat studies show improved calcium absorption, reduced bone turnover markers and higher bone mineral density, which maps neatly onto its traditional Kidney/Liver Yin-tonifying indication for weak bones and low-back soreness. What is missing is humans \u2014 the specialist review states outright that well-designed clinical trials are still needed, and no RCT of the single herb for osteoporosis, vision, hair greying or anti-ageing was found. Claims of anti-ageing, hepatoprotective or immune benefit should be presented as preclinical only."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]}]},{"name":"Magnolia Flower Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/magnolia-flower-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Magnolia Flower"],"ingredients_canonical":["magnolia flower (xin yi hua)"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims are stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","research_target":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","common_names":["magnolia flower bud","xin yi hua / xin yi (\u8f9b\u5937\u82b1)","Magnolia biondii Pamp. (also M. denudata, M. sprengeri; Flos Magnoliae)"],"tcm_category":"Not a tonic \u2014 an exterior-releasing / wind-cold-dispersing herb that opens the nasal passages (pungent, warm; Lung and Stomach channels)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced nasal symptoms in perennial allergic rhinitis (as the formula Xin Yi San)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 108 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis found 3 months of Xin-yi-san attenuated sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion, reduced nasal airflow resistance, increased nostril cross-sectional area and suppressed serum specific IgE versus placebo. The intervention is a multi-herb formula, not isolated magnolia bud.","sources":[{"title":"Traditional Chinese medicine, Xin-yi-san, reduces nasal symptoms of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis by its diverse immunomodulatory effects","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20546945/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Improved total nasal symptom scores with oral Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (2,013 participants, 17 trials in Chinese) comparing oral Chinese herbal medicine with antihistamines/corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis pooled nasal symptom outcomes; magnolia flower bud (xin yi hua) is a common constituent of the tested formulas, but the herb was never tested alone and trial quality/language bias limits confidence.","sources":[{"title":"Oral application of Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8457023/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Inhibition of mast cell degranulation (antiallergic mechanism)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Of 33 lignans isolated from Magnolia biondii flower buds, compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, consistent with suppression of mast-cell activation as the antiallergic mechanism.","sources":[{"title":"New furofuran and tetrahydrofuran lignans from the flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp and their antiallergic effects","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36395104/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"For the traditional indication \u2014 nasal blockage from rhinitis and sinusitis \u2014 there is real human evidence, but it is at the formula level: one 108-patient placebo-controlled RCT of Xin Yi San and a meta-analysis of 18 Chinese-language RCTs of multi-herb formulas that commonly contain xin yi hua. The single-herb and single-compound evidence (lignans inhibiting mast-cell degranulation, reduced plasma histamine) is mechanistic only, so the specific contribution of magnolia bud cannot be isolated. Claims beyond nasal/upper-airway allergy \u2014 and any tonic framing \u2014 are unsupported."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Improved total nasal symptom scores with oral Chinese herbal medicine for allergic rhinitis","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (2,013 participants, 17 trials in Chinese) comparing oral Chinese herbal medicine with antihistamines/corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis pooled nasal symptom outcomes; magnolia flower bud (xin yi hua) is a common constituent of the tested formulas, but the herb was never tested alone and trial quality/language bias limits confidence."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Reduced nasal symptoms in perennial allergic rhinitis (as the formula Xin Yi San)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 108 patients with perennial allergic rhinitis found 3 months of Xin-yi-san attenuated sneezing, rhinorrhoea and nasal congestion, reduced nasal airflow resistance, increased nostril cross-sectional area and suppressed serum specific IgE versus placebo. The intervention is a multi-herb formula, not isolated magnolia bud."},{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Reduced plasma histamine","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An animal study cited in the allergic-rhinitis systematic review reported that aqueous extract of Magnoliae Flos (xin yi hua) reduced plasma histamine levels, supporting an antihistaminic mechanism for the traditional indication."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Inhibition of mast cell degranulation (antiallergic mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Of 33 lignans isolated from Magnolia biondii flower buds, compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, consistent with suppression of mast-cell activation as the antiallergic mechanism."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"magnolia flower (xin yi hua)","outcome":"Inhibition of mast cell degranulation (antiallergic mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Of 33 lignans isolated from Magnolia biondii flower buds, compounds 7, 8, 13, 15 and 18 significantly inhibited beta-hexosaminidase release from mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, consistent with suppression of mast-cell activation as the antiallergic mechanism."}]}]},{"name":"Polygala Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/polygala-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Polygala"],"ingredients_canonical":["polygala"],"claims_vendor":["Shen Support: Helps support a calm, centered, and balanced state of mind","Focus and Clarity: Supports mental clarity, attention, and directed thinking","Emotional Balance: Helps promote a sense of calm and emotional steadiness","Creative Support: Traditionally used to support creativity and inspired thinking","Mind-Body Connection: Supports harmony between mental focus and overall vitality","Motivation and Drive: Helps support consistency and follow-through in daily routines","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"polygala","research_target":"polygala","common_names":["Polygala root / Chinese senega root (Polygalae Radix)","yuan zhi","Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (also P. sibirica L.)"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (spirit-calming herb that also transforms Phlegm and opens the orifices)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy.","sources":[{"title":"Polygala tenuifolia and Acorus tatarinowii in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815298/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of BT-11 on memory in healthy humans","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19429065/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Reduced amyloid-beta damage and improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease mice by attenuating amyloid-beta damage and acting on the ERK pathway. Rodent model only.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharide from Polygala tenuifolia alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease mice by alleviating Abeta damage and targeting the ERK pathway","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38081400/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polygala is one of the better-studied Chinese spirit-calming herbs for cognition, but the human evidence is thin and confounded: the meta-analysis showing cognitive benefit in Alzheimer's disease tested Polygala combined with Acorus tatarinowii, usually on top of donepezil, in trials at high risk of bias, and the only clean monotherapy RCT (BT-11) is small, old and showed large placebo improvements on most memory subtests. Mechanistic support for the memory claim is reasonably consistent (neurogenesis, amyloid-beta handling, ERK signalling) but rodent-only. The best-documented human-relevant fact is a liability rather than a benefit: the saponins that drive sedative activity also cause dose-dependent gastrointestinal and throat irritation, which is why the root is traditionally processed."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Reduced amyloid-beta damage and improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease mice by attenuating amyloid-beta damage and acting on the ERK pathway. Rodent model only."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Rescued hippocampal neurogenesis and attenuated cognitive deficits","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An active constituent of P. tenuifolia attenuated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting a plausible neurobiological mechanism for the traditional memory indication."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Rescued hippocampal neurogenesis and attenuated cognitive deficits","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An active constituent of P. tenuifolia attenuated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting a plausible neurobiological mechanism for the traditional memory indication."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]}]},{"name":"Poria Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/poria-mushroom-drops-2oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Poria"],"ingredients_canonical":["poria"],"claims_vendor":["Calm Mind Support: Helps promote a relaxed, steady, and balanced state of mind","Fluid Balance Support: Supports healthy water metabolism and internal fluid movement","Digestive Harmony: Supports balance in the Spleen system and overall digestion","Gentle Daily Tonic: Mild, safe, and ideal for consistent, long-term use","Stress Support: Traditionally used to support a sense of calm during times of stress","Longevity Support: A foundational herb commonly used in long-term vitality programs","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas.","Supports Qi (energy) and overall internal balance in a gentle, steady way","Traditionally associated with the Heart, Spleen, and Kidney systems","Promotes a sense of calm and stability","Supports the body's natural fluid balance","Its neutral nature makes it highly versatile and suitable for daily use as part of a long-term tonic program","Traditionally included in classic herbal formulations designed to support relaxation, digestion, and internal harmony","Foundational herb for maintaining balance over time"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"poria","research_target":"poria","common_names":["Poria / hoelen / fu ling mushroom sclerotium","fu ling","Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. (syn. Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / damp-draining harmonising herb (strengthens Spleen, drains Dampness, calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae.","sources":[{"title":"Benefits of herbal formulae containing Poria cocos (Fuling) for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278536","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans.","sources":[{"title":"The Positive Effects of Poria cocos Extract on Quality of Sleep in Insomnia Rat Models","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9180690/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro.","sources":[{"title":"The Role of Wolfiporia cocos (F. A. Wolf) Ryvarden and Gilb. Polysaccharides in Regulating the Gut Microbiota and Its Health Benefits","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11944627/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Poria is supported by a large clinical meta-analysis, but that analysis tests multi-herb formulae containing Fuling added to conventional hypoglycaemics, so the roughly 0.8 mmol/L fasting glucose reduction cannot be attributed to Poria itself, and the trials were low-to-moderate quality and all Chinese. Everything else - sedation via GABA-A receptors, lipid-lowering, anti-obesity, gut-microbiota and renoprotective effects - is animal or in vitro, and even the classic diuretic claim is inconsistent across extract types. Poria appears well tolerated, and the practical safety concerns are allergic reactions, additive diuresis and sulfur-fumigated raw material rather than intrinsic toxicity."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Diuresis and renoprotection in kidney disease models","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Poria triterpenoids reports renoprotective effects across ischaemia-reperfusion, ureteral obstruction, 5/6 nephrectomy, adenine-CKD, nephrotic-syndrome and diabetic-kidney-disease rodent models, but notes that the aqueous extract did not significantly increase urine output while high-dose ethanol extract did, and that no human intervention study exists."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose as add-on therapy in type 2 diabetes (Fuling-containing formulae)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 73 RCTs (6,489 adults, all conducted in China 2002-2021) found that Chinese herbal formulae containing Fuling added to hypoglycaemic agents reduced fasting blood glucose versus hypoglycaemic agents alone (MD -0.82 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.71; I-squared = 79.6%). Evidence quality was low to moderate with substantial risk-of-bias concerns, and Poria was only one component of multi-herb formulae."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans."},{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Improved sleep quality and sleep architecture","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An ethanol extract of Poria cocos increased GABA-A-receptor-mediated chloride influx in rat neurons and shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in pentobarbital, caffeine-arousal and ACTH-disturbed rodent models. Effects are consistent with the traditional spirit-calming use but were not tested in humans."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Anti-obesity, lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects with gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Wolfiporia cocos polysaccharides catalogues dose-ranging mouse and cell studies in which PCP (100-400 mg/kg) reduced high-fat-diet-induced atherosclerosis, hepatic and serum lipids, NAFLD severity, inflammatory cytokines and alcohol-induced liver injury while reshaping gut microbiota. All evidence is animal or in vitro."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"poria","outcome":"Diuresis and renoprotection in kidney disease models","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of Poria triterpenoids reports renoprotective effects across ischaemia-reperfusion, ureteral obstruction, 5/6 nephrectomy, adenine-CKD, nephrotic-syndrome and diabetic-kidney-disease rodent models, but notes that the aqueous extract did not significantly increase urine output while high-dose ethanol extract did, and that no human intervention study exists."}]}]},{"name":"Microcosmic Orbit Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/microcosmic-orbit-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Astragalus seed","Ligustrum fruit","Cuscuta seed","Goji berries","Schizandra fruit","Asian Plantain seed","Rubus fruit","Polygala root"],"ingredients_canonical":["astragalus","ligustrum","cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","goji","schisandra","asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","rubus (fu pen zi)","polygala"],"claims_vendor":["Supports spinal energy flow","Ancient Taoist inner alchemy formula","Supports Microcosmic Orbit Qi flow","Helps eliminate energy blocks in the central/primary energy channel of the body","Great for yogis & martial artists"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"astragalus","research_target":"astragalus","common_names":["Astragalus root, milkvetch root","Huang Qi","Astragalus membranaceus (Astragali Radix)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (tonifies Spleen/Lung qi, raises yang, secures the exterior)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical value of Astragalus membranaceus in diabetic nephropathy (DARE record)","url":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK81215/","year":2011}]},{"outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating.","sources":[{"title":"Astragalus-based Chinese herbs and platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of randomized trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16421421/","year":2006}]},{"outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Astragalus membranaceus on left ventricular remodeling in HFrEF: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10811102/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Astragalus has the largest clinical dataset of any Chinese qi tonic: multiple meta-analyses suggest adjunctive benefit in diabetic kidney disease, chronic heart failure and platinum-based chemotherapy for NSCLC. However nearly all included RCTs are small, Chinese-language, short in duration, often use injectable preparations, and are rated low quality, so the true effect size is uncertain. The widely marketed claims of immune enhancement, anti-aging and 'wei qi' protection rest mainly on preclinical mechanistic data rather than confirmatory human trials."},{"canonical":"ligustrum","research_target":"ligustrum","common_names":["glossy privet fruit / ligustrum","nu zhen zi (\u5973\u8d1e\u5b50)","Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (nourishes Liver and Kidney Yin); also described as a kidney-tonifying herb","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract on bone turnover and calcium balance in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16462034/","year":2006},{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi in Osteoporosis: A Review of its Pharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacokinetics and Safety","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/9/1469","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling.","sources":[{"title":"Fructus Ligustri Lucidi aqueous extract promotes calcium balance and short-chain fatty acids production in ovariectomized rats","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34153448/","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Ligustrum lucidum has a coherent and fairly deep preclinical story for bone: multiple ovariectomized-rat studies show improved calcium absorption, reduced bone turnover markers and higher bone mineral density, which maps neatly onto its traditional Kidney/Liver Yin-tonifying indication for weak bones and low-back soreness. What is missing is humans \u2014 the specialist review states outright that well-designed clinical trials are still needed, and no RCT of the single herb for osteoporosis, vision, hair greying or anti-ageing was found. Claims of anti-ageing, hepatoprotective or immune benefit should be presented as preclinical only."},{"canonical":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","research_target":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","common_names":["Chinese dodder seed, cuscuta seed","Tu Si Zi","Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (Semen Cuscutae / Cuscutae Semen)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney yang) with Jing/essence-securing and liver-nourishing actions","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it.","sources":[{"title":"Therapeutic roles and molecular mechanisms of Cuscutae Semen in reproductive diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12491298/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic / bone-protective effect","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Bioactivity-guided fractionation identified quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, hyperoside and astragalin as osteogenic (alkaline-phosphatase-stimulating) and partly oestrogen-receptor-active compounds in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells, and Cuscuta chinensis extract (100 mg/kg/day) increased bone mineral density and suppressed osteoclasts in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. No human bone-density trial exists.","sources":[{"title":"Antiosteoporotic compounds from seeds of Cuscuta chinensis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463675/","year":2011},{"title":"Beneficial effects of Cuscuta chinensis extract on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis through modulation of RANKL/OPG signals","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31826180/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Hepatoprotective and anti-aging (anti-oxidative) effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In D-galactose-aged rodents, the classical Cuscuta-containing formula Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage; ethnopharmacological reviews similarly report antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity for C. chinensis extracts. Evidence is animal-level only.","sources":[{"title":"Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduces D-galactose-induced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12966258/","year":2025},{"title":"The genus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae): An updated review on indigenous uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7038433/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cuscuta seed is chemically well characterised (flavonoids, phenolic acids, polysaccharides) and shows consistent pro-fertility, bone-protective and antioxidant activity in cell and rodent models. However there are essentially no randomised trials of the single herb in humans; the only clinical data come from multi-herb formulas, so its reputation as a kidney-yang/essence tonic remains traditionally rather than clinically substantiated. Safety appears acceptable at traditional doses but is under-studied."},{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."},{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","research_target":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","common_names":["Asiatic plantain seed / plantain seed (Plantaginis Semen)","che qian zi","Plantago asiatica L. (also P. depressa Willd.)"],"tcm_category":"Damp-draining diuretic (not a tonic) - promotes urination and clears damp-heat; secondarily clears liver heat to brighten the eyes","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased urine output and electrolyte excretion (diuretic effect)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In saline-loaded Sprague-Dawley rats (40 animals, 8/group, 8 days of oral dosing at 10 g/kg), both crude and salt-processed Plantaginis Semen ethanol extracts significantly increased 6-hour urine output versus the model group (P<0.01) with increased urinary electrolyte excretion and decreased aldosterone and aquaporin-2, the salt-processed form being more potent - supporting the classical diuretic indication mechanistically.","sources":[{"title":"Diuretic Effect and Metabolomics Analysis of Crude and Salt-Processed Plantaginis Semen","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7774519/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Improved lipid metabolism and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation in diet-induced obesity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In male C57BL/6 mice fed a 60%-fat diet for 16 weeks then gavaged with Plantago asiatica seed extract at 1.44 g/kg/day for 2 weeks (n=8/group), the extract improved obesity, hyperlipidaemia and hepatic lipid accumulation relative to high-fat controls; the extract was standardized to acteoside, geniposidic acid and plantagoguanidinic acid A.","sources":[{"title":"Plantago asiatica L. Seed Extract Improves Lipid Accumulation and Hyperglycemia in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5535886/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A peer-reviewed phytochemistry and pharmacology review of Plantago asiatica covering 87 identified components attributes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities to its constituents, with mechanisms described from in vitro and animal models and no clinical efficacy results reported.","sources":[{"title":"Phytochemicals, Biological Activities, Molecular Mechanisms, and Future Prospects of Plantago asiatica L.","url":"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07735","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Che qian zi is a damp-draining diuretic rather than a tonic, and its classical indication is the one best supported by modern work: rat studies reproducibly show increased urine and electrolyte output with mechanistic correlates (lower aldosterone and aquaporin-2). Beyond that, the evidence base is entirely preclinical - lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects come from mouse and cell models, and the phytochemistry is well mapped (87 compounds; aucubin, geniposidic acid, acteoside, plantamajoside). There are no adequately reported human randomized trials for any indication, so claimed benefits for urinary tract infection, eye health or male fertility should be treated as unsubstantiated."},{"canonical":"rubus (fu pen zi)","research_target":"rubus (fu pen zi)","common_names":["Chinese raspberry / palmleaf raspberry unripe fruit (Rubi Fructus)","fu pen zi","Rubus chingii Hu"],"tcm_category":"Jing tonic (Kidney-Essence-securing astringent that gently supports Kidney Yang)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory activity (NF-kappaB pathway inhibition)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Highly oxygenated triterpenoids and diterpenoids isolated from Rubi Fructus, and diterpenoid glucosides from the same source, showed NF-kappaB inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro assays.","sources":[{"title":"Highly Oxygenated Triterpenoids and Diterpenoids from Fructus Rubi (Rubus chingii Hu) and Their NF-kappa B Inhibitory Effects","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/7/1911","year":2021},{"title":"Diterpenoid glucosides with anti-inflammatory activity from Rubi Fructus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36448845/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved learning and memory / anti-ageing effects","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews collate rat and mouse studies in which R. chingii preparations improved learning and memory in scopolamine-, sodium-nitrite-, ethanol- and D-galactose-induced amnesia and ageing models, and in Kidney-Yang-deficiency/Alzheimer-type models, alongside antioxidant and anti-thrombotic effects. All animal-level.","sources":[{"title":"Rubus chingii Hu: A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6646936/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"Reviews reference a study in adults with hyperlipidaemia in which raspberry-leaf material reduced serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols, but no controlled human outcome data for R. chingii fruit are reported and the detail available is minimal.","sources":[{"title":"Rubus chingii Hu: A Review of the Phytochemistry and Pharmacology","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6646936/","year":2019},{"title":"Bioactive components, pharmacological effects, and drug development of traditional herbal medicine Rubus chingii Hu (Fu-Pen-Zi)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9868258/","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Rubus chingii is chemically very well characterised - more than 235 constituents, with terpenoids and polyphenols carrying most reported activity - but there is essentially no controlled human evidence. Anti-inflammatory, memory-enhancing, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antitumour findings all come from cell lines and rodents, and the single human reference (lipid lowering) concerns raspberry leaf, is uncontrolled and is reported only second-hand in reviews. The traditional indications of securing Essence, reducing nocturia/enuresis and brightening the eyes are untested clinically, so use should be framed as traditional practice with supportive preclinical pharmacology only."},{"canonical":"polygala","research_target":"polygala","common_names":["Polygala root / Chinese senega root (Polygalae Radix)","yuan zhi","Polygala tenuifolia Willd. (also P. sibirica L.)"],"tcm_category":"Shen tonic (spirit-calming herb that also transforms Phlegm and opens the orifices)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy.","sources":[{"title":"Polygala tenuifolia and Acorus tatarinowii in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10815298/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of BT-11 on memory in healthy humans","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19429065/","year":2009}]},{"outcome":"Reduced amyloid-beta damage and improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease mice by attenuating amyloid-beta damage and acting on the ERK pathway. Rodent model only.","sources":[{"title":"Polysaccharide from Polygala tenuifolia alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease mice by alleviating Abeta damage and targeting the ERK pathway","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38081400/","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polygala is one of the better-studied Chinese spirit-calming herbs for cognition, but the human evidence is thin and confounded: the meta-analysis showing cognitive benefit in Alzheimer's disease tested Polygala combined with Acorus tatarinowii, usually on top of donepezil, in trials at high risk of bias, and the only clean monotherapy RCT (BT-11) is small, old and showed large placebo improvements on most memory subtests. Mechanistic support for the memory claim is reasonably consistent (neurogenesis, amyloid-beta handling, ERK signalling) but rodent-only. The best-documented human-relevant fact is a liability rather than a benefit: the saponins that drive sedative activity also cause dose-dependent gastrointestinal and throat irritation, which is why the root is traditionally processed."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":15,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":5,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":8,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","outcome":"Reduced serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Reviews reference a study in adults with hyperlipidaemia in which raspberry-leaf material reduced serum total cholesterol and triacylglycerols, but no controlled human outcome data for R. chingii fruit are reported and the detail available is minimal."},{"ingredient":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","outcome":"Improved lipid metabolism and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation in diet-induced obesity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In male C57BL/6 mice fed a 60%-fat diet for 16 weeks then gavaged with Plantago asiatica seed extract at 1.44 g/kg/day for 2 weeks (n=8/group), the extract improved obesity, hyperlipidaemia and hepatic lipid accumulation relative to high-fat controls; the extract was standardized to acteoside, geniposidic acid and plantagoguanidinic acid A."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":9,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A peer-reviewed phytochemistry and pharmacology review of Plantago asiatica covering 87 identified components attributes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities to its constituents, with mechanisms described from in vitro and animal models and no clinical efficacy results reported."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Hepatoprotective and anti-aging (anti-oxidative) effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In D-galactose-aged rodents, the classical Cuscuta-containing formula Tu-Si-Zi-Wan reduced hepatic and cerebral oxidative damage; ethnopharmacological reviews similarly report antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity for C. chinensis extracts. Evidence is animal-level only."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":6,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A peer-reviewed phytochemistry and pharmacology review of Plantago asiatica covering 87 identified components attributes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities to its constituents, with mechanisms described from in vitro and animal models and no clinical efficacy results reported."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."},{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory activity (NF-kappaB pathway inhibition)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Highly oxygenated triterpenoids and diterpenoids isolated from Rubi Fructus, and diterpenoid glucosides from the same source, showed NF-kappaB inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro assays."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":6,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved survival and tumour response when added to platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 34 randomised trials (2,815 patients) found Astragalus-based herbal medicine plus platinum chemotherapy reduced 12-month mortality (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.52-0.87) and improved tumour response (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.24-1.46) versus chemotherapy alone. Methodological quality of included trials was poor, so results are considered hypothesis-generating."},{"ingredient":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A peer-reviewed phytochemistry and pharmacology review of Plantago asiatica covering 87 identified components attributes antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities to its constituents, with mechanisms described from in vitro and animal models and no clinical efficacy results reported."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","outcome":"Antitumour and hepatoprotective activity in cell and animal models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"R. chingii polyphenols inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells, and reviews report activity across hepatoma, lung, breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cell lines plus protection in concanavalin-A-induced acute liver injury in mice."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved global cognition in Alzheimer's disease (as part of Polygala tenuifolia + Acorus tatarinowii herbal treatment)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 RCTs (1,103 patients with Alzheimer's disease) evaluated Polygala tenuifolia with Acorus tatarinowii, alone or added to donepezil/memantine, over 3-6 months and reported cognitive and functional benefit. All included trials were at high risk of performance bias, most were Chinese single-centre studies, and the herb pair was not tested as Polygala monotherapy."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Improved verbal and working memory in healthy adults","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study of BT-11 (a dried P. tenuifolia root extract) given three times daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults found greater increases in immediate recall on the Korean California Verbal Learning Test and fewer errors on a Self-Ordered Pointing Test than placebo; however most verbal-memory subtests improved in the placebo group as well, and the abstract does not report sample size."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Reduced amyloid-beta damage and improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Polygala tenuifolia polysaccharide improved spatial cognition in Alzheimer's disease mice by attenuating amyloid-beta damage and acting on the ERK pathway. Rodent model only."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Rescued hippocampal neurogenesis and attenuated cognitive deficits","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An active constituent of P. tenuifolia attenuated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting a plausible neurobiological mechanism for the traditional memory indication."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Reduced proteinuria and improved renal function in diabetic nephropathy (adjunct to standard care)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 trials (21 RCTs, 4 CCTs; 1,804 patients) of Astragalus injection added to conventional therapy reported greater improvement in BUN, serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, urine protein and serum albumin than control. Trials were small, mostly Chinese, and effect sizes were not reported, so certainty is low."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Renoprotection via NLRP3 inflammasome/oxidative-stress pathways (astragaloside IV)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Astragaloside IV attenuates proteinuria and kidney injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rodents by suppressing endoplasmic-reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. No adequately powered RCT of isolated astragaloside IV in humans exists."},{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","outcome":"Improved learning and memory / anti-ageing effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews collate rat and mouse studies in which R. chingii preparations improved learning and memory in scopolamine-, sodium-nitrite-, ethanol- and D-galactose-induced amnesia and ageing models, and in Kidney-Yang-deficiency/Alzheimer-type models, alongside antioxidant and anti-thrombotic effects. All animal-level."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Improved left ventricular function / reverse remodeling in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 RCTs (1,565 patients, all conducted in China, 2-4 week treatment) of Astragalus membranaceus preparations added to conventional heart-failure therapy reported benefit on left ventricular remodeling parameters. All trials were short, small and single-country, limiting generalisability."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Improved reproductive outcomes (male/female infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review found Cuscutae Semen modulates HPG-axis hormones, oxidative stress and apoptosis in cell and animal models of infertility, premature ovarian insufficiency, recurrent spontaneous abortion and PCOS. The authors state explicitly that clinical trials of Cuscutae Semen monotherapy are lacking; human data exist only for multi-herb formulations containing it."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic / bone-protective effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Bioactivity-guided fractionation identified quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, hyperoside and astragalin as osteogenic (alkaline-phosphatase-stimulating) and partly oestrogen-receptor-active compounds in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells, and Cuscuta chinensis extract (100 mg/kg/day) increased bone mineral density and suppressed osteoclasts in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. No human bone-density trial exists."},{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","outcome":"Antitumour and hepatoprotective activity in cell and animal models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"R. chingii polyphenols inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells, and reviews report activity across hepatoma, lung, breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cell lines plus protection in concanavalin-A-induced acute liver injury in mice."},{"ingredient":"asian plantain seed (che qian zi)","outcome":"Recurrence prevention in urinary tract infection and sperm motility in oligoasthenospermia","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A TCM materia medica reference states that clinical research used che qian zi combined with other herbs for urinary tract infections and reported superiority to antibiotics alone for preventing recurrence, and that several studies showed improved sperm motility parameters, but no study designs, sample sizes or numerical results are given and no indexed primary trial was retrievable in this session."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic / bone-protective effect","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Bioactivity-guided fractionation identified quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, hyperoside and astragalin as osteogenic (alkaline-phosphatase-stimulating) and partly oestrogen-receptor-active compounds in UMR-106 osteoblast-like cells, and Cuscuta chinensis extract (100 mg/kg/day) increased bone mineral density and suppressed osteoclasts in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. No human bone-density trial exists."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Improved bone turnover, calcium balance and bone mineral density","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ovariectomized rats, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi extract (550 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks) suppressed the OVX-induced rise in serum osteocalcin and urinary deoxypyridinoline (p<0.05), increased intestinal calcium absorption (p<0.01), reduced urinary calcium excretion and raised bone calcium content; ethanol extract at 700 mg/kg/day increased tibial BMD and biomechanical strength."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Anti-osteoporotic efficacy in humans","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The dedicated osteoporosis review concluded that prospective, well-designed clinical trials are still required to verify FLL's anti-osteoporotic effects and safety; no stand-alone human RCT of Ligustrum lucidum for bone outcomes was identified."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"astragalus","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage/T-cell activation, cytokine modulation) and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review of Astragali radix catalogues immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycaemic, antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cardioprotective activities, largely from in-vitro and animal work, and concludes long-term clinical trials are still needed."},{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-fatigue and antitumour activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review analysing 219 publications and 206 isolated compounds reported anti-osteoporosis, antitumour, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, antidepressant, immunomodulatory and glucose-metabolism effects, essentially all from in vitro and animal models."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"rubus (fu pen zi)","outcome":"Antitumour and hepatoprotective activity in cell and animal models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"R. chingii polyphenols inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells, and reviews report activity across hepatoma, lung, breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cell lines plus protection in concanavalin-A-induced acute liver injury in mice."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Sedative/hypnotic effect with dose-dependent gastrointestinal irritation","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In mice and isolated rabbit ileum, onjisaponin B, tenuifolin and senegenin all potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep but also altered intestinal smooth-muscle tension and changed gastric PGE2 and intestinal TNF-alpha, identifying the same saponins as both the sedative and the irritant principles."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygala","outcome":"Rescued hippocampal neurogenesis and attenuated cognitive deficits","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An active constituent of P. tenuifolia attenuated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice by rescuing hippocampal neurogenesis, supporting a plausible neurobiological mechanism for the traditional memory indication."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligustrum","outcome":"Calcium absorption and short-chain fatty acid production via gut microbiota","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"An aqueous FLL extract promoted calcium balance and increased short-chain fatty acid production in ovariectomized rats, suggesting a gut-microbiota-mediated mechanism for its effects on mineral handling."},{"ingredient":"cuscuta seed (tu si zi)","outcome":"Vision protection / retinal and ocular benefit","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"The traditional indication of brightening the eyes is documented in materia medica sources, but no clinical study of cuscuta seed on visual acuity or eye disease was identified."}]}]},{"name":"Magu's Beauty Secret Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/magu-s-beauty-secret-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Schizandra fruit","Goji berries","Dang Gui root","Chinese White Peony root","Codonopsis root","Cynomorium stem","Longan fruit"],"ingredients_canonical":["schisandra","goji","dang gui","white peony","codonopsis","cynomorium","longan"],"claims_vendor":["Excellent women's tonic","Supports healthy beautiful aging","Supports youthful beauty","Enriches and nourishes the skin","Highly prized herbal substances","Foundational women\u2019s tonic formulation","Deep Jing tonic with strong Blood tonic qualities","Magu is revered because of her deep beauty, warmth and seductive charm","Magu remained eternally young","Magu is associated with staying young, beautiful, alluring and sexy"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"schisandra","research_target":"schisandra","common_names":["Schisandra berry / five-flavor berry (magnolia vine)","wu wei zi","Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / astringent (Yin- and fluid-generating; classified with astringent herbs that secure Essence)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Omija (Schisandra chinensis) Extract Mixture on the Improvement of Hyperglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35956334/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Schisandra chinensis for menopausal symptoms","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27763802/","year":2016}]},{"outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Effect of Schisandra chinensis Extract Supplementation on Quadriceps Muscle Strength and Fatigue in Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2475","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Schisandra has more human data than most Chinese tonic herbs, but the trials are small, single-centre and often use proprietary or combination extracts: three separate RCTs support modest benefits for glycaemic markers, menopausal symptoms and quadriceps strength/fatigue. The best-developed hepatoprotective story rests on a preclinical meta-analysis with clear publication bias, not on controlled human liver-disease trials, so traditional claims for cough, chronic liver disease and 'adaptogenic' resilience remain unproven in humans. Its documented CYP3A4/P-glycoprotein inhibition is arguably the most clinically actionable finding, since it can raise levels of co-administered drugs."},{"canonical":"goji","research_target":"goji","common_names":["Goji berry / wolfberry","gou qi zi","Lycium barbarum L."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic / Blood tonic (liver- and kidney-yin nourishing, brightens the eyes)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) juice","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18447631/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure.","sources":[{"title":"The effects of Lycium barbarum L. (L. barbarum) on cardiometabolic risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401234/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Goji Berry Intake on Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in Healthy Adults","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7257682/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"Human evidence for goji is real but thin: the best-supported signal is a small reduction in fasting glucose in a meta-analysis of 7 mostly low-quality RCTs, plus measurable increases in carotenoid status after berry intake. Claims of improved vision/macular protection are not yet substantiated - the one randomized trial measuring macular pigment optical density found no change - and 'general well-being' benefits rest on a single small 14-day industry-linked trial using subjective questionnaires. The clearest clinically actionable finding is the warfarin interaction risk, not an efficacy claim."},{"canonical":"dang gui","research_target":"dang gui","common_names":["Dong quai / Chinese angelica root","dang gui (\u5f53\u5f52)","Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also blood-mover / blood-regulating; harmonizes and invigorates blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index.","sources":[{"title":"Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/","year":1997}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568789/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with Western medicine for anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/13926/html","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"For its single best-tested Western indication - menopausal hot flashes - dong quai monotherapy failed in a placebo-controlled RCT, and the Astragalus-containing Dang Gui Buxue Tang beat placebo only for mild flushes, so the popular 'female tonic' claim is not well substantiated. The strongest positive human data are Chinese meta-analyses of multi-herb decoctions (anemia indices, pulmonary fibrosis symptoms) which are low-quality, small and cannot isolate Angelica sinensis itself. Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective claims rest largely on polysaccharide work in cells and animals, and the practically important safety signal (coumarin-related bleeding risk with anticoagulants, photosensitivity) is based on case reports rather than trials."},{"canonical":"white peony","research_target":"white peony","common_names":["White peony root","Bai Shao","Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also described as astringing Yin and 'softening' the Liver)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with methotrexate and leflunomide for active rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical safety of total glucosides of paeony adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality.","sources":[{"title":"Total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A methodological and reporting quality evaluation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32871476/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"White peony is one of the better-studied Chinese herbs, but essentially all clinical evidence concerns the standardized extract total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used as an add-on to conventional drugs in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in small trials almost exclusively conducted in mainland China. Pooled results are favorable and TGP appears to reduce methotrexate/leflunomide hepatotoxicity, but an overview of 11 meta-analyses rated all of them critically low in methodological quality with no high-quality GRADE outcomes, so effect sizes are uncertain. The traditional gynecological and antispasmodic uses of the whole root (menstrual regulation, cramping, night sweats) have no comparable controlled human evidence."},{"canonical":"codonopsis","research_target":"codonopsis","common_names":["Codonopsis root / poor man's ginseng / bellflower root","dang shen (\u515a\u53c2)","Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (spleen and lung qi; secondarily nourishes blood and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis.","sources":[{"title":"Dang Shen [Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf] Herbal Formulae for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.5248","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models.","sources":[{"title":"A systematic review of the mechanism of action and potential medicinal value of Codonopsis pilosula in diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11128667/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Antitumor activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data.","sources":[{"title":"A Systematic Review of the Phytochemical Profile and Potential Medicinal Functions of Codonopsis pilosula in Cancer","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40008240/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"The only clinical-grade human evidence for Codonopsis is from multi-herb Chinese formulas in COPD, where a 48-RCT meta-analysis showed real but modest improvements in FEV1, symptom scores and walk distance - benefits that cannot be attributed to Codonopsis alone and come from largely low-quality Chinese trials. Everything else (immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, gastroprotective, cardioprotective actions) is preclinical network-pharmacology and cell/animal work. Its classical role as a mild ginseng substitute for fatigue and poor appetite remains traditional-use knowledge with no dedicated placebo-controlled trials, and safety data beyond mild gastrointestinal complaints are essentially absent."},{"canonical":"cynomorium","research_target":"cynomorium","common_names":["cynomorium / Songaria cynomorium fleshy stem","suo yang (\u9501\u9633)","Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. (Cynomorii Herba)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (tonifies Kidney Yang); sweet, warm; Kidney, Liver and Large Intestine channels","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved erectile function via PDE-5 inhibition","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides were characterised as potent natural phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and ameliorated erectile dysfunction in animal models, which the authors framed as mechanistic validation of the herb's traditional use. No human trial was reported.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides ameliorate erectile dysfunction through potent inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41554452/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls.","sources":[{"title":"Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. flavonoids improve cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive function damage by regulating the testosterone synthesis pathway","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11374658/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal.","sources":[{"title":"A decade review on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711325002429","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cynomorium is one of the better-characterised Yang tonics at the preclinical level: rodent and cell studies show protection of testosterone synthesis and PDE-5 inhibition that plausibly explain its traditional reputation for impotence and low-back weakness, and a full toxicology package shows a very wide safety margin. However there is no human clinical trial evidence at all for any indication, so every efficacy claim should be labelled preclinical. The honest position is 'mechanistically plausible, traditionally established, clinically unproven'."},{"canonical":"longan","research_target":"longan","common_names":["Longan fruit / dragon eye fruit (dried aril)","long yan rou","Dimocarpus longan Lour."],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (Heart-Spleen Blood tonic, also calms the spirit)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and lymphocyte activation)","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A polysaccharide (LP4) purified from fresh longan pulp activated RAW264.7 macrophage phagocytosis and cytokine production and promoted splenic lymphocyte proliferation through TLR2/TLR4-mediated PI3K/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 signalling. Work was entirely in vitro with no human data.","sources":[{"title":"A Novel Polysaccharide Isolated From Fresh Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) Activates Macrophage via TLR2/4-Mediated PI3/AKT and MyD88/TRAF6 Pathways","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8724522/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported.","sources":[{"title":"Extraction, purification, structural features and biological activities of longan fruit pulp (Longyan) polysaccharides: A review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9358249/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35.","sources":[{"title":"Longan syrup with lingzhi mushroom extract: Evaluation of safety and efficacy on immune and inflammatory modulation in healthy adults","url":"https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/anres/article/view/252040","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Longan's modern evidence base is almost entirely preclinical: purified pulp polysaccharides show reproducible immunomodulatory, antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-tumour activity in cells and rodents, and mouse data touch on learning and memory, which loosely parallels the traditional 'nourish Blood, calm the spirit' indication. The only human study identified used a longan-lingzhi syrup and found no significant immune, inflammatory, hepatic or renal changes, plus a high glycaemic index. Traditional claims for insomnia, palpitations, anaemia and mental fatigue are therefore not substantiated by clinical trial evidence."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":5,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Antitumor activity","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 systematic review of the phytochemical profile and anticancer functions of C. pilosula catalogues multi-target antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic signalling effects, but reports no controlled clinical outcome data; claims of 'fewer side effects' for Codonopsis-based formulas are not supported by quantified safety data."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Improved hyperglycaemia (fasting and postprandial glucose, fructosamine, LDL-C)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In an 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 80 adults with fasting glucose 100-140 mg/dL, an omija (S. chinensis) plus soybean extract mixture significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, 30- and 60-min postprandial glucose, insulin AUC, fructosamine and LDL cholesterol versus placebo. The tested product was a combination extract, so the effect cannot be attributed to schisandra alone."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A decade-spanning review of Cynomorium songaricum phytochemistry and pharmacology reported therapeutic potential against metabolic disorders, with flavonoids and polysaccharides showing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; the evidence base is in vitro and animal."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Soluble and non-digestible longan polysaccharides inhibited HCT-116 colon cancer cell growth in vitro, with activity modified by chemical selenylation. Cell-line evidence only, with no animal or human confirmation of an anticancer effect."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Improved lung function, quality of life and exercise capacity in COPD (Dang Shen-containing herbal formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 48 RCTs of Dang Shen herbal formulae in COPD found FEV1 improved by 0.22 L versus conventional pharmacotherapy (95% CI 0.13-0.31), St George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores improved by 7.2-9.1 points, and 6-minute walk distance increased by 51.4 m; results come from multi-herb formulas, not isolated Codonopsis."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Reduced fasting blood glucose (cardiometabolic risk factors)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (548 subjects) found fasting glucose reduced by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI -0.62 to -0.10), but reductions in total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L, P=0.189) and triglycerides (-0.20 mmol/L, P=0.122) were not statistically significant and no benefit was seen for body weight or blood pressure."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta pathways)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of 284 records from the prior five years found that Codonopsis pilosula's most frequently reported molecular targets were TNF-alpha and IL-6 (herb alone), TNF-alpha/IL-1beta/IL-6 (combinations) and apoptosis regulators CASP3, CASP9, Bax and Bcl-2 (isolated constituents), across cardiovascular, nervous and digestive system models."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Hepatoprotection / reduced liver enzymes and oxidative stress in liver injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA systematic review and meta-analysis of 54 controlled animal experiments (1,314 animals) reported that S. chinensis preparations reduced ALT, AST and MDA and increased SOD and GSH in chemically induced liver injury, via Nrf2/ARE antioxidant and anti-inflammatory signalling. This is a preclinical meta-analysis only; Egger's test indicated publication bias for ALT, AST, SOD, MDA and GSH, and no included study reported blinding or allocation concealment."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"codonopsis","outcome":"Spleen-qi tonification / fatigue, appetite and digestive weakness (classical indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Chinese materia medica describes Dang Shen as sweet and neutral, entering lung and spleen meridians, invigorating lung- and spleen-qi, nourishing blood and generating fluids for lassitude, poor appetite, loose stool, chronic cough and palpitations; no controlled trials test these endpoints for the single herb."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation (bleeding)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A published case report describes a 71-year-old woman on warfarin who drank goji juice for 4 days and developed epistaxis, bruising and rectal bleeding with an indeterminate INR and prothrombin time >120 seconds; Naranjo score of 6 indicated a probable herb-drug interaction. A second case report describes similar bleeding with Gouqizi."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Absence of acute, genetic or 90-day repeated-dose toxicity","direction":"no effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A formal toxicology assessment found no mortality or gross lesions in mice given a single 18 g/kg oral dose (432x the clinical human dose, maximum tolerable dose >15 g/kg), negative Ames, bone-marrow micronucleus and spermatocyte chromosomal aberration assays, and no toxicity signal in rats dosed 1.04-4.16 g/kg/day (25-100x clinical dose) for 90 days."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, sweating, palpitations)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (41 randomised, 36 completers, women 40-70 years) of the S. chinensis extract BMO-30 found significantly lower Kupperman Index scores than placebo over 12 weeks (p = 0.042), with benefit concentrated in hot flushes, sweating and palpitations. The trial is small and single-centre."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Increased quadriceps muscle strength and reduced resting lactate","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In 45 post-menopausal women (55-78 years) completing a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 1000 mg/day of S. chinensis extract increased quadriceps muscle strength (group x time p = 0.001; ~7.7% mean improvement) and lowered resting lactate (p = 0.038), with no change in placebo."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Improved erectile function via PDE-5 inhibition","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Cynomorium songaricum polysaccharides were characterised as potent natural phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and ameliorated erectile dysfunction in animal models, which the authors framed as mechanistic validation of the herb's traditional use. No human trial was reported."},{"ingredient":"cynomorium","outcome":"Protection of testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis after chemotherapy-induced damage","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In cyclophosphamide-treated male mice (45/90/180 mg/kg for 28 days) and in bisphenol-A-exposed TM3 Leydig cells, a flavonoid-enriched Cynomorium fraction reduced testicular and epididymal pathology and upregulated key enzymes of the testosterone synthesis pathway versus model controls."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."},{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Reduced tacrolimus-associated diarrhoea and improved liver function in liver-transplant patients","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Memorial Sloan Kettering's herb monograph notes that a small uncontrolled study in liver-transplant patients suggested schisandra reduced tacrolimus-related diarrhoea and agitation and improved liver function, while stating that traditional uses for cough and gastrointestinal complaints are not supported by controlled trials."},{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-tumour, prebiotic, anti-inflammatory and memory-related effects of longan polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of longan fruit pulp polysaccharides collates immunomodulatory, anti-tumour, prebiotic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting and intestinal-protective activities from cell lines, tumour-bearing and immunosuppressed mice and in vitro gut-microbiota fermentation, including improved learning and memory in mice. No clinical trials are reported."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased subjective general well-being, energy and sleep quality in healthy adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 14-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 34 healthy adults (120 mL/day standardized L. barbarum juice), the goji group reported significant improvements in energy, athletic performance, sleep quality, ease of awakening, focus, mental acuity, calmness and reduced fatigue and stress, while the placebo group changed on only two items. Objective measures (body weight, BMI, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity) did not differ."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"goji","outcome":"Increased skin carotenoid status; macular pigment optical density unchanged","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 3-month randomized open-label pilot study in 19 healthy adults aged 45-65 (28 g goji berries 5x/week vs a 4 mg zeaxanthin/6 mg lutein supplement), skin carotenoids rose significantly in the goji group (350.6 to 409.6, P<0.001) with no change in the supplement group, but macular pigment optical density showed no differences across retinal eccentricities at any time point in either group."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"longan","outcome":"No change in immune or inflammatory markers, liver or kidney function in healthy adults","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the only identified human study, a longan syrup with 0.5% lingzhi extract produced no significant change in immunoglobulins or C-reactive protein over 12 weeks (single-group, n = 8) and no change in hepatic or renal function; a crossover arm (n = 20) showed a smaller postprandial glucose excursion than 50 g glucose (iAUC 327.83 +/- 19.81 vs 384.08 +/- 28.28 mg/dL.hr, p < 0.05) but a high glycaemic index of 85.35."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"schisandra","outcome":"Broad hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity of individual lignans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of 168 studies on S. chinensis lignans documents antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and anticancer activity of schisandrin A/B/C and gomisins in rodent injury models and cell lines, but notes poor oral bioavailability and a lack of long-term human safety data for concentrated lignan-rich extracts."}]}]},{"name":"Salvia Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/salvia-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Red Salvia Root"],"ingredients_canonical":["salvia (danshen)"],"claims_vendor":["Supports heart and vascular health","Promotes blood circulation","Supports microcirculation","Supports immune functions","Supports healthy aging","Supports healthy blood circulation","Salvia root is classically said to have a cold energy","The primary herb now used in Chinese herbalism to promote heart health","Provides safe and effective cardiovascular support","Salvia root is an excellent immune system tonic"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"salvia (danshen)","research_target":"salvia (danshen)","common_names":["Red sage root / Chinese sage root","Dan Shen","Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Radix et Rhizoma Salviae Miltiorrhizae)"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and dispels stasis; also cools Blood and calms the Shen/heart)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Symptom and ECG improvement in coronary heart disease / angina","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview of 13 systematic reviews covering 34,071 participants with angina or acute myocardial infarction found that most reviews suggested benefits of Compound Danshen dripping pill on symptoms and ECG, but only 5/13 reviews assessed clinical endpoints, review quality was low (23%) to moderate (69%), overall GRADE evidence ranged from very low to moderate, and benefit for clinical endpoints remained unproved.","sources":[{"title":"Compound Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) dripping pill for coronary heart disease: an overview of systematic reviews","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25582415/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Hard clinical endpoints (mortality, infarction, revascularization) in coronary heart disease","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"The same overview concluded that benefits for clinical endpoints are unproved, because most underlying systematic reviews relied on surrogate outcomes such as symptom scores and ECG changes rather than events.","sources":[{"title":"Compound Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) dripping pill for coronary heart disease: an overview of systematic reviews","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25582415/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Reported 'clinical efficacy rates' in cardiovascular trials","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"mixed","summary":"A review of 39 clinical trials since 2000 (2431 patients) found reported overall efficacy of 63.4-99.2%, with Compound Danshen dripping pills used in 22/39 trials and single-herb danshen in only 2/39; the authors note few trials were randomized, double-blind and multicentre, and adverse effects were reported in only 30.8% of trials - so these high efficacy rates are not reliable estimates.","sources":[{"title":"Salvia miltiorrhiza: A Potential Red Light to the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5421141/","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"Danshen is one of the most heavily trialled Chinese herbs for cardiovascular disease, with 13 systematic reviews covering over 34,000 participants, and the aggregate signal is consistent improvement in anginal symptoms and ECG findings with mostly multi-herb preparations such as Compound Danshen dripping pill. But evidence quality is the limiting factor: reviews were low-to-moderate quality, GRADE certainty ran from very low to moderate, few trials were randomized double-blind multicentre, single-herb danshen was tested in only 2 of 39 trials, and benefit on hard clinical endpoints is explicitly unproved. The best-established clinical fact about danshen is not an efficacy finding but a safety one - a well-documented, clinically significant bleeding interaction with warfarin and with direct oral anticoagulants."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Symptom and ECG improvement in coronary heart disease / angina","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An overview of 13 systematic reviews covering 34,071 participants with angina or acute myocardial infarction found that most reviews suggested benefits of Compound Danshen dripping pill on symptoms and ECG, but only 5/13 reviews assessed clinical endpoints, review quality was low (23%) to moderate (69%), overall GRADE evidence ranged from very low to moderate, and benefit for clinical endpoints remained unproved."},{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Hard clinical endpoints (mortality, infarction, revascularization) in coronary heart disease","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same overview concluded that benefits for clinical endpoints are unproved, because most underlying systematic reviews relied on surrogate outcomes such as symptom scores and ECG changes rather than events."},{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Reported 'clinical efficacy rates' in cardiovascular trials","direction":"mixed","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of 39 clinical trials since 2000 (2431 patients) found reported overall efficacy of 63.4-99.2%, with Compound Danshen dripping pills used in 22/39 trials and single-herb danshen in only 2/39; the authors note few trials were randomized, double-blind and multicentre, and adverse effects were reported in only 30.8% of trials - so these high efficacy rates are not reliable estimates."},{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Vasodilation, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-ischaemia/reperfusion effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and in vitro studies in hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes consistently show protective effects of danshen constituents, providing the mechanistic basis for its cardiovascular use."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Potentiation of warfarin and increased bleeding risk","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A review of published cases found three reports of gross over-anticoagulation and bleeding complications in patients on chronic warfarin who also took danshen, with rat pharmacokinetic studies showing increased AUC, Cmax and half-life of both R- and S-warfarin plus reduced clearance; the authors concluded danshen should be avoided with warfarin."},{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Haemorrhage with concurrent oral anticoagulants (warfarin and DOACs)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"A retrospective self-controlled case series using the Chang Gung Research Database (2012-2023) found concurrent use of Salvia miltiorrhiza with oral anticoagulants (warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban) significantly increased bleeding risk, particularly during the first 28 days of co-administration."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Vasodilation, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-ischaemia/reperfusion effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and in vitro studies in hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes consistently show protective effects of danshen constituents, providing the mechanistic basis for its cardiovascular use."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Vasodilation, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-ischaemia/reperfusion effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and in vitro studies in hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes consistently show protective effects of danshen constituents, providing the mechanistic basis for its cardiovascular use."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"salvia (danshen)","outcome":"Vasodilation, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-ischaemia/reperfusion effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and in vitro studies in hypertension, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle and cardiomyocytes consistently show protective effects of danshen constituents, providing the mechanistic basis for its cardiovascular use."}]}]},{"name":"Scute Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/scute-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Scute"],"ingredients_canonical":["scute (huang qin)"],"claims_vendor":["None stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"scute (huang qin)","research_target":"scute (huang qin)","common_names":["Baical skullcap root / Chinese skullcap","Huang Qin (\u9ec4\u82a9)","Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi"],"tcm_category":"Heat-clearing / damp-drying herb (not a tonic) \u2014 clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, resolves toxicity and stops heat-type bleeding","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (351 randomized), baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks on top of atorvastatin and tocilizumab produced lower triglycerides (1.12 vs 1.87 mmol/L), total cholesterol (2.87 vs 3.22), LDL (1.73 vs 2.42) and higher HDL (1.38 vs 1.16) than placebo (all p<0.05).","sources":[{"title":"Baicalin reduces blood lipids and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Lipids Health Dis)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6015450/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Reduced systemic inflammation and better disease response in rheumatoid arthritis","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In the same trial, high-sensitivity CRP (1.64 vs 3.9 mg/dL) and cardiotrophin-1 (42.9 vs 128.4 ng/mL) were lower with baicalin, and 71% versus 53% achieved a good or moderate EULAR response; withdrawals were similar between arms (9 vs 11).","sources":[{"title":"Baicalin reduces blood lipids and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Lipids Health Dis)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6015450/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Reduced chemotherapy (irinotecan/CPT-11)-induced gastrointestinal toxicity","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A phase I/II clinical study of PHY906, the four-herb Huang-Qin decoction in which S. baicalensis is a principal component, reported decreased CPT-11-induced gastrointestinal toxicity; mouse work showed PHY906 restored intestinal epithelium within 4 days and increased CPT-11 antitumour activity rather than preventing initial DNA damage.","sources":[{"title":"The four-herb Chinese medicine PHY906 reduces chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity (Sci Transl Med)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20720216/","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Scute is chemically well defined (baicalin, baicalein, wogonin) and has the unusual distinction of one reasonably large placebo-controlled RCT: baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks improved lipids, hsCRP and EULAR response in patients with coronary artery disease plus rheumatoid arthritis, and the Huang-Qin-decoction-derived formulation PHY906 reduced irinotecan gastrointestinal toxicity in phase I/II work. Beyond these, the large literature on antiviral, antibacterial, hepatoprotective and antitoxic effects is preclinical, and reviewers themselves call clinical evidence scarce. Importantly, the traditional framing of huang qin as a broadly safe heat-clearing herb is qualified by documented rare but real hepatotoxicity, including cases attributed to Chinese skullcap after one to three months of use."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (351 randomized), baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks on top of atorvastatin and tocilizumab produced lower triglycerides (1.12 vs 1.87 mmol/L), total cholesterol (2.87 vs 3.22), LDL (1.73 vs 2.42) and higher HDL (1.38 vs 1.16) than placebo (all p<0.05)."},{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Reduced chemotherapy (irinotecan/CPT-11)-induced gastrointestinal toxicity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase I/II clinical study of PHY906, the four-herb Huang-Qin decoction in which S. baicalensis is a principal component, reported decreased CPT-11-induced gastrointestinal toxicity; mouse work showed PHY906 restored intestinal epithelium within 4 days and increased CPT-11 antitumour activity rather than preventing initial DNA damage."},{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Protection against hepatotoxins, mycotoxins, LPS and radiation injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of 96 studies (1998-2021) found consistent antitoxic and protective effects of S. baicalensis extract, baicalin and baicalein against mycotoxins, bacterial toxins/LPS, plant and animal toxins, radiation, thermal stress and noise, but the authors explicitly describe the clinical evidence as scarce."},{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Broad anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and hepatoprotective actions attributed to baicalin/baicalein","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Modern pharmacology attributes significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and liver-enzyme-lowering (ALT/AST) effects to baicalein and baicalin, but without controlled human outcome data for these indications."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (351 randomized), baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks on top of atorvastatin and tocilizumab produced lower triglycerides (1.12 vs 1.87 mmol/L), total cholesterol (2.87 vs 3.22), LDL (1.73 vs 2.42) and higher HDL (1.38 vs 1.16) than placebo (all p<0.05)."},{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Reduced systemic inflammation and better disease response in rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the same trial, high-sensitivity CRP (1.64 vs 3.9 mg/dL) and cardiotrophin-1 (42.9 vs 128.4 ng/mL) were lower with baicalin, and 71% versus 53% achieved a good or moderate EULAR response; withdrawals were similar between arms (9 vs 11)."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Reduced systemic inflammation and better disease response in rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In the same trial, high-sensitivity CRP (1.64 vs 3.9 mg/dL) and cardiotrophin-1 (42.9 vs 128.4 ng/mL) were lower with baicalin, and 71% versus 53% achieved a good or moderate EULAR response; withdrawals were similar between arms (9 vs 11)."},{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Broad anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and hepatoprotective actions attributed to baicalin/baicalein","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Modern pharmacology attributes significant anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and liver-enzyme-lowering (ALT/AST) effects to baicalein and baicalin, but without controlled human outcome data for these indications."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (351 randomized), baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks on top of atorvastatin and tocilizumab produced lower triglycerides (1.12 vs 1.87 mmol/L), total cholesterol (2.87 vs 3.22), LDL (1.73 vs 2.42) and higher HDL (1.38 vs 1.16) than placebo (all p<0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Improved lipid profile in patients with coronary artery disease and rheumatoid arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (351 randomized), baicalin 500 mg/day for 12 weeks on top of atorvastatin and tocilizumab produced lower triglycerides (1.12 vs 1.87 mmol/L), total cholesterol (2.87 vs 3.22), LDL (1.73 vs 2.42) and higher HDL (1.38 vs 1.16) than placebo (all p<0.05)."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Reduced chemotherapy (irinotecan/CPT-11)-induced gastrointestinal toxicity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase I/II clinical study of PHY906, the four-herb Huang-Qin decoction in which S. baicalensis is a principal component, reported decreased CPT-11-induced gastrointestinal toxicity; mouse work showed PHY906 restored intestinal epithelium within 4 days and increased CPT-11 antitumour activity rather than preventing initial DNA damage."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Reduced chemotherapy (irinotecan/CPT-11)-induced gastrointestinal toxicity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A phase I/II clinical study of PHY906, the four-herb Huang-Qin decoction in which S. baicalensis is a principal component, reported decreased CPT-11-induced gastrointestinal toxicity; mouse work showed PHY906 restored intestinal epithelium within 4 days and increased CPT-11 antitumour activity rather than preventing initial DNA damage."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"scute (huang qin)","outcome":"Protection against hepatotoxins, mycotoxins, LPS and radiation injury","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of 96 studies (1998-2021) found consistent antitoxic and protective effects of S. baicalensis extract, baicalin and baicalein against mycotoxins, bacterial toxins/LPS, plant and animal toxins, radiation, thermal stress and noise, but the authors explicitly describe the clinical evidence as scarce."}]}]},{"name":"Uncaria Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/uncaria-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Uncaria"],"ingredients_canonical":["uncaria"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims are stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"uncaria","research_target":"uncaria","common_names":["Gambir vine hooked stems / cat's-claw vine of TCM","gou teng","Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil."],"tcm_category":"Liver-Wind-pacifying / Liver-Yang-sedating herb (not a tonic; used to stop tremors and spasms)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Blood pressure control in primary hypertension (Tianma Gouteng decoction added to nifedipine)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (1,537 patients with primary hypertension) found that Tianma Gouteng decoction plus nifedipine improved the total efficacy rate versus nifedipine alone (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.12-1.22, I-squared = 22%) and improved TCM symptom scores. Uncaria was one herb within a multi-herb decoction and included trials were mostly Chinese with limited methodological rigour.","sources":[{"title":"Randomized Controlled Trials of Tianma Gouteng Decoction Combined with Nifedipine in the Treatment of Primary Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2020/5759083","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy.","sources":[{"title":"Uncaria rhynchophylla and its Major Constituents on Central Nervous System: A Review on Their Pharmacological Actions","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31272356/","year":2020},{"title":"Uncaria rhynchophylla: an ethnopharmacological review integrating traditional Chinese medicine uses with phytochemical and pharmacological evidence","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12999810/","year":2026}]},{"outcome":"Antihypertensive/vasorelaxant mechanism of gou-teng constituents","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Experimental work confirmed the antihypertensive action of gou-teng in spontaneously hypertensive rats and characterised its endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant mechanism, providing a pharmacological basis for the traditional hypertension indication.","sources":[{"title":"Gou-teng (from Uncaria rhynchophylla Miquel)-induced endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxations in the isolated rat aorta","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8208063/","year":1994}]}],"overall_assessment":"Uncaria rhynchophylla (gou teng) is a Liver-Wind-calming herb, not a tonic, and its human evidence exists only at the formula level: Tianma Gouteng decoction added to nifedipine improved hypertension response rates across 14 modest-quality Chinese RCTs, which supports the traditional dizziness/hypertension indication but cannot isolate Uncaria's contribution. The much-promoted neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy and depression are in vitro and rodent findings, and reviewers state plainly that no high-quality clinical validation of Uncaria monotherapy exists and its toxicology is incompletely characterised. Note also that positive arthritis trial data belong to Uncaria tomentosa (Amazonian cat's claw), a different species that is frequently confused with gou teng in the supplement market."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Blood pressure control in primary hypertension (Tianma Gouteng decoction added to nifedipine)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (1,537 patients with primary hypertension) found that Tianma Gouteng decoction plus nifedipine improved the total efficacy rate versus nifedipine alone (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.12-1.22, I-squared = 22%) and improved TCM symptom scores. Uncaria was one herb within a multi-herb decoction and included trials were mostly Chinese with limited methodological rigour."},{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Reduced painful joint count in rheumatoid arthritis (different species: Uncaria tomentosa)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"For context on genus confusion: a 52-week randomised trial in 40 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis on sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine found that Uncaria tomentosa (Amazonian cat's claw, pentacyclic alkaloid chemotype) reduced painful joints by 53.2% versus 24.1% with placebo (p = 0.044) with only minor side effects. This is a different species from the Chinese herb gou teng and its results do not transfer to U. rhynchophylla."},{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy."},{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Antihypertensive/vasorelaxant mechanism of gou-teng constituents","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Experimental work confirmed the antihypertensive action of gou-teng in spontaneously hypertensive rats and characterised its endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant mechanism, providing a pharmacological basis for the traditional hypertension indication."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Blood pressure control in primary hypertension (Tianma Gouteng decoction added to nifedipine)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (1,537 patients with primary hypertension) found that Tianma Gouteng decoction plus nifedipine improved the total efficacy rate versus nifedipine alone (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.12-1.22, I-squared = 22%) and improved TCM symptom scores. Uncaria was one herb within a multi-herb decoction and included trials were mostly Chinese with limited methodological rigour."},{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Antihypertensive/vasorelaxant mechanism of gou-teng constituents","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Experimental work confirmed the antihypertensive action of gou-teng in spontaneously hypertensive rats and characterised its endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant mechanism, providing a pharmacological basis for the traditional hypertension indication."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Reduced painful joint count in rheumatoid arthritis (different species: Uncaria tomentosa)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"For context on genus confusion: a 52-week randomised trial in 40 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis on sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine found that Uncaria tomentosa (Amazonian cat's claw, pentacyclic alkaloid chemotype) reduced painful joints by 53.2% versus 24.1% with placebo (p = 0.044) with only minor side effects. This is a different species from the Chinese herb gou teng and its results do not transfer to U. rhynchophylla."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy."},{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Antihypertensive/vasorelaxant mechanism of gou-teng constituents","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Experimental work confirmed the antihypertensive action of gou-teng in spontaneously hypertensive rats and characterised its endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant mechanism, providing a pharmacological basis for the traditional hypertension indication."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy."},{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Dopaminergic neuroprotection via PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta/MEF2D signalling","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Rhynchophylline, the major tetracyclic oxindole alkaloid of U. rhynchophylla, protected cells against MPP+-induced cytotoxicity by activating PI3K/Akt/GSK3beta/MEF2D signalling, and bioassay-guided work identified six neuroprotective alkaloids from the plant."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"uncaria","outcome":"Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression and cerebral ischaemia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of U. rhynchophylla and its alkaloids report neuroprotective effects mediated by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter-regulating actions across Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression and ischaemia models, but note that findings are largely in vitro and rodent-based with methodological limitations and that there is no high-quality clinical validation for Uncaria monotherapy."}]}]},{"name":"Snow Lotus Heaven Mountain Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/snow-lotus-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Snow Lotus"],"ingredients_canonical":["snow lotus"],"claims_vendor":["Supports purification of the body and mind","Snow Lotus is one of the premier beauty tonics in the world","It has been treasured for centuries as an herb that purifies the blood and promotes beauty and glowing health"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"snow lotus","research_target":"snow lotus","common_names":["Snow lotus / Tianshan snow lotus","tian shan xue lian (xue lian hua)","Saussurea involucrata Matsum. & Koidz. (also S. laniceps, S. medusa)"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Blood-mover (warms and invigorates yang, dispels cold-damp, promotes blood circulation)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included.","sources":[{"title":"Comparison of the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of three medicinal plants known as 'Snow Lotus' herb in traditional Uighur and Tibetan medicines","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20083181/","year":2010}]},{"outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"mixed","summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial.","sources":[{"title":"Saussureae Involucratae Herba (Snow Lotus): Review of Chemical Compositions and Pharmacological Properties","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.01549/full","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Overall therapeutic efficacy in humans (any indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"A comprehensive ethnopharmacology review of Saussurea involucrata covering Chinese and English databases, the Pharmacopoeia of China and local Uyghur/Mongolian/Kazakh herbal records reports more than 70 isolated compounds but states no clinical trial counts, participant numbers or effect sizes, and notes that correlations between specific constituents and specific bioactivities remain limited.","sources":[{"title":"Saussurea involucrata: A review of the botany, phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology of a rare traditional herbal medicine","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26113182/","year":2015}]}],"overall_assessment":"Snow lotus has a well-characterized phytochemistry (70+ compounds, with acacetin, hispidulin and rutin as leading actives) and reproducible anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in rodent edema and pain models, which is consistent with its traditional use for rheumatoid arthritis. However, no human randomized trials were identified: every efficacy claim retrieved rests on in vitro or animal data, so benefits in people are unsubstantiated. Practical concerns are botanical rather than clinical - the species is endangered and commonly substituted by other Saussurea species with different constituent profiles."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (anti-nociceptive) activity relevant to arthritis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In rodent models, oral extracts of Saussurea species at 400 mg/kg inhibited carrageenan-induced rat paw edema (peak inhibition 55.1% for S. laniceps and 42.2% for S. involucrata at 3 hours) and xylene-induced mouse ear edema, and S. laniceps extract was anti-nociceptive in acetic-acid writhing and hot-plate tests at 100-400 mg/kg. No human trials were included."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, neuroprotective and anti-obesity signals attributed to acacetin, hispidulin and rutin","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A dedicated pharmacology review summarizes snow-lotus effects and signalling pathways entirely from in vitro and animal work - for example acacetin at 0.3-3.0 microM in cardiomyocytes, rutin given orally to obese mice, snow-lotus treatment for 6 weeks in D-galactose brain-injury mice, and hispidulin for 2 months in ovariectomized rats - and reports no clinical dose or human trial."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"snow lotus","outcome":"Overall therapeutic efficacy in humans (any indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A comprehensive ethnopharmacology review of Saussurea involucrata covering Chinese and English databases, the Pharmacopoeia of China and local Uyghur/Mongolian/Kazakh herbal records reports more than 70 isolated compounds but states no clinical trial counts, participant numbers or effect sizes, and notes that correlations between specific constituents and specific bioactivities remain limited."}]}]},{"name":"Corydalis Yan Hu Suo Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/yan-hu-suo-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Corydalis Yan Hu Suo"],"ingredients_canonical":["corydalis"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims are stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"corydalis","research_target":"corydalis","common_names":["corydalis rhizome / corydalis tuber","yan hu suo (\u5ef6\u80e1\u7d22), also yuan hu","Corydalis yanhusuo W.T. Wang (Rhizoma Corydalis)"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and moves Qi to stop pain) \u2014 not a tonic; acrid, bitter, warm; Heart, Liver and Spleen channels","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced experimentally induced tonic pain in humans","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a controlled human cold-pressor trial, a single oral dose of Corydalis yanhusuo plus Angelica dahurica extract significantly reduced pain intensity and pain bothersomeness scores (both p<0.01) with a dose-related analgesic effect; the authors concluded potential clinical value for mild to moderate pain. The trial was small, used a two-herb combination and the report does not state randomisation.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Corydalis yanhusuo and Angelicae dahuricae on cold pressor-induced pain in humans: a controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15496650/","year":2004}]},{"outcome":"Analgesia in acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain without tolerance","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of studies from 1982-2019 found Corydalis yanhusuo extract attenuated acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mouse and rat models without producing tolerance on repeated dosing, with dehydrocorybulbine acting as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist and l-THP contributing dopaminergic and analgesic activity.","sources":[{"title":"The Analgesic Properties of Corydalis yanhusuo","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8704877/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Superior analgesia with the lowest cardiac risk among the main alkaloids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A component-resolved study of the main Corydalis alkaloids reported that tetrahydropalmatine produced the best analgesic effect and the lowest cardiac risk, acting partly through voltage-gated sodium channels \u2014 which also flags cardiac liability for some other alkaloids in the herb.","sources":[{"title":"Analgesic effect of the main components of Corydalis yanhusuo (yanhusuo) is caused by inhibition of voltage gated sodium channels","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874121006863","year":2021}]}],"overall_assessment":"Corydalis is one of the few herbs here with a mechanistically coherent and traditionally consistent story: it is used to stop pain, and its alkaloids demonstrably produce antinociception through dopamine D2 antagonism and sodium-channel inhibition in animal models, apparently without opioid-style tolerance. Human evidence is thin, however \u2014 essentially one small controlled cold-pressor study of a two-herb combination showing dose-related reductions in experimental pain, with no modern RCT in clinical pain populations. Product potency varies with processing and some alkaloids carry cardiac liability, so 'promising analgesic with inadequate clinical trial evidence' is the accurate summary."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Reduced experimentally induced tonic pain in humans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a controlled human cold-pressor trial, a single oral dose of Corydalis yanhusuo plus Angelica dahurica extract significantly reduced pain intensity and pain bothersomeness scores (both p<0.01) with a dose-related analgesic effect; the authors concluded potential clinical value for mild to moderate pain. The trial was small, used a two-herb combination and the report does not state randomisation."},{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Analgesia in acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain without tolerance","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of studies from 1982-2019 found Corydalis yanhusuo extract attenuated acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mouse and rat models without producing tolerance on repeated dosing, with dehydrocorybulbine acting as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist and l-THP contributing dopaminergic and analgesic activity."},{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Superior analgesia with the lowest cardiac risk among the main alkaloids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A component-resolved study of the main Corydalis alkaloids reported that tetrahydropalmatine produced the best analgesic effect and the lowest cardiac risk, acting partly through voltage-gated sodium channels \u2014 which also flags cardiac liability for some other alkaloids in the herb."},{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Antinociception characterised across standardised pain assays","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic rodent comparison of Corydalis yanhusuo extract across multiple pain assays confirmed antinociceptive activity and characterised the dose ranges and pain modalities affected, filling a gap the authors noted in earlier fragmentary animal work."},{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Anti-arrhythmic and other cardiovascular effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Pharmacological reviews report anti-arrhythmic and cardiovascular activity for Corydalis alkaloids alongside their analgesic action, but the data are animal and in vitro and some alkaloids carry sodium-channel-mediated cardiac risk."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Reduced experimentally induced tonic pain in humans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a controlled human cold-pressor trial, a single oral dose of Corydalis yanhusuo plus Angelica dahurica extract significantly reduced pain intensity and pain bothersomeness scores (both p<0.01) with a dose-related analgesic effect; the authors concluded potential clinical value for mild to moderate pain. The trial was small, used a two-herb combination and the report does not state randomisation."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Reduced experimentally induced tonic pain in humans","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a controlled human cold-pressor trial, a single oral dose of Corydalis yanhusuo plus Angelica dahurica extract significantly reduced pain intensity and pain bothersomeness scores (both p<0.01) with a dose-related analgesic effect; the authors concluded potential clinical value for mild to moderate pain. The trial was small, used a two-herb combination and the report does not state randomisation."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Superior analgesia with the lowest cardiac risk among the main alkaloids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A component-resolved study of the main Corydalis alkaloids reported that tetrahydropalmatine produced the best analgesic effect and the lowest cardiac risk, acting partly through voltage-gated sodium channels \u2014 which also flags cardiac liability for some other alkaloids in the herb."},{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Anti-arrhythmic and other cardiovascular effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Pharmacological reviews report anti-arrhythmic and cardiovascular activity for Corydalis alkaloids alongside their analgesic action, but the data are animal and in vitro and some alkaloids carry sodium-channel-mediated cardiac risk."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Superior analgesia with the lowest cardiac risk among the main alkaloids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A component-resolved study of the main Corydalis alkaloids reported that tetrahydropalmatine produced the best analgesic effect and the lowest cardiac risk, acting partly through voltage-gated sodium channels \u2014 which also flags cardiac liability for some other alkaloids in the herb."},{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Anti-arrhythmic and other cardiovascular effects","direction":"mixed","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Pharmacological reviews report anti-arrhythmic and cardiovascular activity for Corydalis alkaloids alongside their analgesic action, but the data are animal and in vitro and some alkaloids carry sodium-channel-mediated cardiac risk."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"corydalis","outcome":"Analgesia in acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain without tolerance","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A review of studies from 1982-2019 found Corydalis yanhusuo extract attenuated acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain in mouse and rat models without producing tolerance on repeated dosing, with dehydrocorybulbine acting as a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist and l-THP contributing dopaminergic and analgesic activity."}]}]},{"name":"Earth Drops Wild Ginseng 2 oz. \u2013 PRIVATE RESERVE","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/earth-drops-wild-ginseng-private-reserve.html","ingredients_raw":["Wild American Ginseng root (fresh and dried)","Wild Chinese Ginseng root (fresh and dried)"],"ingredients_canonical":["american ginseng","asian ginseng"],"claims_vendor":["Yin tonifying","Qi tonic and adaptogenic","Perfect Ginseng for summer and for travel"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"american ginseng","research_target":"american ginseng","common_names":["American ginseng","Xi Yang Shen","Panax quinquefolius L."],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic / Yin tonic (cooling qi tonic that nourishes Yin and generates fluids)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) extract on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, cross-over clinical trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29478187/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"positive effect","summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity.","sources":[{"title":"American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L) reduces postprandial glycemia in nondiabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10761967/","year":2000},{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices.","sources":[{"title":"The Efficacy of Ginseng (Panax) on Human Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/12/2401","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"American ginseng has some of the better human evidence among Chinese tonic herbs: short-term RCTs consistently show modest reductions in postprandial and fasting glucose and one 8-week cross-over RCT showed small HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL improvements, while pooled ginseng meta-analysis confirms a fasting-glucose/HOMA-IR effect but no HbA1c effect. A standardized polysaccharide extract (CVT-E002) reduced cold frequency, duration and severity in adults in a well-conducted RCT, but this applies to that specific proprietary extract rather than to root powder generally. Claims for cognition, energy and 'Yin nourishment' remain inconsistent across trials, and the documented warfarin interaction is a real clinical caution rather than a theoretical one."},{"canonical":"asian ginseng","research_target":"asian ginseng","common_names":["Asian ginseng / Korean red ginseng","Ren Shen","Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic (primary Qi/Yuan Qi tonic; also treated as a Shen-calming and Jing-supporting herb in some traditions)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Panax ginseng on hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9058846/","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of Ginseng on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Phytother Res 38:6023-6034)","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39474788/","year":2024},{"title":"Ginseng for cognition (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)","url":"https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007769.pub2/full","year":2010}]}],"overall_assessment":"Asian ginseng is among the best-studied tonic herbs: meta-analytic evidence supports modest glucose-lowering effects and suggestive benefit for erectile dysfunction and fatigue, and safety in trials appears comparable to placebo. Cognitive benefits remain unresolved - a Cochrane review found no convincing effect while a later meta-analysis of small trials reported improvements, so the traditional claim of memory and 'Qi' enhancement is not firmly substantiated. Traditional claims of rescuing collapse, longevity, and broad organ-system restoration have no controlled clinical evidence base, and lipid/blood-pressure effects are inconsistent."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"No change in HbA1c across pooled ginseng trials in prediabetes/type 2 diabetes","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the pooled analysis of 20 RCTs, HbA1c was not significantly changed (-0.04%, 95% CI -0.16 to 0.07, p=0.449), nor were body weight, BMI, waist circumference, OGTT, fasting insulin or triglycerides, indicating the glycemic signal is confined to fasting glucose and insulin-sensitivity indices."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fasting blood glucose and improved glycemic indices","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PRISMA/PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of \u22654 weeks of Panax ginseng monotherapy found significant improvement in glycemic parameters versus control, though effect sizes were modest and heterogeneity notable."},{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved cognitive performance / memory","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A 2024 meta-analysis of 15 RCTs (n=671, healthy people and patients with cognitive impairment, schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease) reported some cognitive improvements with ginseng preparations, but the earlier Cochrane review of 9 double-blind placebo-controlled trials concluded there was no convincing evidence of cognitive benefit and that data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Attenuated postprandial glycemia after an oral glucose load","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"3 g American ginseng taken 40 minutes before a 25 g glucose challenge reduced the incremental glycemic area under the curve by 18+/-31% in nondiabetic subjects and 19-22% in subjects with type 2 diabetes (p<0.05). A later meta-analysis of 20 ginseng RCTs (1295 participants) confirmed reductions in fasting plasma glucose (-7.03 mg/dL, 95% CI -10.89 to -3.17) and HOMA-IR (-0.44, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.04), though with high heterogeneity."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced systolic blood pressure and improved lipid ratios in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week cross-over RCT reported systolic blood pressure -5.6+/-2.7 mmHg (p<0.001), a rise in serum nitrates/nitrites (+1.85 micromol/L, p<0.03) and end-difference reductions in LDL-C (-12.3%) and LDL-C/HDL (-13.9%)."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"improved erectile function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 7 randomized trials of Korean red ginseng in erectile dysfunction found suggestive evidence of benefit over placebo, but the authors judged methodological quality to be low on average and the evidence not conclusive."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"blood pressure and lipid parameters","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"The same meta-analysis of RCTs examining hypertension and hyperlipidemia outcomes reported inconsistent and generally small effects on blood pressure and lipids, with heterogeneity and risk-of-bias limitations across included trials."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"adverse-event burden versus placebo in trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 44 randomized trials (3,092 participants) of oral Panax ginseng monopreparations found adverse-event rates broadly comparable to placebo, with mainly mild events reported."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Prevention/reduction of upper respiratory tract infection (common cold) burden","direction":"positive effect","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"In a 4-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 323 adults, a standardized poly-saccharide-rich extract (2 x 200 mg/day) reduced Jackson-verified colds per person from 0.93 to 0.68 (p=0.017), the proportion with more than one cold from 22.8% to 10.0% (p=0.004), total symptom score by 31% (p=0.002) and symptom days from 16.5 to 10.8 (p<0.001)."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"asian ginseng","outcome":"reduced fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"A combined clinical and preclinical systematic review found several RCTs reporting reduced subjective fatigue with Panax ginseng, alongside animal mechanistic data, but trials were small and heterogeneous in dose, population and fatigue instruments."},{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Improved cognitive performance / reduced mental fatigue","direction":"mixed","tier":"mixed","tier_rank":0,"summary":"A 2025 review of double-blind randomized controlled trials of American ginseng extract on neurocognitive outcomes found acute effects on working memory and calmness in some trials but an inconsistent overall picture, with heterogeneous extracts, doses and cognitive batteries."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced HbA1c and fasting blood glucose in type 2 diabetes","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a double-blind, randomized cross-over trial in 24 adults with type 2 diabetes, 3 g/day American ginseng extract for 8 weeks lowered HbA1c by 0.29% (p=0.041) and fasting glucose by 0.71 mmol/L (p=0.008) versus placebo, on top of conventional therapy. Safety parameters (liver, kidney) were unaffected."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"american ginseng","outcome":"Reduced anticoagulant effect of warfarin (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interaction)","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers, American ginseng significantly reduced the INR area under the curve, peak plasma warfarin level and warfarin AUC compared with placebo (p=0.0012 for the reported INR reduction of 0.19), i.e. it blunted warfarin's anticoagulant effect."}]}]},{"name":"Bhutanese Wild Cordyceps Drops","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/bhutanese-wild-cordyceps-drops.html","ingredients_raw":["Whole Bhutanese Wild Cordyceps mushroom (Cordyceps sinensis)","premium rice-cultured Cordyceps militaris mushroom fruiting body and small proportion of mycelium as illustrated"],"ingredients_canonical":["cordyceps sinensis (wild)","cordyceps militaris"],"claims_vendor":["Regarded as one of the greatest tonic herbs on Earth","Revered for its ability to improve physical, athletic, sexual, and mental performance","Genuine precious wild from Bhutan Cordyceps sinensis","Blended with premium cultured grown on rice Cordyceps militaris","Yin and Yang balanced for use by men and women","Major Jing tonic, especially known to support the Kidney functions","Major Qi tonic, especially that of the Lungs and immune system","Super potent high precision hydro-ethanolic, multi-stage extraction","Nourishes Jing (both Yin and Yang) and strengthens traditional Kidney functions and structures","Tonifies bones, connective tissue and marrow","Supports sexual function","Aphrodisiac","Tonifies Qi (vitality and function)","Strengthens and supports the Lungs","Bolsters Wei Qi (immunity)","Modulates (balances and regulates) Liver Qi"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"cordyceps sinensis (wild)","research_target":"cordyceps","common_names":["Caterpillar fungus","dong chong xia cao","Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis); cultivated Cordyceps militaris"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Qi tonic (tonifies lung qi and kidney yang; one of the few herbs said to tonify both yin and yang)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2-3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52).","sources":[{"title":"Adjuvant treatment with Cordyceps sinensis for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cordyceps has more clinical trial volume than most tonic fungi, and meta-analyses consistently point in a favourable direction for adjunctive use in lung cancer chemoradiotherapy, stable COPD and dialysis-related inflammation. However, nearly all trials are small, conducted in China, frequently use multi-herb formulas or fermented mycelium rather than wild O. sinensis, and are rated low-to-moderate quality, so authors of these reviews explicitly decline to recommend routine use. The popular consumer claims - endurance, testosterone, 'energy' - are not supported by the clinical evidence retrieved and rest on preclinical and traditional reasoning."},{"canonical":"cordyceps militaris","research_target":"cordyceps","common_names":["Caterpillar fungus","dong chong xia cao","Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis); cultivated Cordyceps militaris"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic / Qi tonic (tonifies lung qi and kidney yang; one of the few herbs said to tonify both yin and yang)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved lung function and quality of life in stable COPD (GOLD stages 2-3) as add-on therapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 interventional studies (1,238 participants; 13 trials pooled, all conducted in China, 1-12 months of treatment) found oral Cordyceps sinensis added to western medicine was associated with improvements in stable COPD outcomes, but most trials combined cordyceps with other herbs and methodological quality was low, so the authors' confidence in effect estimates was limited.","sources":[{"title":"Effectiveness and Safety of Oral Cordyceps sinensis on Stable COPD of GOLD Stages 2-3: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2019/4903671","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Improved tumor response, immune parameters and performance status as adjuvant in lung cancer chemo/radiotherapy","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pooling 12 RCTs (928 patients), adjuvant Cordyceps sinensis increased tumor response rate (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.29), raised CD4, CD8, NK cells and immunoglobulins, improved Karnofsky score (MD 8.20, 95% CI 6.87-9.53) and reduced radiation pneumonitis (RR 0.74, 0.62-0.88), myelosuppression (RR 0.38), leukopenia (RR 0.76) and thrombocytopenia (RR 0.52).","sources":[{"title":"Adjuvant treatment with Cordyceps sinensis for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38484953/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Reduced inflammatory/oxidative markers and higher albumin and hemoglobin in maintenance hemodialysis patients","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 12 RCTs (655 patients) found cordyceps adjunct therapy reduced CRP (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -1.00 to -0.22), hs-CRP (WMD -3.44 mg/L) and malondialdehyde, and raised serum albumin (WMD 3.07 g/L) and hemoglobin (WMD 9.56 g/L), but showed no improvement in serum creatinine or LDL-C; evidence was graded low to moderate and judged insufficient to recommend routine use.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis as an adjunctive treatment in hemodialysis patients: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32186018/","year":2019}]}],"overall_assessment":"Cordyceps has more clinical trial volume than most tonic fungi, and meta-analyses consistently point in a favourable direction for adjunctive use in lung cancer chemoradiotherapy, stable COPD and dialysis-related inflammation. However, nearly all trials are small, conducted in China, frequently use multi-herb formulas or fermented mycelium rather than wild O. sinensis, and are rated low-to-moderate quality, so authors of these reviews explicitly decline to recommend routine use. The popular consumer claims - endurance, testosterone, 'energy' - are not supported by the clinical evidence retrieved and rest on preclinical and traditional reasoning."}],"combined_effect_profile":[]},{"name":"Wood Ear Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/wood-ear-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Wood Ear"],"ingredients_canonical":["wood ear"],"claims_vendor":["No bulleted health-benefit or traditional-use claims stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"wood ear","research_target":"wood ear","common_names":["Wood ear / black fungus / jelly ear","Hei Mu Er","Auricularia auricula-judae (also A. auricula, A. polytricha; syn. Hirneola auricula-judae)"],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic with Blood-moving action (cool, moist, sweet; nourishes Yin, benefits Qi, moves the Blood and stops bleeding)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced waist circumference and improved blood lipids in middle-aged/older adults","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a prospective randomized, open-label controlled trial in adults aged 50+ (50 completers), functional foods containing Auricularia auricula-judae powder taken twice daily for 8 weeks reduced waist circumference (85.2 to 82.5 cm, p=0.021), triglycerides (180.0 to 170.4 mg/dL, p=0.016) and total cholesterol (175.8 to 167.1 mg/dL) within the intervention group; no standardized between-group treatment effects were reported.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of the Intestinal Status and Clinical Factors of Korean Middle-Aged People Through the Consumption of Functional Foods Containing Auricularia auricula-judae Powder: Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label, and Control Comparative Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11832288/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Improved intestinal/gut health indicators","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"The same 8-week randomized trial assessed intestinal status alongside clinical factors in Korean middle-aged adults and reported improvements in bowel and lipid-related indicators, but the design was open-label with maltodextrin control, pre-post p-values rather than between-group effect estimates, and only 24 participants in the intervention arm.","sources":[{"title":"Effects of the Intestinal Status and Clinical Factors of Korean Middle-Aged People Through the Consumption of Functional Foods Containing Auricularia auricula-judae Powder: Prospective, Randomized, Open-Label, and Control Comparative Trial","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11832288/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Cholesterol lowering and hepatic antioxidant improvement","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for 8 weeks, Auricularia auricula ethanol extract at 150 mg/kg/day improved serum lipid profile and atherogenic index, raised hepatic total antioxidant capacity and SOD, lowered malondialdehyde, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase activity and increased faecal neutral steroid and bile-acid excretion.","sources":[{"title":"Hypocholesterolemic effects of Auricularia auricula ethanol extract in ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3551054/","year":2011}]}],"overall_assessment":"Wood ear is a long-standing dietary staple with modest, mostly food-level evidence: one small open-label randomized trial in adults over 50 found within-group reductions in waist circumference, triglycerides and total cholesterol after 8 weeks, and rodent studies show coherent mechanisms (HMG-CoA reductase inhibition, increased faecal sterol and bile-acid excretion, improved hepatic antioxidant status). What is missing is any adequately blinded, adequately powered human trial with between-group effect estimates, so the cardiometabolic benefit should be described as plausible but not established, and the traditional blood-moving, Yin-nourishing and bleeding-stopping claims are unsupported by clinical data. The best-documented clinical fact about wood ear is a safety one: improperly soaked black fungus can accumulate heat-stable bongkrekic acid and cause fatal poisoning."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Reduced waist circumference and improved blood lipids in middle-aged/older adults","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a prospective randomized, open-label controlled trial in adults aged 50+ (50 completers), functional foods containing Auricularia auricula-judae powder taken twice daily for 8 weeks reduced waist circumference (85.2 to 82.5 cm, p=0.021), triglycerides (180.0 to 170.4 mg/dL, p=0.016) and total cholesterol (175.8 to 167.1 mg/dL) within the intervention group; no standardized between-group treatment effects were reported."},{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Improved intestinal/gut health indicators","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week randomized trial assessed intestinal status alongside clinical factors in Korean middle-aged adults and reported improvements in bowel and lipid-related indicators, but the design was open-label with maltodextrin control, pre-post p-values rather than between-group effect estimates, and only 24 participants in the intervention arm."},{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Cholesterol lowering and hepatic antioxidant improvement","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for 8 weeks, Auricularia auricula ethanol extract at 150 mg/kg/day improved serum lipid profile and atherogenic index, raised hepatic total antioxidant capacity and SOD, lowered malondialdehyde, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase activity and increased faecal neutral steroid and bile-acid excretion."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Improved intestinal/gut health indicators","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"The same 8-week randomized trial assessed intestinal status alongside clinical factors in Korean middle-aged adults and reported improvements in bowel and lipid-related indicators, but the design was open-label with maltodextrin control, pre-post p-values rather than between-group effect estimates, and only 24 participants in the intervention arm."},{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Cholesterol lowering and hepatic antioxidant improvement","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for 8 weeks, Auricularia auricula ethanol extract at 150 mg/kg/day improved serum lipid profile and atherogenic index, raised hepatic total antioxidant capacity and SOD, lowered malondialdehyde, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase activity and increased faecal neutral steroid and bile-acid excretion."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Cholesterol lowering and hepatic antioxidant improvement","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In ICR mice fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for 8 weeks, Auricularia auricula ethanol extract at 150 mg/kg/day improved serum lipid profile and atherogenic index, raised hepatic total antioxidant capacity and SOD, lowered malondialdehyde, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase activity and increased faecal neutral steroid and bile-acid excretion."},{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Antiplatelet / blood-thinning effect","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Wood ear is traditionally valued in TCM specifically for blood-moving and vasodilatory effects and is described as blood-thinning, but no controlled human haemostasis or platelet-function trials were identified to quantify this."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":0,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"wood ear","outcome":"Antiplatelet / blood-thinning effect","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Wood ear is traditionally valued in TCM specifically for blood-moving and vasodilatory effects and is described as blood-thinning, but no controlled human haemostasis or platelet-function trials were identified to quantify this."}]}]},{"name":"Tremella Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/tremella-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Tremella"],"ingredients_canonical":["tremella"],"claims_vendor":["None stated on the page."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"tremella","research_target":"tremella","common_names":["snow fungus / white wood ear / silver ear mushroom","bai mu er (\u767d\u6728\u8033), also yin er (\u94f6\u8033)","Tremella fuciformis Berk."],"tcm_category":"Yin tonic (nourishes Lung and Stomach Yin, generates fluids and moistens dryness); sweet and bland, neutral; Lung, Stomach and Kidney channels","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved subjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial of 75 adults with subjective cognitive impairment (Tremella fuciformis 600 mg/day n=30, 1200 mg/day n=30, placebo n=15), the TF groups improved more than placebo on the subjective memory complaint questionnaire and on short-term memory and executive function tests, with group-by-visit gray-matter changes on voxel-based morphometry (corrected p<0.05). Adverse event rates did not differ between groups (40.4% / 35.1% / 41.4%).","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Tremella fuciformis in Individuals with Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29319408/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Improved quality of life / reduced chemotherapy-radiotherapy-induced leukopenia","evidence_tier":"observational / clinical case series","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Tremella polysaccharide enteric-coated capsules were approved by the Chinese SFDA in 2002 for chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients and as an adjuvant for chronic hepatitis, based on Chinese clinical studies; a parenteral Tremella polysaccharide solution was reported to improve quality of life in liver cancer patients during chemotherapy. These reports lack published effect sizes, blinding details and are not indexed as RCTs.","sources":[{"title":"Tremella polysaccharide: The molecular mechanisms of its drug action","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31030755/","year":2019},{"title":"Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis: isolation, structures, bioactivities and application","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Skin hydration, reduced transepidermal water loss and anti-photoageing","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"TFPS reduced loss of hydroxyproline and hyaluronic acid in aged/photodamaged skin models and improved skin barrier function with reduced transepidermal water loss in fibroblast and rodent studies; the widely marketed 'plant hyaluronic acid' skin-hydration claim rests on these preclinical and cosmetic-ingredient studies rather than on oral human trials.","sources":[{"title":"Macrofungal Extracts as a Source of Bioactive Compounds for Cosmetical Anti-Aging Therapy: A Comprehensive Review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11356820/","year":2024},{"title":"Recent advances in polysaccharides from Tremella fuciformis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672291/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Tremella has one genuinely useful piece of human evidence: an 8-week placebo-controlled RCT in 75 people with subjective cognitive impairment showing improved memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function with good tolerability - an outcome nobody markets it for. Its actual marketing claim, skin hydration and 'plant collagen', is supported only by fibroblast, rodent and topical cosmetic-ingredient studies, with no oral human trial identified. Immunomodulatory use for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia has regulatory approval in China and supportive mechanistic data but rests on older Chinese clinical reports rather than well-reported RCTs; metabolic, colitis and dermatitis benefits are rodent-only. Its traditional Lung/Stomach Yin-moistening use is consistent with its water-binding polysaccharide chemistry but has not been tested clinically."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Improved subjective memory complaints, short-term memory and executive function","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial of 75 adults with subjective cognitive impairment (Tremella fuciformis 600 mg/day n=30, 1200 mg/day n=30, placebo n=15), the TF groups improved more than placebo on the subjective memory complaint questionnaire and on short-term memory and executive function tests, with group-by-visit gray-matter changes on voxel-based morphometry (corrected p<0.05). Adverse event rates did not differ between groups (40.4% / 35.1% / 41.4%)."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Improved quality of life / reduced chemotherapy-radiotherapy-induced leukopenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Tremella polysaccharide enteric-coated capsules were approved by the Chinese SFDA in 2002 for chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients and as an adjuvant for chronic hepatitis, based on Chinese clinical studies; a parenteral Tremella polysaccharide solution was reported to improve quality of life in liver cancer patients during chemotherapy. These reports lack published effect sizes, blinding details and are not indexed as RCTs."},{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Skin hydration, reduced transepidermal water loss and anti-photoageing","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS reduced loss of hydroxyproline and hyaluronic acid in aged/photodamaged skin models and improved skin barrier function with reduced transepidermal water loss in fibroblast and rodent studies; the widely marketed 'plant hyaluronic acid' skin-hydration claim rests on these preclinical and cosmetic-ingredient studies rather than on oral human trials."},{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and anti-obesity effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In high-fat-diet mice, TFPS reduced hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hepatic steatosis and obesity, and modulated gut microbiota in human faecal fermentation models; no human trial of these endpoints was identified in the fetched sources."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":2,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Improved quality of life / reduced chemotherapy-radiotherapy-induced leukopenia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"observational / clinical case series","tier_rank":2,"summary":"Tremella polysaccharide enteric-coated capsules were approved by the Chinese SFDA in 2002 for chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients and as an adjuvant for chronic hepatitis, based on Chinese clinical studies; a parenteral Tremella polysaccharide solution was reported to improve quality of life in liver cancer patients during chemotherapy. These reports lack published effect sizes, blinding details and are not indexed as RCTs."}]},{"theme":"Skin, hair & beauty","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Skin hydration, reduced transepidermal water loss and anti-photoageing","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS reduced loss of hydroxyproline and hyaluronic acid in aged/photodamaged skin models and improved skin barrier function with reduced transepidermal water loss in fibroblast and rodent studies; the widely marketed 'plant hyaluronic acid' skin-hydration claim rests on these preclinical and cosmetic-ingredient studies rather than on oral human trials."},{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Reduced colitis and atopic dermatitis severity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS alleviated dextran-sulfate-sodium colitis and dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis in mice, partly by regulating immune response and gut microbiota."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Immunomodulation (macrophage and cytokine activation)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS activated RAW264.7, J774A and J1A.4 macrophages and human monocyte cytokine production in vitro and restored leukocyte counts in cyclophosphamide-immunosuppressed rats, which is the mechanistic basis for the approved leukopenia indication."},{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Reduced colitis and atopic dermatitis severity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS alleviated dextran-sulfate-sodium colitis and dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis in mice, partly by regulating immune response and gut microbiota."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and anti-obesity effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"In high-fat-diet mice, TFPS reduced hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, hepatic steatosis and obesity, and modulated gut microbiota in human faecal fermentation models; no human trial of these endpoints was identified in the fetched sources."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Reduced colitis and atopic dermatitis severity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS alleviated dextran-sulfate-sodium colitis and dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis in mice, partly by regulating immune response and gut microbiota."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"tremella","outcome":"Reduced colitis and atopic dermatitis severity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"TFPS alleviated dextran-sulfate-sodium colitis and dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis in mice, partly by regulating immune response and gut microbiota."}]}]},{"name":"Polygonatum Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/polygonatum-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Polygonatum"],"ingredients_canonical":["polygonatum"],"claims_vendor":["Mental Vitality Support: Helps maintain clarity, focus, and overall cognitive performance","Calm, Steady Energy: Supports sustained mental energy without stimulation or crashes","Mind-Nourishing Tonic: Traditionally used to support the brain and strengthen mental resilience","When You\u2019re Mentally Drained: Ideal during periods of overwork, stress, or heavy mental demand","Memory & Focus Support: Helps you stay sharp, attentive, and present throughout the day","Long-Lasting Benefits: Supports lasting mental stamina with consistent use over time"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"polygonatum","research_target":"polygonatum","common_names":["Siberian Solomon's seal rhizome ('yellow essence')","Huang Jing","Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute (also P. cyrtonema, P. kingianum)"],"tcm_category":"Qi tonic and Yin tonic (with mild Jing-tonifying action); classed as a Qi tonic in Bensky/Gamble, and the raw herb is described as more Yin-tonifying while the wine-steamed form is more Qi-tonifying","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018}]},{"outcome":"Immune modulation","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides: A promising strategy in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39542041/","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking.","sources":[{"title":"A Review: The Bioactivities and Pharmacological Applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099637/","year":2018},{"title":"Mechanisms of action and applications of Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide at the intestinal mucosa barrier: a review","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1421607/full","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Polygonatum sibiricum (Huang Jing) has an extensive and well-characterized preclinical literature - its polysaccharide fraction is chemically well defined and shows antioxidant, immunomodulatory, glucose- and lipid-lowering, neuroprotective and gut-barrier effects in cells and rodents. What is essentially absent is human clinical evidence: no randomized controlled trials with clinical endpoints were identified, so every 'benefit' claim currently rests on mechanistic and animal data plus long traditional use as a Qi/Yin tonic. The honest position is that it is a plausible, food-grade tonic with a good safety record and interesting mechanisms, but no demonstrated clinical efficacy for fatigue, diabetes, cognition or aging in people."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":3,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Immune modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Strengthening of the intestinal mucosal barrier and gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology review describes PSP acting on tight-junction proteins, mucus layer, immune signalling and microbiota composition at the intestinal mucosal barrier, entirely on the basis of in vitro and animal mechanistic evidence."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Immune modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"PSP enhanced immune function in preclinical models (immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory activity), a finding reported consistently across in vitro and rodent work but not tested in controlled human trials."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Strengthening of the intestinal mucosal barrier and gut microbiota modulation","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology review describes PSP acting on tight-junction proteins, mucus layer, immune signalling and microbiota composition at the intestinal mucosal barrier, entirely on the basis of in vitro and animal mechanistic evidence."},{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-fatigue and anti-aging activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of cell and animal studies report that Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides show antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-fatigue activity, but no human trials are cited to quantify these effects."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking."}]},{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Lowering of blood glucose and lipids","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Animal and cell studies report hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic and blood-glucose-regulating effects of PSP, aligning with the traditional 'xiao ke' indication; clinical confirmation in people with diabetes or dyslipidemia is lacking."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Neuroprotection / improved cognitive function in neurodegenerative models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 review in Neurochemistry International concluded that PSP exert immunoregulatory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and that neuroprotective activity has been demonstrated in several experimental studies of neurodegenerative disease; no effect sizes or human data are reported."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"polygonatum","outcome":"Liver protection and anti-osteoporosis activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"The Molecules review catalogues hepatoprotective and anti-osteoporotic activity of PSP in rodent models alongside antibacterial and anti-cancer activity in vitro; none of these has progressed to published randomized human trials."}]}]},{"name":"Morinda Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/morinda-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Morinda"],"ingredients_canonical":["morinda"],"claims_vendor":["Yang Jing Support:** Helps support foundational energy, strength, and vitality","Desire and Drive:** Traditionally used to support healthy libido and intimate vitality","Performance and Endurance:** Supports physical stamina and sustained performance","Lower Body Strength:** Supports strength and stability in the lower back and legs","Warm, Activating Energy:** Provides warming support to help maintain internal balance","Vitality and Drive:** Traditionally used to support motivation, resilience, and overall vigor","Longevity Support:** A core tonic herb for building long-term strength and endurance","Designed For Easy Compounding:** Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"morinda","research_target":"morinda","common_names":["Morinda root / Indian mulberry root (ba ji tian)","ba ji tian","Morinda officinalis F.C. How"],"tcm_category":"Yang tonic (Kidney Yang and Essence tonic that also dispels Wind-Dampness)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduction of depressive symptoms in mild-to-moderate depressive disorder","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (1,384 patients) found Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules were not different from conventional antidepressants for moderate depressive disorder (RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.92-1.06) with similar adverse-event rates (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.65-1.07). This is non-inferiority against active comparators with low-quality evidence, not proof of efficacy against placebo.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules for depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32997072/","year":2021},{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules for depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis (full text)","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8136385/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Added benefit of probiotics on insomnia items in major depressive disorder treated with MOO","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"An 8-week randomised double-blind trial (ChiCTR2200055780) in 108 patients with major depressive disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms gave MOO to both arms plus probiotics or placebo: total HAMD-17 reduction did not differ (Z = 0.02, p = 0.983), with only a transient advantage on insomnia items at week 2 (Z = -2.23, p = 0.028). The design cannot isolate MOO's own effect.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and Safety of Morinda Officinalis Oligosaccharides Combined with Probiotics as a Therapeutic Strategy for Major Depressive Disorder with Gastrointestinal Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41050503/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect via gut-microbiota-dependent serotonin synthesis","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides raised gut 5-hydroxytryptophan production and brain serotonin and reversed stress-induced anhedonia in rodents, providing a mechanistic account for the clinical antidepressant use.","sources":[{"title":"Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides increase serotonin in the brain and ameliorate depression via promoting 5-hydroxytryptophan production in the gut microbiota","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9366226/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Morinda has better clinical footing than most Yang tonics, but only for one indication and one preparation: Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules perform comparably to standard antidepressants for mild-to-moderate depression in seven Chinese RCTs, with the caveat that these were active-comparator studies of low methodological quality rather than placebo-controlled proof, and a 2025 trial gave MOO to both arms so it adds no efficacy evidence. The traditional core uses - impotence, infertility, osteoporosis, cold lower-back pain, fatigue - are supported only by rodent and in vitro pharmacology. Its most concrete safety consideration is P-glycoprotein modulation by bajijiasu, which could affect co-administered drugs."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Reduction of depressive symptoms in mild-to-moderate depressive disorder","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (1,384 patients) found Morinda officinalis oligosaccharide capsules were not different from conventional antidepressants for moderate depressive disorder (RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.92-1.06) with similar adverse-event rates (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.65-1.07). This is non-inferiority against active comparators with low-quality evidence, not proof of efficacy against placebo."},{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Added benefit of probiotics on insomnia items in major depressive disorder treated with MOO","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomised double-blind trial (ChiCTR2200055780) in 108 patients with major depressive disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms gave MOO to both arms plus probiotics or placebo: total HAMD-17 reduction did not differ (Z = 0.02, p = 0.983), with only a transient advantage on insomnia items at week 2 (Z = -2.23, p = 0.028). The design cannot isolate MOO's own effect."},{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect via gut-microbiota-dependent serotonin synthesis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides raised gut 5-hydroxytryptophan production and brain serotonin and reversed stress-induced anhedonia in rodents, providing a mechanistic account for the clinical antidepressant use."},{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Anti-osteoporosis, anti-fatigue, immunomodulatory and pro-spermatogenic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (literature 2004-2023) reports antioxidant, anti-fatigue, immune-enhancing, anti-osteoporosis and spermatogenesis-regulating activity, with applications explored in skeletal muscle atrophy, varicocele and osteoporosis; the authors state toxicology and clinical pharmacology still require study."}]},{"theme":"Sleep & sedation","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Added benefit of probiotics on insomnia items in major depressive disorder treated with MOO","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomised double-blind trial (ChiCTR2200055780) in 108 patients with major depressive disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms gave MOO to both arms plus probiotics or placebo: total HAMD-17 reduction did not differ (Z = 0.02, p = 0.983), with only a transient advantage on insomnia items at week 2 (Z = -2.23, p = 0.028). The design cannot isolate MOO's own effect."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Added benefit of probiotics on insomnia items in major depressive disorder treated with MOO","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomised double-blind trial (ChiCTR2200055780) in 108 patients with major depressive disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms gave MOO to both arms plus probiotics or placebo: total HAMD-17 reduction did not differ (Z = 0.02, p = 0.983), with only a transient advantage on insomnia items at week 2 (Z = -2.23, p = 0.028). The design cannot isolate MOO's own effect."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Added benefit of probiotics on insomnia items in major depressive disorder treated with MOO","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"An 8-week randomised double-blind trial (ChiCTR2200055780) in 108 patients with major depressive disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms gave MOO to both arms plus probiotics or placebo: total HAMD-17 reduction did not differ (Z = 0.02, p = 0.983), with only a transient advantage on insomnia items at week 2 (Z = -2.23, p = 0.028). The design cannot isolate MOO's own effect."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Anti-osteoporosis, anti-fatigue, immunomodulatory and pro-spermatogenic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (literature 2004-2023) reports antioxidant, anti-fatigue, immune-enhancing, anti-osteoporosis and spermatogenesis-regulating activity, with applications explored in skeletal muscle atrophy, varicocele and osteoporosis; the authors state toxicology and clinical pharmacology still require study."},{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Traditional Yang-tonic uses (impotence, infertility, cold lower-back pain) validated pharmacologically","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Morinda officinalis traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology concludes that its traditional uses have been supported by pharmacological investigation, but the supporting studies are animal and in vitro rather than clinical."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Anti-osteoporosis, anti-fatigue, immunomodulatory and pro-spermatogenic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (literature 2004-2023) reports antioxidant, anti-fatigue, immune-enhancing, anti-osteoporosis and spermatogenesis-regulating activity, with applications explored in skeletal muscle atrophy, varicocele and osteoporosis; the authors state toxicology and clinical pharmacology still require study."},{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Traditional Yang-tonic uses (impotence, infertility, cold lower-back pain) validated pharmacologically","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Morinda officinalis traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology concludes that its traditional uses have been supported by pharmacological investigation, but the supporting studies are animal and in vitro rather than clinical."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Antidepressant-like effect via gut-microbiota-dependent serotonin synthesis","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides raised gut 5-hydroxytryptophan production and brain serotonin and reversed stress-induced anhedonia in rodents, providing a mechanistic account for the clinical antidepressant use."}]},{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Anti-osteoporosis, anti-fatigue, immunomodulatory and pro-spermatogenic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (literature 2004-2023) reports antioxidant, anti-fatigue, immune-enhancing, anti-osteoporosis and spermatogenesis-regulating activity, with applications explored in skeletal muscle atrophy, varicocele and osteoporosis; the authors state toxicology and clinical pharmacology still require study."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Anti-osteoporosis, anti-fatigue, immunomodulatory and pro-spermatogenic effects","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A systematic review of Morinda officinalis polysaccharides (literature 2004-2023) reports antioxidant, anti-fatigue, immune-enhancing, anti-osteoporosis and spermatogenesis-regulating activity, with applications explored in skeletal muscle atrophy, varicocele and osteoporosis; the authors state toxicology and clinical pharmacology still require study."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"morinda","outcome":"Traditional Yang-tonic uses (impotence, infertility, cold lower-back pain) validated pharmacologically","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A comprehensive review of Morinda officinalis traditional usage, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology concludes that its traditional uses have been supported by pharmacological investigation, but the supporting studies are animal and in vitro rather than clinical."}]}]},{"name":"Notoginseng Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/notoginseng-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Notoginseng"],"ingredients_canonical":["notoginseng"],"claims_vendor":["Circulation Support: Helps support healthy blood flow and overall circulation","Recovery and Rebuild: Traditionally used to support the body during recovery and rebuilding phases","Blood Nourishment: Supports overall blood vitality and internal balance","Heart System Support: Supports cardiovascular wellness and healthy circulation","Strength and Resilience: Helps maintain strength and vitality during times of physical demand","Premium Tonic Herb: A highly valued herb traditionally used for longevity and foundational support","Designed For Easy Compounding: Standardized herbal equivalence (1mL=1 gram of raw herb) allows for easy conversion of weight-based formulas."],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"notoginseng","research_target":"notoginseng","common_names":["Notoginseng root / tienchi ginseng ('three-seven' root)","San Qi (Tian Qi)","Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H. Chen"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (stop-bleeding herb): warm, sweet-bitter, entering Liver and Stomach channels; dispels stasis and stops bleeding, invigorates Blood, reduces swelling and alleviates pain","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced angina symptoms, cardiovascular events and ECG abnormality in unstable angina pectoris","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (1828 patients, mostly injectable preparations) found reduced cardiovascular events (RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.94), symptom relief (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.18-1.29), ECG improvement (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15-1.28) and lower angina frequency (MD -1.48, 95% CI -2.49 to -0.48); cardiac mortality and angina duration were not significantly changed.","sources":[{"title":"Panax notoginseng Preparations for Unstable Angina Pectoris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28634988/","year":2017}]},{"outcome":"Hard clinical endpoints in coronary heart disease (mortality, myocardial infarction)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"no effect","summary":"A systematic review of 17 Chinese-language RCTs (1747 participants) of oral notoginseng added to conventional therapy found no significant effect on cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.05-5.34) or myocardial infarction (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.02-1.37); only angina recurrence reached significance (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.16-0.94), and no trial was rated low risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Oral Panax notoginseng Preparation for Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3762143/","year":2013}]},{"outcome":"Improved neurological recovery and functional independence after acute ischaemic stroke","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"Pooling 46 RCTs (7957 patients) of PNS injection (Xuesaitong) showed better modified Rankin Scale scores (MD -0.67, 95% CI -0.92 to -0.42), functional independence (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12), Barthel Index (MD 10.17) and NIHSS (MD -3.39), but 45 of 46 trials were at high risk of bias and GRADE certainty ranged from moderate down to very low; all-cause mortality was unchanged (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.06-2.93).","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Panax notoginseng saponins (Xuesaitong) for patients with acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2023.1280559/full","year":2023}]}],"overall_assessment":"Notoginseng has the largest human trial base of any herb in this batch - dozens of RCTs and several meta-analyses in unstable angina, coronary heart disease and acute ischaemic stroke - and these consistently show improvement in symptom, ECG and functional-scale outcomes with no excess adverse events. The critical qualification is evidence quality: nearly all trials are Chinese-language, use injectable saponin preparations rather than the oral root, and 45 of 46 stroke trials were high risk of bias, with GRADE certainty as low as 'very low'; hard endpoints such as mortality and myocardial infarction show no significant benefit. So the fair summary is a probable symptomatic/functional adjunctive benefit in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, an unproven effect on survival, and a real theoretical-to-demonstrated bleeding interaction with antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Cardiovascular","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Reduced angina symptoms, cardiovascular events and ECG abnormality in unstable angina pectoris","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 18 RCTs (1828 patients, mostly injectable preparations) found reduced cardiovascular events (RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.94), symptom relief (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.18-1.29), ECG improvement (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.15-1.28) and lower angina frequency (MD -1.48, 95% CI -2.49 to -0.48); cardiac mortality and angina duration were not significantly changed."},{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Hard clinical endpoints in coronary heart disease (mortality, myocardial infarction)","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review of 17 Chinese-language RCTs (1747 participants) of oral notoginseng added to conventional therapy found no significant effect on cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.05-5.34) or myocardial infarction (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.02-1.37); only angina recurrence reached significance (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.16-0.94), and no trial was rated low risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Improved neurological recovery and functional independence after acute ischaemic stroke","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Pooling 46 RCTs (7957 patients) of PNS injection (Xuesaitong) showed better modified Rankin Scale scores (MD -0.67, 95% CI -0.92 to -0.42), functional independence (RR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12), Barthel Index (MD 10.17) and NIHSS (MD -3.39), but 45 of 46 trials were at high risk of bias and GRADE certainty ranged from moderate down to very low; all-cause mortality was unchanged (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.06-2.93)."},{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Adverse-event rate comparable to control in stroke trials","direction":"no effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"In the 46-RCT stroke meta-analysis, adverse events did not differ between PNS injection and control (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.70-1.35, I2=0%), and this was the only outcome graded at moderate certainty."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"notoginseng","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory, metabolic, neuroprotective and antineoplastic activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 narrative review concluded that preclinical evidence supports effects on immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic and neoplastic disease, but that few clinical studies have confirmed therapeutic properties, mainly as an adjunct in cardiovascular disorders."}]}]},{"name":"Remove Stagnation Drops 2oz","url":"https://www.dragonherbs.com/dragon-herbs-tinctures-a-z/remove-stagnation-drops-2-oz.html","ingredients_raw":["Carthamus flower","Ligusticum rhizome","White Peony root","Dang Gui root","Achyranthes root","Curcuma zedoaria root","Sappan wood"],"ingredients_canonical":["carthamus (safflower)","ligusticum","white peony","dang gui","achyranthes","curcuma zedoaria","sappan wood"],"claims_vendor":["Frees the flow of vital energy","Supports abdominal circulation","Supports legs and back circulation"],"enriched_ingredients":[{"canonical":"carthamus (safflower)","research_target":"carthamus (safflower)","common_names":["Safflower flower / carthamus flower","Hong Hua","Carthamus tinctorius L."],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood and dispels stasis; not a tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Neurological improvement after acute ischaemic stroke (safflower yellow injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"An updated systematic review of 7 RCTs (762 participants) found a higher neurological improvement rate with safflower yellow than control (p<0.05, reported OR around 3), with no deaths in any trial - but no included study was of high methodological quality and the authors state high-quality RCTs are needed before definitive conclusions.","sources":[{"title":"Safflower yellow for acute ischemic stroke: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials","url":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229914000041","year":2014}]},{"outcome":"Reduced albuminuria and inflammatory/oxidative markers in diabetic nephropathy (HSYA injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of hydroxysafflor yellow A in diabetic nephropathy pooled standardised mean differences with random-effects models and reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits alongside renal-marker improvement; the evidence base is limited to Chinese injectable-HSYA trials.","sources":[{"title":"Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Hydroxyl Safflower Yellow A in Diabetic Nephropathy: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials","url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.929169/pdf","year":2022}]},{"outcome":"Improved microcirculation, vasodilation and reduced blood viscosity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Pharmacological reviews describe safflower yellow and HSYA as dilating blood vessels, improving microcirculation, inhibiting platelet aggregation/coagulation and reducing blood viscosity, providing a mechanistic rationale for the traditional blood-moving indication.","sources":[{"title":"Pharmacological Activities of Safflower Yellow and Its Clinical Applications","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9252638/","year":2022}]}],"overall_assessment":"Safflower has more human data than most herbs in this batch, but almost all of it concerns injectable safflower yellow or HSYA used in Chinese hospitals, not oral safflower florets: meta-analyses report better neurological recovery in acute ischaemic stroke and improved renal markers in diabetic nephropathy, yet the underlying trials are small, domestic and uniformly rated low quality, and adverse-event reporting is incomplete. The mechanistic basis for the traditional 'blood-moving' action (vasodilation, antiplatelet effects, reduced blood viscosity, antioxidant neuroprotection) is well supported preclinically. Oral supplement use for menstrual or musculoskeletal complaints is untested clinically, and use in pregnancy should be avoided based on embryotoxicity data and traditional abortifacient use."},{"canonical":"ligusticum","research_target":"ligusticum","common_names":["Szechuan lovage root / chuanxiong rhizome","Chuan Xiong","Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (syn. Conioselinum anthriscoides)"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood and promotes qi movement; not a tonic per se)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-analysis of the clinical effect of ligustrazine on diabetic nephropathy","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22298446/","year":2012}]},{"outcome":"Clinical efficacy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ligustrazine as add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (366 patients) found benefit for ligustrazine added to conventional therapy, but every included trial was rated low quality on the modified Jadad scale (two scored 2, five scored 1) with no described allocation concealment or blinding, so the pooled result is at high risk of bias.","sources":[{"title":"Meta-Analysis of Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Ligustrazine in the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7665923/","year":2020}]},{"outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","evidence_tier":"multiple RCTs","direction":"mixed","summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose.","sources":[{"title":"Ligusticum chuanxiong: a chemical, pharmacological and clinical review","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996930/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Chuanxiong is chemically well characterised and its constituent tetramethylpyrazine has been developed into an injectable drug with meta-analysed benefits in diabetic nephropathy and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - but those meta-analyses pool small, uniformly low-quality Chinese trials with no allocation concealment or blinding, and the largest reports no numerical effect sizes. Evidence for the traditional oral uses (headache, dysmenorrhoea, blood stasis) rests on tradition and preclinical vasodilatory/antiplatelet mechanisms rather than rigorous trials. Overall: plausible cardiovascular and renal pharmacology, weak clinical proof, and results from IV ligustrazine should not be read as evidence for oral chuanxiong products."},{"canonical":"white peony","research_target":"white peony","common_names":["White peony root","Bai Shao","Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba)"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also described as astringing Yin and 'softening' the Liver)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony combined with methotrexate and leflunomide for active rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6588713/","year":2019}]},{"outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints.","sources":[{"title":"Clinical safety of total glucosides of paeony adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8004450/","year":2021}]},{"outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality.","sources":[{"title":"Total glucosides of paeony for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A methodological and reporting quality evaluation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32871476/","year":2020}]}],"overall_assessment":"White peony is one of the better-studied Chinese herbs, but essentially all clinical evidence concerns the standardized extract total glucosides of paeony (TGP) used as an add-on to conventional drugs in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, in small trials almost exclusively conducted in mainland China. Pooled results are favorable and TGP appears to reduce methotrexate/leflunomide hepatotoxicity, but an overview of 11 meta-analyses rated all of them critically low in methodological quality with no high-quality GRADE outcomes, so effect sizes are uncertain. The traditional gynecological and antispasmodic uses of the whole root (menstrual regulation, cramping, night sweats) have no comparable controlled human evidence."},{"canonical":"dang gui","research_target":"dang gui","common_names":["Dong quai / Chinese angelica root","dang gui (\u5f53\u5f52)","Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels"],"tcm_category":"Blood tonic (also blood-mover / blood-regulating; harmonizes and invigorates blood)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"no effect","summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index.","sources":[{"title":"Does dong quai have estrogenic effects in postmenopausal women? A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9418683/","year":1997}]},{"outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"mixed","summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life.","sources":[{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation (Dang Gui Buxue Tang) on menopausal symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese women","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568789/","year":2008}]},{"outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","evidence_tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","direction":"mixed","summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based.","sources":[{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Danggui Buxue Decoction in combination with Western medicine for anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis","url":"https://atm.amegroups.org/article/view/13926/html","year":2017}]}],"overall_assessment":"For its single best-tested Western indication - menopausal hot flashes - dong quai monotherapy failed in a placebo-controlled RCT, and the Astragalus-containing Dang Gui Buxue Tang beat placebo only for mild flushes, so the popular 'female tonic' claim is not well substantiated. The strongest positive human data are Chinese meta-analyses of multi-herb decoctions (anemia indices, pulmonary fibrosis symptoms) which are low-quality, small and cannot isolate Angelica sinensis itself. Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory and hepatoprotective claims rest largely on polysaccharide work in cells and animals, and the practically important safety signal (coumarin-related bleeding risk with anticoagulants, photosensitivity) is based on case reports rather than trials."},{"canonical":"achyranthes","research_target":"achyranthes","common_names":["Achyranthes root / ox knee","Niu Xi (Huai Niu Xi)","Achyranthes bidentata Blume"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood and dispels stasis) with secondary Liver/Kidney tonic and tendon/bone strengthening actions","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported.","sources":[{"title":"Achyranthes bidentata Blume (Amaranthaceae): a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology","url":"https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912","year":2024}]},{"outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data.","sources":[{"title":"Isolation, Structures, and Bioactivities of Polysaccharides from Achyranthes bidentata: A Review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40572489/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Analgesic / joint and low-back pain relief in humans (the main traditional indication)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Achyranthes bidentata as a single herb for joint or back pain was identified; reviews of the herb report no human clinical trials, so this use rests on materia medica tradition and multi-herb formula practice.","sources":[{"title":"Achyranthes bidentata Blume (Amaranthaceae): a review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology","url":"https://academic.oup.com/jpp/article/76/8/930/7643912","year":2024}]}],"overall_assessment":"Achyranthes bidentata is phytochemically rich (saponins, phytoecdysteroids, polysaccharides) and has a substantial preclinical literature for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, neuroprotection and immunomodulation, but the 2024 comprehensive review explicitly found no human clinical trials. Therefore every human-facing claim - joint and low-back pain, bone strengthening, menstrual regulation - is currently traditional-use or mechanistic only. The clearest reproducible finding is a safety one: estrogenic/antifertility activity supporting the traditional contraindication in pregnancy."},{"canonical":"curcuma zedoaria","research_target":"curcuma zedoaria","common_names":["Zedoary / white turmeric rhizome","e zhu","Curcuma zedoaria (Christm.) Roscoe"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates Blood, breaks up stasis and disperses accumulations; not a tonic)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Improved symptoms and fatty-liver grade in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"In a randomised single-blind standard-controlled trial (68 randomised, 50 per-protocol) of C. zedoaria powder 500 mg twice daily versus vitamin E 400 mg twice daily for 60 days in grade 1-2 NAFLD, both arms improved liver span and fatty-liver grade, while zedoary was superior for right-hypochondrial dull ache (p < 0.0001), anorexia (p = 0.016) and malaise (84% symptom-free vs 8%, p < 0.0001). It is single-blind, symptom-weighted and lacks a placebo arm.","sources":[{"title":"Evaluation of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. in the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A Randomized, single blind, controlled trial","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39880723/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Lowered total cholesterol and blood lipids in mild hypercholesterolaemia","evidence_tier":"single RCT","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A small human study randomised 30 mildly hypercholesterolaemic male volunteers into three groups of 10 and reported antihypercholesterolaemic and antilipidaemic effects of the phytopreparation, with the third group showing the largest response. The sample is tiny and the design not placebo-controlled.","sources":[{"title":"Phytopreventive antihypercholesterolmic and antilipidemic perspectives of zedoary (Curcuma zedoaria Rosc.) herbal tea","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4769493/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Inhibition of breast and oesophageal cancer cell proliferation and tumour growth","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"Petroleum ether extracts of C. zedoaria inhibited proliferation of triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, and an extract suppressed proliferation and invasion of TE-8 oesophageal cancer cells and tumour formation in mice. No human oncology data exist.","sources":[{"title":"Extracts from Curcuma zedoaria Inhibit Proliferation of Human Breast Cancer Cell MDA-MB-231 In Vitro","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4026840/","year":2014}]}],"overall_assessment":"Curcuma zedoaria is a Blood-moving herb rather than a tonic, and its modern evidence is thin but not absent: one 2025 randomised single-blind trial versus vitamin E in NAFLD showed better symptom relief and comparable improvement in fatty-liver grade, and a very small human study suggested lipid-lowering. Both lack placebo control and adequate blinding, so they should be read as promising rather than confirmatory. The widely repeated anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory claims are cell-line and rodent findings only, and the clearest practical safety point is that zedoary is contraindicated in pregnancy on both traditional and toxicological grounds."},{"canonical":"sappan wood","research_target":"sappan wood","common_names":["Sappan wood / Brazil wood / sappanwood heartwood","su mu","Caesalpinia sappan L. (Biancaea sappan)"],"tcm_category":"Blood-mover (invigorates blood, dispels stasis and relieves pain; also used to reduce swelling from trauma)","top_outcomes":[{"outcome":"Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A review of brazilin from C. sappan heartwood documents antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-photoaging, hypoglycaemic, vasorelaxant, hepatoprotective and anti-acne activities, all from in vitro and animal studies with no clinical trials or participant numbers reported.","sources":[{"title":"Brazilin from Caesalpinia sappan heartwood and its pharmacological activities: A review","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26194825/","year":2015}]},{"outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activity","evidence_tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","direction":"positive effect","summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review found that isolated constituents act at low micromolar concentrations in cell models - 3-deoxysappanchalcone (1-30 microM) reduced NO and IL-6 in RAW264.7 macrophages, deoxysappanone B (10-50 microM) reduced ROS, IL-6, TNF-alpha and NF-kB signalling in BV2 microglia-neuron co-culture, and brazilin (10-20 microM in cells; 10 mg/kg in chronic-mild-stress mice) reduced apoptosis and oxidative damage - while reporting no clinical trials or human participants.","sources":[{"title":"Unlocking the therapeutic mechanism of Caesalpinia sappan: a comprehensive review of its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747472/","year":2025}]},{"outcome":"Any clinical benefit in humans (trauma, blood stasis, inflammation, cancer)","evidence_tier":"traditional use only","direction":"n.a.","summary":"Both major reviews retrieved state explicitly that the evidence base is in vitro, animal and molecular-docking work: no randomized controlled trials, participant numbers or clinical effect sizes for Caesalpinia sappan were identified in this session.","sources":[{"title":"Unlocking the therapeutic mechanism of Caesalpinia sappan: a comprehensive review of its antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747472/","year":2025}]}],"overall_assessment":"Sappan wood is chemically well characterized - brazilin and related homoisoflavonoids and chalcones show consistent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer activity at low micromolar concentrations across many cell and rodent models - but there is no human clinical trial evidence for any indication in the literature retrieved. Rat toxicology is reassuring, yet an absence of clinical data means both efficacy and human safety at supplement doses remain unestablished. Its traditional use as a blood-stasis-moving herb for trauma and post-partum pain is unsubstantiated by modern trials, and it should be treated as a preclinical-stage botanical rather than a tonic with proven benefits."}],"combined_effect_profile":[{"theme":"Antioxidant / anti-aging","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":9,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Reduced albuminuria and inflammatory/oxidative markers in diabetic nephropathy (HSYA injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of hydroxysafflor yellow A in diabetic nephropathy pooled standardised mean differences with random-effects models and reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits alongside renal-marker improvement; the evidence base is limited to Chinese injectable-HSYA trials."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Improved microcirculation, vasodilation and reduced blood viscosity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Pharmacological reviews describe safflower yellow and HSYA as dilating blood vessels, improving microcirculation, inhibiting platelet aggregation/coagulation and reducing blood viscosity, providing a mechanistic rationale for the traditional blood-moving indication."},{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Neuroprotection and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Safflower petal water extracts inhibited glutamate-induced glial cell death and reduced malondialdehyde and 8-OHdG in rodent brain tissue after iron-induced oxidative injury; these are cell and animal findings only."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Antioxidant, anthelmintic and antimicrobial activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Phytochemical and pharmacological screening of a methanolic rhizome extract found antioxidant, anthelmintic and cardioprotective activity, and a 2009 review concluded that in vitro and in vivo work supports most traditional claims without providing quantitative clinical evidence."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Pain & anti-inflammatory","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":9,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Reduced albuminuria and inflammatory/oxidative markers in diabetic nephropathy (HSYA injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of hydroxysafflor yellow A in diabetic nephropathy pooled standardised mean differences with random-effects models and reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits alongside renal-marker improvement; the evidence base is limited to Chinese injectable-HSYA trials."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review."}]},{"theme":"Liver & hepatoprotection","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":6,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":3,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Clinical efficacy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (ligustrazine as add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (366 patients) found benefit for ligustrazine added to conventional therapy, but every included trial was rated low quality on the modified Jadad scale (two scored 2, five scored 1) with no described allocation concealment or blinding, so the pooled result is at high risk of bias."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Improved symptoms and fatty-liver grade in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomised single-blind standard-controlled trial (68 randomised, 50 per-protocol) of C. zedoaria powder 500 mg twice daily versus vitamin E 400 mg twice daily for 60 days in grade 1-2 NAFLD, both arms improved liver span and fatty-liver grade, while zedoary was superior for right-hypochondrial dull ache (p < 0.0001), anorexia (p = 0.016) and malaise (84% symptom-free vs 8%, p < 0.0001). It is single-blind, symptom-weighted and lacks a placebo arm."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."}]},{"theme":"Metabolic & glycemic","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":7,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Reduced albuminuria and inflammatory/oxidative markers in diabetic nephropathy (HSYA injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of hydroxysafflor yellow A in diabetic nephropathy pooled standardised mean differences with random-effects models and reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits alongside renal-marker improvement; the evidence base is limited to Chinese injectable-HSYA trials."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Improved symptoms and fatty-liver grade in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a randomised single-blind standard-controlled trial (68 randomised, 50 per-protocol) of C. zedoaria powder 500 mg twice daily versus vitamin E 400 mg twice daily for 60 days in grade 1-2 NAFLD, both arms improved liver span and fatty-liver grade, while zedoary was superior for right-hypochondrial dull ache (p < 0.0001), anorexia (p = 0.016) and malaise (84% symptom-free vs 8%, p < 0.0001). It is single-blind, symptom-weighted and lacks a placebo arm."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Lowered total cholesterol and blood lipids in mild hypercholesterolaemia","direction":"positive effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A small human study randomised 30 mildly hypercholesterolaemic male volunteers into three groups of 10 and reported antihypercholesterolaemic and antilipidaemic effects of the phytopreparation, with the third group showing the largest response. The sample is tiny and the design not placebo-controlled."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Central nervous system depressant / behavioural effects with no acute toxicity at high dose","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Root extracts of C. zedoaria produced behavioural changes in rodents with no toxic effects observed up to 5000 mg/kg body weight, indicating a wide acute-toxicity margin in animals."}]},{"theme":"Blood, circulation & anticoagulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":2,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Neurological improvement after acute ischaemic stroke (safflower yellow injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An updated systematic review of 7 RCTs (762 participants) found a higher neurological improvement rate with safflower yellow than control (p<0.05, reported OR around 3), with no deaths in any trial - but no included study was of high methodological quality and the authors state high-quality RCTs are needed before definitive conclusions."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Improvement of hematologic indices in anemia (as Danggui Buxue Decoction add-on)","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 7 Chinese RCTs (460 participants) found Danggui Buxue Decoction added to conventional treatment improved red blood cell count (WMD -0.49, p<0.00001), hematocrit (p=0.002) and overall clinical efficacy (OR 0.30, p=0.004), but hemoglobin gain was not significant overall (WMD -8.75, p=0.08) and only reached significance at the classical 5:1 Astragalus:Angelica ratio; all trials were small and China-based."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose."},{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Improved microcirculation, vasodilation and reduced blood viscosity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Pharmacological reviews describe safflower yellow and HSYA as dilating blood vessels, improving microcirculation, inhibiting platelet aggregation/coagulation and reducing blood viscosity, providing a mechanistic rationale for the traditional blood-moving indication."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."}]},{"theme":"Cancer & oncology support","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":5,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Adjuvant benefit in systemic lupus erythematosus","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of TGP added to conventional SLE treatment reported enhanced clinical efficacy without an increase in adverse events, but included only small Chinese trials."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Inhibition of breast and oesophageal cancer cell proliferation and tumour growth","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Petroleum ether extracts of C. zedoaria inhibited proliferation of triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, and an extract suppressed proliferation and invasion of TE-8 oesophageal cancer cells and tumour formation in mice. No human oncology data exist."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."},{"ingredient":"sappan wood","outcome":"Any clinical benefit in humans (trauma, blood stasis, inflammation, cancer)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"Both major reviews retrieved state explicitly that the evidence base is in vitro, animal and molecular-docking work: no randomized controlled trials, participant numbers or clinical effect sizes for Caesalpinia sappan were identified in this session."}]},{"theme":"Immune modulation","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Hematopoietic, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 review of ASP literature through September 2024 documents antitumor, anemia-improving, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antifibrotic and hypoglycemic effects, all in cell and animal models; the authors note that side effects and clinical translation still require evaluation."},{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Anti-inflammatory / immunomodulatory activity (mechanism)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of P. lactiflora extracts and paeoniflorin describe suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine production and modulation of T-cell/macrophage function in cell and animal models, the presumed mechanism behind the RA and lupus trials."}]},{"theme":"Musculoskeletal & bone","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis when total glucosides of paeony (TGP) are added to methotrexate + leflunomide","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs (908 patients, 12-24 weeks) found TGP added to MTX+LEF improved RA outcomes versus MTX+LEF alone. All trials were conducted in China and were small."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Reduced osteoarthritis and osteoporosis pathology in animal and cell models","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2024 comprehensive review in J Pharm Pharmacol catalogued >270 metabolites and pharmacological activity against osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, diabetic complications and neural injury - explicitly noting the evidence base is predominantly in vitro and animal studies with no human clinical population reported."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Immunomodulation, antioxidant and anti-osteoporotic activity of the polysaccharide fraction","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 Molecules review of Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides reports antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic and gut-microbiota-regulating effects in vitro and in vivo, with no quantitative human data."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Analgesic / joint and low-back pain relief in humans (the main traditional indication)","direction":"n.a.","tier":"traditional use only","tier_rank":0,"summary":"No randomized controlled trial of Achyranthes bidentata as a single herb for joint or back pain was identified; reviews of the herb report no human clinical trials, so this use rests on materia medica tradition and multi-herb formula practice."}]},{"theme":"Kidney & urinary","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Reduced albuminuria and inflammatory/oxidative markers in diabetic nephropathy (HSYA injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A PROSPERO-registered meta-analysis of RCTs of hydroxysafflor yellow A in diabetic nephropathy pooled standardised mean differences with random-effects models and reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits alongside renal-marker improvement; the evidence base is limited to Chinese injectable-HSYA trials."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy (ligustrazine injection)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 25 RCTs with 1,645 patients (858 treated) reported that ligustrazine injection significantly improved blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and reduced 24-hour urine protein, urine microalbumin and urinary albumin excretion rate versus control; the report provides no pooled effect sizes and included only Chinese trials."}]},{"theme":"Digestive & GI","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Reduced drug-induced liver enzyme elevation / hepatotoxicity during RA therapy (adjuvant TGP)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A systematic review/meta-analysis of 39 studies (37 RCTs + 2 cohorts) of TGP as adjuvant RA therapy assessed gastrointestinal, cutaneous, hepatic, leukopenia and nervous-system adverse effects; TGP co-therapy was associated with a lower burden of hepatic adverse effects while increasing gastrointestinal complaints."}]},{"theme":"Respiratory & lung","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":1,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Symptom and lung-function improvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Radix Astragali + Radix Angelicae Sinensis formulas)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"A meta-analysis of 17 RCTs reported that Astragalus-Angelica sinensis based treatment significantly improved total effective rate, main pulmonary function indices, 6-minute walk distance and Borg dyspnea scores versus control, with fewer adverse reactions; trial quality was low and outcomes were surrogate/composite."}]},{"theme":"Other / general tonic effects","max_evidence_tier_rank":5,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":1,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"white peony","outcome":"Overall certainty of the RA evidence base for TGP","direction":"mixed","tier":"systematic review / meta-analysis","tier_rank":5,"summary":"An overview appraising 11 systematic reviews/meta-analyses of TGP in RA found methodological quality critically low in all of them; of 59 GRADE-assessed outcomes, 27 were very low quality, 22 low, 10 moderate and none high quality."},{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Embryotoxicity / reproductive harm","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Carthamus flower extract disturbed development of mouse embryos, and on that basis the review recommends that women avoid safflower flowers during pregnancy."}]},{"theme":"Stress, mood & anxiety","max_evidence_tier_rank":4,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Angina pectoris and cardio-cerebrovascular symptom relief","direction":"mixed","tier":"multiple RCTs","tier_rank":4,"summary":"The 2025 comprehensive review catalogues Chinese clinical studies of chuanxiong preparations in angina pectoris and stroke (e.g. compound Chuanxiong capsule combined with conventional therapy), reporting symptomatic benefit; the review notes the trials are largely small, domestic and heterogeneous in preparation and dose."},{"ingredient":"curcuma zedoaria","outcome":"Central nervous system depressant / behavioural effects with no acute toxicity at high dose","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Root extracts of C. zedoaria produced behavioural changes in rodents with no toxic effects observed up to 5000 mg/kg body weight, indicating a wide acute-toxicity margin in animals."},{"ingredient":"sappan wood","outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review found that isolated constituents act at low micromolar concentrations in cell models - 3-deoxysappanchalcone (1-30 microM) reduced NO and IL-6 in RAW264.7 macrophages, deoxysappanone B (10-50 microM) reduced ROS, IL-6, TNF-alpha and NF-kB signalling in BV2 microglia-neuron co-culture, and brazilin (10-20 microM in cells; 10 mg/kg in chronic-mild-stress mice) reduced apoptosis and oxidative damage - while reporting no clinical trials or human participants."}]},{"theme":"Reproductive & sexual","max_evidence_tier_rank":3,"positive_count":0,"negative_or_null_count":2,"mixed_count":1,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) with dong quai alone","direction":"no effect","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"In a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 71 postmenopausal women, dong quai monotherapy produced no significant difference versus placebo in number of vasomotor flushes, Kupperman index, endometrial thickness or vaginal maturation index."},{"ingredient":"dang gui","outcome":"Reduction of menopausal hot flushes with the Dang Gui + Astragalus combination (Dang Gui Buxue Tang)","direction":"mixed","tier":"single RCT","tier_rank":3,"summary":"A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 symptomatic Chinese women found Dang Gui Buxue Tang superior to placebo only for mild hot flushes (18.9 to 8.6/month, p<0.01); there was no overall significant advantage over placebo for moderate/severe flushes, night sweats or vasomotor quality of life."},{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Anti-fertility / pregnancy-interceptory activity","direction":"negative/harm","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Root extracts showed estrogenic and pregnancy-interceptory (antifertility) activity in female albino rats, consistent with the herb's traditional use as an abortifacient. This is a safety signal rather than a therapeutic benefit."}]},{"theme":"Neuroprotection & neurological","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":4,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"achyranthes","outcome":"Neuroprotection / peripheral nerve regeneration","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Reviews of 'Niuxi' drugs (A. bidentata and Cyathula officinalis) describe neuroprotective, cartilage-protective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in cell and rodent models, mediated partly by saponins and polysaccharides."},{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Neuroprotection and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Safflower petal water extracts inhibited glutamate-induced glial cell death and reduced malondialdehyde and 8-OHdG in rodent brain tissue after iron-induced oxidative injury; these are cell and animal findings only."},{"ingredient":"ligusticum","outcome":"Neuroprotection and reduced cerebral inflammation (mechanistic)","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Tetramethylpyrazine reduces cerebral inflammation in animal models, reported to act via the Nrf2/haeme oxygenase-1 axis, alongside vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antioxidant activities of ligustilide and senkyunolide A described in the review."},{"ingredient":"sappan wood","outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review found that isolated constituents act at low micromolar concentrations in cell models - 3-deoxysappanchalcone (1-30 microM) reduced NO and IL-6 in RAW264.7 macrophages, deoxysappanone B (10-50 microM) reduced ROS, IL-6, TNF-alpha and NF-kB signalling in BV2 microglia-neuron co-culture, and brazilin (10-20 microM in cells; 10 mg/kg in chronic-mild-stress mice) reduced apoptosis and oxidative damage - while reporting no clinical trials or human participants."}]},{"theme":"Cognition & mental performance","max_evidence_tier_rank":1,"positive_count":2,"negative_or_null_count":0,"mixed_count":0,"supporting_evidence":[{"ingredient":"carthamus (safflower)","outcome":"Neuroprotection and antioxidant activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"Safflower petal water extracts inhibited glutamate-induced glial cell death and reduced malondialdehyde and 8-OHdG in rodent brain tissue after iron-induced oxidative injury; these are cell and animal findings only."},{"ingredient":"sappan wood","outcome":"Anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activity","direction":"positive effect","tier":"mechanistic / preclinical only","tier_rank":1,"summary":"A 2025 comprehensive review found that isolated constituents act at low micromolar concentrations in cell models - 3-deoxysappanchalcone (1-30 microM) reduced NO and IL-6 in RAW264.7 macrophages, deoxysappanone B (10-50 microM) reduced ROS, IL-6, TNF-alpha and NF-kB signalling in BV2 microglia-neuron co-culture, and brazilin (10-20 microM in cells; 10 mg/kg in chronic-mild-stress mice) reduced apoptosis and oxidative damage - while reporting no clinical trials or human participants."}]}]}],"counts":{"tinctures":93,"unique_canonical_ingredients":94,"research_entries":94}}