He Shou Wu Usage

He shou wu is widely marketed today as a general anti-aging herb, said to reduce cholesterol , prevent heart disease , prevent age-related loss of mental function , improve sleep , and extend life span. However, the evidence supporting these uses is far too preliminary to meaningfully indicate effectiveness for any of these proposed uses. ^{1 2 3 4 5} He shou wu is reputed to strengthen immunity ; however, one constituent of the herb, emodin, has shown some promise as an immune system suppressant! ⁶ Finally, He shou wu has a traditional reputation as a mild laxative . In support of this, it has been pointed out that emodin belongs to a family of chemicals called anthraquinones; other members of this family act as laxatives. However, animal research has failed to find any evidence that emodin itself has a laxative effect. ⁷