Common Name:
Schisandra. also spelled Schizandra
Wu Wei Zi (5 Flavor Berry)
Botanical Name:
Schisandra chinensis
Energy & Taste:
It has 5 flavors: sour, salty, spicy, bitter and sweet. These flavors correlate to the 5 Elements in TCM and the 5 primary organs. Because of the 5 flavors, the energy is mixed. If used with appropriate herbs in formula, it can be tridoshic.
Traditional Uses:
-Improves quality of sleep but is not a sedative
-Supports the fluids of the body. This includes keeping skin supple, the blood strong and strengthening the reproductive fluids
-Calms Shen
-Adrenal tonic
-Reproductive tonic – increases sperm count and vaginal secretions
-Improves physical and mental performance.
-Strongly hepato-protective and supports Phase I & II liver detox
Quality & Cost:
Look for the whole berry rather than powder. It should be aromatic and a deep red color. Avoid the dark brown or black berries. Good quality is affordable and easily available.
Method of Preparation:
tea, tincture, powder mix
Combinations:
Depending on the desired therapeutic effect, it can be combined with a wide variety of herbs. Its sour and astringent tastes are the strongest. I find the taste improved and more balanced with warming and sweet herbs such as ginger and licorice.
The Plant Profiles are brief materia medica summaries of plants encountered during plant walks or introduced during class on our longer programs. They are presented here to help students organize plant info on an ongoing basis. Although the Profiles are not meant to be comprehensive, they are offered here to the public in the hope that others find these pages useful.