WU WEI ZI Schisandrae Chinensis Schisandra Chinese Magnolia Vine
LATIN NAME: Schisandra chinensis
COMMON NAME: Five-flavor Berry
The five-flavor berry is the red bead of the old vine, and the small, cream flowers open along the twining stems. The vigorous, twining, deciduous vine carries the oval, toothed leaves and the small, cream or pale-yellow flowers in the axils along the twining stems through the late spring, to be followed by the long, loose clusters of the small, round, bright-red berries that hold all five of the tastes of the old practice. The berries have a very long record in the old practice of the warm East, and the vine is a fine, historic presence of the study collection. It is a vine of the open, sunny to partly shaded, deep, moist, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The five-flavor berry is a historic subject of the plant science, and the red beads keep showing up in the work on the old tonic vines. The chemistry of the berries, which hold the five tastes of the old practice and have a very long record of use, has been studied steadily, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the adaptogenic berries, the traditional tonic vines and the members of the magnolia-vine family. The oval, toothed leaves and the vigorous, twining habit have also made it a fine study vine, and the five-flavor berry is a regular subject of the work on the old vines of the East.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The five-flavor berry is a fine, historic vine of the study collection and the old garden. The long, loose clusters of the small, round, bright-red berries hold the five tastes of the old practice, and the berries have a very long record in the old practice of the warm East as the tonic of the vitality, dried into the small, red beads of the old trade. The vine is one of the fine choices for the pergola, the fence and the study collection, and the red beads follow the fine, autumn leaves of the season. It has been written about in the herbal and the botanical papers for the five tastes and the very long history, and it is a fine, historic vine of the open, sunny to partly shaded, deep, moist, well-drained garden.
Give the vine a warm, sheltered spot and the red beads will follow the fine, autumn leaves each year.
To grow the five-flavor berry from seed, sow the small, brown seeds a centimetre down in pots of damp, free-draining soil, keep the pots in a warm, bright spot and water gently, then set the young plants out against the fence or the pergola. The seedlings come up in their own good time and grow on steadily. With the sun or the light shade and the deep, moist, well-drained ground, the red beads will come in the years ahead.
Description
Schisandra or Wu-wei-zi is a traditional Chineseherb that is found in Korea, Russia and China. It is a vine-like plant with bright red berries that many flavours and medicinal properties.
Dosage:
Schisandra fruit: 1-6 grams per day.
Tincture – 2-4 ml three times per day
Safety:
Side effects involving schisandra are uncommon but may include abdominal upset,
decreased appetite, and skin rash.Some herbs are known to react with your medication. Please consult your physician before starting on any herb.
Action
Schisandra contains a variety of active compounds, these include: organic acids, volatile oils and lignans. The lignans in schisandra appear to regenerate liver tissue and control inflammation. Schisandra also demonstrates mild adaptogenic action.
Uses
Immune support – Helping overcome illness such as coughs, colds and infection
Stress and fatigue – Energy boosting and adaptogenic.
Liver support – repair from damage, especially from alcohol and hepatitis.
Schisandra is available as tablets, capsules or tincture.
Cautions
There are generally no side effects from taking schisandra supplements.
At time of writing there were no well known drug interactions or contra-indications with schisandra.
Disclaimer
This remedy has been traditionally used for hundreds of years for specific ailments based on Herbal Folklore both eastern and western. No clinical proof has been made.
If you have a serious disease, we suggest that you consult a qualified doctor who understands alternative health care before combining herbal medicine with allopathic medicine. We suggest that you take these remedies based on your faith and knowledge of Ayurveda. For this reason, methods used to prepare these primitive remedies in many cases are omitted. Do not use any remedy described without the advice of a professional health practitioner.