Herb comparison
Arjun (Terminalia arjuna) vs Fo Ti (Polygonum multiflorum)
Both plants are listed as traditional remedies for 1 of the same condition, which is why they are easy to confuse. Their descriptions and full safety notes are below, free.
Fo Ti (Polygonum multiflorum) is restricted
Preparation amounts are not shown for this herb. It is toxic, restricted, or otherwise unsafe to self-dose - the margin between a traditional dose and a harmful one is too small to publish as reference material. If you are considering it, that conversation belongs with a doctor or a qualified practitioner, not a website.
- About
- Arjun is an evergreen tree that can grow up to about 100 ft (30 m) high, bearing pale yellow flowers and cone-shaped leaves.Fo ti (Polygonum multiflorum), also known as he shou wu, is a perennial vine used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
- Safety & precautions
- Not recommended during pregnancy unless supervised by a qualified healthcare professional. Owing to conflicting research on how it affects blood pressure and heart rate, it should be taken only with professional guidance.Liver injury: LiverTox calls fo ti (Polygonum multiflorum, he shou wu) a well-established cause of acute liver injury and notes that in China it is reported as the leading cause of herb-related liver injury. Symptoms have started anywhere from a few days to about six months after starting, and up to one in ten clinically apparent cases has been fatal or needed an urgent liver transplant. Injury often returns quickly if the herb is restarted. Do not use fo ti if you have liver disease, and stop it and seek care if you develop fatigue, nausea, dark urine or yellowing skin or eyes. Digestive Weakness & Diarrhea: Fo ti is not recommended for those with poor digestion, diarrhea, or heavy mucus congestion.
Safety text above is printed in full and is never abbreviated. For each plant’s complete precautions, drug and food interactions and preparation notes, open its own page - both are free.
Conditions that list both
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