Tuesday's Featured Herb "Schisandra Berries"

                                         Schisandra Berries

Also Known as/Alternative names:  
schisandra chinensis, Schizadra, Wu Wei Zi, Magnolia vine, Gomishi, Kita-Gomishi

What is it? 
As the name states they are berries, Chinese Berries to be exact

History:
Chinese tradition say that Schisandra  calms and and quiets the spirit  and it has a long history in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

 Schisandra, also known as Magnolia vine due to its ability to grow upwards. It is  native to Northern China, Russia, and parts of Korea.

An ornamental plant found in many fine gardens throughout the world, schisandra is a woody vine with oval pink/rose colored leaves and bright red berries.

The most popular use can be recorded in China and Russia.

 Its Chinese name  wu-wei-zi, means five- taste fruit.

 Schisandra has a usually sour, sweet, bitter, warm, and salty taste, peppery, hence the name “five taste”. Russian hunters have consumed it for centuries as a tea to help with fatigue.

Uses:
Traditionally it is used in Asian cultures as added in extract form to juice or made into a tincture or steeped in tea. Schisandra is the go to herb that balances all elements of the body.


Cautions/Warnings:
There has been some Botanical research done in China, Russia, and the U.S. that has showed that Schisandra might possibly cause gastrointestinal upset in some individuals, though rare and no cases have been found.
 Schisandra should not be used by pregnant women as it does stimulate the uterus. It is a great product to use after giving birth .