POLYGONUM EXTRACT
Product No. P1614
Also known as Chinese knotweed and Polygonum cuspidatum.
This herb has been reported to help relieve colds and coughs but also lowers blood pressure by improving circulation throughout the body.
It has been said that Polygonum extract may help reduce blood clots thereby helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Some Chinese herbalists prescribe Polygonum to relieve back pains.
Knotweed, a member of the buckwheat family, is an annual herb that thrives in open areas and along shorelines in temperate regions throughout the world. It is harvested throughout the summer.
Knotweed has straggly stems, 6 - 12 inches long, and narrow oval leaves, 1/4 - 1/2 inch long, forming alternately from knots on the stems. Small flower clusters, pale green or pinky purple in colour, are present from June to November, and are produced in the leaf axils.
Knotweed contains tannins, flavonoids, polyphenols, silicic acid (about 1%), and mucilage.
It has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for over 2,000 years, primarily as a diuretic, and also as a kidney tonic. It is believed to help strengthen bones, treat constipation due to dry intestines, reduce swollen lymph glands and soothe sore throats, and treat abscesses and ulcers. It is considered in Chinese medicine to be an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-viral. In Western tradition, the first century AD physician Dioscorides also considered the herb to be a good diuretic, as well as a remedy for snakebites.
Knotweed has astringent properties, and is used in European herbal medicine to treat diarrhoea and haemorrhoids, aid bleeding wounds, reduce heavy menstrual flow, and stop nosebleeds. It is also taken for pulmonary complaints since its silicic acid content helps strengthen connective tissue within the lungs.
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