Schisandra is a twining shrub and deciduous climber that often climbs on other vegetation. The fruit is known for it's range of flavors and medicine use. In Chinese herbal medicine, it's considered one of 50 fundamental herbs as an excellent tonic and restorative that helps in stressful times and increases the zest for life. Also used to resist infections, increase skin health, and combat insomnia, coughing, and thirst.

_{Photo by @krnel}

The scientific botanical name for the most popular type is Schisandra chinensis, but there are other species as well. Common names include magnolia-vine, Chinese magnolia-vine. The fruit is called magnolia berry or five-flavor-fruit. The Amemrican variety is called Schisandra glabra, with a common name of bay star-vine.

Other names include Bac Ngu Vi Tu, Baie de Schisandra, Beiwuweizi, Bei Wu Wei Zi, Chinese Mongolavine, Chinese Schizandra, Chinesischer Limonenbaum, Chosen-Gomischi, Five-Flavor-Seed, Fructus Schisandrae, Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, Fruit aux Cinq Saveurs, Gomishi, Hoku-Gomishi, Kadsura chinensis, Kita-Gomishi, Limonnik Kitajskij, Mei Gee, Matsbouza, Nanwuweizi, Ngu Mei Gee, Northern Schisandra, Omicha, Schisandra Berry, Schisandra chinensis, Schisandra chinensis var. rubriflora, Schisandra Sinensis, Schisandra sphaerandra, Schisandra sphenanthera, Schisandrae, Schizandra, Schizandre Fructus, Schzandra, Southern Schisandra, Wuhzi, Wuweizi, Wu-Wei-Zi, Western Schisandra, Xiwuweizi.

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Key Points

• wide variety in China, one species in southern US
• edible fruits and leaves
• medicinal fruits with long history of use in Chinese traditional medicine

History

Where is it found?

Schisandra is native to Asia with diverse species in China. It's also native in North America as the species Schisandra glabra, found in the southeastern US and northern Mexico. It's considered a vulnerable spdcies due to habitat loss and competition from invasive species.

It can be found in moist deciduous hardwood forests, often with beech, often in lower slopes, stream terraces and floodplains.

What's it used for?

The dried fruit is used medicinally in China, with the name five flavor fruit because it contains the five basic flavors in Chinese herbal medicine: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. Leaves can also be eaten. The dried wood has a nice fragrant smell.

The medicinal applications include: antirheumatic, antitussive, aphrodisiac, astringent, cancer, cardiotonic, cholagogue, expectorant, hepatic, lenitive, nervine, pectoral, sedative, stimulant, and tonic.

As an adaptogen it increases resistance to disease and stress, increases energy and physical performance and endurance. It's used to prevent early aging and increase lifespan, normalizing blood sugar and blood pressure, stimulating the immune system, speeding recovery after surgery, treating liver disease(hepatitis) and protecting the liver from poisons.

The Chinese have made a drug called DBD to protect the liver made form the chemical schizandrin found in schisandra. It does this by stimulating enzymes (proteins that speed up biochemical reactions) in the liver and promoting liver cell growth.

Other uses include treatment of high cholesterol, pneumonia, coughs, asthma, sleep problems (insomnia), tiredness and irritability associated with emotional disturbance (neurasthenia), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), chronic diarrhea, dysentery, night sweats, spontaneous sweating, involuntary discharge of semen, thirst, erectile dysfunction (ED), physical exhaustion, excessive urination, depression, irritability, and memory loss. In children it's also used to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks of fever associated with an inherited disease called familial Mediterranean fever.

Some people have also used schisandra to improve vision and muscular activity, protect against radiation, prevent motion sickness and infection, boost energy at the cellular level, and improve the health of the adrenal glands.

Are there any risks?

Some evidence suggests it might cause th uterus to contract which might lead to miscarriage. Pregnant women should avoid. It might be safe or have issues during breast-feeding, but that's not known. Those with gastroesophageal reflex disease (GERD) or peptic ulcers can have their conditions worsen with use due to increasing stomach acid. It might stimulate the central nervous system and make conditions like high brain (intracranial) pressure worse

Medications changed by the liver interact with schisandra and decrease or increase their effects. This includes: celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Voltaren), fluvastatin (Lescol), glipizide (Glucotrol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), irbesartan (Avapro), losartan (Cozaar), phenytoin (Dilantin), piroxicam (Feldene), tamoxifen (Nolvadex), tolbutamide (Tolinase), torsemide (Demadex), warfarin (Coumadin), lovastatin (Mevacor), clarithromycin (Biaxin), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), diltiazem (Cardizem), estrogens, indinavir (Crixivan), triazolam (Halcion), and many others.

Some medications like tacrolimus (Prograf) mightbe absorbed more by the gut. Warfarin (Coumadin) used for blood clotting might be decreased with schisandra.

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References:

• Schisandra (magnolia vine)
• Schisandra glabra
• Schisandra chinensis - (Turcz.)Baill.
• BAY STAR VINE
• Schisandra

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Previous posts on Getting to Know Herbs:
Rhodiola | Canadian Goldenrod | German Chamomile | Blue Vervain | Blessed or Holy Thistle | Common Horehound | Cayenne | Ashwagandha | Gotu Kola | Common Verbana/Vervain | Holy Basil | Sweet Annie | Globe Artichoke | Butterfly Weed / Pleurisy Root | Joe-Pye Weed / Gravel Root | Valerian | Malva/Mallow | Boneset | Elecampane | Lungwort | Cramp Bark | Motherwort | Common Plantain | Eleuthero (Siberian ginseng) | Black Cohosh | Common Bearberry | Mahonia Mountain Grape (Oregon Grape) | Blue Cohosh | Goldenseal

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