He Shou Wu and Testosterone: How This Herb Works

Last updated on May 23, 2024

What is the relationship between the famous Chinese anti-aging herb, He Shou Wu and testosterone levels? As I see it, He Shou Wu is much more of a “background” herb. It is yin in nature while testosterone itself is yang. I do believe it helps with testosterone, but only by supporting it in the background, not directly increasing it as other yang herbs do. That’s what this article aims to explore…

Here’s a short intro to the herb for those not already familier. He Shou Wu, also known by its scientific name Polygonum multiflorum and commonly referred to as Fo-Ti, is a revered herb in traditional Chinese medicine.  The name “He Shou Wu” translates to “Mr. He’s black hair,” rooted in a legend about an elderly villager named Mr. He who restored his youth and vitality, including turning his gray hair black, by consuming this herb. It is made by specially processing roots of the plant and is rich in active components including stilbenes and anthraquinones.

 

What does the Research say about He Shou Wu and Testosterone?

Unfortunately, not all that much! All I found were rat studies and they didn’t even use straight He Shou Wu, but instead used a formula in which the prepared root was one ingredient. Other herbs included Cistanche, Horny Goat Weed, Poria, Chinese Sage and Ox-Knee (Achyranthes). Therefore, this first rat study was confounded by these variables.

Still, the results were impressive. Aged rats that were given the formulation, especially those that took it longer (60 days was better than 30 days) saw statistically significant changes in:

• Improved testosterone levels
• Improved sperm function
• Improved testicular morphology

The above chart is adapted from one shared in the study. On the left is the young control group. The second from left is the aging control group. Then the three groups on the right are different treatment groups. The green bar is the He shou wu group (with the formula of herbs mentioned above) that took it for 60 days and did best.

I then came across another study, “He shou wu decoction, a Chinese herb for tonifying kidney, ameliorates hypothalamic-pituitary- testicular axis secretion in aging rats“, seemed like it was only on He Shou Wu, but looking at the details their “he shou wu decoction” also included the same herbs as listed above. Still, this has some interesting takeaways worth quoting:

• “Our findings support the conclusion that kidney-tonifying Chinese herbs regulate testosterone levels through the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.”
• “Our study showed that serum testosterone levels were significantly lower in aging rats than in the normal group, and He shou wu decoction apparently improved serum testosterone levels in a dose-dependent manner.”
• “There is evidence that kidney-tonifying Chinese herbs regulate testosterone through hypothalamic GnRH secretion and release of the neurotransmitters β-endorphin and substance P, thereby affecting the secretion of FSH, LH, and IGF-1, or through the regulation of testosterone secretion by Leydig cells, providing negative feedback regulation of hypothalamic and pituitary function when gonadal axis secretion becomes abnormal as aging proceeds.” (I include this for those that may have some clue as to what those words mean. Of course, you can click into the study for more details.)

In layman’s term that means that He Shou Wu may be operating in the background on some of the feedback loops that control how much testosterone your body makes.

But perhaps more importantly, in my mind was this understanding. You see, in this study they didn’t actually use old rats but instead “induced aging” with a toxin (injection of D-galactose). He Shou Wu was protective from this. What they found was “Pretreatment with He shou wu decoction achieved optimal anti-aging effects.” So how much does this apply to you and your testosterone? Let’s just say this has a few leaps to make to translate from rats in a study to human results.

Scientific Hypothesis on How He Shou Wu could Effect Testosterone

While some suggestions are above, the exact mechanism by which He Shou Wu might enhance testosterone levels is not fully understood. Here are a few other ways it could play a role:

• Adrenal Support: He Shou Wu may aid the adrenal glands, which play a role in hormone production including precursors to testosterone. By supporting adrenal function, He Shou Wu could help maintain adequate hormone levels necessary for overall health.
• Antioxidant Properties: The antioxidant components within He Shou Wu, such as TSH, may protect the testicular cells from oxidative stress, thereby supporting their function in testosterone production.
• Enhancement of Luteinizing Hormone Production: One potential mechanism by which He Shou Wu could increase testosterone levels is through the stimulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) production from the pituitary gland. LH is a crucial hormone that plays a key role in regulating the production of testosterone by the testes in men.

Those are just some possibilities. In addition, He Shou Wu does have some weak phyto-estrogenic action. While the word scares many away, (See Are Phytoestrogens Dangerous or Healthy?) it is possible these may alter estrogen metabolism in some way and/or help detox or protect from the worse endocrine disrupting chemicals (many of which are xeno-estrogens or anti-androgenic). Evidence from other plants shows that herbs can do this, so it is likely true with He Shou Wu. And in fact, with the rat research we saw it was protective of toxins that disrupt hormones among other things.

If you are looking for more direct testosterone stimulation, I would look to herbs like Pine Pollen Tincture and Tongkat Ali. But sometimes, you don’t want something that strong, but simply want to support testosterone more in the background.

The term “protecting testosterone” comes to mind as one that might apply to He Shou Wu.

What is the Anecdotal Evidence?

If we don’t have a lot of scientific evidence, we can look to the anecdotal. I searched our database of reviews using the keywords “he shou wu testosterone” and only a few reviews came up. You’ll notice that there is an issue with all of these…

“This supplement is one that I take daily as part of my testosterone routine. The only side effect that I’ve found is that it makes my hair grow faster! It’s just unfortunate that it won’t resurrect the hair in my conspicuous bald spot!” – Phil in SLC

“Works for Me. From my experience, not all of the same herbs and supplements work for everybody. I think sometimes this is due to a supplement I am already taking, and my body has already reached its peak of potential for that goal.. and let’s face it, all human beings are different ….I discovered Lost Empire from online research for natural testosterone supplements.. having tried their pine pollen & Aswaganda tinctures with great results , this supplement got my interest ..I have been taking a heaping half teaspoon in my coffee in the morning and 1/2 heaping teaspoon at night as a hot tea… I mix in agave, lemon, and sometimes an apple vinegar tonic for taste… after several weeks of the He Shou Wu , I realized one day I was no longer in pain from my arthritis , which I had everywhere, but really bad in my shoulders,.. I have to attribute it to this supplement, because it’s the only recent change in my nutrition regimen ….when asleep I used to toss and turn all night to get comfortable…. I now sleep like a baby..I’m 61 years old and have worked in Tree Service for over 40 years,….. Years of humping logs, numerous injuries including two falls, one from 13 feet, and one from 40 feet where I really got busted up , took the toll my body…. my only concern is online mention of potential side effects. I am relying on lost empire’s dosage recommendations, and we’ll see how things go. But for me, He Shou Wu is no BS and was a game changer….” – C.K.

“This is absolutely the best quality I have seen of safe and processed He Shou Wu. This is such an amazing and powerful herb. Personally I have taken it twice, the first time, I was trying to become healthier and raise my immune. This second time I am taking it while I have become extroardinary with the use of other herbs. Interesting thing is that if you lift weights like I do, you will find that if you take it after your work out day in the evening when you are about to lie down, you will notice 45 mins later that your body goes into repair in a stronger and interesting manner. I could feel my muscles going into micro spasms. I also used to take Nettle root for a hormonal imbalance and I notice it because without it I used to break out from boosting my testosterone with other herbs but if I take the He Shou Wu, I get the same results and more. This is an amazing herb. My immune system is indestructible now. Everyone at my office has been sick and all I would get is a little tiredness and that’s it. Good Job on this extract. Absolutely amazing. .. I wonder how long is going to take for my hair to turn black and I plan to find out.” – Jairo Rodriguez

Some great stuff, but same as the rat studies mentioned, all of these are confounded by other herb use! (Which is fine, you’re life is not a scientific experiment so mixing and matching herbs is advocated for. It just makes knowing what does what harder.)

No one is taking JUST He Shou Wu for testosterone…and I don’t think you should be. It likely actually works best in combination with other herbs. (See for example our Phoenix Rejuvenation Formula or Stag Swag which both use He Shou Wu to round out the benefits of the stronger yang testosterone herbs.)

He Shou Wu Benefits and How it Works

If you look at all of our He Shou Wu reviews (4.62 stars out of 5 with 162 reviews at the time of writing this), you’ll see many other people talk about benefits in feeling better, libido, anti-aging, more and darker hair, less pain, more quality of life, etc. Many of these qualities are associated with testosterone but not purely caused by it alone. In other words, those things could improve through other causes in the body without changing testosterone one bit.

Look at this list of testosterone benefits:

• Enhanced muscle strength and mass
• Improved sexual health and libido
• Better mood and energy levels
• Increased vitality and anti-aging effects

But understand that increasing testosterone is just one route to all of the above. It is not the only one.

In the context of traditional Chinese medicine, He Shou Wu is considered a powerful tonic for the liver and kidneys, vital organs associated with aging and vitality. It is often recommended for issues related to aging, such as hair graying, fertility concerns, and general weakness. In TCM, this goes by the term of Jing Deficiency and especially Yin Jing. (Understand Yin vs. Yang here and one of the three treasures Jing here.

So, it is in all this that I call it a “background” herb. It is not directly boosting testosterone like some others do but helps many different systems in your body do what they need to do. If those systems are supported, you’re natural testosterone production is likely to be supported too.

What to Watch Out for in He Shou Wu

There is alarm about liver toxicity with He Shou Wu, but this is overblown. See He Shou Wu Liver Damage? (Review of the Evidence) for more details.

One of the things mentioned in there is possible heavy metal contamination and/or poor processing. Even if those aren’t issues for the liver, they’re issues for much else, so you want to be sure you have high quality He Shou Wu.

Everything that we make goes through independent lab processing to assure it is what we say it is (identity identified), is low heavy metals verified, free from microbial contamination and more.

We’ve got two varieties available now. There’s a 10:1 hot water powdered extract as well as a spagyric tincture available. While I like them both, the spagyric tincture is one of my favorite tinctures.

FAQ

Does He Shou Wu really work?

It wouldn’t have its reputation from traditional Chinese medicine for centuries or millennia if it didn’t deliver some significant benefits. You can see all the reviews from our happy customers to show it is working for many (and negative reviews showing it doesn’t work for all because nothing does). While we’ve explored some preliminary science on He Shou Wu and testosterone here, there is much more science showing some of it’s other effects, showing positive results.

How long does it take to see effects?

The time it takes to see the effects of He Shou Wu can vary widely depending on the individual and the specific health concern being addressed. For visible benefits such as improved hair health, it might take several weeks or even months. When used for internal health improvements, like boosting vitality or hormonal balance, it might take a similar duration to notice changes, with continuous use being crucial. In the rat study mentioned here better effects were seen with two months of use as compared to one month.

Can He Shou Wu replace testosterone therapy?

He Shou Wu should not be considered a replacement for testosterone therapy, especially in cases of clinically diagnosed testosterone deficiency. While it may offer support for hormonal health, its effects are generally milder and not sufficiently studied to match the efficacy of prescribed testosterone treatments. We’re not doctors here so we couldn’t even recommend that if it was the case. That being said, we believe natural methods including both combinations of herbs along with lifestyle changes could help many men to get into normal or even ideal testosterone levels at almost any age.

How often should testosterone levels be checked?

Testosterone levels should be checked based on individual health needs and under the guidance of a healthcare provider. For those undergoing testosterone therapy or experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance, testing might be recommended at the start of therapy and periodically afterward to assess and adjust treatment. Typically, this could be every few months or as determined by the treating physician. For your average person, if you can test your hormones once per year that is a good rate.

Is He Shou Wu estrogenic?

He Shou Wu does not primarily act through estrogenic pathways, according to research. While it has some weak estrogenic effects, these are minor compared to its main health-supportive actions which are non-hormonal. The small amount of phytoestrogens in He Shou Wu is unlikely to have a significant impact on hormone levels compared to more common sources like soy products. Estrogen, in balanced amounts, is necessary for both men and women, supporting functions including sexual health and neuroprotection. Thus, the modulation of estrogen levels by He Shou Wu can be beneficial, maintaining them within a healthy range. See this article for a deep dive into this topic.

Does fo-ti affect hormones?

Fo-ti, another name for He Shou Wu, is suspected to have an impact on the hormonal system, particularly based on traditional uses and some preliminary studies suggesting it might influence testosterone levels and overall endocrine function. Everything written in this article applies to the name Fo-ti as well. (Though you may be interested to know that although it is popular to use the name Fo-ti to refer to He Shou Wu this originally came from a mistake!)

Is He Shou Wu an adaptogen?

He Shou Wu is often considered an adaptogen in traditional Chinese medicine, meaning it is believed to help the body resist stressors of all kinds, whether physical, chemical, or biological. This includes supporting adrenal function and enhancing the body’s ability to deal with stress, which indirectly could contribute to hormonal balance and overall well-being. Adaptogens are used to stabilize physiological processes and promote homeostasis, which He Shou Wu is traditionally used for, while being quite safe for use.