Goji berries, acai berries, sea
buckthorn berries, yumberries, macqui berries, blueberries…all considered
“superfruits” for their nutritional content and antioxidant potential. I’m sure you’ve heard of at least a few of
those, but you likely have not heard of what could very well be considered the
original super-berry: the adaptogenic
Schisandra berry.
The berries of the Schisandra chinensis plant have been
used in Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean medicine for thousands of
years. They are known as “wu wei zi” in TCM
which means “five flavor berry”. You
see, these berries have the very unique property of possessing all five flavors
of TCM: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and
pungent. Because it possesses all five
flavors, it benefits the 5 yin organs:
liver, kidney, heart, lungs and spleen.
It is widely used as a tonic remedy to increase energy and fight
fatigue.
As
an adaptogen, Schisandra berry displays the required properties to be
considered a true adaptogen: non-toxic;
reduces stress; non-specific benefits (works throughout the entire body) and
normalizing. It has been shown to
decrease fatigue, increase physical work capacity and promote endurance and
stamina. They are also quite useful for
the immune system, particularly during times of stress. When we are stressed, our bodies are more
susceptible to infections like colds and flus.
I’m sure it’s happened to you.
When you think that nothing else could possibly go wrong, you wake one
morning with a splitting headache, sore throat and a nasty cough. Our defenses are down when we are under lots
of stress. Schisandra can stop that from
happening. These little red berries
keep our immune systems alert and ready to attack invading pathogens even when
we don’t feel like we can attack the next load of laundry.
The
benefits don’t stop there. Schisandra
also has an unusual dual effect on the nervous system. As I said before, it is used for fatigue and
work capacity. These show a somewhat
stimulant property on the nervous system.
Keep in mind that this only happens when we need it; when we are under
stress. At the same time, Schisandra can
have a calming effect on the mind and can ease anxiety. These berries can actually increase our
resistance to emotional stress and create a platform where we are more equipped
and ready to handle the many emotional stressors we face from day to day.
Modern
research has shed light on schisandra’s significant benefits for the
liver. It is a potent
hepatoprotective (liver-protective) herb and has strong antioxidant effects
specifically in the liver. Basically, it
helps the liver rid the body of toxins – whether they are the result of normal,
everyday metabolic processes or something environmental.
It’s
incredible that a small red berry would have so many benefits in the body. Now, you could eat these, I suppose. It’s common in China that medicinal plants
are added to foods to increase their healing properties. But I’m thinking that the weird flavor
profile (first salty, then sweet and sour, then bitter and pungent) may not be
appealing to most. Schisandra is widely
available as a dietary supplement. It
also makes a great complement ingredient in formulation. And remember when the next fad “super-fruit”
berry comes around that these little red berries have stood the test of
time. They were super 3,000 years ago
and still are today.
Do you know what are Schizandra Chinensis Benefits?
ReplyDeleteThe way in which the narrator had explained information about the Schisandra Chinensis products available with them, I have got much impressed with his recommendation and I will definitely try out the advantages of these products.
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