Polygala (aka. Yuan Zhi; Polygala tenuifolia), is a perennial herb with slender stems and narrow leaves, producing small purple or pink flowers. It thrives in grasslands and forest margins and is especially known for its twisted, aromatic roots.
Native to China and other parts of East Asia, Polygala tenuifolia has been used for over 2,000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Its roots are a key ingredient for calming the spirit, enhancing memory, resolving phlegm, and supporting emotional balance, often used in formulas for insomnia, anxiety, and forgetfulness.
Polygala is considered a “Shen tonic,” believed to nourish the heart and clear the mind.
Scientific investigation has found Polygala to exhibit neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, anxiolytic, and cognition-enhancing properties.
In Alzheimer’s disease models, tenuigenin, a key active of Polygala, was found to improve cognitive function in mice by reducing neuroinflammation and inhibiting β-amyloid plaque formation supporting its traditional reputation as a brain tonic.
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*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.