There is an old story which describes the discovery of Polygonum multiflorum (He Shou Wu). There was a poor fellow living alone in a forested area of China. He had been born with a weak constitution. Due to his chronic frailty, he had never been able to marry had long since given up on the prospect. One day he was collecting wood in the forest when he observed a pair of vines entwined. He thought to himself that they appeared to be making love, and in a whimsical mood dug up the roots of the plant, which he took back to his cottage. There he cooked the tubers in the fashion of an herb tea and consumed it over a period of time. To his surprise, he started to feel an unknown vitality flowing through his veins and after a little while he noticed certain urges starting to develop. Various versions of the story go on to describe various degrees of incredible virility as it developed in this previously hapless guy. He soon found a lovely young wife and had several children. Furthermore, his gray hair turned from white to black and his loose teeth became firm. He took on the name “Old Black Hair,” or Polygonum multiflorum. His sons later named the herb Old Black Hair, after their father. Since that discovery of the herbs influence on hair, it has been used by tens of millions of people in Asia to nurture healthy, beautiful hair.
Research has demonstrated that Polygonum multiflorum can very significantly increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. SOD is a powerful natural antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been demonstrated to have powerful anti-aging benefits in humans.
