Fo-Ti
Fo-Ti (Polygonum multiflorum / He Shou Wu)
Traditional medicine ingredient with no quality RCTs — and documented hepatotoxicity case reports.
How Fo-Ti works — and how well we know it
Traditional medicine use for premature graying and hair loss. Modern mechanism is poorly characterized; some in vitro suggestion of follicle stimulation.
oral, topical
Variable; included in proprietary blends at undisclosed doses.
Traditional Chinese medicine ingredient. No regulatory approval for AGA. Documented hepatotoxicity case reports.
Nothing we'd recommend.
Evidence distribution across 1 claims
Why the grade is F. No quality RCT evidence for AGA. Documented liver toxicity case reports make the risk-benefit calculus poor.
Every claim, traced back to its source
We took every major claim made about Fo-Ti and matched it to the specific experimental model behind it. Click a claim to see the model, the finding, and our assessment of how much weight it deserves.
1 claims · evidence-by-evidence breakdown
1Open-LabelWeight: HighFo-Ti has documented hepatotoxicity case reportsReal liver-toxicity risk. With no AGA benefit established, the calculus is negative.
Multiple case reports and case series of severe hepatitis temporally associated with chronic fo-ti supplementation, including liver-transplant cases.
Chronic fo-ti use has caused severe hepatitis in multiple documented cases.
The risk is real and documented. With no offsetting AGA efficacy evidence, the risk-benefit is clearly negative.
- Dong H et al. (2014). World J Gastroenterol PMID 25336797
What's still missing from the science
- Any quality AGA-specific evidence.
Our verdict on Fo-Ti
Not in our formulary yet
We don't carry this ingredient. We only formulate around actives where the evidence — and the safety profile — is strong enough to recommend with confidence. As the data matures, we may revisit.
Related treatments
How does Fo-Ti stack up against its closest peers?
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