Starwest Botanicals Organic Cured Fo-Ti Root Powder, 1 Pound

I bought a package of this a year and a half ago and still have quite a bit left, but am running low enough that I thought I better check and make sure the company that sells it is still in business. I'm so happy it is, and if there are any other herbal medicinals I need going forward, these are the folks I'll be getting them from. I'm sold on this company.He Shou Wu is kind of nasty stuff but I find that if I mix it with pu'erh tea (which a lot of people also don't like) it kinda almost works flavor-wise. Else, just pound it quickly down the hatch in some warm water. The results are worth it for me. I swear on a stack of Mandarin Bibles that He Shou Wu helps my memory. I'm less forgetful at 64 years of age than I was at 20. It also promotes hair growth, which I'm in dire need of. Interestingly, the new hair that comes in has black roots, so it's possible that He Shou Wu is an evil plot by the Chinese government to turn us all into Han! Which is fine if it gives me more hair. One negative: I have noticed I'm also getting more hair in places I don't want it, like my upper arms. I don't know if that's theHe Shou Wu or old age. Life is hard.If you don't like the taste of this product, you're in business. It means you bought the right stuff. I shopped around Amazon and refused to buy anything else because the product descriptions just didn't look "right" to me. I had a good feeling about this one, so I ordered it, and when I smelled it, it smelled just like the terrible stuff I used to get from acupuncturists. By the way, in my uneducated opinion, acupuncturists over-prescribe this stuff. I personally don't need anywhere near as much as they say I should take. I only take about a teaspoonful a day., which is why it's lasted so long for me, I guess.It helps more than hair growth and brain matter, too. I generally just feel better overall when I take it in the morning. I'm not one of those old guys with a bathroom cabinet full of prescriptions. I have none, as a matter of fact, because the American pharmaceutical industry is trying to kill us. Okay, exaggeration, but Americans are way overmedicated, and most of you know it.So if you need a little more hair on your head or a little improvement in neuron behavior, this is the brand to get, in my opinion. I"m betting that their other formulas are great, too, so I'd like to encourage people to try any of them if they're looking for herbal medicinals. And, best of all, they're not a rip-off. They don't spend a jillion dollars on fancy packaging and charge exorbitant prices for a pretty package. They just shove their product into an envelope and let you deal with it.

Good value for your money

When I just got it, I used it regularly one teaspoon a day. After 2 weeks of this I had to run with the kids a few blocks, and I was surprised, that my breathing was not hard as it usually would have been. I think it was Fo-Ti effect. Now I am using it as a part of other tonic herb mixture, so I am not taking as much. I mix powdered herbs with apple cider vinegar and either honey or molasses, this way they are not making me choke, when I take them, and I can keep them on the counter instead of the fridge as long as I use fresh spoon each time. I do not have gray hair yet (early fourties), except for a one or two occasionally, so can't comment on effect on that, but wouldn't be surprised.It seems like it is a powerful herb, full of minerals and other good stuff, so I will keep taking it together with AMLA, Euletro root, Nopal cactus (to reduce sugar cravings by regulating blood sugar), turmeric, a bit of cinnamon, and sometimes other herbs. I do not like buying capsules because of the fillers in them and because they are pain in the neck to swallow in large enough amounts, so powders are my prefered way. The only two, that I use capsules with are cayenne pepper (I stuff my own to avoid fillers), and andrographis (one is very hot and the other is very very bitter.

Good to have this awesome herb!

Great product. Foti Powder. Easy to use. Thank you, Star West!

Great product

Confirm this is prepared Fo-Ti root. My second bag. Comes in quality foil zip lock bag. Lead warning is off putting. Seemingly due to trace amounts; required by California statute, as I understand. 1/2 tea spoon serving size. Using it in moderation. Doubt it will do me harm. Think it is doing me good. After I began use of Fo-Ti and Moringa hair became darker. Friends I did not mention used Fo-Ti to, commented on hair color. Hope other benefits are as real as they seem.

I'll probably still go through it, though not really 100% sure of that. My stomach is making lots of gurgles that it doesn't normally. If this happens to be a one time thing, then I'll update my review, but I rarely get stomach gurgles and this was the only thing I had. Maybe with food will be better - I'll try with and without. Some things I'll cook into foods so the affect on gut isn't so harsh. Not sure what's causing the issue, but it would be good to have some gut microflora studies done on this.Update: So, I may have found part of the issue on the stomach gurgling. The combination releases more compounds (upfront - predigestion), and one of those compounds, fritillarioside, has laxative effects. So this might be all that it is. Not something I'm worried about. This was just my initial research.That said, I'll still prefer the regular root (not cured with BB) because I don't think we need those compounds to be pre-digested in order for us to absorb them well - likely depends on how well the persons gut microflora is.... It just makes it harder going down. Perhaps just a note to let them know that in order to absorb the compounds in the raw root powder, you should have good healthy gut microflora, else this product is for you. It could also affect bacteria in your small intestine and also might not like "getting hit all at once" by these compounds but much prefer the slow release that happens when they are digested by gut bacteria. I'll likely throw mine out (happens with 1 in 3 natural health products for me). Just keep them organic and NATURAL FORM. C/S is okay. Powdered is okay. Cured - not okay.