Semen cuscutae health benefits may include invigorating the kidneys and the liver, supporting immunity, and stopping diarrhea.
Semen cuscutae, also known as Dodder Seed, Tu Si Zi, and the “Longevity Herb,” is the seed of a vine used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to invigorate the kidneys, nourish the liver, and stop diarrhea. It’s a nootropic, and it has a high flavonoid content and strong antioxidant properties. Therapeutic uses include support for brain health, central nervous system health, and a healthy reproductive system.
Properties found statistically significant include adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-senescence, cardio-protective, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, neurotrophic, nootropic, and osteogenic.
As a prime ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Semen cuscutae has an incredible number of therapeutic uses, which we will explore below.
Scientific Research on Semen cuscutae
Here’s what major scientific publications have to say about semen cuscutae health benefits:
- “[D]odder seeds in Shandong Province [China] have the effects of immune enhancement, anti-fatigue and anoxia tolerance. The polysaccharide in dodder seeds is one of the effective materials to improve the immune system.”
- Semen cuscuate offers neuroprotective effects.
- Semen cuscutae suppresses allograft rejection via distinct immune mechanisms.
- [Semen cuscutae] has the potential to invigorate the reproductive system and reproductive endocrine function.
- Semen cuscutae attenuates the immune function of dendritic cells.
- The total flavones from Semen cuscutae reverse the reduction of testosterone level and the expression of androgen receptor gene in kidney-yang deficient mice.
While Semen cuscutae is regularly used to treat a variety of chronic diseases and everyday ailments, it’s not recognized as a drug nor a medical treatment by the FDA in the United States.
To be clear, we’re not suggesting that Semen cuscutae can be used as a treatment for a specific disease. Instead, we will discuss the therapeutic uses of Semen cuscutae recognized in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Semen cuscutae offers a broad spectrum of support, which is why we believe it’s a valuable health supplement. The goal is to provide some understanding of the multiple body systems with which Semen cuscutae interacts.
Semen cuscutae: The Longevity Herb
Semen cuscutae is often called the Longevity herb. Below, we’ll review Semen cuscutae health benefits and some of Semen cuscutae’s more common therapeutic uses.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and other traditional medicine systems suggest Semen cuscutae may support:
Healthy Brain Function: Semen cuscutae is commonly used to support brain health.
Healthy Liver and Healthy Spleen: Semen cuscutae is valued for its healing and rejuvenating powers. Therapeutic uses include invigorating the kidneys, as well as nourishing the liver and spleen.
Kidney Health: Semen cuscutae is traditionally used to treat ailments caused by a kidney deficiency. These ailments include symptoms such as lower back pain, erectile dysfunction, urinary frequency, and leucorrhea.
Immune System Health and Enhancement: Semen cuscutae exhibits an immunosuppressive effect on dendritic cells and attenuates dendritic cell function, which suggests that semen cuscutae has potential in the treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Reproductive and Sexual Health: In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Semen cuscutae is known as a kidney yang tonic and is widely used to remedy sexual problems like impotence, nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, and low sperm count that arise from kidney yang deficiency.
Vision and Eye Health: Semen cuscutae is used to help improve eyesight. It is used to treat blurred vision and decreased visual acuity caused by insufficient nourishment of the eyes due to liver and kidney deficiencies.
Semen cuscutae Health Benefits
This long list of Semen cuscutae health benefits indicates that Semen cuscutae supports a whole healthy lifestyle approach related to issues with kidney disease, reproductive and sexual problems, the immune system, the endocrine system, vision and eye health, and liver and spleen health.
There is good reason to believe that a lifestyle-related approach to optimal health will benefit from support with Semen cuscutae as a health supplement.