Wu Yao (Lindera Root)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of Wu Yao?

  Roughly 3–10 g in decoction — Chen gives 3–10 g and Bensky gives a slightly narrower 3–9 g; both sources caution that overdose and long-term use should be avoided (see Toxicity).

  Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (Chen & Chen; Bensky, Materia Medica). Reference only — not a prescription.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions for Wu Yao?

  Wu Yao should not be used in patients with Qi and/or Blood deficiency, or with Interior Heat — being an acrid, warming, moving herb, it can aggravate deficiency and heat patterns rather than help them.

  Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Overdose and long-term use should be avoided — this is the existing Sacred Lotus safety note for Wu Yao. A 2024 comprehensive pharmacology review of Lindera aggregata likewise notes that, while a wide range of biological activities has been studied in cell and animal models, dedicated long-term toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies of the whole herb remain limited, supporting a conservative, time-limited approach to use.

  Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references; Tao Y, Deng Y, Wang P, J Ethnopharmacol 2024, PMID 37499843 (critical review). Reference note, not a safety guarantee.

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on Wu Yao (Lindera aggregata)?

  Yes — a 2024 critical review catalogs roughly 260 isolated compounds and a range of preclinical pharmacological activities, but notes the mechanism behind Wu Yao’s classic urinary/Kidney-warming use is still not well studied.

  • Phytochemistry — flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, and volatile oils have been isolated from the root tubers and other plant parts.
  • Preclinical pharmacology — cell and animal studies report anti-cancer, anti-arthritic, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anti-diabetic-nephropathy, hepatoprotective, and lipid-lowering activity; these are laboratory findings, not clinical evidence of therapeutic effect.
  • Acknowledged evidence gap — the review explicitly states that Wu Yao’s traditional use for frequent urination lacks a clarified molecular mechanism, and that most existing pharmacology relies on simple cell lines or animal disease models rather than clinical trials; the authors call for pharmacokinetic and long-term toxicity research.

  Human clinical trial evidence for Wu Yao specifically (as opposed to its classic formulas) is essentially absent in the current literature; findings so far are preclinical.

  Note: The Sacred Lotus database records Wu Yao’s pharmaceutical Latin as “Radix Linderae Strychnifoliae,” an older synonym reflecting the historical species name Lindera strychnifolia; current botanical and pharmacological literature uses the accepted name Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. for the same plant. We believe these refer to the same herb; the identity field is left unchanged pending owner confirmation.

  Source: Tao Y, Deng Y, Wang P, “Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, processing methods and quality control of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm: A critical review,” J Ethnopharmacol 2024, PMID 37499843. Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• What are Wu Yao’s key classic formula combinations?

  Wu Yao is best known as a chief herb in Tian Tai Wu Yao San (for cold-stagnation lower-abdominal/genital pain) and in Suo Quan Wan (“Shut the Sluice Pill,” for Kidney-cold frequent urination and enuresis) — the two formulas that showcase its dual Qi-moving and Kidney-warming actions. Sacred Lotus formula records also place Wu Yao in Bei Xie Fen Qing Yin, Tu Si Zi Wan, Nuan Gan Jian, and Si Mo Tang, reflecting its versatility across Qi-stagnation and Kidney/Bladder-cold presentations.

  • Tian Tai Wu Yao San — cold-stagnation pain in the lower abdomen and genital region (bulging/hernial disorders).
  • Suo Quan Wan — frequent, clear urination or enuresis from Kidney yang/cold deficiency; combined here with Kidney-astringing herbs.
  • Si Mo Tang, Nuan Gan Jian, Bei Xie Fen Qing Yin, Tu Si Zi Wan — further Qi-moving or Kidney/Liver-warming formulas in which Wu Yao contributes its pain-relieving, cold-dispersing action. (Traditional formula context, not treatment advice.)

  Source: Sacred Lotus sources & references (formula records); cross-referenced against multiple online sources.