Schizandra berry, also known as schisandra, is a climbing vine that is part of the Magnoliaceae family and native to parts of North America, China and Russia. The vine produces delicious purple-red berries that are famous for their medicinal properties. Nicknamed the five-flavour-berry because of its unusual blend of flavours, schizandra is a powerful, nutrient-rich superfood.
Heralded as the next big thing amongst wellness circles, schizandra berry offers an enormous range of benefits for both the body and the mind. And while it has been used for thousands of years, recent studies are revealing why these purple-red berries are the ultimate tonic herb for modern times.
In this complete guide to schizandra berry, we take a look at the history and health benefits of this superfood, provide dosage information, and offer some delicious schizandra berry recipes to boot.
A Brief History of Schizandra Berry
Like many other much-loved tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms, the first recorded mention of schizandra berry can be seen in the herbalist handbook, the ‘Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing’. This classic text categorizes 365 of the most nutritionally potent plants according to their medicinal properties.
The berries were cherished by Chinese royalty and ladies of the court for their vitality-promoting, rejuvenating and beautifying qualities. This superfood was also a firm favourite with Taoist practitioners and was said to be the favourite tonic herb of the highly-revered Taoist grandmaster Sung Jin Park.
Schizandra Berry Nutritional Overview
Schizandra berry is bursting with many tongue-twisting health compounds including sesquicarbonate, phytoestrogens, schizandrol and stigmasterol which help to give it anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and rejuvenating properties. It also contains two major lignans: schisandrin and gomisin. Lignans are compounds that help to lower cholesterol, support heart health, and help to balance hormones. Vitamin-wise, you'll find schizandra contains a healthy dose of both Vitamins C and E.
Schizandra Berry the Adaptogen
There are only 16 substances in the world that are classed as adaptogenic substances, and schizandra berry is one of them. Adaptogens are some of the most potent superfoods in the world and they can change their function depending on what is most needed in the body. Studies reveal that adaptogens assist the body in being able to better cope with mental, physical and environmental stress factors.
Schizandra Berry for Beauty
Legend has it that schizandra berry was so popular with Chinese royalty because it had a reputation of being one of the most powerful youth preservers around. Court ladies were said to regularly take it to promote youthfulness and a glowing complexion. Nowadays, several big beauty brands have extracted compounds from the berries to use in their high-end skincare products.
Schizandra berry contains many antioxidants that limit free radical damage and nourish the skin from within. The antioxidants have been shown to protect the lipid membranes in the cells, which helps the skin to retain more moisture and appear plumper. The berries also have anti-inflammatory properties which reduce redness and promote a more supple complexion.
It’s not just a natural skin-nourisher, schizandra berry’s vitamins and minerals are said to assist with healthy hair and nail growth, and can help the eyes to appear brighter too.
Schizandra Berry in Traditional Chinese Medicine
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), medicinal plants, herbs and berries are divided into different categories based on their health benefits. Schizandra berries have been placed into the ‘herbs that stabilize and bind’ category. This means that it can assist the body in reducing leakages - be it physical ‘discharges’ or energetic (qi) leaks. It’s warm in nature, meaning that the berries can help people with an excess of yin energy or a deficiency in yang energy. The berries are also said to nourish all three ‘treasures’, enter all twelve meridians and nurture all five elements.
In TCM, the taste of a herb is used as an indication as to the area in the body that it can support and nourish. Schizandra berries' unique ‘five flavours’ indicate that they can strengthen the heart, kidneys, and lungs. They also have a tonifying effect, and are believed to help build the blood and stimulate the flow of qi in the body.
Quite often in TCM, a herb is prescribed along with other plants to target specific health conditions. Some popular schizandra berry formulas include:
Schizandra + Ginseng to help with exhaustion
Schizandra + Reishi for asthma and issues relating to the lungs
Schizandra + Goji Berries for low sperm count, low libido and impotence
If you’d like to take schizandra berry to help with a medical issue, then seek advice both from your doctor and from a Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist who will be able to prescribe the right formula and therapeutic dose for your needs.
Schizandra Berry Fun Fact
In more remote Eastern regions of Russia, native Nanai hunters ingest the berries to improve night vision and reduce hunger, thirst and fatigue.
Schizandra Berry Benefits
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Anti-Ageing: Antioxidants help to slow down the ageing process
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TCM Staple: One of the 50 fundamental tonics in Chinese Herbalism
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Qi-Replenisher: Stimulates the flow of life force energy
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Neuroprotective: Provides some neurological nourishment
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Expectorant: Helps to clear mucus from the throat
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Anti-stress: Helps to lower cortisol production
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Skin Nourisher: Promotes healthy, glowing skin
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Adaptogen: Helps the body to resist harmful stress factors
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Mild Aphrodisiac: Can enhance libido
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Sleep aid: Improves sleep quality
How to Choose the Best Schizandra Berry
As with any medicinal plant, the potency of schizandra berry depends on several factors including where it is grown, how it is harvested and what it is packaged in. When looking for the highest quality schizandra, choose a product that has been grown in Northern China, as this area has the ideal conditions for the most potent, nutrient-rich plants to grow in the world. Avoid the schisandra sphenanthera strain, which is sadly sold by several large health companies and is much less potent than the strain from Northern China.
Also, go for berries that have been prepared with care: too much excess heat can damage the health compounds while fillers and preservatives will diminish the power and purity of the berries. When you have the choice, always go for ethically-sourced schizandra that has gently transformed into a pure and finely-milled powder that is ready to use.
We are proud that our schizandra berry is sustainably sourced from a pristine part of Northern China. We carefully package the powder in reusable travel-friendly pouches and beautiful Organic Miron Glass jars that help to preserve the freshness and bioavailability of all the incredible compounds this berry has to offer. Click here to shop our Schizandra Berry.
How to Prepare Schizandra Berry
Raw Schizandra Berries need a little prep work to transform them into tea. First, you will need to select perfectly ripe berries from mature plants, then wash and simmer them for around 20-minutes in warm water. The plant contains tannins which can cause stomach upset, so you'll want to make sure that if you don’t boil them that soak them in water for at least 2 hours.
Creating schizandra berry powder at home is a slightly trickier affair which involves drying them - either by sunlight or by dehydrating the berries and then grinding them into a fine powder. Luckily, there are several ready to use schizandra berry products available on the market. Our schizandra berry powder is made using a gentle process which transforms the ripe and raw berries into a concentrated extract powder that contains ten times more nutrients than the raw berries alone.
What Choose our Schizandra Berry Powder?
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100% Natural: No added preservatives or nasties
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Super Strength: Ten times more potent than the raw herb
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Ready-to-Use: Instantly add the powder to your favourite drinks and dishes
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Nutrient-Dense: Rich in a rare mix of health compounds
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Eco-friendly: Comes in a reusable pouch or Miron glass jar
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Economical: A little goes a long way
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Vegan-Friendly: Pure, plant-based power
Schizandra Berry Dose and Side Effects
Schizandra berry is safe to use for most people, but there are a few instances when you should avoid it. Schizandra berry should be avoided if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or suffering from extreme cases of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or high stomach acid. If you are unsure, always consult your doctor before taking schizandra berry.
The exact dose you should take will depend on a variety of physical factors, as well as your reason for taking it. A good standard dose to start with is 1/2 a teaspoon, which you can increase to 1 teaspoon and take up to three times a day if desired. Sometimes, higher therapeutic doses are prescribed.
How to Use Schizandra Berry
Schizandra Berry has a wonderfully delicious taste that is hard to fully describe. The Chinese word, wǔ wèi zi, translates as five-flavour-berry because this superfood has an unusual mix of all five flavours: sweet, sour, salty, pungent and bitter. Expect a flavour explosion that contains elements of plums, cranberries, tomatoes, prunes and mulled spices. It really does have to be tasted to be believed!
The quickest and easiest way to use it is to add it to warm water to make a tea, or use it to supercharge your juices, smoothies, lattes and shakes with additional nutrition and flavour. When it comes to cooking, baking and creating in the kitchen, you can add schizandra berry powder to everything from bars, dips, salad dressings, soups and energy bars to ice creams, cakes and more.
As with several of our other tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms (like skin-rejuvenating astragalus and tremella), schizandra can also be applied topically to soothe and nourish the skin onto the skin. You can upgrade your skincare routine by creating a face mask from water mixed with the powder, or by simply adding a little to your natural moisturizer.
Schizandra Berry Recipes
Schizandra Berry Tea
Schizandra tastes so good that it can be enjoyed by itself as a nourishing tea. Just spoon between 1/2 and 1tsp of the powder into your favourite mug, and then pour in some warm but not boiling water, and stir until dissolved. High-quality Schizandra Berry powder will have a naturally flavourful and delicious taste, but you can sweeten it up a little with a dash of maple syrup, agave or date syrup.
Schizandra works well when combined with other superstar superfoods and spices. Try creating your own blends and elixirs by experimenting with adding:
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Medicinal Mushrooms: Chaga, Tremella, reishi
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Tonic Herbs: Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Goji Berry
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Spices: Cinnamon, Cardamom, Rose Essence
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Fruits: Lemon, pear, apple
Schizandra Complexion Perfection Smoothie
You can enhance the beautifying power of schizandra berry by combining it with skin-nourishing cucumber, radish and apple. Did you know that radishes are considered to be one one of the ultimate beauty foods because of their high levels of vitamin C, zinc, silicon, phosphorus and sulfur? Cucumber also adds to the magic with a healthy dose of beta-carotene, while rocket adds a dash of peppery spice and Vitamins C, K, and A.
For healthy happy skin, just juice a whole cucumber, a handful of rocket, a couple of radishes and one apple. Then mix one teaspoon of our highly concentrated schizandra berry powder into the juice and enjoy immediately. If you’d like a little more sweet or tang, just juice in another apple or squeeze in a little lime.
Check out some more Schizandra Berry recipes here.
Schizandra Berry Overview
It’s quite rare to find an adaptogenic tonic herb that tastes delicious and offers such a wealth of nutritional compounds and health benefits, but schizandra really does have it all. Its anti-anxiety, stress-reducing, cortisol-lowering properties make it a herbal must-have for these more challenging times. A perfect pick-me-up and a versatile superfood, schizandra berry makes a lovely addition to any pantry or home health food cupboard.
In Asia, there is a popular practice known as the Foundation Program, which involves taking a specific medicinal herb for 100 days straight. According to this practice, after 100 days of taking schizandra berry, you can expect clearer skin, increased energy, enhanced libido and more able to deal with whatever ‘stresses’ life throws your way. While this is surely beneficial, many people report noticing and seeing a huge difference in how they feel after taking schizandra for a much shorter period of time. Try it and see for yourself.
Click here to shop our Schizandra Berry powder.
Supplement Facts
Name: Schizandra Berry
Species: Schisandra chinensis
Common Names: Chinese wǔ wèi zi, magnolia-vine, five flavour fruit, gomishi
Schizandra Berry References and Sources
[1] http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/herbal/wuweizi.html
[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/schisandra
[3] https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-376/schisandra
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3155223/
[5] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptogen#other-words
Schizandra Berry Books
If you’d like to learn more about the many benefits of Schizandra Berry, as well as other tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms, then we recommend these books:
Kam Ming Ko, Jun Yin, et al: Schisandra Chinensis: An Herb Of North Eastern China Origin
Nong, Shen: Shennong Bencao Jing (The Classic of Herbal Medicine)
Wolfe, David: Eating for Beauty