Wood Rx · Ten herbs

The herbs and the research

Wood Rx combines ten herbs from classical Chinese medicine. For each one you'll find how practitioners have used it and what published studies have looked at. We name the kind of study every time, because most research on these herbs comes from cells and animals. A result in a lab dish or a rat can't tell you what a herb will do in a person, and no study has tested the Wood Rx formula itself.

Lab cells or enzymes in a dish
Animal mice or rats
Human a controlled trial in people
Review a paper that summarizes other studies

Ba Ji Tian Morinda officinalis root

Traditional use. A warming Kidney Yang tonic. Chinese medicine uses it to support men's vitality, a steady libido and a strong lower back.

Animal Lab Researchers gave bajijiasu, a compound from the root, to male mice and recorded mating behavior. They also tested its antioxidant effect on human sperm cells in the lab. Wu et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2015 (PMID 25686781)
Animal A 2018 study compared extracts of Ba Ji Tian, Yin Yang Huo and Suo Yang in male mice, measuring mating behavior and hormone levels. The epimedium extract scored highest of the three. Gu et al., Andrologia 2018 (PMID 29987881)

We found no human trial of Ba Ji Tian for sexual function.

Yin Yang Huo Epimedium, "horny goat weed"

Traditional use. One of the best-known Kidney Yang herbs. Chinese medicine has used it for centuries to support men's sexual vitality and drive.

Lab Icariin, the main active compound in epimedium, blocked the PDE5 enzyme in a test tube. Prescription erection drugs target the same enzyme. In this test icariin was about 80 times weaker than sildenafil. Dell'Agli et al., J Nat Prod 2008 (PMID 18778098)
Lab A UCSF team measured icariin's effect on PDE5 and on smooth muscle cells taken from rat penile tissue. Ning et al., Urology 2006 (PMID 17169663)
Animal Rats with an injured penile nerve received oral icariin for four weeks, and the team measured erectile pressure against placebo. Shindel et al., J Sex Med 2010 (PMID 20141584)

We found no well-controlled human trial showing that epimedium improves erections. Wood Rx uses the whole herb inside a traditional formula, not purified icariin, and nobody has tested the formula for erections.

Rou Cong Rong Cistanche, "desert ginseng"

Traditional use. A moistening Yang tonic that nourishes Essence. Practitioners pair it with Suo Yang for men's vitality and energy.

Review A review summarizes lab and animal work on Cistanche deserticola and its main compounds, the phenylethanoid glycosides. Wang et al., Am J Chin Med 2012 (PMID 23227786)
Human In a 12-week placebo-controlled trial, 26 adults with early mobility decline took an extract of a related species, Cistanche tubulosa. People over 60 in the extract group walked faster on a 5-meter test. Muscle mass did not change. Inada et al., Nutrients 2021 (PMID 33477648)

That trial looked at walking, not sexual function, and used a different species.

Suo Yang Cynomorium songaricum

Traditional use. A desert Yang tonic that "locks the Yang." Classical formulas use it for men's vitality and to hold Essence.

Animal Rats given cynomorium for 56 days, one full sperm-production cycle, had higher sperm counts and testis weight than controls. Yang et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2010 (PMID 20219665)
Review A 2024 review covers its traditional uses, chemistry, pharmacology and safety data. Zhang et al., Molecules 2024 (PMID 38474452)

We found no human trials.

Huai Niu Xi Achyranthes bidentata root

Traditional use. Guides the formula down to the lower body. It tonifies Liver and Kidney and strengthens the lower back and knees.

Review Researchers have isolated more than 270 compounds from the root. Most of the pharmacology work is in the lab and in animals, much of it on joints and bone. Chen et al., J Pharm Pharmacol 2024 (PMID 38600792)

We found no human studies on men's sexual health.

Xiang Fu Cyperus rotundus rhizome

Traditional use. Moves stuck Liver Qi. Practitioners reach for it when stress and tension sit in the body.

Animal Mice under chronic mild stress received alpha-cyperone, a compound from the root, and the team tracked their behavior in standard stress tests. Xia et al., Front Pharmacol 2020 (PMID 33132912)
Review An overview of its traditional uses, chemistry and pharmacology. Pirzada et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2015 (PMID 26297840)

We found no human trials on stress or sexual health.

Dang Gui Angelica sinensis root

Traditional use. The classic Blood tonic. It nourishes Blood and keeps it moving.

Review A review of Dang Gui's botany, traditional use and chemistry in China. Wei et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2016 (PMID 27211015)
Review Safety: a review of Chinese herbs and the blood thinner warfarin lists dong quai among the 11 herbs with the strongest evidence of an interaction. Chua et al., Singapore Med J 2015 (PMID 25640094)

Take a blood thinner? Talk to your doctor before you start Wood Rx.

Nu Zhen Zi Ligustrum lucidum fruit

Traditional use. A cooling Yin tonic for Liver and Kidney. In Wood Rx it balances the warming Yang herbs.

Review A 2024 review covers the fruit's chemistry and lab and animal pharmacology, mostly on bone and antioxidant activity. Chen et al., Front Pharmacol 2024 (PMID 38933667)

We found no human trials on men's health.

Yuan Zhi Polygala tenuifolia root

Traditional use. Calms the spirit and connects Heart and Kidney, the TCM link between the mind and desire.

Human Healthy adults took BT-11, a Polygala root extract, or a placebo for four weeks. The extract group improved more on some memory tests. Lee et al., Neurosci Lett 2009 (PMID 19429065)

That trial measured memory, not desire or sexual function.

Zhi He Shou Wu Prepared Polygonum multiflorum root

Traditional use. Nourishes Blood and Essence. Classical texts tie it to healthy aging and dark hair.

Review A 2024 review covers its chemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and the traditional processing meant to reduce that toxicity. Qian et al., Front Pharmacol 2024 (PMID 38953108)
Review Safety: doctors have reported liver injury linked to He Shou Wu, and researchers think an immune reaction plays a part. Rao et al., Acta Pharmacol Sin 2021 (PMID 32123300)

Wood Rx uses the prepared (Zhi) form. If you have a liver condition, or take medication that affects the liver, talk to your doctor first.

What this means for you

Wood Rx is a traditional formula, and most of the evidence above is early-stage. We share it so you can see what scientists have studied. None of it shows what Wood Rx will do for you, and Wood Rx does not treat erectile dysfunction or any other condition.

Persistent trouble with erections can be an early sign of heart or blood vessel disease. See a physician about it.

Getting the most from your 90 days

Same time, every day. Chew the pearls with warm water and a light meal. Missing days breaks the rhythm.
Sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours.
Alcohol. Ease off during the first bottle.
Training. Move every day and leave something in the tank.
Stress. Pick one daily practice, breathwork or a quiet walk.
Moderation. Classical Chinese medicine teaches moderation in sex while you rebuild Essence. During bottle one, Diego suggests a few days between ejaculations.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The studies cited on this page did not test Wood Rx. Talk to your doctor before use if you take medication or have a medical condition.