I have been reading some information on Shou Wu Chih and I was wondering how you felt about the tonic as a supplement, in other words there is no condition that I would be taking this for per se. I would like to improve my overall health in general, invigorate my bloodflow, etc, as I have been feeling a bit stagnant of late and feel this could help. Not sure if you beleive there are any negatives to using this sformula in that manner. Thanks.
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
Personally and clinically I am against using tonics for no good reason. Shou Wu Chih can be used in smaller dosages for a general tonic probably with limited down sides but in a vital person there is simply no reason to risk overstimulating the body and causing problems down the road. To me much of this thinking comes from our collective western mentality of more is better. It's not, quite simply.
For people who feel good, be happy with that, eat well and exercise and don't worry about the future. Save the tonics for the time that you actually need them. There are some who hold the opinion that using them too early makes them less effective, or possibly even non-effective, later. I'm not sure I would go that far with the herbs, but I am cautious about using them too early and/or in too high dosages without good reason.