Health Library Home>Natural & Alternative Treatments>Herbs & Supplements>Article

Ciwujia

Supplement Forms/Alternate Names:

Eleutherococcus senticosusSiberian ginseng

Introduction

Ciwujia is a small plant that has been used with other herbs and vitamins to ease symptoms caused by the cold. It has also been used to treat diabetes. Its leaves and root can be taken as pill, powder, or extract. Its leaves can also be made into a tea. It can be injected by a healthcare provider as well.

Dosages

There are no advised doses for ciwujia.

What Research Shows

Not Enough Data to Assess

Acute respiratory tract infection ^A1
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy ^B1

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Safety Notes

It may be safe to take small doses of ciwujia by mouth for a short period of time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to take for a long period. It may be unsafe to take ciwujia by injection.

Interactions

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse. Ciwujia interacts with many prescription medicines.^{C1, C2}

References►

A. Acute Respiratory Tract Infection

A1. Barth A, Hovhannisyan A, et al. Antitussive effect of a fixed combination of Justicia adhatoda, Echinacea purpurea and Eleutherococcus senticosus extracts in patients with acute respiratory tract infection: A comparative, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Phytomedicine. 2015; 22(13): 1195-1200.

B. Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

B1. Chen Wei, Zhang Yin, et al. Chinese herbal medicine for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013(11).

C. Safety

C1. Hu J, Shang H, Li J, Zhang L, Zhang J, Zheng W, Li T, Zhang B, Li Y. Adverse drug reactions linked to Ciwujia injection: a systematic review of 521 cases. J Evid Based Med. 2010 Feb;3(1):37-43.

Last reviewed February 2020 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC Last Updated: 6/17/2020

EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at healthlibrarysupport@ebsco.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.