Herb module

Ci Wu Jia

Siberian Ginseng Root (Eleuthero)Eleutherococcus senticosus

A warming, thorny root from northern forests, used to build Qi, steady the Heart, and support stamina under stress.

Ci Wu Jia is the root of a hardy, prickly shrub known in English as Siberian ginseng or eleuthero. It leads Zoi's Resilience formula, Fós™, as its first herb. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it to build Qi and warm the Kidney, and it is valued in modern herbalism as an adaptogen, a plant that helps the body adapt to stress.

Best functions

Traditionally used to tonify the Qi of the Spleen and Stomach
Used to warm the Kidney
Used to augment the Heart and calm the Shen (Spirit)
Traditionally used to invigorate Blood and open the small channels called collaterals
Research has looked at its support for physical and mental stamina under stress

Fascinating facts

Ci means "thorny" in Chinese. The stems are covered in fine prickles, which explains the name.
Compared with true ginseng (Ren Shen), Ci Wu Jia is considered gentler and less stimulating. It is valued for steady, long-haul energy.
The shrub grows wild in the forests of northeastern Asia, including Siberia, northeastern China, and Korea. Its leaves usually spread out in groups of five leaflets.
Siberian ginseng appears alongside schisandra, rhodiola, and ashwagandha in reviews of adaptogenic herbs and their effects on the brain and nervous system.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Ci Wu Jia is warm in nature, with a pungent, sweet, and bitter flavor. It is a tonic herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it enters the Spleen, Heart, and Kidney channels.

Go deeperDownload the fact sheet on the Resilience · Fós page

Biomedical deep dive

Ci Wu Jia Siberian Ginseng Root (Eleuthero)

From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.

On the fact sheet

Ci Wu Jia (Siberian Ginseng Root, Eleutherococcus senticosus) is warm, enters the SP, HT, and KI meridians; tonifies Qi of the Spleen and Stomach, warms the Kidney, augments the Heart, calms the Shen, invigorates Blood and unblocks the collaterals. Resilience | Fós sheet

Key active constituents

The fact sheets don’t name constituents for this herb.

Pharmacology and mechanisms

As one of Resilience's adaptogens (herbs that help the body adapt to stress), it belongs to a group studied for neuroprotective, anti-fatigue and cortisol-regulating activity.
With schisandra, rhodiola and ashwagandha, it has been reviewed for specific effects on the brain and nervous system.
Eleutherosides (key compounds) modulate cortisol and the HPA axis (the body's stress-hormone system). Noa’s notes
Enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity; immune-stimulating. Noa’s notes
Anti-fatigue; improved VO2 max (oxygen use during exercise) and endurance in clinical trials. Noa’s notes

What the research says

With schisandra, rhodiola and ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng extended the lifespan of stressed animals, supported memory and learning, and lowered stress sensitivity (Wróbel-Biedrawa & Podolak, Molecules 2024).
One study tested Siberian ginseng in over 6,000 people aged 19 to 72 with stressful jobs and observed better capacity for physical and mental work (Panossian & Wikman, Pharmaceuticals 2010).

Safety, interactions and cautions

Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.
The Resilience fact sheet cautions: if you have a medical condition or take medication, check with your doctor first; if it interferes with sleep, take the last dose 3 or more hours before bed.
Use caution with high blood pressure, agitation or insomnia (dose-dependent). Noa’s notes
Avoid during acute infection. Noa’s notes
May interact with digoxin and anticoagulants (blood thinners). Noa’s notes

In these Zoi formulas

★ Resilience | Fós (#1 on the fact sheet)

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.