Eucommia Bark

Eucommia ulmoides is the only member of the Eucommiaceae family and the only surviving species of the Eucommia genus. All other species are extinct. The tree is native to China and widely used in Chinese medicine as a superior tonic that enhances health and diminishes signs of aging. It is considered endangered in the wild due to overharvesting, but is being sustainably grown in China.

The part used is the bark, and the problem with remedies made from bark is that harvesting the bark can damage or even kill the tree. So, it has to be harvested in a sustainable way to maintain the supply. Eucommia bark is interesting because it rolls up kind of like a scroll. I purchased some from a Chinese herb shop, and it’s just like what you see in the photo.

Eucommia for the Structural System

Eucommia is considered a powerful tonic to increase kidney yang. It is helpful for excessively frequent urination, but it is also a tonic for the structural systems of the body. In TCM, the kidney energy helps to “build the bone,” and Eucommia helps to nourish and fortify bone health. It is effective for easing joint and back pain, reducing stiffness and weakness, especially in the knees, ankles, and lower back. It encourages flexibility in the ligaments and tendons and can speed the healing of injured tissues.

Eucommia for Reproductive Health

Eucommia strengthens the jing, the energy which resides in the kidney adrenal area, and is the basic life energy in TCM. Stress burns up your jing and causes premature aging. Eucommia helps to nurture and replenish jing. In Western terms, it helps to balance the endocrine system, especially the reproductive glands. It can reduce fatigue and dizziness and has a balance of yin and yang. It can help enhance fertility and libido in both men and women and is helpful for impotency in men.

Other Benefits of Eucommia

Another property of Eucommia is that it calms ascendant liver yang, which results in problems like headaches, high blood pressure, and dizziness. The blood pressure-reducing effect is probably partly due to its tonic action on the kidneys, making it good for people who suffer from high blood pressure due to kidney weakness. It is also used to calm a restless fetus and prevent miscarriage.

Using Eucommia

The Chinese dosage for eucommia is 10-15 grams per day. To make a decoction, put 2-4 grams of dried bark in a pint of boiling water and simmer for 20 minutes. Drink up to 4 cups a day. You can also take 20-60 drops of a 1:4 tincture three times a day. I’ve primarily taken eucommia as part of a formula. It’s an ingredient in the Water Increasing Formula (Jian Gu), which I’ve used to help myself and others who suffer from low back pain, weak knees or ankles, joint pain, and a need for frequent chiropractic adjustments. It also helps with people whose kidneys are not working like they should and I’ve used it with nettle seed for the early stages of kidney failure. It’s also an ingredient in the Qi and Blood Tonic Formula (Sheng Mai) which is used for people with general run-down health or who have been weakened from prolonged illness or cancer treatments involving radiation and chemotherapy.