Why do people use polygala tenuifolia?

People who self-experiment with polygala tenuifolia often state they use it to improve their:

• Memory
• Focus
• Sleep
• Mood
• Energy

Except for its memory-enhancing effects, there is a lack of solid scientific evidence for the effectiveness of polygala tenuifolia for any of these purposes, especially in healthy humans.

Can polygala tenuifolia improve your mood?

In animal studies, polygala tenuifolia had anti-depressant effects [3]. Researchers have investigated several potential mechanisms and active ingredients involved in its mood-boosting effects in animals, such as its impact on inflammation and hippocampal BDNF.

There have not been any studies that examined the effects of polygala tenuifolia on mood in humans. Here are some anecdotal reports from people who have used polygala tenuifolia. Keep in mind that these are likely affected by many biases and are therewith not good sources of scientific evidence for or against the efficacy of polygala tenuifolia. More research is needed on the potential mood-boosting effects of polygala tenuifolia.

How does it feel when you take polygala tenuifolia?

The following qualitative user experience reports and reviews are included to give you an understanding of what the experience of taking polygala tenuifolia is like.

Anecdotal polygala tenuifolia experience reports and reviews from Reddit

One person reported success using polygala tenuifolia in the evening as a study aid:

"One day, I just dumped like 400mg in my tea and drank up. First thing I noticed is feeling very opinionated about everything I was seeing/ hearing, which is not normal for me. I sat down to work and before I knew it 4 solid hours of work had flown by and the productivity was on the high end. Best part was I could sleep at a regular hour." [4]

Another redditor said the following:

"Polygala is my absolute favorite nootropic. I personally recommend 2 sublingual doses of 150-200mg a day. I find higher than 200mg to be less effective for mood and focus. I'm also prescribed Adderall for ADHD, I'm considering stopping the adderall completely and just using polygala and the rest of my stack." [5]

A third person said on Reddit they experienced no benefits from polygala tenuifolia [6].

Another person had the following acutely active benefits when using 100-200mg doses of polygala tenuifolia:

"For the first time in as long as I can remember, I actually wanted to leave the house and do things." [7]

Yet another redditor said the following:

"I tried two different vendors of this chinesse compound. And they seem to have different effects. I take 2x150mg. I've started noticing the fifth day. Polygala changed my life dramatically. Never tried anything better than this in my whole life and I did lots. [...] I think it's a valuable item to help self healing through meditation, just cause you're simply more calm and ready to do it (my case)." [8]

Another person reported:

"You need to take it consistently to get all the goodies out of it, but I get a decent mood lift when I take it on "bad days". Effects happen pretty quick too, I feel it in 20-30 mins usually." [9]

And one person said:

"It hasn't solved any of my problems but it seems to have given me more mental strength to function better in an overall sense (kind of hard to explain but I'll try). I had been making some other positive life changes to get myself back to a stable place (ie. exercise, vitamin D) for the past few weeks which was helping but but taking the PT was the icing on the cake. I feel really clear headed and so much more confident that I can take on the day. For example, normally I would have to talk myself up to doing something like playing guitar, working on an art piece, cleaning the house, etc. When you're depressed everything feels like an impossible chore.What's the point? But in the past week all of those things seem so much easier to do. It's subtle, but I definitely notice it. Last thing I want to add is that I really don't think this is a placebo effect. I've tried a lot of natural products and have felt nothing from so many of them (so you know I don't just buy into everything I hear/read). Anyway, yeah, I'd recommend it." [10]

And another redditor said:

" Low doses feel like plenty to me, and what is happiness if not a feeling of plentiness?" [11]

And finally, one person had this experience:

"1-2 hours later, I get a lot of energy, positive mood, improved social skills, better appreciation of music. It lasts around 6 hours." [12]

Anecdotal polygala tenuifolia experience reports and reviews from Bluelight

One person on the Bluelight forum said the following:

"I just got some Polygala Tenuifolia extract powder 4 days ago and I must say 'WOW' this stuff really works good. I read a bunch of rave reviews on reddit so I decided to order some for myself. It is supposed to have anti-depressant type effects, which it does. What is really nice about this stuff is that its effects can be felt acutely after taking even the 1st dose.. It's also supposed to aid in healthy sleep and give you calm energy throughout the day, which it does." [13]

And another person said on Bluelight:

"I seem much less depressed/anhedonic second day in [...] This stuff is a keeper!" [14]

What substances may stack well with polygala tenuifolia?

There's no high-quality research on the effects of combining polygala tenuifolia with other substances, such as nootropic drugs or supplements. The safety and efficacy of the below-listed combinations are supported only by anecdotal reports.

People tend to report better effects from polygala tenuifolia when they also use:

• Phenylpiracetam
• Caffeine
• Theanine
• Cordyceps

Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.

How does polygala tenuifolia work?

The neuropsychopharmacological effects of polygala tenuifolia have not yet fully been discovered by researchers.

Here are some of the mechanisms which researchers have explored and found involved in the effects of the herb on mood and cognition:

• Promotes neurite outgrowth of rat neuronal precursor cells and proliferation of neural stem cells [15]
• Reduces inflammation [16]
• Reduces cortisol by a constituent ingredient known as "DISS" [17]
• Increases glucose utilization in stressed rat brains [18]
• Counteracts stress-induced decreases in hippocampal BDNF mRNA levels [19]
• Yuanzhi-1, an active ingredient in polygala tenuifolia, inhibits the reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in cells [20]
• Tenuifolin, an active ingredient in polygala tenuifolia, increases levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the hippocampus of mice and decreases the activity of acetylcholinesterase in the cortex of mice. Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, and inhibition of it in the cortex likely leads to increased cortical levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is involved in memory. [21]
• Reduces acetylcholinesterase and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increases superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the hippocampus of mice through the active ingredient tenuigenin. [22] Tenuigenin is also neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory in mice, [23] and increases synaptic plasticity in the (mouse) hippocampus [24]
• Reduces MAO in aged mice [25], which researchers hypothesized played a role in the learning and memory enhancements that were found in these animals when they were administered a polygala tenuifolia extract
• PGS32, an active ingredient in polygala tenuifolia up-regulates the phosphorylation of TrkB and supports the maintenance of long-term potentiation (neural process critical to memory formation) [26]

Which are the active ingredients in polygala tenuifolia?

• Tenuifolin [27], which improved memory in cognitively impaired aged mice [28]
• Tenuifoliside A [29]
• Tenuifoliside B, which "has cognitive improving and cerebral protective effects" in mice [30]
• 3′,6-di-O-sinapoyl sucrose ester (also known as "DISS") [31], which has anti-depressant effects in rats
• 3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamic acid [32]
• Yuanzhi-1, Yuanzhi-3, Yuanzhi-5 and Yuanzhi-6, which had anti-depressant effects in mice [33][34]
• Tenuigenin, which improved learning and memory in mice [35]
• PGS32, which protected memory and learning abilities in mice exposed to a memory-destroying chemical (scopolamine)[36]

Is polygala tenuifolia neuroprotective?

It has been shown in several animal and cell studies that polygala tenuifolia is neuroprotective [37].

Several isolated active ingredients in polygala tenuifolia, including Tenuifoliside A and Tenuifoliside B, have had neuroprotective effects in animal studies [38][39].

Based on this evidence, it appears likely that polygala tenuifolia is neuroprotective in the human brain, but no research in humans has been conducted to investigate whether it is.

It is also likely that the neuroprotective effects of polygala tenuifolia depend on what the factor that is damaging neurons in the brain is. For example, lack of oxygen or dangerously high glutamate levels in the brain can lead to increased neuronal death. Different active ingredients in polygala tenuifolia are likely to protect neurons from different forms of neurochemical toxicity. While polygala tenuifolia may be protective in many instances, it is likely not going to protect you from everything you might expose your brain to.

Some of the specific mechanisms by which polygala tenuifolia can be neuroprotective are:

• Tenuigenin protected dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of rats [40][41], a brain area involved in Parkinson's disease [42]
• Prevention of neurotoxicity induced by toxic metabolites of amyloid precursor proteins and glutamate in rat neurons [43]
• Prevention of neural inflammation in mice [44]
• PGS32, an active ingredient in polygala tenuifolia, protects neurons from damage induced by glutamate and reactive oxygen species in mice [45]