What is Ligustrum?

The berries of the glossy privet tree, Ligustrum lucidum, have a long history of use in traditional Chinese herbal medicine as an herb that helps “tonify the yin.” This expression cannot be fully explained without entering into the theoretical framework of traditional Chinese medicine, but it may be said loosely to indicate a strengthening effect on some of the functions of the body. As part of herbal combinations (traditional Chinese herbal medicine seldom uses single-herb preparations), ligustrum is used for such purposes as turning gray hair black, alleviating ringing in the ear, and treating vertigo.

One of the most famous combination therapies containing ligustrum is named Erzhi Wan, or “Two-Solstices Pill.” It consists of ligustrum berries harvested at the winter...

Ligustrum is currently marketed as a treatment for strengthening the immune system, and on this basis is often recommended for use by people undergoing treatment for cancer or HIV . However, there is no meaningful scientific evidence that ligustrum provides any benefit for these, or any other, conditions.

Very weak evidence from test-tube and animal studies hints that ligustrum might have anti-parasitic, ¹ anti-viral, ² liver- protective , ³ immunomodulatory (this means “altering” immune function, rather than, as commonly misunderstood, “strengthening” it), ⁴ and cancer-preventive ⁵ effects. However, this evidence is too preliminary to rely upon at all. Only double-blind, placebo-controlled studies can prove a treatment effective, and none have been performed on...

Safety Issues

Although use of ligustrum appears to be well tolerated in general, the herb has not undergone any meaningful safety evaluation at the level of modern scientific standards. Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or people with severe liver or kidney disease is definitely not established.