Shen Min side effects by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
February 5 2014

Shen-Min is a Chinese herb formula with a mixture of several plants and vitamins including Polygonum multiflorum, a root that has been previously associated with hepatotoxicity.

Acute hepatitis due to shen-min: a herbal product derived from Polygonum multiflorum.
J Clin Gastroenterol. 2006. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe and Gastro-Hepatology Group, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
Shen-Min is a herbal product sold as a supplement for women to enhance hair growth. It is widely available across Asia, Europe, and the United States and sold without prescription as a hair nutritional supplement. We describe a case of acute liver injury in a 28-year-old white woman who developed symptomatic hepatitis 8 weeks after starting Shen-Min. All other potential causes of acute hepatitis including viral, hypoxic/ischemic, metabolic, and autoimmune etiologies were excluded. The liver injury slowly resolved over 3 weeks after discontinuing the herbal product. Although the mechanism of Shen-Min hepatotoxicity is unknown, we suspect an idiosyncratic reaction because the patient developed a fine maculopapular rash, mild eosinophilia, and did not overdose. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of herbal-induced hepatotoxicity in a patient taking Shen-Min per se. Clinicians taking care of patients with acute hepatitis of unclear etiology should be aware that the consumption of Shen-Min, a hair supplement widely available in the United States and Western countries might cause acute hepatitis.
   Comments: It is not fully clear whether He Shoo Wu or the other plants, or the combination, in this product were involved in damaging the liver.

Shen Min Herbal ingredients
Shen Min 12:1 Standardized Extract (Polygonum Mutiflorum)
He Shou Wu Root Powder
Soy Isoflavones
Black Cohosh Root
Horse Chestnut Extract
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Silica
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf
Uva Ursi Root Extract
Burdock Root
Cayenne Pepper(
Bioperine