Schisandra berries are the fruit of a climbing vine in the magnolia family native to northeast China and some parts of Russia. A large portion of the cultivated herb in China comes from the Liaoning province, where the berries are dried in the sun and formulated into alcoholic extracts.
Schisandra is highly valued in the traditional Chinese system of healing as an adaptogen. In fact, it is considered one of the 50 Fundamental Herbs. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and adaptogenic qualities of the berries are attributed to a group of compounds collectively known as schisandrins.
