Daily Herb – Shú Dì Huáng (Rehmannia Root) [Tonifying Herb]

Pinyin Shú Dì Huáng

Alias Shú Dì (熟地) (from “Jing Yue Quan Shu”).

Source “Bencao Tujing”

Origin The root of the plant Rehmannia glutinosa or Rehmannia chingii, processed by steaming and drying.

Plant Morphology For detailed plant morphology, refer to the section on “Gan Dì Huáng”.

Habitat Distribution Mainly produced in Henan, Zhejiang, and other regions. Also found in Hebei, Hunan, Hubei, and Sichuan.

Preparation Method Take dried Rehmannia, add 30% yellow wine, mix, and steam until both inside and outside are black and shiny. Remove and dry. Alternatively, steam dried Rehmannia for 8 hours, let it rest overnight, then steam for another 4-8 hours, rest overnight again, remove, and dry until 80% dry, then slice and dry completely.

1. “Leigong Paozhi Lun”: “Harvest fresh Rehmannia, remove the white skin, steam in a willow wood steamer, let the steam dissipate, mix with wine and steam again, then dry. Avoid using copper or iron utensils.”

2. “Bencao Tujing”: “Take 30-20 jin of fat Rehmannia, wash clean, remove thin roots and short segments, yielding 20-30 jin. Crush and extract the juice, place in silver or copper containers, soak the fat Rehmannia in the juice, steam for three to four times, soaking and steaming repeatedly until the juice is exhausted. The Rehmannia should be shiny black like lacquer, sweet like syrup. It should be collected from the steamer as it is soft and prefers moisture.”

3. “Gangmu”: “Recently, the method involves selecting large, fat Rehmannia, adding good wine and powdered cardamom, mixing well, steaming in a clay pot until the steam penetrates, then drying, and repeating the process with cardamom wine for nine cycles. This is because Rehmannia is earthy in nature, and the fragrance of cardamom helps harmonize the energy of the five organs and return to the lower dantian.” Today, the market mainly sells boiled Rehmannia, which should not be used.”

Characteristics Irregular block shape, both inside and outside are pitch black, with a wrinkled and uneven surface. Soft texture, moist cross-section, often with shiny, oily blocks in the center, very sticky. Sweet taste.

Processing Charred Shú Dì Huáng: Place Shú Dì Huáng in a calcining pot, fill to 80%, cover with another pot, seal the joint with yellow clay, weigh down, and calcine with gentle and strong fire until the white paper touching the bottom of the pot lid turns yellow. Block the fire door, let cool, and remove; alternatively, directly fry Shú Dì Huáng in a pot until charred.

Taste and Properties Sweet, slightly warm.

1. “Zhenzhu Nang”: “Sweet and bitter.”

2. “Gangmu”: “Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly warm.”

3. “Bencao Xinbian”: “Sweet taste, warm nature.”

Meridian Affinity Enters the Liver and Kidney meridians.

1. Li Gao: “Enters the hand and foot Shaoyin and Jueyin meridians.”

2. “Bencao Congxin”: “Enters the three Yin meridians of the foot.”

Functions and Indications Nourishes Yin, tonifies blood. Treats Yin deficiency with low blood, weakness in the lower back and knees, fatigue with bone steaming, nocturnal emissions, metrorrhagia, irregular menstruation, diabetes, frequent urination, deafness, and blurred vision.

1. “Zhenzhu Nang”: “Greatly tonifies blood deficiency, opens blood vessels, and boosts energy.”

2. Wang Haogu: “Mainly for those who want to rise but cannot, with eyes cloudy and unable to see anything.”

3. “Gangmu”: “Fills the bone marrow, promotes muscle growth, generates essence and blood, tonifies the five organs, treats internal injuries, opens blood vessels, benefits the ears and eyes, darkens hair, and addresses the five labor injuries in men and the menstrual disorders in women, as well as various diseases during pregnancy and childbirth.”

4. “Bencao Xinbian”: “Nourishes kidney water, fills the bone marrow, opens blood vessels, tonifies true Yin, sharpens hearing and vision, darkens hair and beard. Also tonifies spleen Yin, stops chronic diarrhea, treats labor injuries, wind-dampness, Yin deficiency with fever, dry cough with phlegm, shortness of breath, and feelings of emptiness in the stomach, post-illness leg and thigh soreness, urgent pain in the abdomen after childbirth, and various bleeding disorders, making it a primary herb for tonifying water.”

Dosage and Administration Internal use: decoction, 0.4-1 liang; in pills, powders, or syrup.

Precautions Contraindicated in cases of spleen and stomach deficiency, qi stagnation with phlegm, abdominal fullness, and loose stools.

1. “Leigong Paozhi Lun”: “Avoid using with steel and iron utensils, as it can cause kidney depletion and white hair, harming the protective energy.”

2. “Pinhui Jingyao”: “Avoid radishes, scallions, leeks, and garlic.”

3. “Yixue Rumen”: “Use cautiously in cases of abdominal fullness with excessive phlegm.”

4. “Bencao Xinbian”: “In cases of qi stagnation, it can obstruct the chest and diaphragm, so use with caution.”

Formulas

1. For treating male and female blood deficiency, insufficient nourishment: Eight ounces of Shú Dì Huáng (select the sweetest, dry to remove moisture), one qian of sandalwood (or three qian of white sandalwood), and four ounces of goji berries (use the fattest, also dried to remove moisture). Each herb is one jin, soak in ten jin of high-proof liquor for ten days without boiling, then it can be used. Those who take this should not drink excessively; after finishing, add another six or seven jin of liquor and soak for another half month, and it can still be used. (“Jing Yue Quan Shu” Dì Huáng Lì)

2. For treating various deficiencies, abdominal and flank pain, blood loss with shortness of breath, lack of appetite, fever, and women’s menstrual disorders: Shú Dì Huáng (sliced and roasted) and Angelica (remove the sprouts, sliced and roasted) in equal parts. Grind into a fine powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of a walnut, take 20-30 pills before meals with warm water. (“Jifeng Pujifang” Wanbing Wan)

3. For treating mutism, kidney deficiency, and inability to speak: Shú Dì Huáng, Ba Jiu (remove the heart), Shan Zhu Yu, Shi Hu, Rou Cong Rong (wine-soaked and roasted), Fu Zi (processed), Wu Wei Zi, Gong Gui, Bai Fu Ling, Mai Men Dong (remove the heart), Chang Pu, Yuan Zhi (remove the heart) in equal parts. Grind into a powder, take three qian with one and a half cups of water, five slices of ginger, one jujube, and mint, decoct until reduced to 80%, regardless of time. (“Xuanming Lunfang” Dì Huáng Yinzi)

4. For treating bone steaming, body heat, and fatigue: Hot Rehmannia, Angelica, Dì Guo Pi, Zhi Ke (roasted with bran), Chai Hu, Qin Jiao, Zhi Mu, Bie Jia (roasted) in equal parts. Grind into a powder, take with one cup of water and half a dried plum, decoct for seven parts, and take hot with the plum. (“Youyou Xinshu” Dì Huáng San)

5. For regulating and nourishing the protective energy, nourishing qi and blood, treating deficiency of Chong and Ren, menstrual irregularities, abdominal pain, metrorrhagia, blood clots, pain during menstruation, pregnancy complications, and unstable fetal movement: Angelica (remove the reed, wine-soaked, roasted), Chuan Xiong, Bai Shao, hot dried Rehmannia (wine-soaked and steamed) in equal parts. Grind into a coarse powder, take three qian with one and a half cups of water, decoct until reduced to 80%, strain and take hot on an empty stomach before meals. (“Jufang” Si Wu Tang)

6. For treating frequent and excessive urination: One liang of dragon bone, one liang of Sang Piao Xiao, one liang of Shú Dì Huáng, one liang of Gua Lou Gen, and one liang of Huang Lian (remove the beard). Grind into a fine powder, take two qian before meals with congee. (“Sheng Hui Fang”)

7. For treating children’s kidney deficiency, inability to speak, and insufficient spirit: Eight qian of Shú Dì Huáng, four qian each of Shan Yu Rou and dried yam, and three qian each of Ze Xie, Mu Dan Pi, and Bai Fu Ling (remove the skin). Grind into a powder, mix with honey to form pills the size of a walnut, take three pills with warm water on an empty stomach. (“Xiao Er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue” Dì Huáng Wan)

8. For treating shortness of breath resembling asthma, rapid breathing, inability to rise, and inability to swallow: Seven to eight qian of Shú Dì Huáng, or one to two liang for severe cases, two to three qian of roasted licorice, and two to three qian of Angelica. Use two cups of water, decoct until reduced to two cups, take warm. (“Jing Yue Quan Shu” Zhen Yuan Yin)

9. For treating water deficiency with excessive heat, floating and slippery pulse, insufficient Shaoyin, and excess Yangming, with symptoms of irritability, dryness, headache, toothache, and blood loss: Three to five qian of raw gypsum, three to five qian or one liang of Shú Dì Huáng, two qian of Mai Dong, and one and a half qian each of Zhi Mu and Niu Xi. Use one and a half cups of water, decoct until reduced to one cup, take warm or cold. If there is loose stool, it is not suitable. (“Jing Yue Quan Shu” Yu Nu Jian)

10. For treating liver wood invading the stomach, pain in the stomach and heart, flank pain, acid reflux, vomiting, hernia, and all liver diseases: Bei Sha Shen, Mai Dong, Shú Dì Huáng, Angelica, Goji Berries, and Chuan Lian. (“Liuzhou Yihua” Yi Guan Jian)

Various Discussions

1. “Bencao Yanyi”: “Rehmannia is classified into two types: dried and fresh, without mentioning the cooked type. For blood deficiency with heat, postpartum heat, and elderly patients with deficiency heat, Rehmannia is required. If using raw or dried, there is a concern for excessive cold, hence the later generations prefer the cooked type.”

2. Zhang Yuansu: “Cooked Rehmannia tonifies the kidneys; for blood deficiency, it is essential. It also alleviates pain in the lower abdomen, which belongs to the kidney meridian; only cooked Rehmannia can resolve this, as it is a kidney-opening herb.”

3. Li Gao: “Raw Rehmannia treats heat in the hands and feet and can benefit kidney water and treat blood. For a full pulse, this is appropriate. If the pulse is weak, then cooked Rehmannia is suitable. Rehmannia is steamed with fire, thus it can tonify the original qi of the kidneys.”

4. “Gangmu”: “According to Wang Shuo’s ‘Yijian Fang’, men with Yin deficiency should use cooked Rehmannia, while women with blood heat should use raw Rehmannia. It is also said that raw Rehmannia can generate essence and blood, while Tian Men Dong can guide it to where it is generated, and cooked Rehmannia can tonify essence and blood, guided by Mai Men Dong. Yu Tuan’s ‘Yixue Zhengzhuan’ states that raw Rehmannia generates blood, but those with weak stomach qi may find it hinders digestion. Cooked Rehmannia tonifies blood, but those with excessive phlegm may find it obstructive. If there is a need for raw Rehmannia, it should be used with ginger juice to avoid stomach issues; if cooked, it should be used with wine to avoid obstruction.”

5. “Bencao Huiyan”: “Cooked Rehmannia is slightly warm, and its effects are broader. For chronic illness with Yin damage, postpartum blood loss, it is essential. However, both types of Rehmannia are cold and can obstruct digestion; thus, for postpartum food aversion and diarrhea, even with fever and pain from lochia, it should not be used, as misuse can lead to continuous diarrhea. For Yin deficiency cough, internal heat, or blood loss, if the spleen and stomach are weak, or if there is morning diarrhea, postpartum diarrhea, or inability to eat, it should be avoided. For those with excessive phlegm in the chest, obstructed qi pathways, the medicine should be unblocking rather than obstructive, and Rehmannia should not be included in decoctions or pills. If there is a need for it, it should be combined with cinnamon heart to assist; if for phlegm, it should be stir-fried with ginger juice.”

6. “Bencao Zheng”: “Cooked Rehmannia is neutral, with pure and calm properties, thus it can tonify the true Yin of the five organs, especially important for the blood-rich organs. It is not a spleen and stomach medicine. The essence of life is qi and blood. Qi is Yang and active, while blood is Yin and static. To tonify qi, ginseng is the main herb, while astragalus and atractylodes can assist; to tonify blood, hot Rehmannia is the main herb, while chuanxiong and angelica can assist. However, in the case of astragalus, atractylodes, chuanxiong, and angelica, there are also contraindications, while ginseng and cooked Rehmannia are essential for both qi and blood. For all true Yin deficiencies, if there is heat, headache, thirst, throat obstruction, cough with phlegm, shortness of breath, or if the spleen and kidneys are cold and reverse, leading to vomiting, or if there is false fire carrying blood to the mouth and nose, or water flooding the skin, or Yin deficiency leading to diarrhea, or Yang floating leading to mania, or Yin detaching leading to collapse, or Yin deficiency leading to scattered spirit, only cooked Rehmannia can gather and stabilize; if Yin deficiency leads to fire rising, only cooked Rehmannia can lower it; if Yin deficiency leads to agitation, only cooked Rehmannia can calm it; if Yin deficiency leads to urgency, only cooked Rehmannia can soften it; if Yin deficiency leads to water evil flooding, what else can control it but cooked Rehmannia? If Yin deficiency leads to loss of true qi, what else can return it but cooked Rehmannia? If Yin deficiency leads to loss of essence and blood, with thin and weak tissues, what else can thicken the stomach and intestines but cooked Rehmannia? Moreover, the most profound and subtle aspect is that cooked Rehmannia can also be used in dispersing formulas to induce sweating; why? Because sweat transforms into blood, and without Yin, sweat cannot be produced. Cooked Rehmannia can also be used in warming formulas to restore Yang; why? Because Yang is generated from below, and without it, nothing can be formed. However, Yang is quick, so ginseng is used sparingly, while Yin is slow, thus cooked Rehmannia is not used excessively, as it is difficult to achieve results. Nowadays, people fear its stagnation; thus, how can they use kidney qi pills to treat phlegm? If they fear its slippery nature, how can they use Eight Flavor Pills to treat kidney leakage? If there are methods of preparation, such as using ginger juice to stir-fry, it must be accompanied by cold and vomiting; if using cardamom, it must be accompanied by fullness and obstruction; if using wine, it must be accompanied by meridian blockage. If there are none of these, and one insists on using it strongly, they do not understand that the purpose of using cooked Rehmannia is to utilize its subtle and heavy nature, and instead, they create disturbance and chaos, which is akin to painting a snake and adding feet. Nowadays, people want to use it to tonify Yin but must also include draining; how can they know that tonifying Yin does not drain water, and draining does not tonify Yin, and the methods of tonification should not drain? If one uses it to tonify blood but doubts its stagnation, how can they know that blood deficiency is like dry soil, desperately longing for rain, and the dried intestines are eager for moisture? If one does not understand this, they will use it sparingly and still want to combine it with draining, and who would dare to use it alone and rely on it excessively? If used alone and excessively, who would dare to assist with sweetness and exhaust its strengths? This is akin to abandoning food due to choking!”

7. “Yaopin Huayi”: “Cooked Rehmannia, steamed with wine, transforms bitterness into sweetness, and its cool nature becomes warm, specifically tonifying the liver and nourishing blood. Because the liver is bitter and urgent, it is softened with sweetness, and it also warms the gallbladder, benefiting heart blood and further tonifying kidney water. For internal injuries, deficiency, bitter thoughts, laboring the spirit, worries harming blood, excessive desires depleting essence, regulating menstruation and childbirth, it is all suitable. It calms the five organs, harmonizes blood vessels, moistens the skin, nourishes the heart spirit, calms the soul, nourishes Yin, fills the bone marrow, making it a sacred medicine, taking its rich flavor: it is a thick and turbid substance, used to tonify the liver and kidneys, thus all raw and cooked Rehmannia, Tian Men Dong, Mai Men Dong, roasted tortoise shell, Angelica, Shan Zhu Yu, and Goji Berries are all sticky and moistening agents, used to nourish Yin blood, so-called Yin deficiency should be nourished with flavor.”

8. “Bencao Fengyuan”: “Cooked Rehmannia, steamed with fire, transforms bitterness into sweetness, being the Yang within Yin, thus it can tonify the original qi of the kidneys. It must be steamed and dried multiple times; if only boiled, without steaming and drying, what benefit is there? … Pain in the lower abdomen belongs to kidney essence injury; soreness in the legs and thighs is due to insufficient lower source; cloudy vision is due to water deficiency unable to perceive objects, all of which are diseases governed by the kidneys, and only cooked Rehmannia can resolve them.”

9. “Bencao Qiuzhen”: “Jing Yue emphasizes cooked Rehmannia most clearly, particularly discussing the cold and reverse of the spleen and kidneys leading to vomiting, which can be treated with Rehmannia, which is also one of the many considerations. If the spleen and kidneys are cold and deficient, they are burdened by cold, and it is appropriate to use warming herbs to eliminate it, just as when the sun arrives, the ice melts, and then frost and snow fall again; using a Yin agent will only exacerbate the cold. Although cooked Rehmannia is warm, cold disperses with warmth, yet if the cold is severe and leads to vomiting, can the warmth of cooked Rehmannia disperse the cold? However, if there is excessive Yang and insufficient Yin, leading to a cold, using this mixed with warming dispersing agents may yield results; but if there is pure Yin without fire, and the qi is reversed leading to vomiting, this should be avoided.”

10. “Bencao Jingdu”: “Zhang Jingyue believes that all diseases stem from the kidneys, and mistakenly considers the Rehmannia mentioned in the ‘Shennong Bencao Jing’ as a medicinal herb, which nourishes and moistens, but instead draws evil qi to be trapped in the Shaoyin without an exit. Even after taking ginger or Fuzi, it does not heat, and after taking Qinqin or Lian, it does not cool, and after taking Ren or Shuzhu, it does not tonify, and after taking Nao or Huang, it does not descend; what is the reason? It is because the sticky nature of cooked Rehmannia is best at adhering, and when women are pregnant, taking Si Wu Tang as the main formula, adding in attacking herbs according to symptoms does not harm, as the cooked Rehmannia in Si Wu Tang can protect the fetus. Knowing its protective effect against evil, one can understand its harmfulness; the sticky nature is best at adhering, like oil entering flour, once it adheres, it cannot be removed.”

11. “Bencao Zhengyi”: “Rehmannia is a good agent for tonifying blood. In ancient times, it was often used in its raw and dried form, hence called Gan Dì Huáng, which is now referred to as raw Rehmannia. However, the ‘Bencao’ uniquely uses the term ‘dried’ and states that the raw form is especially good, indicating that dried and fresh Rehmannia were already classified into two categories before the Six Dynasties, but the differentiation in treatment was not very strict. By the time of the ‘Ming Yi Bie Lu’, fresh Rehmannia was further distinguished, clearly separating it from dried Rehmannia, with the treatment of the former cooling blood and clearing heat, while the latter tonifies blood and nourishes Yin, with no further confusion. However, it is still a cold and cooling substance, only suitable for those with deficiency and heat; if there is true Yin deficiency without heat symptoms, then dried Rehmannia is still preferred, as it is still considered too Yin and not beneficial for the weak spleen and stomach. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, there has been a method to prepare cooked Rehmannia by mixing it with cardamom and wine, steaming and drying multiple times until it is pure black at the center, which utilizes the true Yang of the sun to transform its Yin nature, allowing those with deficiency to take it without worrying about its stagnation, thus cooked Rehmannia is also referred to as slightly warm, capable of tonifying true Yin without fear of its cold and slippery nature causing leakage. Therefore, clearing the fire of the heart and stomach transforms into nourishing the blood of the liver, spleen, and kidneys, and its properties and effects are no longer the same, but rather thicker and more potent, thus it can reach the lower jiao, nourish fluids, and benefit essence and blood. For those with dry fluids and little blood, excessive sweating, and significant blood loss postpartum, large doses can be frequently administered, and its effects are remarkable. However, for those with sticky and turbid conditions, such as those with great deficiency, taking it can also hinder digestion, thus it must be ensured that the stomach can still accept it, and the spirit is not exhausted; otherwise, it will lead to stagnation in the middle jiao, causing bloating. Even with cardamom mixed in, it will still be ineffective if the middle qi is too weak and lacks movement.”

Text Source: Chinese Herbal Medicine Dictionary