Botanical Name: Rehmanniae Radix preparata
Shu Di Huang
Category: Tonify the Blood
Taste: Sweet
Temperature: Slightly Warm
Channels Entered: Heart, Kidney, Liver
Dosage: 9-30g
Key Characteristics: Tonifies the blood, enriches the yin, generates essence, and augments the marrow.
Cautions and Contraindications:
- This herb readily leads to stagnation of dampness and impedes digestion. It is contraindicated in those with qi stagnation and profuse phlegm, fullness, and pain in the abdomen, reduced appetite, and diarrhea.
Actions and Indications:
- Tonifies the blood: for blood deficiency with such symptoms as facial pallor, dizziness, palpitations, and insomnia. Very commonly used when blood deficiency leads to such problems as irregular menstruation, uterine bleeding, and postpartum bleeding. Best when there is deficiency but no significant stagnation.
- Nourishes the yin: for Liver and Kidney yin deficiency with such symptoms as weak lower back and limbs, dizziness, tinnitus, tidal fevers, night-sweats, and nocturnal emissions.
- Strongly enriches the yin and relieves wasting and thirsting disorder: especially useful for lower burner wasting; can be used as a stand-alone herb in large doses for this problem.
- Nourishes the blood and tonifies the essence: for problems with both blood and essence such as delayed development during childhood, blunted affect, premature aging, diminished mental acuity, graying of hair, impotence, and memory loss.
