Prepared Rehmannia
熟地黄 · Shú Dì Huáng
Builds blood and rebuilds deep reserves
Properties
WarmingWarming botanicalSweet
Concerns
What it does
Prepared rehmannia rebuilds blood and supports kidney essence: postpartum exhaustion, irregular periods, infertility, hot flashes, weak knees, premature graying. In TCM, it nourishes both yin and blood. It's a key herb in formulas like Liù Wèi Dì Huáng Wán and Sì Wù Tāng. One systematic review covers blood-building effects.
How to take it
Decoct 9–30g of prepared rehmannia in water for 30 minutes. Drink 1 cup, 1–2x daily as a long-term tonic. Common in Liu Wei Di Huang Wan formula.
Try a Liu Wei Di Huang Wan formula for chronic kidney-essence depletion
Safety
- Generally well tolerated as a long-term tonic
- Heavy and rich. Pair with digestive herbs if you have weak digestion
- Skip with chronic diarrhea or stuck phlegm
- May interact with diabetes medications
- Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication
Formulas it's in
Eight-Flavor Rehmannia
知柏地黃丸 · zhī bǎi dì huáng wán
Six-Ingredient Rehmannia with two added cooling herbs for internal heat, night sweats, and hot flashes from yin deficiency.
Eight Treasure
八珍湯 · bā zhēn tāng
The classic TCM double-tonic for when your energy and blood are both running low at the same time.
Four Substances
四物湯 · sì wù tāng
The foundational TCM formula for nourishing blood. Often called the women's tonic.
Six-Ingredient Rehmannia
六味地黃丸 · liù wèi dì huáng wán
Probably the most-prescribed TCM formula in the world. The classical Kidney yin tonic.
Where it comes from
Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa) yields two distinct TCM herbs from one plant: the raw root (Shēng Dì Huáng) for blood-heat and bleeding, and the processed root (Shú Dì Huáng) covered here for blood-building. Processing involves repeated steaming with rice wine, transforming the root from cooling to slightly warming. Prepared rehmannia is the most-used blood-tonic in modern TCM.