Prepared Rehmannia Root
熟地黄 · Shúdìhuáng
Rehmannia glutinosa
Family: Scrophulariaceae · Part used: Root (wine/steamed processed) · Origin: Jiaozuo, Henan (Four Huai Medicines), China
Nature
Warm
Flavor
Sweet
Meridian
Liver, Kidney
Shu Di Huang — raw rehmannia repeatedly steamed and dried with wine until black as lacquer and sweet as malt — is the single most important blood and kidney-yin tonic in Chinese medicine. The Jiaozuo region of Henan produces the canonical 'Huai di huang'. It anchors Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and the entire yin-tonifying category.
🌿 Functions & Actions
- •Nourishes blood
- •Tonifies kidney yin and essence (jing)
- •Benefits the marrow
📋 Traditional Indications
- •Blood deficiency with pallor and dizziness
- •Lower back and knee soreness
- •Tinnitus and hearing decline
- •Night sweats and steaming bones
- •Premature graying
- •Developmental delay (traditional)
📖 Usage & Dosage
9–30 g in decoction, simmered 40+ minutes; often paired with aged tangerine peel (chen pi) to aid digestion of its rich, cloying nature.
🍵 Classic Recipes
Liu Wei Di Huang Wan Base
Shu di huang with shan zhu yu, chinese yam, ze xie, poria, dan pi — the classic kidney-yin formula.
Si Wu Tang
Shu di huang + dang gui + bai shao + chuan xiong, simmered 40 minutes as a monthly blood tonic.
🔬 Modern Research
Catalpol and rehmanniosides are studied for neuroprotective, anti-aging, and hematopoietic effects, with particular research interest in kidney-adrenal axis support.
⚠️ Contraindications
Avoid with spleen deficiency, poor appetite, damp-phlegm, or loose stools.
