Traditional Chinese Women's Precious Pills

This Chinese remedy originated in the 13th century and is especially effective for treating women's health issues.

Chinese name: Nu Ke Ba Zhen Wan (noo keh bah jen wahn)

Also known as: Women's Precious Pills; Gynecology Eight Treasure Pills

Indications
Fatigue, dizziness, anemia, scanty menses, lack of appetite

Functions
Tonifies qi and blood

Description
Derived from a 13th century formula, this remedy is a combination of two other classic formulas; one is a qi tonic, the other, a blood tonic. The base formula to strengthen qi is known as Four Gentlemen (Si Jun Zi Tang) and comprises ginseng (ren shen), Atractylodes (bai zhu), Poria (fu ling), and honey-fried licorice (zhi gan cao). (Frequently, Codonopsis [dang shen] replaces ginseng as a cheaper, less heating alternative.) The base formula to tonify blood is known as Four Substances (Si Wu Tang); it contains prepared Rehmannia (shu di huang), Angelica sinensis (dang gui), Paeonia root (bai shao), and Ligusticum (chuan xiong).

The combination of these two classics in this remedy makes it appropriate for a generalized deficiency of both qi and blood, so it is especially useful for women because of their monthly loss of blood during menstruation. It should be taken only after bleeding has subsided, not during the menstrual period.

Symptoms of deficiency of qi and blood include fatigue, pale face, dizziness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and poor appetite. Other signs include irregular menstruation, painful menstruation, slight or no menstrual flow, and weakness during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Clinical research on this formula in China demonstrated that this combination of herbs normalizes the blood count in cases of acute anemia.

Manufacturer: Lanzhou Foci

Dosage: 8 to 10 pills, three times a day

Yin deficiency can be caused by overwork, insufficient fluids, stress, or even a dry environment. Learn more about yin deficiency -- and how it is treated in Chinese medicine -- in the next section.

For more about traditional Chinese medicine, treatments, cures, beliefs, and other interesting topics, see:

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