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Shen Qu神曲

Massa Medica fermentata · Medicated Leaven · Massa Fermentata

Herbs that Relieve Food Stagnation 消食药《药性论》

Overview

Not a single plant but a fermented cake: wheat flour and bran are mixed with several fresh herbs — commonly Qing Hao, Cang Er Cao, La Liao, Chi Xiao Dou and Xing Ren — then left to ferment and dried, which is why the common grade is called Liu Shen Qu. Sweet, acrid and warm, it moves stuck food and settles the Stomach, and is the usual choice when the stagnation is of grains, starch and alcohol rather than meat or fat. The fermenting herbs leave it with a faint surface-releasing quality, so it also fits food stagnation that arrives together with a mild cold. Dry-fried Shen Qu 炒神曲 is warmer and more focused on moving stagnation and settling a chilly, sluggish middle; the darker charred grade is stronger still for loose stools of accumulated food.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, acrid · Warm

Channels

Spleen · Stomach

Typical Dosage

6–15 g in decoction
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Actions

4 core actions

  • Reduces food stagnation, harmonises the StomachFullness and distension after eating, sour belching, poor appetite, loose or undigested stools — particularly from grains, starchy food and alcohol.
  • Warms and moves a sluggish middleA cold, heavy epigastrium with no appetite; the dry-fried form is preferred here.
  • Assists food stagnation with a mild exterior patternStuffed, distended abdomen arriving with chills and a stuffy head — the fermenting herbs give a light dispersing quality that plain digestives lack.
  • Helps mineral-containing pills digestClassically used as the paste that binds pills containing mineral ingredients, so that the Stomach can handle them.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Shen Qu

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Food stagnation: epigastric and abdominal fullness, sour belching, poor appetite
    - Loose or undigested stools after overeating
    - Food stagnation together with a mild wind-cold
    - Weak digestion in children and convalescents (with Spleen tonics)

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

IndigestionBloatingFunctional dyspepsiaLoss of appetite

Contraindications

Cautions

It disperses rather than supplements: unsuitable on its own where there is Stomach fire, yin deficiency with a dry red tongue, or long-term deficiency without accumulation. Because the base is fermented wheat flour and bran, it is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten, and the exact herb mix varies by maker — check the label if the patient has plant allergies. It should be decocted in a cloth bag to keep the decoction clear.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution during pregnancy — its dispersing, stagnation-moving action means it is given only when a practitioner judges it necessary.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
    3. 《中华本草》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.