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Sheng Di Huang生地黄

Rehmanniae Radix · Dried Rehmannia Root · Chinese Foxglove Root

Herbs that Clear Heat 清热药《神农本草经》

Overview

Sweet, bitter and cold, this is the standard herb for heat that has entered the blood and for the dryness left behind once a fever burns out. It cools the blood without being purely draining — it also restores fluids, which is what separates it from the plain heat-clearing herbs — and so it appears both in the great ying- and blood-level formulas and in the yin-nourishing prescriptions for thirst, night sweats and dry constipation. Steaming it converts it into Shu Di Huang 熟地黄, a different medicine altogether: sweet, slightly warm and used to build blood and essence rather than to cool.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, bitter · Cold

Channels

Heart · Liver · Kidney

Typical Dosage

10–15 g in decoction
生地黄Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Clears heat, cools the bloodHigh fever with a deep-red tongue, restlessness and disturbed sleep when heat has entered the nutritive and blood levels; skin eruptions from blood heat.
  • Stops bleeding from heatNosebleed, coughed or vomited blood, blood in the urine or stool, and heavy uterine bleeding where heat is driving the blood out of its vessels.
  • Nourishes yin, generates fluidsDry mouth and thirst after a febrile illness, wasting-and-thirsting patterns, dry stools, low-grade afternoon fever and night sweats.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Sheng Di Huang

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Blood-level heat: high fever, crimson tongue, restlessness, rashes
    - Bleeding driven by heat — nosebleed, blood in urine or stool, heavy periods
    - Fluid damage after fever: thirst, dry mouth, dry throat
    - Yin deficiency with night sweats, afternoon fever, dry constipation

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

FeverNosebleedNight sweatsConstipationSkin rash

Contraindications

Cautions

Cold and enriching, and hard on a weak digestion: avoid in Spleen and Stomach deficiency with cold, loose stools, poor appetite or a swollen abdomen, and in damp accumulation. Prolonged use is normally paired with qi-moving, Stomach-waking herbs. Do not confuse it with Shu Di Huang 熟地黄, the steamed form, which has the opposite thermal nature.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific pregnancy restriction — practitioner judgment applies; its cold, enriching nature makes supervision advisable.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

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.