Shen Ling Bai Zhu San: A Simple Guide to Boosting Digestion and Energy
Hongji Medical- Feb 1
- 6 min read
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is a classic Chinese herbal formula from the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang, cherished for its ability to strengthen digestion, boost energy, clear excess moisture, and stop diarrhea.
This gentle tonic is perfect for those feeling tired, bloated, or struggling with loose stools due to a sluggish digestive system. In this article, we’ll break down its ingredients, benefits, uses, and modern applications in a clear and approachable way, along with tips for pairing it with diet.
What’s in Shen Ling Bai Zhu San?
This formula blends ten herbs to support the body’s energy and digestion. Here’s what’s included:
Lotus seeds (500g): Nourish the spleen and calm the mind.
Job’s tears (coix seeds) (500g): Drain dampness and support digestion.
Amomum fruit (500g): Warms the stomach and reduces bloating.
Balloon flower root (500g, stir-fried until dark yellow): Opens the lungs and aids digestion.
White lentils (750g, soaked in ginger juice, peeled, and lightly fried): Strengthen the spleen and reduce dampness.
Poria mushroom (1000g): Clears dampness and calms the body.
Ginseng root (1000g): Boosts energy and vitality.
Licorice root (1000g, stir-fried): Harmonizes the formula and protects digestion.
Atractylodes rhizome (1000g): Dries dampness and supports the spleen.
Chinese yam (1000g): Nourishes the spleen and stabilizes digestion.
How to use it: Traditionally, grind the herbs into a fine powder and take 6g mixed with jujube (red date) tea. For kids, adjust the dose based on age. Nowadays, it’s often boiled into a tea, with doses scaled down from the original recipe.
How the Herbs Work Together
In Chinese medicine, herbs are grouped as "monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy" to describe their roles:
Monarch: Ginseng root is the star, boosting energy, improving appetite, and restoring vitality. It targets the spleen and lungs to combat fatigue and weakness.
Ministers: Atractylodes rhizome and Poria mushroom support ginseng. Atractylodes dries dampness and strengthens digestion, while Poria clears excess moisture and calms the mind.
Assistants: Chinese yam, Job’s tears, lotus seeds, and Amomum fruit enhance the formula. Yam nourishes digestion, Job’s tears clears dampness, lotus seeds stabilize the spleen, and Amomum reduces bloating and improves appetite.
Envoys: Licorice root and balloon flower root tie it together. Licorice softens the formula’s effects and protects the stomach, while balloon flower opens the lungs to help the herbs reach the digestive system.
This combination is gentle, nourishing without being heavy, and clears dampness without being harsh, making it safe for long-term use.
What Does It Treat?
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is ideal for “spleen deficiency with dampness,” where the digestive system is weak and excess moisture builds up. Common symptoms include:
Poor appetite or indigestion.
Loose stools or diarrhea.
Feeling tired or weak in the limbs.
A thin frame or sallow complexion.
Bloating or a heavy feeling in the chest and stomach.
A pale tongue with a white, greasy coating and a weak pulse.
These issues stem from a sluggish spleen and stomach, which struggle to digest food and produce energy, leading to dampness buildup that causes bloating, diarrhea, and fatigue. In some cases, dampness can affect the lungs, causing coughs with phlegm.
How It Works
The formula strengthens the spleen and stomach to improve digestion, clears dampness to relieve bloating and diarrhea, and boosts energy to combat fatigue.
By addressing both the root cause (weak digestion) and symptoms (dampness and loose stools), it restores balance and promotes overall wellness.
Modern Uses
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is widely used today for conditions linked to poor digestion and low energy. Some key applications include:
Digestive issues: It helps with loss of appetite, indigestion, and chronic bloating by boosting the spleen’s ability to process food.
Diarrhea: It’s effective for loose stools caused by weak digestion and dampness, offering quick relief.
Immune support: Research suggests it may enhance immune function by supporting adrenal health and cellular immunity.
Chronic conditions: It’s used for chronic gastroenteritis, anemia, tuberculosis, bronchitis, nephritis, women’s health issues like leucorrhea, and post-illness recovery, all tied to spleen weakness.
Boosting the Formula with Diet
Pairing Shen Ling Bai Zhu San with food therapy can amplify its effects. Try this
Spleen-Strengthening Soup:
Ingredients: Codonopsis root, Poria mushroom, Atractylodes rhizome, white lentils, Chinese yam, lotus seeds, Job’s tears, candied jujube dates, lean meat.
Preparation: Wash the herbs and add them to a pot with 6–8 bowls of water. Bring to a boil, add blanched lean meat, and simmer for 3 hours. Season with salt and enjoy.
Benefits: This soup boosts energy, strengthens digestion, and helps stop diarrhea.
Other dietary tips:
Eat warm, cooked foods like porridge or soups to support the spleen.
Avoid raw, cold, greasy, or heavy foods that can worsen dampness.
Things to Keep in Mind
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is mild and safe for most people, with no known side effects even with long-term use. However, avoid raw, cold, or greasy foods while taking it, as they can reduce its effectiveness. Always consult a practitioner to ensure it’s right for your condition.
Conclusion
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is a gentle, effective Chinese herbal formula that strengthens digestion, boosts energy, and clears excess moisture to stop diarrhea. Its ten herbs work together to address weak digestion and dampness, making it ideal for those feeling tired, bloated, or struggling with loose stools.
Modern research supports its use for digestive issues, immune health, and chronic conditions. Pair it with a nourishing soup or warm foods for even better results. Check with a professional to make sure it’s a good fit for you.
Chinese Name | 參苓白朮散 |
Phonetic | Shen Ling Bai Zhu San |
English Name | Ginseng, Poria and Atractylodes Macrocephala Powder |
Classification | Tonic formulas |
Source | 《Formulas from the Imperial Pharmacy》Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang《太平惠民和劑局方》 |
Combination | Nelumbinis Semen (Lian Zi Xin) 1 jin (500g), Coicis Semen (Yi Yi Ren) 1 jin (500g), Amomi Fructus (Sha Ren) 1 jin (500g), Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng dried fried) 1 jin (500g), Lablab Semen Album (Bai Bian Dou dried fried) 1.5 jin (750g), Poria (Fu Ling) 2 jin (1000g), Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Ren Shen) 2 jin (1000g), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao dry-fried) 2 jin (1000g), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Bai Zhu) 2 jin (1000g), Dioscoreae Rhizoma (Shan Yao) 2 jin (1000g) |
Method | Grind the medicinals into a thin powder. Take 6g each time with Da Zao Tang (Jujube Decoction). The proper dosage for children is related to their age. (Modern use: prepare as a decoction, reduce the dose of each medicinal by adhering to the ratio from the original formula.) |
Action | Boosts qi and fortifies the spleen, drains dampness and arrests diarrhea. |
Indication | Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is indicated for patterns of spleen deficiency with excessive dampness accumulation marked by epigastric bloating or stuffiness, borborygmus, diarrhea, lack of strength in the four limbs, thin body, and lusterless yellow facial complexion. The tongue is pale with a white, greasy coating and the pulse is moderate and deficient. |
Pathogenesis | The stomach governs the reception of food, while the spleen governs its transportation and transformation. If the spleen and stomach are deficient, there is not enough energy to support the reception of food; therefore, the food ingested can hardly be digested. A deficient stomach-spleen can barely separate the clear from the turbid, leading to borborygmus and diarrhea. Excessive dampness accumulates in the middle jiao. This causes the qi to move in disorder resulting in chest and epigastric bloating and stuffiness. When the production of qi and blood is reduced, it fails to provide enough nutrition to the body. The four limbs lack strength, weight is lost, and the facial complexion becomes withered-yellow. So the necessary treatment is to supplement and boost the spleen-stomach and percolate dampness. |
Clarification | There are three reasons for the use of jie geng. First, it opens the lung qi so that the essence can spread all over the body. Second, it can free and regulate the water passageways. An open and smooth waterway is good for the elimination of dampness. Third, it carries all of the spleen-supplements upwards to the lung, so that essence transformed by spleen can be sent to the lung, referred to as “banking up earth to generate metal.” |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation This formula has a mild nature. It is warm, but not dry. Besides the basic spleen-stomach qi deficiency symptoms, the key points that differentiate this pattern include diarrhea, white greasy tongue coating, and a deficient, moderate pulse. 2. Modern applications Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is frequently used for chronic gastritis or enteritis, anemia, chronic bronchitis, nephritis, and leucorrhea that manifest with spleen deficiency and excessive dampness signs. |
Additonal formulae | Qi Wei Bai Zhu San (Seven Ingredients Atractylodes Macrocephalae Powder 七味白朮散) [Source]《Key to Diagnosis and Treatment of Children’s Diseases》Xiao er Yao Zheng Zhi Jue《小兒藥證直訣》 [Ingredients] Ren shen 2.5 qian (6g), fu ling 5 qian (12g), bai zhu (dry-fried) 5 qian (12g), gan cao 1 qian (3g), huo xiang ye 5 qian (12g), mu xiang 2 qian (6g), ge gen 0.5-1 liang (15-30g) [Preparation and Administration] Prepare it as a decoction. [Actions] Fortifies the spleen, boosts qi, harmonizes the stomach, and promotes fluid production. [Applicable Patterns] Spleen-stomach weakness, fluid deficiency and internal heat. Symptoms include: vomiting, diarrhea, hot sensation, and extreme thirst. |
Remark | Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. Its trade is allowed but subject to licensing controls. |
