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Tao Hong Si WuTang: A classic recipe for nourishing blood and activating blood circulation

Writer's picture: Hongji MedicalHongji Medical

The name of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang originated from the "Yi Zong Jin Jian". The recipe is composed of peach kernel, safflower, angelica, Chuanxiong, white peony root, and cooked rehmannia. Sharp-eyed friends may have discovered that Tao Hong Si Wu Tang is a traditional recipe composed of angelica, Chuanxiong, cooked rehmannia, and white peony root, and peach kernel and safflower, so Taohong Siwu Tang is also called Jiawei Siwu Tang.


Peach Red Four Herbs Soup
桃紅四物湯

The basis of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang


Siwu Tang is known as the "first prescription for gynecology throughout the ages". Almost all gynecological medicines have the shadow of Siwu Tang. Although Siwu Tang only has four herbs, it is not a random combination. The reason why it has become a classic is that it has its own exquisiteness. Angelica sinensis produces blood, Chuanxiong nourishes blood, white peony root collects blood, and Rehmannia glutinosa stores blood, which is in line with the natural law of the changing seasons.


  1. Angelica: replenishes blood and activates blood circulation, regulates menstruation and relieves pain, moisturizes the intestines and promotes bowel movements. It is commonly used for blood deficiency and chlorosis, irregular menstruation, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain due to deficiency and cold, rheumatism and pain, injuries from falls and injuries, and constipation due to dry intestines. Angelica in wine is more focused on promoting blood circulation and relieving menstruation. The main effect of Angelica is to replenish blood and regulate menstruation, and it can also moisturize the skin, which is very important for women's health.

  2. Rehmannia glutinosa: nourishes blood and yin, replenishes essence and fills marrow. Suitable for symptoms such as blood deficiency, chlorosis, irregular menstruation, liver and kidney yin deficiency, soreness of waist and knees, and sweating and spermatorrhea. It can improve pale complexion, dizziness and irregular menstruation in women. It can enhance the blood-tonifying effect when used in combination with Angelica dahurica.

  3. Chuanxiong: A commonly used medicine in gynecology, it treats headaches and can relieve premenstrual symptoms such as breast discomfort and anxiety. It is often used to promote blood circulation and qi, dispel wind and relieve pain. It is suitable for headaches caused by wind and rheumatism. The ancients called Chuanxiong a blood-qi medicine because it has the functions of dispersing, relieving depression, promoting circulation and relieving pain.

  4. White Peony Root: nourishes blood and regulates menstruation, calms yin and stops sweating, softens the liver and relieves pain. It is often used for blood deficiency, chlorosis, irregular menstruation, spontaneous sweating, vomiting sweat, abdominal pain, headache and dizziness. The Tang Materia Medica says that it can "benefit women's blood". Modern Chinese medicine believes that it can nourish blood and soften the liver, and has a good therapeutic effect on irregular menstruation.


Four-ingredient soup
四物湯

Overall, the Siwu Tang recipe has a good tonic effect. It can replenish without causing stagnation, is mild without being hot, and nourishes without feeling greasy.


Next, let’s take a closer look at two herbs: peach kernel and safflower.


Peach kernel is bitter and flat in nature, and mainly acts on the heart and liver meridians, and is good at promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. In addition, it also affects the lungs and large intestine, and is a common blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing medicine. Due to its strong blood-activating ability, peach kernel can also promote the formation of new blood, so it is said to have the effects of "breaking blood" and "removing blood stasis and creating new blood".


Some friends may ask, since peach kernels are so effective, can I eat the kernels directly from the peaches? This is highly undesirable! Because peach kernels contain amygdalin, which is a highly toxic ingredient and must be specially processed before they can be safely consumed. Especially in the wound recovery period (bleeding period) or pregnant women, they should avoid eating them accidentally.


Another herb is safflower . The Compendium of Materia Medica mentions: "Safflower can break up blood, promote blood circulation, harmonize blood, and regulate blood." Safflower has the property of promoting blood circulation and is often used for foot soaking or drinking with water.


In fact, peach kernel and safflower are like an inseparable pair and are often seen in prescriptions containing safflower, such as Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction and Buyang Huanwu Decoction.


In addition, it needs to be emphasized that safflower and saffron are different medicinal materials and should not be confused .


Siwu Tang itself is a famous blood-tonifying recipe. After adding peach kernel and safflower, it can effectively enhance the effects of blood circulation and blood tonifying.


Symptoms of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang


The therapeutic principle of Tao hong Si wu Tang is mainly based on the "blood stasis" theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Blood stasis refers to the poor circulation of blood in the body, which leads to local or systemic blood circulation disorders, thereby causing a series of symptoms. The following is a detailed explanation of the pathogenesis of blood stasis treated by Taohong Siwu Tang:

  1. The formation of blood stasis :

    • Qi stagnation and blood stasis : Qi stagnation will lead to blood stasis. Qi stagnation is often seen in emotional frustration, liver qi stagnation and other situations.

    • Cold stagnation and blood stasis : Cold invasion can cause blood stagnation, leading to blood stasis. Cold is often seen in exogenous cold or endogenous cold (such as yang deficiency).

    • Heat burns blood stasis : Heat evil can burn the blood, making it viscous and difficult to circulate, leading to blood stasis. Heat evil is often seen in exogenous heat evil or endogenous heat evil (such as yin deficiency and excessive fire).

    • Traumatic blood stasis : Traumatic injury can cause local blood stasis and blood stasis.

  2. Symptoms of blood stasis :

    • Menstrual irregularities : Blood stasis can cause early or late menstruation, more or less menstrual blood volume, dark purple and sticky menstrual blood, accompanied by blood clots and abdominal pain.

    • Pain : Blood stasis can cause local or systemic pain, such as headache, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain, etc.

    • Skin problems : Blood stasis can cause dull skin, pigmentation, acne, etc.

    • Other symptoms : Blood stasis can also cause insomnia, palpitations, chest tightness, fatigue and other symptoms.




Tao hong Si wu Tang contains a variety of Chinese medicinal ingredients that have the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. It can promote blood circulation and blood circulation. It has the effects of removing spots and beautifying the skin, promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation, and improving sleep. At the same time, it can also promote blood microcirculation and effectively improve the blood circulation of women's skin, heart, brain and pelvic cavity. This makes Taohong Siwu Tang have a significant effect in treating irregular menstruation and other related symptoms.


Effects of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang :


Tao Hong Si Wu Tang is mainly used to treat symptoms such as early menstruation, heavy menstrual bleeding with blood clots, dark purple and sticky menstrual blood with abdominal pain. The recipe focuses on removing blood stasis, while also supplementing with blood nourishment and qi circulation.


The formula mainly uses peach kernel and safflower, which have strong blood-activating effects, to achieve the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis; at the same time, the sweet and warm Rehmannia glutinosa and Angelica dahurica are used to nourish yin and liver, nourish blood and regulate menstruation; Peony is used to nourish blood and nourish, and enhance the effect of nourishing blood; Chuanxiong is responsible for promoting blood circulation and qi, regulating qi and blood, and helping to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis.


Peach Red Four Herbs Soup
桃紅四物湯

The whole prescription is very well matched, which can effectively remove blood stasis, promote the formation of new blood, and make the Qi flow smoothly. The remarkable feature of this prescription is to remove blood stasis and generate new blood.


  • Removing stasis and promoting new blood : Taohong Siwu Decoction can remove blood stasis in the body, promote the formation of new blood, and make the Qi flow smoothly, thus achieving the effect of removing stasis and promoting new blood.

  • Improve blood circulation : This recipe can promote blood microcirculation, improve blood circulation in women's skin, heart, brain and pelvis, and thus improve related symptoms.

  • Regulate menstruation : This prescription can regulate the menstrual cycle and improve the symptoms of irregular menstruation, such as early menstruation, heavy menstrual blood, dark purple and sticky menstrual blood, etc.

  • Beauty and skin care : This recipe has the effect of removing spots and beautifying the skin. It can improve skin problems such as dullness, spots, acne, and make the skin smoother and more delicate.


Modern Application of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang


Modern research shows that Taohong Siwu Decoction has the effects of vasodilation, anti-inflammation, anti-fatigue, anti-shock, regulating immune function, lowering blood lipids, supplementing trace elements, and anti-allergy.


In fact, many people suffer from blood deficiency and blood stasis, but the degree varies. Especially women have to go through menstruation and childbirth, which causes excessive blood loss. Most women have blood deficiency to varying degrees.


Tao Hong Si Wu Tang is a well-known prescription for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Its modern clinical application is extremely extensive, having surpassed the traditional scope of gynecology and covering multiple fields such as internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology. There are also a large number of clinical reports supporting its efficacy.




This prescription has shown significant effects in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and can be used to treat angina pectoris caused by coronary heart disease. It improves heart blood supply and relieves angina pectoris symptoms by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. In addition, Taohong Siwu Decoction also has a good therapeutic effect on chronic glomerulonephritis. It can promote kidney blood circulation, reduce inflammatory reactions, and improve kidney function by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.


In addition, the prescription is effective in treating functional uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea and female menopausal syndrome. It regulates the menstrual cycle, reduces menstrual pain and relieves menopausal symptoms by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.


Taohong Siwu Decoction has also shown broad application prospects in the treatment of vascular diseases, pediatric diseases, skin diseases and ophthalmic diseases. This prescription can be used to treat thromboangiitis, improve vascular patency by promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and relieve pain and inflammation.


In short, Taohong Siwu Decoction has shown a wide range of application prospects in the treatment of various diseases through its powerful effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and has become an indispensable and important prescription in clinical Chinese medicine.


Tao Hong Si Wu Tang Therapy


Peach Red Four Ingredients Pork Rib Soup is a delicious and healthy soup with a relatively simple preparation process. First, prepare the pork ribs, peach kernels, safflower and other herbs for the Four Ingredients Soup, and wash the pork ribs and blanch them in water to remove the blood. Then, add water, the blanched pork ribs, ginger, peach kernels and safflower to the pot, and then add the other herbs.


After boiling over high heat, turn to low heat, cover the pot and simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until the ribs are cooked. At the last stage of stewing, you can add appropriate amount of salt to taste according to your personal taste. After it is done, you can serve it. This peach red four-ingredient pork rib soup is not only delicious, but also helps nourish the body. It is a good dish for daily dining.


Taohong Siwu Tang Dietary Therapy
桃紅四物湯食療方

Notes

  1. Prohibited for use by pregnant women and those menstruating : Due to the strong blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing effects of peach kernel and safflower, pregnant women and women menstruating should avoid using them to avoid unnecessary risks.

  2. It is not suitable to take Taohong Siwu Decoction for a long time if there is no blood stasis: If there is no blood stasis, it is not suitable to take Taohong Siwu Decoction for a long time, so as to avoid excessive blood circulation and affect the balance of the body.

  3. Use with caution in special populations : Patients who are in the wound recovery period (bleeding period) or have other bleeding tendencies should use the product under the guidance of a doctor.


Conclusion


As a classic Chinese medicine prescription, Tao Hong Si Wu Tang plays an important role in the treatment of gynecological and other diseases with its unique blood-nourishing and blood-activating effects. Its constituent herbs are unique and compatible with each other, achieving the effects of nourishing blood without stagnation and activating blood without dryness. Modern research has further confirmed its multifaceted pharmacological effects, making it more widely used in clinical applications.


However, due to its strong blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing effects, it should be used with caution, especially for special groups, and should be used under the guidance of a professional doctor. Through this article, I hope everyone will have a deeper understanding of Taohong Siwu Tang and be able to use this traditional recipe correctly at the right time to protect their own health.

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