Sheng Di Huang (Radix Rehmanniae) is from the root of Rehmannia glutinosa, family Scrophulariaceae. The medicinal material is collected in the autumn. It is then cut into pieces and can be used either fresh or dried.

Category: Heat clearing – Blood Cooling.

Common Name: Rehmannia Root; Chinese Foxglove Root.

Channels Entered: Heart, Liver and Kidney.

Properties and Functions: Sheng Di Huang is sweet and bitter in flavour, and cold in nature. It functions to clear Heat and cool the Blood in addition to nourishing Yin and promoting the production of body fluids.

Indications: It can be used for all warm-heat pathogenic diseases, where Heat enters the Ying (nutritive) level, causing high fever which is usually worse at night, thirst, restlessness and a crimson tongue. Clinically, it is also used for syndromes of consumption of body fluids due to Yin-deficiency and also for bleeding due to Blood-Heat such as hematemesis, epistaxis, hemafecia or hematuria.

Dosage: 9 – 15g

Cautions and Contra-Indications: Use of this herb is contra-indicated in cases of Spleen deficiency with Dampness, epigastric fullness and diarrhoea. It should be used in caution during pregnancy, especially if marked by blood deficiency.