{ "slug": "liver-and-kidney-yin-deficiency", "name": "Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency", "pinyin": "Gan Shen Yin Xu", "chinese": "肝肾阴虚", "organ": "Liver and Kidney", "nature": "deficiency", "family": "yin-deficiency", "summary": "The Kidney feeds the Liver, so when the Kidney's cooling reserve runs low the Liver dries out with it. You get the Kidney signs, a sore back and dry mouth and ringing ears, plus the Liver's: dry tired eyes, blurry vision, brittle nails, numb limbs, and a short temper that flares in the afternoon.", "picture": "The Kidney is the well and the Liver is the garden it waters. When the well drops, the garden shows it first in the leaves: the eyes, the nails, the tendons, the mood.", "signs": { "key": [ "Dry, tired, blurry eyes, floaters", "Sore low back and weak knees", "Dizziness and ringing in the ears", "Dry mouth and throat at night", "Irritable in a dry, hot way, worse late in the day" ], "common": [ "Night sweats and warm palms", "Brittle nails, dry hair", "Numb or crampy limbs", "Insomnia with dreams", "Scanty or late periods", "Headache behind the eyes", "Thin build" ], "tongue": "Red with little coat, sides may be redder.", "pulse": "Thin, rapid, and slightly wiry." }, "causes": [ "Overwork and late nights over years", "Long emotional strain that burns Liver yin", "Blood loss or a long illness", "Aging, especially around menopause", "Alcohol and spicy heating food", "Screens late at night, which drain the eyes and the Liver" ], "tell_apart": [ { "slug": "kidney-yin-deficiency", "how": "Plain Kidney yin deficiency lacks the eye, nail, tendon, and temper signs. Once the Liver joins in, the eyes and mood show it." }, { "slug": "liver-yang-rising", "how": "When Liver yin is too low to hold the yang down, the picture turns loud: pounding headache, red face, high blood pressure, rage. That is Liver yang rising on a yin-deficient base and needs the anchoring formulas." }, { "slug": "liver-blood-deficiency", "how": "Liver blood deficiency is pale: pale face, pale nails, dizziness on standing, light periods, a pale tongue. Yin deficiency is red, dry, and warm." } ], "formulas": [ { "slug": "qi-ju-di-huang-wan", "role": "primary", "when": "The eyes are the main complaint: dry, blurry, tired, light-sensitive.", "pinyin": "Qi Ju Di Huang Wan", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/qi-ju-di-huang-wan", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/qi-ju-di-huang-wan" } }, { "slug": "liu-wei-di-huang-wan", "role": "base", "when": "The plain Kidney base when eye signs are mild.", "pinyin": "Liu Wei Di Huang Wan", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/liu-wei-di-huang-wan", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/liu-wei-di-huang-wan" } }, { "slug": "yi-guan-jian", "role": "with rib pain", "when": "Dry aching under the ribs, acid, a dry mouth, and a red tongue. Nourishes Liver yin while gently moving its qi.", "pinyin": "Yi Guan Jian", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/yi-guan-jian", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/yi-guan-jian" } }, { "slug": "er-zhi-wan", "role": "gentle", "when": "Early grey hair, dizziness, dry eyes. Two mild herbs that can ride alongside any of the above.", "pinyin": "Er Zhi Wan", "_links": { "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/formula/er-zhi-wan", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/formula/er-zhi-wan" } } ], "herbs": [ { "pinyin": "Shu Di Huang", "role": "Refills the Kidney well.", "herb_slug": "prepared-rehmannia-root", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/prepared-rehmannia-root", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/prepared-rehmannia-root" } }, { "pinyin": "Gou Qi Zi", "role": "Goji feeds Liver and Kidney and brightens the eyes.", "herb_slug": "fruit-of-chinese-wolfberry", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/fruit-of-chinese-wolfberry", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/fruit-of-chinese-wolfberry" } }, { "pinyin": "Ju Hua", "role": "Chrysanthemum clears the Liver and eyes.", "herb_slug": "chrysanthemum-flower", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/chrysanthemum-flower", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/chrysanthemum-flower" } }, { "pinyin": "Nu Zhen Zi", "role": "Privet fruit nourishes Liver and Kidney yin.", "herb_slug": "fruit-of-glossy-privet", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/fruit-of-glossy-privet", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/fruit-of-glossy-privet" } }, { "pinyin": "Han Lian Cao", "role": "Eclipta cools and nourishes, and darkens grey hair.", "herb_slug": "eclipta", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/eclipta", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/eclipta" } }, { "pinyin": "Bai Shao", "role": "White peony nourishes Liver blood and yin and softens the temper.", "herb_slug": "white-peony-root", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/white-peony-root", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/white-peony-root" } }, { "pinyin": "Sang Shen", "role": "Mulberry fruit for dizziness, dry eyes, and dry stools.", "herb_slug": "mulberry-fruit", "_links": { "herb": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/herb/mulberry-fruit", "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/herb/mulberry-fruit" } } ], "conditions": [ "blurred-vision", "dizziness", "tinnitus", "low-back-pain", "insomnia", "menopausal-syndrome", "night-sweats", "yin-deficiency" ], "habits": [ "Screens off an hour before bed, and bed by eleven. The Liver stores blood at night and the eyes are paid from it.", "Goji, black sesame, mulberries, dark leafy greens, eggs, and small portions of liver.", "Close your eyes for one minute every hour of screen work.", "Alcohol and spicy food heat a Liver that is already dry.", "Gentle stretching for the tendons. Yin deficiency does not want hard sweaty training." ], "watch": [ "Dry eyes and the afternoon temper ease within a month.", "Night dry mouth and the sore back follow.", "Floaters and blur are slow and may only partly change.", "Plan on a three month course and reassess the tongue." ], "sources": [ { "title": "Maciocia, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, 3rd edition", "note": "Liver and Kidney yin deficiency." }, { "title": "Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition", "note": "Qi Ju Di Huang Wan, Yi Guan Jian, Er Zhi Wan." } ], "meta": { "status": "published", "last_updated": "2026-10-12", "reviewed_by": null }, "_links": { "html": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/pattern/liver-and-kidney-yin-deficiency", "self": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/pattern/liver-and-kidney-yin-deficiency", "index": "https://www.naturalherblibrary.com/api/v1/patterns" } }