Classic formula · Tonify qi
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
参苓白术散 Ginseng, Poria and Atractylodes Powder
The formula for chronic loose stools from a weak, damp Spleen. For the person who is tired and pale, eats little, bloats, has loose stools or diarrhea that drags on for months, and slowly loses weight. Gentle enough for children and the elderly, with food-grade herbs doing most of the work.
A weak Spleen is a sponge that cannot wring itself out, so everything runs through wet. This formula strengthens the sponge and adds the herbs that soak up the water on the way out.
Also sold as: Shen Ling Bai Zhu Wan · Ginseng and Atractylodes Formula
Who Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is for
This formula is chosen for 2 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Chronic loose stools or diarrhea
- Poor appetite with tiredness and pallor
- Bloating after meals
- Weak limbs, weight loss
- Chronic diarrhea in a child
- A cough with thin phlegm in a weak person, since the Spleen feeds the Lung
- Recovery from a long gut illness
- Tongue
- Pale with a white coat, possibly greasy.
- Pulse
- Thin, soft, and weak.
What is in Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.
| Herb | Amount | Role | Job in the formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dang Shen Dang Shen Root | 9 g | Chief | Codonopsis, or ginseng in the classic, restores the qi. |
| Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes | 9 g | Chief | Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen and dries damp. |
| Fu Ling Poria | 9 g | Chief | Poria drains damp and firms the stool. |
| Shan Yao Chinese Yam Rhizome | 9 g | Deputy | Chinese yam tonifies the Spleen and holds the stool. |
| Bai Bian Dou White Hyacinth Bean Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Hyacinth bean strengthens the Spleen and leaches damp. |
| Lian Zi Lotus Seed | 9 g | Deputy | Lotus seed tonifies the Spleen and stops diarrhea. |
| Yi Yi Ren Job's Tears Seed | 9 g | Assistant | Job's tears leach damp and firm the stool. |
| Sha Ren Villous Amomum Fruit Use caution | 6 g | Assistant | Amomum wakes the Spleen and stops bloating. |
| Jie Geng Platycodon Root | 6 g | Envoy | Platycodon carries the formula up to the Lung and lifts the qi. |
| Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution | 6 g | Envoy | Honey-fried licorice harmonizes. |
How Shen Ling Bai Zhu San works
The four gentlemen rebuild the Spleen. Yam, hyacinth bean, lotus seed, and Job's tears are all foods as much as herbs, and each one both tonifies and soaks up water, which is why the stool firms without the harshness of an astringent. Platycodon lifts the recovered qi to the Lung, which is why it also helps a weak person's phlegmy cough.
Actions in classic terms
- Tonifies the qi and strengthens the Spleen
- Leaches dampness and stops diarrhea
- Supports the Lung through the Spleen
Common changes to Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
Cautions with Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
- Not for diarrhea with heat: burning, urgency, a yellow coat, fever. That is damp heat and needs clearing.
- Not for acute food poisoning or a fresh infection.
- Pause during a cold or flu.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, concentrated tablets, granules, powder, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day with warm water, the usual label dose
- Powder
- 6 grams twice a day stirred into warm water or congee, the classic way
- Course
- One to three months.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
The box reads Shen Ling Bai Zhu San or Wan with the characters 参苓白术. Ten ingredients including Lotus seed, Hyacinth bean, Chinese yam, and Job's tears.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Shen Ling Bai Zhu San
- Si Jun Zi Tang 四君子汤 The plain base without the damp-leaching food herbs.
- Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang 补中益气汤 For diarrhea with exhaustion and sagging; lifts rather than leaches.
- Liu Jun Zi Tang 六君子汤 For nausea and phlegm rather than loose stools.
Conditions where Shen Ling Bai Zhu San comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, and modifications.
Important Note
Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.