You Gui Wan: A Traditional Chinese Herbal Remedy for Kidney Yang Deficiency
Health Lab- Feb 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 30
You Gui Wan, also known as the Right-Restoring Pill, is a time-honored Chinese herbal formula from the Jingyue Complete Works by Ming Dynasty physician Zhang Jiebin. Designed to warm and nourish kidney yang, replenish essence, and boost vitality, it’s a go-to remedy for symptoms of kidney yang deficiency, such as fatigue, cold limbs, and lower back pain.
This article explains its ingredients, benefits, modern uses, dietary support, and precautions in a clear, approachable way, using common plant names for ease of understanding.
Ingredients of You Gui Wan
You Gui Wan combines ten carefully selected herbs and ingredients:
Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia, 240g): Nourishes kidney yin and essence.
Shan Yao (Yam, 120g): Strengthens the spleen and kidneys.
Shan Zhu Yu (Cornelian Cherry, 90g): Supports the liver and kidneys, securing essence.
Gou Qi Zi (Goji Berry, 90g): Nourishes the kidneys and improves vitality.
Tu Si Zi (Dodder Seed, 120g): Enhances kidney function and reproductive health.
Lu Jiao Jiao (Deer Antler Glue, 120g): Warms the kidneys and boosts essence.
Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark, 120g): Strengthens bones and supports the kidneys.
Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark, 60g): Warms the body and boosts kidney yang.
Dang Gui (Angelica Root, 90g): Nourishes blood and promotes circulation.
Fu Zi (Processed Aconite, 60-180g): Strongly warms kidney yang and dispels cold.
Preparation: Traditionally, the herbs are steamed, ground into a paste, mixed with honey, and formed into small pills. Take 6-9g with warm water or light salt soup before meals. Modern methods may involve decoctions or pre-made pills, with dosages adjusted by a practitioner.
How the Herbs Work Together
Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia): The core herb, it nourishes kidney essence, supporting energy and vitality.
Shan Yao (Yam): Strengthens the spleen and kidneys, easing fatigue and digestive issues.
Shan Zhu Yu (Cornelian Cherry): Stabilizes kidney essence, reducing symptoms like spermatorrhea.
Gou Qi Zi (Goji Berry): Boosts kidney and liver health, enhancing stamina and vision.
Tu Si Zi (Dodder Seed): Supports kidney function and reproductive health.
Lu Jiao Jiao (Deer Antler Glue): Warms the kidneys, replenishing essence and strengthening bones.
Du Zhong (Eucommia Bark): Fortifies the lower back and bones, relieving soreness.
Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark): Warms the body, boosting kidney yang and circulation.
Dang Gui (Angelica Root): Nourishes blood, supporting overall vitality.
Fu Zi (Processed Aconite): Powerfully warms kidney yang, countering cold and fatigue.
This blend restores warmth, energy, and strength, addressing the root causes of kidney yang deficiency.
Effects and Indications
Main Effects:
Warms and nourishes kidney yang to restore vitality.
Replenishes essence and supports bone marrow production.
Strengthens reproductive and digestive functions.
Indications: You Gui Wan is ideal for kidney yang deficiency and weak Mingmen (life gate) fire, with symptoms including:
Fatigue and low energy
Cold limbs and fear of cold
Soreness or weakness in the lower back and knees
Impotence or spermatorrhea
Reduced appetite and loose stools
Involuntary urination or frequent urination
Pale tongue with white coating
Deep, slow pulse
These symptoms often arise from aging, chronic illness, or overexertion, indicating a lack of warming energy in the kidneys.
Understanding Kidney Yang and Mingmen Fire: In Chinese medicine, kidney yang is the warming, energizing force that keeps the body active and warm. Mingmen fire, a vital part of kidney yang, acts like a spark that fuels the body’s overall yang energy.
When kidney yang or Mingmen fire is weak, the body feels cold, tired, and weak, much like a house without a strong furnace.
Benefits of You Gui Wan
Warms the Body: Relieves cold limbs and sensitivity to cold by boosting kidney yang.
Boosts Energy: Combats fatigue and restores vitality, especially in aging or chronically ill individuals.
Supports Bone and Joint Health: Strengthens the lower back and knees, addressing soreness.
Enhances Reproductive Health: Improves sexual function and fertility in men and women.
Improves Digestion: Supports spleen and stomach function, reducing loose stools and poor appetite.
Modern Applications
You Gui Wan is used in modern medicine for:
Kidney disorders: Treats nephrotic syndrome and reduced kidney function.
Bone health: Prevents and manages osteoporosis in the elderly.
Reproductive issues: Addresses male infertility due to low sperm count or poor motility.
Blood disorders: Supports recovery from anemia and leukopenia.
Chronic fatigue: Boosts energy in cases of prolonged weakness or illness.
Its warming and nourishing properties make it valuable for yang-deficient conditions.
Dietary Support
Pairing You Gui Wan with dietary remedies can enhance its effects:
Goji and Yam Porridge: Cook 30g goji berries, 100g yam, and 100g rice into porridge. This nourishes the kidneys and spleen, boosting energy.
Eucommia and Kidney Soup: Boil 15g eucommia bark with pork kidneys, ginger, and scallions. This strengthens the kidneys and bones.
Angelica, Ginger, and Lamb Soup: Simmer 15g angelica root, 30g ginger, and 250g lamb. This warms the body and supports kidney yang.
These recipes complement the formula’s warming and nourishing effects, promoting recovery.
Precautions
Use You Gui Wan with care:
Contraindications: Avoid in cases of damp-heat, yin deficiency with excessive heat, or impotence due to heat. Not suitable for those with strong digestive issues like diarrhea.
Side effects: Overuse may cause overheating or digestive discomfort.
Dietary restrictions: Avoid raw, cold, or greasy foods during treatment.
Professional guidance: Consult a Chinese medicine practitioner to ensure proper use and avoid drug interactions.
Storage: Keep in a cool, dry, light-proof place.
If discomfort occurs, stop use and consult a doctor.
Conclusion
You Gui Wan is a powerful Chinese herbal formula that warms kidney yang, replenishes essence, and restores vitality. Its blend of warming and nourishing herbs addresses symptoms like fatigue, cold limbs, and lower back pain, making it ideal for those with kidney yang deficiency.
Modern applications extend its use to kidney disorders, infertility, and osteoporosis, highlighting its versatility. With proper use, dietary support, and professional guidance, You Gui Wan can significantly enhance health and well-being.
Chinese Name | 右歸丸 |
Phonetic | You Gui Wan |
English Name | Right-Restoring Pill |
Classification | Tonic formulas |
Source | 《The Complete Works of [Zhang] Jing-yue》Jing Yue Quan Shu《景嶽全書》 |
Combination | Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang) 8 liang (240g), Dioscoreae Rhizoma (Shan Yao) 4 liang (120g), Corni Fructus (Shan Zhu Yu) 3 liang (90g), Lycii Fructus (Gou Qi Zi) 3 liang (90g), Cuscutae Semen (Tu Si Zi) 4 liang (120g), Cervi Cornus Colla (Lu Jiao Jiao) 4 liang (120g), Eucommiae Cortex (Du Zhong Zi) 4 liang (120g), Cinnamomi Cortex (Rou Gui) 2 liang (60g), Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui) 3 liang (90g), Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Zhi Fu Zi) 2-6 liang (60-180g) |
Method | First steam shu di huang until it becomes mushy. Then grind up all the medicinals with a pestle and add honey. Finally, form them into pills the size of a phoenix tree seed. Take one hundred pills at one time with boiled water or slightly salted water. Otherwise, the pill can be made larger into the size of a marble. Chew two or three of these pills and take with boiled water as a single dose. (Modern preparation: decoct the formula with the medicinals dosed according to the original proportions.) |
Action | Warms and supplements kidney yang, supplements essence, and boosts marrow. |
Indication | You Gui Wan is intended for patterns of kidney yang insufficiency and ming men fire deficiency marked by mental fatigue and general weakness due to aging or chronic disease, fear of cold, hypothermic limbs, sore loins, impotence, spermatorrhea, infertility, decreased food intake, unformed stools, urinary incontinence, a pale tongue with a white coating, and a deep, delayed pulse. |
Pathogenesis | The pattern treated with this formula is deficiency of both kidney yang and ming men fire. As the kidney is the viscus of water and fire, it stores ming men fire and is therefore regarded as the root of the original yang. Kidney yang deficiency and the decline of the ming men fire fail to warm the earth (spleen) affecting the spleen-stomach function. Thereby, the patient presents with mental fatigue, general weakness, sore and cold loins, decreased appetite, and unformed stools. The kidney dominates tian gui (reproduction-stimulating essence, corresponds with the tenth heavenly stem, 天癸) and stores the essence. Therefore, kidney yang deficiency results in the decline of tian gui and reproductive dysfunction manifesting impotence, spermatorrhea, infertility, and urinary incontinence. The treatment principle, as recorded in The Complete Works of [Zhang] Jing-yue, is to boost the source of the fire, namely, the original yang stored in the right kidney. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation You Gui Wan is often used to treat kidney yang deficiency and decline of ming men fire. This clinical pattern is marked by mental fatigue and general weakness, fear of cold, cold limbs, sore loins and weak knees, impotence, deep, slow pulse. 2. Modern applications Modified You Gui Wan can be used to treat the following diseases identified as patterns of kidney yang deficiency: nephrotic syndrome, senile osteoporosis, infertility, oligospermatism, anemia, and leucopenia. 3. Cautions and contraindications You Gui Wan is intended for patterns of pure deficiency only. Therefore, it is inappropriate to prescribe for those with kidney deficiency complicated with dampness accumulation, for it does not include medicinals that drain. |
Additonal formulae | You Gui Yin (Right-Restoring Beverage 右歸飲) [Source]《The Complete Works of [Zhang] Jing-yue》Jing Yue Quan Shu《景嶽全書》 [Ingredients] Shu di 2-3 qian or increase it to 1-2 liang (6-60g), shan yao (dry-fried) 2 qian (6g), gou qi zi 2 qian (6g), shan zhu yu 1 qian (3g), zhi gan cao 1-2 qian (3-6g), rou gui 1-2 qian (3-6g), du zhong (ginger juice-fried) 2 qian (9g), zhi fu zi 1-3 qian (3-9g) [Preparation and Administration] Prepare it as a decoction. [Actions] Warms and supplements kidney yang, and supplements essence and blood. [Applicable Patterns] Kidney yang deficiency patterns. Symptoms include: timidity, mental fatigue, pain, sore back, cold extremities, impotence, seminal emission, thin, unformed stool, or exuberant yin repelling yang, true cold with false heat. |
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