Blood-Tonifying Formulas

女科柏子仁丸 · Fù Kē Bǎi Zǐ Rén Wán

Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan

A gynecology formula based on Bai Zi Ren for blood deficiency and dryness.

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Last reviewed October 2026

Formula CategoryBlood-Tonifying Formulas

Primary PatternBlood Deficiency

Primary FunctionNourish blood, calm the spirit, moisten dryness

Primary Therapeutic PrincipleNourish blood and moisten dryness

Main HerbsBiota Seed · Prepared Rehmannia Root · Achyranthes Root · Teasel Root

Classical SourceFu Qing Zhu Nu Ke (Fu Shan, Qing dynasty)

Why This Formula?

Selected for blood deficiency dryness in women rather than heat constipation or pure blood deficiency without dryness.

Overview

What Is Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan?

1. Where the Formula Comes From

Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan (妇科柏子仁丸), or the Arborvitae-Seed Pill for Women's Disorders, is a classical gynecologic formula first recorded in Chen Ziming's Fu Ren Da Quan Liang Fang (Complete Fine Formulas for Women) of the Southern Song dynasty. It belongs to the category of formulas that nourish the yin and blood, activate the blood to regulate menses, and calm the heart and settle the spirit.

The formula targets the pattern of yin-blood deficiency in women, with mild blood stagnation and loss of nourishment to the heart-spirit. Typical signs include delayed or scanty periods, pale thin menstrual blood, even amenorrhea, together with dizziness, a sallow complexion, pale lips, palpitations, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, and irritability. It is widely used for menstrual irregularities of the yin-blood-deficient type, for perimenopausal complaints such as hot flashes and sleeplessness, and for post-partum recovery.

Chen Ziming gathered the gynecologic experience of earlier physicians and added his own practice, producing a systematic summary of pre-Song gynecology that became a key reference ever after. Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan is one of its classic formulas for irregular menses with yin-blood deficiency, and later gynecologic works — the Ming-dynasty Nv Ke Jing Lun and Ji Yin Gang Mu — also carried it, each generation adding to its indications and design.

2. Menstrual Irregularities

For delayed cycles with scanty flow, pale blood, dizziness, and palpitations, it rebuilds the blood and regulates the vessels; symptoms usually improve after 2–3 cycles. For scanty menses from blood deficiency (flow below about a third of usual, thin, with a sallow face and pale lips), it raises blood production, and changes in flow can appear within about a month. For absent menses, once pregnancy and organic disease are excluded and the cause is blood deficiency with mild stasis, it nourishes and opens the menses — a return of flow is often seen after 2–3 weeks.

3. Perimenopausal Symptoms

Perimenopausal women commonly have yin-blood deficiency with a starved heart-spirit — irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, insomnia, and dreams. Shu Di Huang and Chuan Xu Duan tonify the kidney yin and build the blood, Bai Zi Ren calms the heart and eases the hot flashes and sleeplessness, and Niu Xi and Juan Bai regulate the blood to steady the cycle. In practice, about three months of use can ease the hot flashes, night sweats, and restlessness, steady the cycle, and improve quality of life through the transition.

4. Post-Partum Support

After childbirth the blood is spent, so periods may come late and scanty, with dizziness, palpitations, and dry stools. As an adjunct, the formula's nourishing restores the lost blood, its bowel-moistening eases the common post-partum constipation, and its heart-calming settles the mood and sleep. Because the post-partum digestion is fragile, adjust the dose and use it only after the lochia has cleared; 1–2 months of gentle use helps restore the blood and the body.

How It Works

Herb Composition (Sovereign / Minister / Assistant / Envoy)

1. The Lord: Bai Zi Ren

Bai Zi Ren (Arborvitae Seed) — sweet, neutral, entering the heart, kidney, and large intestine — is the lord. It nourishes the heart and calms the spirit, moistens the bowels, and nourishes the yin and blood. Being moist, it directly replenishes the blood that a delayed or scanty period reflects; it enters the heart to ease the palpitations, insomnia, and dreams that blood deficiency brings; and it moistens the bowels for the dry stools that come with deficient fluids. Since a woman's bowel function is tied to her qi-blood circulation, a free bowel supports the blood's movement and thus the menses.

2. The Ministers: Niu Xi and Juan Bai

Niu Xi (Achyranthes Root) — bitter-acid, neutral — breaks stasis and opens the menses while tonifying the liver and kidney. It both helps Bai Zi Ren move the blood through a mildly stagnant network and carries the effect downward to the thoroughfare and conception channels, regulating the reproductive system's qi-blood. Juan Bai (Selaginella) — pungent, neutral — activates blood and opens the menses, reinforcing the movement; being neutral rather than warming, it suits a blood-deficient constitution and helps Bai Zi Ren set the uterus's qi-blood right in cases of irregular or absent menses.

3. The Assistants: Ze Lan, Chuan Xu Duan, and Shu Di Huang

Three herbs back up the leads and tend secondary needs:

Ze Lan (Bugleweed) — bitter-pungent, slightly warm — moves the blood and regulates menses, and, notably, moves blood without spending it, so it doesn't drain the already deficient blood.
Chuan Xu Duan (Teasel Root) — bitter-pungent, slightly warm — tonifies the liver and kidney and steadies the thoroughfare-conception channels. Since the liver stores the blood and the kidney stores the essence, supporting both helps generate blood and helps prevent the excessive flow that weak channels can allow.
Shu Di Huang (Prepared Rehmannia) — sweet, slightly warm — the classic blood tonic that nourishes the yin and fills the essence. It deepens Bai Zi Ren's blood-nourishing work and, being mildly warm, keeps the formula's nourishing from turning too cold.

4. The Courier: Gan Cao

Gan Cao (Licorice Root) harmonizes all the herbs so the overall nature stays gentle; it strengthens the spleen (the source of qi and blood), supporting the blood-building; and it reins in the sharper blood-moving herbs such as Niu Xi and Juan Bai so they don't disperse the qi-blood too freely, making the effect steady and lasting.

Symptoms Traditionally Associated

Clinical Presentation in TCM

1. The Root Problem

The core pattern is yin-blood deficiency in a woman, with mild blood stagnation and a starved heart-spirit. Menstruation and fertility depend on sufficient blood and smooth qi-blood flow. Long worry, overwork, or heavy blood loss after childbirth quietly drain the yin-blood; when it runs low, the uterus and its channels go under-nourished, so periods become irregular, scanty, delayed, or stop entirely. At the same time, blood deficiency leaves too little fluid in the vessels, so the flow slows into mild stagnation, worsening the menstrual disorder. And since the heart governs the blood, a blood-starved heart-spirit shows as palpitations, insomnia, dreams, and restlessness — the whole picture this formula is built to correct.

2. What It Does

Three linked effects:

Nourish the blood and yin — Bai Zi Ren and Shu Di Huang replenish the deficient blood so the uterus and its channels are properly nourished, giving normal menstruation its material base.
Activate the blood and open the menses — Niu Xi, Juan Bai, and Ze Lan smooth the vessels and clear the mild stagnation, so the period comes on time.
Calm the heart and settle the spirit — Bai Zi Ren's heart-nourishing action eases the irritability, insomnia, and dreams that blood deficiency brings.

3. Who It's For

Three groups of problems:

Menstrual irregularities — delayed cycles, scanty pale thin flow, or absence of menses, with dizziness, a sallow complexion, and pale lips — the yin-blood-deficient picture.
Gynecologic qi-blood disharmony — copious thin vaginal discharge, or dry, astringent vulva and weak aching lower back and knees from deficient blood.
Heart-spirit deprivation — palpitations, insomnia, dreams, poor memory, irritability — often appearing with and feeding the menstrual problem; as the blood is restored, these ease too.

Formula Analysis

The Mechanism in Classical Theory

1. "Tonify With a Way Out"

The core logic is tonify without letting it stagnate. Pure nourishment can congest the vessels, and pure blood-activation spends an already depleted supply. So the formula builds with Bai Zi Ren and Shu Di Huang, then adds the activating herbs Niu Xi, Juan Bai, and Ze Lan so the nourishment actually reaches the uterus instead of pooling in the vessels. Gan Cao keeps the whole thing balanced — the tonics aren't too cloying for the digestion, and the movers aren't too harsh for the upright. This embodies the Chinese-medicine ideal of "balanced yin and yang, harmonious qi and blood," and it's what makes the formula work so well for blood deficiency with a blocked network.

2. How the Herbs Support and Check Each Other

The herbs work in a web of synergy and restraint:

Synergy: Bai Zi Ren's heart-calming and Shu Di Huang's blood-nourishing together correct the heart-spirit disorder at its root; Niu Xi carrying downward and Juan Bai opening the channels together reach the thoroughfare-conception circulation; Ze Lan's "move without spending" and Chuan Xu Duan's liver-kidney tonification together keep the channels free without taxing the deficient blood.
Restraint: Bai Zi Ren's bowel-moistening checks Shu Di Huang's cloying richness (avoiding constipation); Juan Bai's activation keeps Bai Zi Ren from letting the qi-blood stagnate ("tonify without stopping"); Gan Cao's harmonizing corrects any herb's bias, so the formula is neither too cold, too dry, nor too cloying.

3. Designed Around Women's Physiology

The formula is built for the female body. A woman lives by the blood: menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing all spend it, so yin-blood deficiency is a common state. The choices reflect that — Niu Xi carrying the medicine down to the thoroughfare and conception channels to act directly on the reproductive system; Bai Zi Ren calming the heart and moistening the bowels, addressing the emotional strain that heavy physiological demand brings. Because poor mood in turn disturbs the menses (a vicious circle), treating both at once matters for a woman's physical and mental health alike.

How This Formula Compares

Clinical Comparison Table

Compare	Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan	Si Wu Tang	Run Chang Wan	Dang Gui Yin Zi
Primary Function	Nourish blood, calm the spirit, moisten dryness	Tonify Blood, nourish Liver	Nourish blood, moisten intestines, move stool	Nourish blood, dispel wind, stop itch
Formula Category	Blood-Tonifying Formulas	Blood-Tonifying Formulas	Purgative Formulas	Blood-Tonifying Formulas
Typical TCM Pattern	Blood Deficiency	Blood Deficiency	Blood Deficiency	Blood Deficiency
Main Conditions	Irregular Menstruation, Dry Skin, Constipation, Blood Deficiency Constitution	Irregular Menstruation, Dizziness & Vertigo, Fatigue & Low Energy, Eye Dryness	Constipation	Dry Skin
Main Herbs	Biota Seed · Prepared Rehmannia Root · Achyranthes Root · Teasel Root	Prepared Rehmannia Root · Chinese Angelica Root · White Peony Root · Chuanxiong Rhizome	Hemp Seed · Peach Kernel · Chinese Angelica Root · Raw Rehmannia Root · Bitter Orange	Chinese Angelica Root · White Peony Root · Chuanxiong Rhizome · Raw Rehmannia Root · Tribulus Fruit · Saposhnikovia Root · Schizonepeta / Japanese Catnip · Fleeceflower Root · Astragalus Root · Licorice Root
Classical Source	Fu Qing Zhu Nu Ke (Fu Shan, Qing dynasty)	Xian Shou Li Shang Xu Duan Mi Fang / Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang	Li Dongyuan school / classical	Classical TCM formulary

How to tell them apart

Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan, Si Wu Tang and Run Chang Wan nourish or moisten. Si Wu Tang is the base blood tonic. Run Chang Wan moistens the intestines. This formula is a gynecology blood-nourishing, dryness-moistening pill.

For educational reference only, based on traditional pattern differentiation — not a substitute for professional advice.

Clinical Modifications

Clinical Modifications for Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan

1. For Marked Blood Deficiency

If pallor, dizziness, and strong palpitations are prominent, add E Jiao (10–15 g, dissolved) and He Shou Wu (15–20 g) — both nourish the blood and yin, and E Jiao's moistening also helps Bai Zi Ren prevent constipation.

2. For Marked Blood Stagnation

If the menses are dark with clots, with lower-abdominal pain and a tongue with stasis spots, add Yi Mu Cao (15–20 g) and Dan Shen (12–15 g) — Yi Mu Cao is the classic gynecologic blood-mover, and Dan Shen also calms the heart, reinforcing Bai Zi Ren.

3. For Marked Heart-Spirit Disturbance

If insomnia, dreams, poor memory, and irritability are prominent, add Suan Zao Ren (15–20 g, crushed) and Fu Shen (12–15 g) to nourish the heart and settle the spirit and improve sleep.

4. For a Weak Digestion

If appetite is poor with bloating and loose stools, add Bai Zhu (10–12 g) and Chen Pi (6–9 g) to strengthen the spleen and prevent the cloying herbs (Shu Di Huang, Bai Zi Ren) from troubling the digestion.

Modern Research

What the Science Suggests

1. Active Components

Modern analysis finds gynecologically relevant actives: Bai Zi Ren has fatty oil (moistening the bowels), saponins, and vitamin E (antioxidant, cell-protective); Niu Xi has saponins and alkaloids that improve circulation and regulate uterine contraction; Juan Bai has flavonoids and volatile oil that are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory; Shu Di Huang has catalpol and rehmannioside that promote blood formation and raise red blood cells and hemoglobin. So the formula's blood-nourishing action has a material basis.

2. Pharmacologic Validation

Animal and clinical work supports it: in mice it raises hemoglobin and red blood cell counts (blood-building), improves hemorheology and lowers blood viscosity (menses-opening, anti-stagnation), and lengthens sleep and eases anxiety (heart-calming). In a clinical series of 100 women with yin-blood-deficient irregular menses, after 3 months about 85% had a normal cycle and fuller flow, with palpitations, insomnia, and dizziness clearly improved.

3. Newer Uses

Its range has widened: for breast hyperplasia from endocrine imbalance and blood deficiency, it regulates the qi-blood and eases the breast pain; for facial melasma from blood deficiency with stasis, it replenishes the blood, moves the channels, and can fade the spots; and for menopause syndrome, beyond the hot flashes and sleeplessness, it steadies mood swings and irregular menses, improving quality of life.

4. Dosage-Form Work

Besides granules, research is exploring tablets and capsules for easier carrying and stable actives, and even targeted formulations that direct the medicine more precisely to the uterus and the thoroughfare-conception channels to raise effectiveness and cut side effects. These forms are still being studied and need more clinical validation.

Safety

Safety Considerations

1. Pregnancy

Niu Xi and Juan Bai activate blood and open the menses; they can contract the uterus and risk miscarriage. Pregnancy is an absolute contraindication. Women planning pregnancy should also check they're not pregnant before using it, since the blood-moving herbs are inappropriate even when nourishing the fetus is needed.

2. Excess Patterns

This is a "deficiency with mild stasis" formula, so true excess patterns don't fit. Marked lower-abdominal pain that rejects pressure, dark menses with many clots, a thick greasy coating, and a replete strong pulse point to heavier stasis; the formula's gentle movement wouldn't clear it, and its nourishment could even feed the excess and worsen damp-heat or stagnation. Those cases need a stronger stasis-removing formula such as Tao He Cheng Qi Tang, not this one.

3. A Very Weak Digestion

Though Gan Cao harmonizes and spleen herbs can be added, a severely weak digestion (marked poor appetite, bloating, loose stools) calls for caution — Shu Di Huang and Bai Zi Ren are rich and cloying and can block the digestion. Strengthen the spleen first (or use at reduced dose with spleen-supporting foods such as Chinese yam and Job's tears) to avoid indigestion and bloating.

4. Diet and Lifestyle

While on it, avoid spicy (which drains the yin-blood), greasy (which burdens the digestion), and cold food (which slows the vessels). Avoid overwork and excessive worry, which drain the blood further; keep regular hours and avoid staying up late, which harms the liver and kidney yin; and mind the emotions, since stress disturbs the qi-blood and thus the menses.

FAQ

Questions About Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan

Q1: What is Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan? Are Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan and Si Wu Tang the same?

Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan (妇科柏子仁丸, also Nu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan) is a classic formula from the Fu Ren Da Quan Liang Fang and Pu Ji Fang, centered on nourishing blood, benefiting yin and regulating menses for virgin amenorrhea progressing to consumption and yin deficiency with blood weakness where the menses become scant and gradually cease. Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit, leaning to Heart yin insufficiency with insomnia. Si Wu Tang tonifies blood and regulates menses, leaning to blood deficiency. The three cannot be interchanged by equal weight. Write Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan. Use caution in excess heat and damp obstruction.

Q2: What is the composition and traditional use of Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan?

Classic composition: Bai Zi Ren (stir-fried) half liang, Niu Xi half liang, Juan Bai half liang, Ze Lan Ye two liang, Xu Duan two liang, Shu Di Huang three liang. It acts to nourish blood, benefit yin and regulate menses. It is used for yin deficiency with blood weakness, water scant and fire excess, menses scant and gradually ceasing, bone and flesh vexation and pain in the hands and feet, progressive emaciation and gradual tidal fever. Bai Zi Ren nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit; Shu Di Huang nourishes blood and benefits yin; Niu Xi, Ze Lan and Juan Bai invigorate blood and regulate menses; Xu Duan tonifies the Liver and Kidneys.

Q3: How do you choose raw versus prepared? Can Si Wu Tang replace it?

Bai Zi Ren is stir-fried; Shu Di Huang is prepared. Si Wu Tang lacks Juan Bai and Ze Lan and leans to pure blood tonification; it cannot replace regulating menses by equal weight. Commercial products follow regulated compounding; do not self-modify.

Q4: What is the usual dosage? Can it be drunk daily as a blood-nourishing menses tea?

Ancient use was honey pills, thirty pills each time taken with rice beverage on an empty stomach. Modern use adjusts proportions; common as pills, with dose named by a practitioner. It is not a four-season “Arborvitae Seed menses-regulating tea.” Excess heat and damp obstruction only stagnate further. Amenorrhea needs a practitioner to name a short course; it does not replace assessment.

Q5: What are the contraindications? Can it be used in pregnancy?

Excess heat and damp obstruction require practitioner assessment; pregnancy requires practitioner assessment. Use caution in unceasing bleeding. Stop if loose stool or epigastric distension appears. Amenorrhea with severe pain or abnormal bleeding need immediate medical care.

Q6: Can Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan nourish blood, benefit yin and regulate menses?

It can help yin deficiency with blood weakness where the menses become scant and gradually cease. It nourishes blood, benefits yin and regulates menses—not a specific for every amenorrhea or every menstrual irregularity.

Q7: Can Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan be drunk daily as a blood-nourishing, yin-benefiting or menses-regulating tea?

Yin deficiency with blood weakness may enter a short formula; excess heat and damp obstruction only stagnate further. “Arborvitae seed must nourish the Heart” does not replace gynecological assessment. Nourishing blood, benefiting yin and regulating menses should be named by a practitioner with form and dose.

Q8: How do you choose among Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan, Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan, Si Wu Tang, Ba Zhen Tang and Xiao Yao San?

Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan nourishes blood and benefits yin while regulating menses, containing Bai Zi Ren, Shu Di, Niu Xi, Ze Lan, Juan Bai and Xu Duan, leaning to yin deficiency with blood weakness and amenorrhea. Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit, leaning to Heart yin insufficiency with insomnia. Si Wu Tang tonifies blood and regulates menses, leaning to blood deficiency. Ba Zhen Tang dual-tonifies qi and blood, leaning to dual qi and blood deficiency. Xiao Yao San soothes the Liver, strengthens the Spleen and nourishes blood, leaning to Liver constraint with blood deficiency. Yin-deficiency amenorrhea favors Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan; insomnia favors Bai Zi Yang Xin; blood deficiency favors Si Wu; dual qi-blood deficiency favors Ba Zhen; Liver constraint favors Xiao Yao. They may be referenced after pattern differentiation; excess heat forbids large Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan.

Q9: How is Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan commonly modified? What is the representative use?

The original already contains nourishing blood, benefiting yin and regulating menses. Marked deficiency may increase Shu Di; tidal fever may add Di Gu Pi. Write Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan; do not replace the menses-regulating action with an equal weight of Si Wu Tang.

Q10: How do you choose and store Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan?

Choose regulated Chinese patent medicines or classically compounded pills that list the composition. Moldy, damp, or abnormal-smelling lots are discarded. Store cool and dry. Buy “Fu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan” or “Nu Ke Bai Zi Ren Wan”; do not replace nourishing blood, benefiting yin and regulating menses with an equal weight of Bai Zi Yang Xin Wan or Si Wu Tang.

FAQ

General Questions

How do I choose the right formula?

TCM formulas are traditionally selected according to individual pattern differentiation rather than by symptom alone. If you're not sure which formula fits your presentation, take our AI Assessment below for a personalized starting point, then confirm with a qualified TCM practitioner.

What are concentrated herbal granules?

Concentrated herbal granules are made by decocting raw herbs, then extracting and concentrating the resulting liquid into a fine granule or powder form. This preserves the same active compounds as a traditional decoction while making the herbs far easier to store, measure, and prepare.

How should I take these products?

Dissolve the recommended amount of granules in hot water, stir until fully dissolved, and drink while warm — following the dosage and frequency advised by your TCM practitioner or as stated on the product packaging.

Are concentrated herbal granules equivalent to traditional decoctions?

Concentrated granules are produced from the same herbs and processed to retain their active compounds, so they are traditionally regarded as a convenient alternative to decoctions rather than a different remedy. Some practitioners note subtle differences in strength or absorption between the two forms, so your TCM practitioner may adjust dosage accordingly.

Are your products authentic?

Yes. HJMEDICAL sources its concentrated granules exclusively from established, reputable manufacturers such as Nong's and Hoi Tin, both long-standing names in the TCM granules industry, with GMP compliance stated directly on their packaging.

Are HJMEDICAL products manufactured under GMP standards?

HJMEDICAL sources its concentrated granules from established, reputable manufacturers such as Nong's and Hoi Tin, both long-standing names in the TCM granules industry. GMP compliance for these products is stated directly on their packaging.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes — we ship worldwide! Every order goes out via Hong Kong Post, and your exact shipping cost and estimated delivery time for your address are calculated and shown right at checkout, so there are never any surprises. We also offer free shipping once your order reaches our free-shipping threshold, so it's easy to stock up on your favorite formulas and save.

Can I take more than one formula at the same time?

Some formulas are traditionally combined, while others overlap or counteract each other. We recommend checking with a qualified TCM practitioner before combining formulas, especially if you are already taking other medication.

Are these products suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Some TCM formulas are not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Please consult a qualified TCM practitioner or your doctor before use if you are pregnant, trying to conceive, or nursing.

Do these products replace medical treatment?

No. These products are traditional herbal supplements intended to support wellbeing according to TCM principles — they are not a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a qualified TCM practitioner or licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or combining any treatment, especially if you have a chronic condition.

Medical Disclaimer

For general TCM education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified TCM practitioner or licensed healthcare provider before use, especially if pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a chronic condition.

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