Chinese Medicine

Rehmannia herb, also known as Di Huang in Chinese, is a perennial herb of the genus Scrophulariaceae, whose root tuber has been used medicinally in Chinese medicine since ancient times. From October to November each year, rehmannia herb is collected and dried for medicinal purpose. There are two different forms of rehmannia herb – raw rehmannia herb (Sheng Di Huang) and processed rehmannia herb (Shu Di Huang). Chinese medicine thinks that they have different properties. We mainly focus on the raw rehmannia herb here.

Rehmannia herb’s temperature and taste properties

• Sweet
• Bitter
• Cold

Rehmannia herb’s meridian tropism

• Heart
• Lung
• Liver

Main ingredients of rehmannia herb

Main ingredients of rehmannia herb are sterols and polysaccharides.

• Sterols and glycosides: ?-sitosterol, a small amount of stigmasterol, vegetable oil sterols and other sterols; There are more than 20 kinds of glycosides and most are iridoid glycosides, such as Catalpol, dihydro Catalpol, rehmannin, Aucubin and daucosterol;
• Sugars and glycosides Sugar: stachyose, raffinose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, mannotriose, verbascose and galactose etc.;
• Other: mannitol, vitamin A, alkaloids, amino acids and other ingredients.

Traditional applications of rehmannia herb

Rehmannia herb has been used to treat different illness since ancient times in China. Main applications include as follows:

• Yin deficiency with internal heat;
• Low-grade fever or fever;
• Dry mouth and sore throat;
• Maculae;
• Abnormal blood circulation forced by blood-heat;
• Hematemesis;
• Nosebleeding;
• Hematochezia;
• Uterine bleeding;
• Diabetes.
• …

Pharmacological effects of rehmannia herb

• Regulating the function of immune system;
• Protective effect on adrenal and thyroid;
• Anti-inflammatory and reducing fever;
• Cardiotonic, lowering high blood pressure and diuresis;
• Protecting liver, lowering blood sugar and invigorating blood;
• Promoting blood clotting and glandular secretion;
• Anti-radiation, anti-tumor and anti-aging;
• …

Usage of rehmannia herb

Regularly rehmannia herb is used as decoction, 10 ~ 30g each dose or double dosage in the case of using fresh rehmannia herb.

Contraindications of rehmannia herb

Given that rehmannia herb is of nature of cold and stagnation, people of deficient spleen and stagnated dampness should avoid using it.

In addition, the origin of rehmannia herb is another issue should be paid attention to. When condition allows, we should always choose the authentic rehmannia herb. So-called authentic medicinal herbs refer to the herbs growing and processed in one specific area, where has the most suitable soil and climate to grow them and mature technology to process them. The efficacy of herbs originated from different areas might be different significantly. The same is true to rehmannia herb too.