What can be combined with Rehmannia glutinosa (Shu Di Huang) to nourish the kidneys and enhance yang?
Apr 18, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Xiuhong
Introduction
Cinnamon is acrid, sweet, and extremely hot in nature, capable of replenishing fire and assisting yang, and guiding fire back to its origin. When used together with cooked rehmannia, it can enhance the effect of warming kidney yang. This combination is suitable for conditions such as cold pain in the lower back and knees, impotence, and cold uterus caused by insufficient kidney yang and declining fire of the vital gate. These two herbs work together to warm yang and nourish yin, thereby replenishing both yin and yang, allowing yang to be supported by yin and generate endlessly. Epimedium has functions of tonifying kidney yang and strengthening tendons and bones. When used with cooked rehmannia, it can synergistically enhance kidney yang.
Rehmannia glutinosa is usually combined with Cinnamon bark, Horny goat weed, Cuscuta seed, Deer antler, and Cornus fruit for the purpose of nourishing kidney and enhancing yang.
1. Cinnamon bark: Cinnamon bark is acrid, sweet and very hot in nature, which can tonify fire and augment yang, and direct the fire back to its origin. When combined with Rehmannia glutinosa, it enhances the kidney-yang nourishing effect, suitable for symptoms caused by kidney-yang deficiency and declining fire of the vital gate, such as cold pain in the lower back and knees, impotence, and cold uterus. The combination of these two ingredients warms yang and nourishes yin, thus replenishing both yin and yang, allowing yang to be supported by yin and generating endless vitality.
2. Horny goat weed: Horny goat weed has effects of nourishing kidney and enhancing yang, and strengthening tendons and bones. When used together with Rehmannia glutinosa, it synergistically nourishes kidney and boosts yang, improving sexual function and alleviating symptoms such as decreased libido and premature ejaculation caused by kidney-yang deficiency. At the same time, it also nourishes the yin of liver and kidney, making the kidney-tonifying effect non-drying and the yin-nourishing effect non-greasy.
3. Cuscuta seed: Cuscuta seed can both nourish kidney-yang and benefit kidney-yin. Combined with Rehmannia glutinosa, it replenishes both yin and yang of the kidney, and can be used to treat kidney deficiency-related lower back pain and infertility. Cuscuta seed consolidates kidney essence, while Rehmannia glutinosa nourishes yin and blood. When used together, they comprehensively regulate kidney deficiency, enhance kidney function, and improve physical resistance.
4. Deer antler: Deer antler is a product derived from animal source, capable of strengthening kidney-yang and enriching essence and blood. When combined with Rehmannia glutinosa, it powerfully nourishes the liver and kidney, benefits essence and blood. It is highly effective for symptoms such as cold intolerance and dizziness caused by kidney-yang deficiency and insufficiency of essence and blood. It rapidly replenishes the body's yang energy and essence-blood, improving deficiency and weakness.
5. Cornus fruit: Cornus fruit nourishes liver and kidney, and can both replenish kidney-yang and kidney-yin. When combined with Rehmannia glutinosa, it synergistically enhances kidney nourishment, strengthening the effects of nourishing yin and boosting yang. It is commonly used for symptoms such as soreness and weakness of waist and knees and seminal emission caused by liver-kidney yin deficiency or yang deficiency. It consolidates kidney essence, prevents leakage of essence and qi, and complements Rehmannia glutinosa effectively.
Although Rehmannia glutinosa and its compatible herbs have the effect of nourishing kidney and enhancing yang according to traditional Chinese medicine theory, they are not suitable for everyone. Each person's constitution and medical condition are different; therefore, consultation with a professional physician is necessary before use, to ensure syndrome differentiation and individualized treatment.
