You Gui Tang 右歸湯

Login to view prices

  • ACM/CCM/TCM Global Status: Safe & Effective

Begin Your Destiny™

This is Si Jin Bao’s version of a classical formula that dates back to the 17th century. It is well known for addressing symptoms of insufficiency of the Kidney-Yang and decline of fire from Ming Men as well as Wei Syndrome (Atrophy disorder) due to Kidney Qi and Yang Deficiency .

Guaranteed Safe Checkout
Share your love
Classical Formula · Ming Dynasty · c. 1624
右歸湯
Yòu Guī Tāng
Restore the Right (Kidney) Decoction
Begin Your Destiny™
Over Four Centuries in Continuous Clinical Use

Rekindle the Fire at the Root

Yòu Guī Tāng, the Restore the Right (Kidney) Decoction, is Si Jin Bao’s version of Zhang Jing-yue’s classical formula for a Kidney Yang grown cold. It warms and rebuilds the fire of the right Kidney, the Ming Men, and replenishes the Essence that fire depends on.

The right Kidney holds the Ming Men, the gate of vitality, the warm fire at the body’s root. When that fire declines, cold rises from within. The lower back and knees ache and weaken, the limbs never quite warm, desire and fertility fade, and the stools loosen before dawn. This formula was built to rekindle it.

Seek the Yang within the Yin

The formula appears in the Jǐng-Yuè Quán Shū (Collected Treatises of Zhang Jing-Yue), completed in 1624. Zhang Jing-yue built a matched pair, Yòu Guī for the right Kidney and its Yang, Zuǒ Guī for the left and its Yin, on a rule he stated plainly: to tonify the Yang well, one must seek it within the Yin. So he warmed the Kidney with Aconite and Cinnamon, then set that fire in a bed of rich Yin and Blood tonics, so the warmth would have something to hold to.

A Note on the Preparation

The classical rendering included deer-antler gelatin, an animal tonic of the Yang and Essence. Si Jin Bao prepares the formula vegan, without that ingredient, leaning on warming Aconite and Cinnamon and on the seeds and roots that replenish the Essence: Dù Zhòng, Tù Sī Zǐ, and Shú Dì Huáng.

Kidney Yang Deficiency · 腎陽虛

The pattern is a decline of the Kidney Yang and the Ming Men fire. It shows as cold that comes from within: aversion to cold and cool limbs, aching and weakness of the lower back and knees, impotence or infertility, loose stools or dawn diarrhea, and at times a swelling of the legs as the Yang fails to move the water.

Clinical Indications
  • Aversion to cold and coolness of the extremities
  • Aching and weakness of the lower back and knees
  • Impotence, infertility, spermatorrhea
  • Loose stools; edema of the lower legs; lumbar and limb pain

Classical tongue & pulse: a pale, swollen tongue with a white coating; a deep, weak, and slow pulse.

Warm the Fire, and Feed It

Zhì Fù Zǐ and Ròu Guì bring the warmth, rekindling the Ming Men fire and driving out the deep cold. Warmth alone would only scatter, so Shú Dì Huáng, Shān Zhū Yú, Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ, and Dāng Guī fill the Yin and Blood that give the fire a place to settle.

Dù Zhòng and Tù Sī Zǐ strengthen the lower back and secure the Essence, and Shān Yào anchors the whole in the Spleen and Kidney. Warm the fire, and feed it, and the Yang returns without burning itself out.

When to Reach for It

Reach for Yòu Guī Tāng for a declined Kidney Yang: aversion to cold and cool limbs, aching and weak knees and lower back, impotence or infertility, and loose stools before dawn, with a pale, swollen tongue and a deep, slow pulse.

Western conditions and terminology that are commonly associated with these TCM patterns:

  • Infertility, impotence, spermatorrhea
  • Menopausal syndrome, abnormal uterine bleeding
  • Osteoporosis; nephrotic syndrome
  • Anemia, leukopenia; asthma

溫陽
The Si Jin Bao Preparation
Si Jin Bao’s Yòu Guī Tāng is a concentrated decoction prepared in small batches by traditional methods. It is vegan and alcohol-free, with no fillers, so the formula reaches the patient as the nine herbs and nothing else.

Materia Medica · 本草
右歸湯

Yòu Guī Tāng

Restore the Right (Kidney) Decoction
Begin Your Destiny™

When the fire at the body’s core burns low, the cold comes from within: the back and knees ache and give way, the limbs never quite warm, desire and fertility fade, the stools loosen before dawn. Zhang Jing-yue set out to rebuild that fire, but not with heat alone. He held to a rule of his own, that to tonify the Yang well one must seek it within the Yin, and so he warmed the Kidney with Aconite and Cinnamon while feeding it with rich Rehmannia and the seeds and fruits that replenish the Essence. Below is each herb on its own terms: its nature, the channels it enters, its classical actions, and the part it plays here.

01
Herb 01
肉桂
Ròu Guì
Cortex Cinnamomi
Cinnamon Bark

CategoryWarm the Interior
Nature & FlavorAcrid, Sweet; Hot
ChannelsKidney · Spleen · Heart · Liver

Warms the Kidney and fortifies the Yang, stokes the Ming Men fire, disperses cold, and guides errant fire back to its source.

Kidney Yang deficiency with aversion to cold, cold limbs, and weak, aching low back.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經), long used to warm the Kidney and return fire to its root.

Role in this Formula

Rekindles the Ming Men fire, the warm core the whole formula is built to restore.

02
Herb 02
附子
Zhì Fù Zǐ
Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata
Prepared Aconite Root

CategoryWarm the Interior
Nature & FlavorAcrid, Sweet; Hot (prepared)
ChannelsHeart · Kidney · Spleen

Restores the devastated Yang, warms the Kidney and Spleen Yang, disperses deep cold, and relieves cold pain.

Kidney and Spleen Yang deficiency with profound cold; cold pain of the lower body.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經). Used only in its prepared form, which tempers the potency of the raw root.

Role in this Formula

With Ròu Guì, drives out the deep cold and rebuilds the Kidney Yang.

03
Herb 03
山藥
Shān Yào
Rhizoma Dioscoreae
Chinese Yam

CategoryTonify Qi
Nature & FlavorSweet; Neutral
ChannelsSpleen · Lung · Kidney

Tonifies the Spleen, Lung, and Kidney; benefits the Qi and Yin; secures the Essence.

Spleen and Kidney deficiency with poor appetite, loose stool, and leakage of the Essence.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經), a gentle tonic that secures without cloying.

Role in this Formula

Anchors the formula in the Spleen and Kidney and secures the Essence.

04
Herb 04
熟地黃
Shú Dì Huáng
Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata
Prepared Rehmannia Root

CategoryTonify Blood
Nature & FlavorSweet; Slightly Warm
ChannelsLiver · Kidney

Tonifies the Blood and nourishes the Yin; replenishes the Essence and Marrow.

Blood and Yin deficiency; depletion of the Kidney Essence.

Classical Reference

The principal Yin and Blood tonic of the classical tradition, prepared by repeated steaming until dark and rich.

Role in this Formula

Richly fills the Yin and Essence, the bed in which the restored Yang can settle.

05
Herb 05
枸杞子
Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ
Fructus Lycii
Goji (Lycium) Fruit

CategoryTonify Yin & Blood
Nature & FlavorSweet; Neutral
ChannelsLiver · Kidney · Lung

Nourishes and tonifies the Liver and Kidney; benefits the Essence; brightens the eyes.

Liver and Kidney deficiency with sore back, dizziness, and blurred vision.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經), long prized as a gentle tonic of the Essence.

Role in this Formula

Enriches the Kidney and Liver Yin and Essence, deepening the reserve.

06
Herb 06
杜仲
Dù Zhòng
Cortex Eucommiae
Eucommia Bark

CategoryTonify the Yang
Nature & FlavorSweet; Warm
ChannelsLiver · Kidney

Tonifies the Liver and Kidney; strengthens the sinews and bones and the lower back.

Kidney Yang deficiency with weak, aching lower back and knees.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經) as a principal herb for the low back and the Kidney Yang.

Role in this Formula

Strengthens the lower back and knees while tonifying the Kidney Yang.

07
Herb 07
菟絲子
Tù Sī Zǐ
Semen Cuscutae
Chinese Dodder Seed

CategoryTonify the Yang
Nature & FlavorAcrid, Sweet; Neutral
ChannelsKidney · Liver · Spleen

Tonifies the Kidney Yang and Yin, secures the Essence, and benefits the Jing.

Kidney deficiency with leakage of the Essence, sore back, and infertility.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經), valued for tonifying the Yang without drying the Yin.

Role in this Formula

Secures the Essence and gently tonifies both the Yang and the Yin of the Kidney.

08
Herb 08
山茱萸
Shān Zhū Yú
Fructus Corni
Asiatic Cornelian Cherry

CategoryStabilize & Bind · Tonify
Nature & FlavorSour, Astringent; Slightly Warm
ChannelsLiver · Kidney

Tonifies the Liver and Kidney, secures the Essence, and stems leakage.

Kidney deficiency with leakage of the Essence, sweating, and frequent urination.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經), both a tonic and an astringent of the Kidney.

Role in this Formula

Enriches and secures the Essence, holding what the fire would otherwise let escape.

09
Herb 09
當歸
Dāng Guī
Radix Angelicae Sinensis
Chinese Angelica Root

CategoryTonify Blood
Nature & FlavorSweet, Acrid; Warm
ChannelsLiver · Heart · Spleen

Tonifies and invigorates the Blood; warms and frees the channels.

Blood deficiency, particularly where cold has slowed the circulation.

Classical Reference

Recorded in the Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo Jīng (神農本草經) as a principal herb to tonify and move the Blood.

Role in this Formula

Nourishes the Blood, completing the Yin-and-Blood bed the warming herbs settle into.

10
Herb 10
蔬菜甘油
Shū Cài Gān Yóu
Glycerinum Vegetabile
Vegetable Glycerin
Nature (性)
Neutral · 平 Píng
Taste (味)
Sweet · 甘 Gān
Category
Excipient · Carrier
Harmonizes and guides the other medicinals to their target tissues. It is analogous to synovial fluid, providing a medium for smooth movement and deep delivery throughout the decoction.
Excipient function: Dissolves and stabilizes the botanical constituents of the formula, ensuring consistent delivery in decoction form. Mucosal hydration: By attracting and retaining water, glycerin keeps the oral and digestive mucosa moist. Patient tolerance: Its naturally sweet, neutral profile makes the formula palatable for children and adults alike.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics · 2023
Glycerin serves as a co-solvent and humectant in oral liquid formulations, enhancing solubility of poorly water-soluble compounds, stabilizing active ingredients, and improving mucosal hydration.
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · 2018
Oral glycerol has been widely used as an osmotic agent. Doses of 1–1.5 g/kg are safe and well-tolerated; its mechanism involves osmotic fluid redistribution between compartments.
Clinical Oral Investigations · 2022
Glycerin-containing oral moisturizers significantly improved xerostomia symptoms compared with water-based controls, enhancing mucosal hydration and prolonging moisture retention in the oral cavity.
Gān Yóu guides the physical delivery of the formula, ensuring the preparation reaches its target tissues and is tolerated long enough to do its work. It is a naturally sweet, neutral carrier that makes the decoction palatable for adults and children alike.

11
Herb 11
蒸餾水
Zhēng Liú Shuǐ
Aqua Destillata
Distilled Water
Nature (性)
Neutral · 平 Píng
Taste (味)
Tasteless
Category
Vehicle · Neutral Carrier
Not a classical herb in its own right. It functions as a neutral carrier, a pharmaceutically pure vehicle that allows the active constituents of the classical herbs in the formula to extract, stabilize, and deliver without interference.
Biomedical role: A pharmaceutically pure solvent, ensuring consistent extraction and delivery of active compounds without introducing mineral ions, microbial contaminants, or chemical interference. Clinical relevance: Acts as a safe vehicle, analogous to saline in biomedicine, so that every dose of the formula performs identically, from the first bottle to the last.
Pharmacopeial Standard · Herbal Decoction Stability
Distilled water ensures stability, reproducibility, and safety in herbal decoction preparations by eliminating mineral ions and microbial contaminants that would otherwise compromise extraction consistency and shelf life.
Clinical Pharmacology · Oral Solution Vehicles
Distilled water is recognized in clinical pharmacology as the neutral carrier of choice for both intravenous and oral solutions, chosen specifically for its non-reactive profile with active ingredients.
Li Shi-zhen devoted an entire section of the Ben Cao Gang Mu (本草綱目) to the classification of waters, recognizing that the water in which a formula is prepared shapes the clinical outcome. SJB honors this principle by using pharmaceutically distilled water as the neutral vehicle for every decoction.
溫陽
Warm the Fire, and Feed It
Zhang Jing-yue’s insight holds the formula together: a fire that is only stoked will gutter, but a fire set in a full reserve of Yin and Essence will hold. Two herbs warm the Kidney, the rest fill and secure it, and the Yang returns to a place prepared to keep it.

Dosage & Preparation · 用法用量
How to Prepare & Dose

Si Jin Bao Concentrated Decoctions™ are activated in hot water, steeped briefly, and taken warm. Follow the four steps below, then refer to the age-appropriate dosing grid.

The Four Steps
  1. Step 01

    Shake
    Shake the bottle well before each use.
  2. Step 02

    Add Hot Water
    Add the age-appropriate dosage into 1 oz of hot water, as you would for tea.
  3. Step 03

    Steep
    Cover and steep for 5 minutes, then allow to cool to a warm, drinkable temperature.
  4. Step 04

    Drink
    Drink warm, twice daily or as directed by your practitioner.
For best results: take on an empty stomach — approximately 30 minutes before or after food or drink.
By Age Group
Newborn
3drops
Twice daily
1 Year
7drops
Twice daily
2–6 Years
10drops
Twice daily
Suggested Clinical Course
Acute
10 Days
Then Reevaluate
Subacute
30 Days
Then Reevaluate
Chronic
90 Days
Then Reevaluate
Bottle Longevity
11½ days
at standard adult dosage
Research · 研究
右歸湯
Yòu Guī Tāng
The Modern Evidence
Nine Studies on the Herbs in You Gui Tang

A Kidney Yang that has run cold is felt in the low back and the knees, in limbs that will not warm and a vitality that has dimmed. Yòu Guī Tāng rebuilds that fire, and while the effect belongs to the whole formula, each of its nine herbs has also drawn modern study on its own. What follows is that record, taken herb by herb.

01
Study 01
肉桂
Cinnamomum cassia
Traditional Uses & Pharmacology Review
Molecules · 2019
Design
Comprehensive review
Active Compounds
Cinnamaldehyde, essential oils
Relevance
Direct, warms the Kidney Yang
Ròu Guì, the bark of Cinnamomum cassia, warms the Kidney and stokes the Ming Men fire. This review compiled its traditional uses, chemistry, and pharmacology.
Its cinnamaldehyde and essential oils are documented for anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and glucose- and lipid-regulating activity.
Ròu Guì rekindles the Ming Men fire, the warm core the whole formula is built to restore.
Cinnamomum cassia Presl: A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology. Molecules. 2019;24(19):3473.

02
Study 02
附子
Processed Aconite (Fuzi)
Cardiotonic Mechanism Review
Front. Pharmacol. · 2022
Design
Mechanism review (cardiotonic effects and toxicity)
Active Compounds
Cardiotonic alkaloids (demethyl coclaurine, aconitine)
Relevance
Direct, warms and restores the Yang
Zhì Fù Zǐ, the processed lateral root of aconite, restores and warms the Yang. This review examined the molecular mechanisms behind the cardiotonic action of the processed root, along with its toxicity.
The cardiotonic activity of the processed root is documented as arising from alkaloids and glycosides, and the review underscores that processing is what makes clinical use possible.
With Ròu Guì, the prepared Fù Zǐ drives out the deep cold and rebuilds the Kidney Yang.
Processed lateral root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.: A review of cardiotonic effects and cardiotoxicity on molecular mechanisms. Front. Pharmacol. 2022;13:1026219.

03
Study 03
山藥
Chinese Yam (Dioscorea)
Nutraceutical Review
Foods · 2024
Design
Review
Active Compounds
Dioscin, polysaccharides, allantoin
Relevance
Direct, tonifies the Spleen and Kidney
Shān Yào tonifies the Spleen and Kidney and secures the Essence. This review compiled its chemistry and nutraceutical pharmacology.
Its dioscin and polysaccharides are documented for antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and metabolism-supporting activity.
Shān Yào anchors the formula in the Spleen and Kidney and secures the Essence.
A Frontier Review of Nutraceutical Chinese Yam. Foods. 2024;13(10):1426. PMCID: PMC11119861.

04
Study 04
熟地黃
Rehmannia & Catalpol
Experimental Study
Chin. Med. · 2016
Design
Experimental study
Active Compounds
Catalpol (iridoid glycoside)
Relevance
Direct, nourishes the Yin and Essence
Shú Dì Huáng richly nourishes the Yin, Blood, and Essence. This study examined catalpol, one of its principal constituents.
Catalpol is documented for antidiabetic and antioxidant activity in an experimental model.
Shú Dì Huáng richly fills the Yin and Essence, the bed in which the restored Yang can settle.
Antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of catalpol extracted from Rehmannia glutinosa (Di Huang) on rat diabetes induced by streptozotocin and high-fat, high-sugar feed. Chin. Med. 2016. PMCID: PMC4864906.

05
Study 05
枸杞子
Lycii Fructus & Fertility
Comprehensive Review
Front. Pharmacol. · 2025
Design
Comprehensive review
Active Compounds
Lycium polysaccharides, carotenoids, flavonoids
Relevance
Direct, enriches the Kidney Essence
Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ nourishes the Liver and Kidney and benefits the Essence, a classical herb for a depleted reserve. This review examined its mechanisms in male infertility, a modern reading of Kidney Essence deficiency.
Lycium polysaccharides are documented for protecting reproductive function and for antioxidant activity.
Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ enriches the Kidney and Liver Yin and Essence, deepening the reserve.
Therapeutic mechanisms of Lycii Fructus in male infertility: a comprehensive review. Front. Pharmacol. 2025;16:1613156. PMCID: PMC12497719.

06
Study 06
杜仲
Eucommia ulmoides
Health-Promoting Properties Review
Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. · 2016
Design
Review
Active Compounds
Lignans, iridoids, flavonoids
Relevance
Direct, tonifies the Kidney and strengthens the bones
Dù Zhòng tonifies the Liver and Kidney and strengthens the sinews, bones, and lower back. This review compiled its constituents and health-promoting properties.
Its lignans and iridoids are documented for antioxidant, cardioprotective, and bone-supporting activity.
Dù Zhòng strengthens the lower back and knees while tonifying the Kidney Yang.
Health-Promoting Properties of Eucommia ulmoides: A Review. Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2016;2016:5202908.

07
Study 07
菟絲子
Cuscuta chinensis
Systematic Review
J. Ethnopharmacol. · 2014
Design
Systematic review
Active Compounds
Flavonoids (kaempferol, hyperoside, quercetin)
Relevance
Direct, tonifies the Kidney and secures the Essence
Tù Sī Zǐ tonifies the Kidney Yang and Yin and secures the Essence, recorded in the earliest classics as a top-grade kidney tonic. This review compiled its ethnopharmacology and pharmacology.
Its flavonoids are documented for antioxidant, reproductive-supporting, and kidney-tonifying activity.
Tù Sī Zǐ secures the Essence and gently tonifies both the Yang and the Yin of the Kidney.
Cuscuta chinensis Lam.: A systematic review on ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of an important traditional herbal medicine. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2014.

08
Study 08
山茱萸
Corni Fructus
Chemical & Pharmacological Review
Chin. Med. · 2018
Design
Review
Active Compounds
Loganin, morroniside (iridoid glycosides)
Relevance
Direct, secures the Essence
Shān Zhū Yú tonifies the Liver and Kidney and secures the Essence, both a tonic and an astringent. This review compiled its chemistry and pharmacology.
Its iridoid glycosides, loganin and morroniside, are documented for antioxidant and organ-protective activity.
Shān Zhū Yú enriches and secures the Essence, holding what the fire would otherwise let escape.
Corni Fructus: a review of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. Chin. Med. 2018;13:34. PMCID: PMC6020197.

09
Study 09
當歸
Angelica sinensis & Blood
Experimental Study
Front. Pharmacol. · 2024
Design
Experimental / potency study
Active Compounds
Polysaccharides, ferulic acid
Relevance
Direct, nourishes the Blood
Dāng Guī tonifies and moves the Blood. This study examined its blood-enriching polysaccharides.
Angelica sinensis polysaccharides are documented for hematopoietic, blood-enriching activity, promoting the production of red blood cells.
Dāng Guī nourishes the Blood, completing the Yin-and-Blood bed the warming herbs settle into.
Structural analysis and blood-enriching effects comparison based on biological potency of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides. Front. Pharmacol. 2024;15:1405342. PMCID: PMC11215113.

How the formula’s herbs work at a biochemical level.
Ròu Guì
Cinnamaldehyde and essential oils documented for anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and metabolic-regulating activity (Molecules 2019;24:3473).
Zhì Fù Zǐ
Cardiotonic alkaloids (demethyl coclaurine, aconitine) documented for cardiotonic activity in the processed root, whose processing tempers its toxicity (Front Pharmacol 2022;13:1026219).
Shān Yào
Dioscin and polysaccharides documented for antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and metabolism-supporting activity (PMC11119861, 2024).
Shú Dì Huáng
Catalpol documented for antidiabetic and antioxidant activity (PMC4864906, 2016).
Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ
Lycium polysaccharides documented for protecting reproductive function and for antioxidant activity (PMC12497719, 2025).
Dù Zhòng
Lignans and iridoids documented for antioxidant, cardioprotective, and bone-supporting activity (Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2016;2016:5202908).
Tù Sī Zǐ
Flavonoids (kaempferol, hyperoside) documented for antioxidant, reproductive-supporting, and kidney-tonifying activity (J Ethnopharmacol 2014).
Shān Zhū Yú
Iridoid glycosides (loganin, morroniside) documented for antioxidant and organ-protective activity (PMC6020197, 2018).
Dāng Guī
Polysaccharides and ferulic acid documented for hematopoietic, blood-enriching activity (PMC11215113, 2024).

Western conditions and terminology commonly associated with these TCM patterns:
Menopausal Syndrome · Abnormal Uterine Bleeding · Nephrotic Syndrome · Osteoporosis · Infertility · Anemia · Leukopenia · Asthma · Spermatorrhea

溫陽
Warm the Fire, and Feed It

Each herb has been examined on its own, and the pattern of the findings mirrors the pattern of the formula: two herbs that warm, and a company of seeds, barks, and roots that fill and secure. Four centuries on, the mechanisms now carry names for the rule Zhang Jing-yue set down: to tonify the Yang well, seek it within the Yin.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “You Gui Tang 右歸湯”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *