Tonify the Blood (yang xue)

Herbs that tonify the blood treat blood deficiency patterns with pallor, dizziness, diminished vision, palpitations, poor memory, insomnia, anxiety, dry skin and light or absent periods. This diagnosis may or may not coincide with a Western diagnosis of anaemia.

Commonly used examples include shu di huang (rehmannia, Rehmannia glutinosa), dang gui (Angelica sinensis) and bai shao (peony, Paeonia lactiflora). Since they are often cloying in nature, it is common to combine with herbs that strengthen the stomach.