ChinaHerb – Angelic Four (Si Wu Tang)

Size

60 tablets

Ingredients

Each tablet contains:

• Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Dang Gui) – Chinese angelica root / dong quai – 390mg
• Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuan Xiong) – Sichuan lovage rhizome – 300mg
• Paeoniae Radix Alba (Bai Shao) – white peony root – 420mg
• Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (Shu Di Huang) – prepared rehmannia root – 390mg

Directions to use

Adults: Take 2 tablets twice daily, 30 minutes before or after meals.

Warning

Contra-indicated in pregnancy.

The traditional guidance supplied with Angelic Four also considers this formula unsuitable for certain TCM patterns, including Yin Deficiency, Blood Heat and excessive menstruation. Consult a qualified Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner if you are uncertain whether the formula suits your individual pattern.

If you are breastfeeding, taking medication or have an existing medical condition, consult an appropriate healthcare professional before use.

Keep out of reach of children.

• 100% herbal
• No animal ingredients
• Four-herb traditional formula
• Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation

Traditional Chinese Medicine Approach

Si Wu Tang is one of the classical formulae associated with nourishing and regulating Blood in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

TCM traditionally uses the formula where a pattern involves Blood Deficiency, while its combination of herbs also encourages Blood movement. As a result, Si Wu Tang demonstrates how a formula can address both nourishment and circulation within the traditional framework.

This distinction matters because Blood has a broader meaning in TCM than in modern medicine.

TCM Blood includes physical blood, but the traditional concept also encompasses functions related to nourishing and moistening the body’s tissues. Likewise, Blood Deficiency does not simply mean anaemia, and Blood Stasis does not simply mean a blood clot.

To explore these concepts further, read our Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine: Qi, Blood, Yin & Yang and TCM Patterns Knowledge article.

A Closer Look at the Four Herbs

Dang Gui – Chinese Angelica Root

Dang Gui (Angelicae Sinensis Radix) is the root of Angelica sinensis. English-language herbal literature also commonly calls it dong quai or Chinese angelica.

In TCM, Dang Gui traditionally nourishes and invigorates Blood. It also plays an important role in many classical formulae associated with women’s health and menstrual patterns.

This combination of nourishing and moving actions makes Dang Gui particularly characteristic of Si Wu Tang.

Chuan Xiong – Sichuan Lovage Rhizome

Chuan Xiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma) is the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong, an important plant in Chinese materia medica.

TCM traditionally uses Chuan Xiong to invigorate Blood and promote the movement of Qi. Therefore, it provides a more movement-focused element within the four-herb formula.

Chuan Xiong also appears in numerous other classical TCM formulations built around Blood Stasis and Qi Stagnation patterns.

Bai Shao – White Peony Root

Bai Shao (Paeoniae Radix Alba) is prepared white peony root.

In TCM, Bai Shao traditionally nourishes Blood and preserves Yin. It therefore complements the more strongly moving herbs in the formula.

Peony provides another interesting example of why the specific plant part and preparation method matter in Chinese herbal medicine. Different peony-derived ingredients have distinct identities and traditional applications within the materia medica.

Shu Di Huang – Prepared Rehmannia Root

Shu Di Huang (Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata) is prepared rehmannia root.

TCM regards Shu Di Huang as a deeply nourishing herb. Traditionally, it nourishes Blood and Yin and provides much of the formula’s nourishing foundation.

Importantly, Shu Di Huang refers specifically to prepared rehmannia. Chinese materia medica distinguishes it from other preparations of the same plant, which have different traditional characteristics.

Why Do These Four Herbs Work as a Formula?

Si Wu Tang contains only four herbs, yet each contributes a distinct traditional role.

Shu Di Huang and Bai Shao provide a strong nourishing foundation. Dang Gui both nourishes and moves Blood. Meanwhile, Chuan Xiong emphasises movement of Blood and Qi.

Together, the herbs create the traditional balance for which Si Wu Tang became known: nourishment without simply creating Stagnation, combined with movement without excessively dispersing Blood.

This offers a particularly clear example of the philosophy behind classical Chinese herbal formula building.

Rather than asking what each herb does independently, TCM also asks:

What happens when these particular herbs work together?

Traditional Use and Modern Research

Si Wu Tang has attracted modern scientific interest because of its long history and continued use in East Asian herbal medicine.

Researchers have investigated the formula and its individual herbs in laboratory, animal and human studies. Areas of investigation include haematopoiesis, blood-related biological activity, inflammatory pathways and women’s health.

However, these findings require careful interpretation. Laboratory or animal findings do not automatically establish a clinical benefit in people. Likewise, research into biological mechanisms should not turn traditional TCM patterns into modern medical diagnoses.

For this reason, we prefer to distinguish between the historical use of Si Wu Tang, its traditional TCM actions and emerging scientific research rather than describing preliminary findings as established health benefits.

Did You Know?

Si Wu Tang (四物湯) literally means “Four Substances Decoction”, referring to the four herbal ingredients at the heart of the formula.

Its history stretches back many centuries.

Early versions of the formula appear in Chinese medical literature associated with the treatment of injuries. Later, Si Wu Tang became firmly established within the tradition of Chinese women’s medicine and menstrual formulae.

Over time, practitioners also used Si Wu Tang as a foundation formula. By adding, removing or changing herbs, they developed numerous related prescriptions for different TCM patterns.

The traditional description of Si Wu Tang beautifully captures the philosophy behind the combination: the formula aims to nourish Blood without encouraging Stagnation and move Blood without excessively depleting it.

This balance helps explain why four relatively simple ingredients became the basis of one of the best-known Blood-nourishing formulae in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Disclaimer: This unregistered medicine has not been evaluated by the SAHPRA for its quality, safety or intended use.