ChinaHerb – Expel Water Retention (Wu Ling San)

Size

60 tablets

Ingredients

Each tablet contains:

Alismatis Rhizoma (Ze Xie) – water plantain rhizome – 450mg
Polyporus (Zhu Ling) – polyporus medicinal fungus – 300mg
Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (Bai Zhu) – largehead atractylodes rhizome – 300mg
Cinnamomi Ramulus (Gui Zhi) – cinnamon twig – 150mg
Poria (Fu Ling) – poria medicinal fungus – 300mg

Directions to use

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

• Pure herbal product
• No animal ingredients

Warning

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

Use particular caution if you take prescription diuretics, blood-pressure medication or medicines that affect kidney function or electrolyte balance.

Keep out of reach of children.

Understanding Expel Water Retention in TCM

Within Traditional Chinese Medicine, Water and Dampness describe more than simply drinking too much fluid.

TCM considers the normal movement and transformation of fluids to depend on several functional systems, particularly the Spleen, Kidney and Bladder, together with the movement of Qi and Yang.

When this process becomes impaired, Water may accumulate rather than move normally through the body.

TCM may then describe a Water Retention or Dampness pattern.

Depending on where the retained fluid accumulates, traditional descriptions may include swelling, heaviness, urinary difficulty, loose watery stools, nausea or dizziness.

Wu Ling San follows two complementary principles:

Promote the movement of Water and Dampness while supporting the Yang Qi responsible for fluid transformation.

Terms such as Water Retention, Dampness, Yang, Qi, Bladder and Spleen have specialised meanings within TCM. They should not automatically be interpreted as modern kidney, liver or cardiovascular diagnoses.

For a deeper explanation of Qi, Yin and Yang, Dampness and the TCM Organ Systems, read our Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine Knowledge article.

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Ze Xie – Water Plantain Rhizome

Ze Xie (Alismatis Rhizoma) is water plantain rhizome.

Within TCM, Ze Xie traditionally promotes urination and drains Dampness.

At 450mg per tablet, it is the largest ingredient in ChinaHerb Expel Water Retention by weight.

Its prominent position reflects the formula’s strong traditional focus on fluid movement.

Zhu Ling – Polyporus

Zhu Ling (Polyporus) is a medicinal fungus traditionally used in Chinese Medicine.

Within TCM, Zhu Ling traditionally promotes urination and drains Dampness.

Like Fu Ling, it provides an interesting example of the important role medicinal fungi play in Chinese materia medica.

Bai Zhu – Largehead Atractylodes

Bai Zhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) is largehead atractylodes rhizome.

Within TCM, Bai Zhu traditionally supports Spleen Qi and dries Dampness.

This gives the formula an additional dimension. Rather than simply encouraging urination, Wu Ling San also supports the traditional system associated with transforming and transporting fluids.

Gui Zhi – Cinnamon Twig

Gui Zhi (Cinnamomi Ramulus) is cinnamon twig.

Within TCM, Gui Zhi traditionally warms Yang and supports the transformation and movement of fluids.

Its warming character distinguishes Wu Ling San from formulas that rely entirely on draining ingredients.

Although cinnamon is familiar as a food spice, Gui Zhi specifically refers to the twig, rather than ordinary cinnamon powder or bark.

Fu Ling – Poria

Fu Ling (Poria) is a medicinal fungus with a long history in Chinese herbal medicine.

Within TCM, Fu Ling traditionally drains Dampness and supports the Spleen.

Its dual character makes it particularly useful in a formula that aims to move retained fluids without focusing solely on direct elimination.

Why Does Wu Ling San Include a Warming Herb?

At first, a formula designed to remove retained fluids might seem as though it should consist only of strongly draining herbs.

However, Wu Ling San follows a broader traditional strategy.

Ze Xie, Zhu Ling and Fu Ling encourage fluid movement. Bai Zhu supports the Spleen’s traditional role in transformation and transportation.

Meanwhile, Gui Zhi warms Yang.

Within TCM, Yang provides warmth and functional activity. Therefore, when the transformation of Water becomes sluggish, supporting Yang may help restore normal movement.

This explains the traditional principle behind Wu Ling San:

Do not merely drain retained Water – help restore the process that should move it.

Water Retention and Modern Medicine

Modern medicine uses terms such as oedema or fluid retention to describe excess fluid accumulating within tissues or body cavities.

This can occur for many reasons, including problems involving the heart, kidneys, liver, circulation, medicines or hormonal regulation.

TCM Water Retention is a different concept.

The two may overlap in some people, but one should not automatically be used as another name for the other.

This distinction is particularly important because significant oedema or fluid accumulation can indicate an underlying condition that requires medical investigation.

What Does Scientific Research Say About Wu Ling San?

Wu Ling San, also known as Goreisan in Japanese Kampo medicine and Oryeongsan in Korean medicine, has attracted modern research for its effects on fluid regulation and diuresis.

A small placebo-controlled human trial in people with recurrent calcium oxalate kidney stones reported increased urine output with Wu Ling San, without significant electrolyte imbalance during the study period. (Me & Qi)

Animal studies have also reported natriuretic and diuretic effects and have investigated mechanisms involving the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and kidney function. (Ouci)

In Japan, researchers have designed a large multicentre randomised trial involving more than 2,000 participants to evaluate Goreisan as an add-on strategy for fluid overload in heart failure. The trial reflects substantial contemporary interest in the formula, but its design should not be mistaken for proof of benefit before final results are available. (ScienceDirect)

Overall, the research supports continued scientific investigation of Wu Ling San for fluid balance and oedema, while stronger clinical evidence is still needed for many of the specific diseases traditionally or commercially associated with the formula.

What Does “Wu Ling San” Mean?

Wu Ling San is commonly translated as Five-Ingredient Powder with Poria or Five-Ling Powder.

The name reflects the formula’s simple five-ingredient structure.

Despite this simplicity, the formula combines several complementary strategies:

Ze Xie, Zhu Ling and Fu Ling move fluids. Bai Zhu supports the Spleen. Gui Zhi warms Yang.

This balance helps explain why Wu Ling San has remained one of the best-known classical formulas associated with Water metabolism and fluid retention.

Did You Know?

Wu Ling San appears in the classical medical tradition associated with Zhang Zhongjing and the Shang Han Lun – Treatise on Cold Damage – compiled around the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The traditional formula describes a pattern in which the body’s ability to transform and move Water becomes impaired.

Chinese Medicine may describe the consequences differently depending on where the retained Water accumulates.

Water affecting the skin may present as swelling.

Water affecting the digestive system may contribute to nausea or watery stools.

Water rising upwards may traditionally contribute to dizziness or other symptoms.

The formula therefore does not focus on one organ or one symptom. Instead, it addresses the broader traditional problem of impaired fluid transformation and Water accumulation.

That traditional focus on fluid regulation has also made Wu Ling San particularly interesting to modern researchers, who continue to investigate its possible effects on diuresis, oedema and water homeostasis. (ScienceDirect)

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