Is it true that Liuwei Dihuang Wan is for women and men should take Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan?
Patients often ask doctors this question. Similar questions include, "Wuji Baifeng Wan is only for women; men cannot take it." These are all misunderstandings about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
First, the principle of TCM is to teach one to fish, not just give them a fish. This means TCM helps the body utilize or restore its own potential, rather than directly doing the work for the body. Unlike blood transfusions or hormone injections, which provide external support, neither Liuwei Dihuang Wan nor Wuji Baifeng Wan are estrogens, so there is no risk of men becoming feminized after taking them. Besides, men naturally have small amounts of estrogen, and women have small amounts of androgens, and this does not affect their gender.
When a TCM practitioner diagnoses a patient, they target the underlying pathogenesis. If a person has kidney yin deficiency, they can take Liuwei Dihuang Wan. If they have qi and blood deficiency, they can take Wuji Baifeng Wan. Both yin deficiency and blood deficiency can occur in both men and women. For example, many patients with chronic prostatitis are suitable for Liuwei Dihuang Wan, and even Wuji Baifeng Wan, especially the latter. Some studies have found that Wuji Baifeng Wan can also improve prostate function.
As for Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan, some female patients are particularly sensitive to cold, with coldness in their lower back and legs. After taking Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan, they feel warmth in their limbs, which indicates a clear case of kidney yang deficiency. In such a situation, even a woman would be a suitable candidate for Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan.
The misunderstanding may arise because Liuwei Dihuang Wan nourishes yin, while Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan nourishes yang. People tend to associate women with yin and men with yang, which is a misunderstanding of the yin-yang concept in TCM. In TCM, yin and yang also represent substance and function. Yin deficiency is a lack of the fundamental substances in the body, which is why people with yin deficiency tend to be lean. Yang deficiency, on the other hand, is when a lack of substances affects the production of function and energy, which is why people with yang deficiency are sensitive to cold.