Most popular
Ba Zhen Tang
Eight Treasures Decoction
Ginseng, dong quai and six old friends. A proper all-rounder.
£24.50
Topping up the tank
Herbal Tonic Supplements
In Chinese herbal tradition, a tonic isn't a fizzy drink with gin in it. It's a recipe for building you back up when you've been running on fumes. These are three of the most famous ever written, and you'll still find them in acupuncture clinics up and down the country.
5:1 strengthDaoDi herbsVegan & gluten-freeFree UK delivery £40+
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Traditionally chosen
Ba Zhen Tang
The Eight Treasures. Two classic four-herb recipes rolled into one, so it tops up energy and nourishes at the same time.
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3 formulas
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Most popular
Two herbs
Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang
Dong Quai & Astragalus
Five parts astragalus to one part dong quai. Simple as that.
£24.50
Warming
Shi Quan Da Bu Tang
Ten Great Tonics
Everything in Ba Zhen Tang plus astragalus and cinnamon, among others. Our biggest tonic recipe.
£24.50
Side by side
Comparing our herbal tonic supplements
| Compare | Ba Zhen Tang | Shi Quan Da Bu Tang | Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbs | 8 | 12 | Just 2 |
| Best known for | Worn out all round | Cold, deep tiredness | A gentle top-up |
| How it feels | Balanced | Warming | Light |
| First recorded | 1300s | Song dynasty, 1100s | 1247 |
The thinking behind it
What a Chinese herbal tonic actually is
When you're shattered, the old herbalists reckoned two things had run low. Qi, your get-up-and-go. And Blood, the stuff that keeps you rosy-cheeked and fed. Some people are short on one. Plenty of us are short on both.
So the classic tonics come in two flavours. Four Gentlemen tops up Qi, Four Substances nourishes Blood. Put them together and you've got Ba Zhen Tang. Add a couple of warming herbs and it becomes Shi Quan Da Bu Tang. It's like a family tree, really.
What's inside
The herbs behind our tonic supplements
Three herbs turn up in nearly every tonic going.
人参
Ginseng
Ren Shen, "person root"
Named because the root can look a bit like a little person. It's been the king of tonic herbs for about two thousand years.
Found in: Ba Zhen Tang and Shi Quan Da Bu Tang
黄芪
Astragalus
Huang Qi, "yellow leader"
Called the leader because herbalists rated it top of the tonic pile. It does most of the work in Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang.
Found in: Shi Quan Da Bu Tang and Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang
当归
Dong Quai
Dang Gui
The famous Blood herb. You'll find it in all three formulas on this page.
Found in: All three
Just so we're clear, this is about how these herbs have traditionally been used. Our tablets are food supplements, mind. Not medicine.
Looking after yourself
Tonics work best with a bit of help
No herb in the world beats going to bed earlier. Annoying, but true.
- 1Sleep before midnightHerbalists reckon an hour before twelve is worth two after. Worth a try.
- 2Eat warm and regularThink soup, stew, a bowl of porridge. Missing lunch and then living on biscuits till six? Not ideal, we've all done it.
- 3Move, gentlyA walk, a stretch, a bit of tai chi. Not a HIIT class when you're already flat.
- 4Get it checkedKnackered for weeks and no idea why? Pop to your GP. One blood test rules out a surprising amount.
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What our customers say
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Where do I start?
Most folk go for Ba Zhen Tang first, it's the all-rounder. Always the one reaching for a jumper? Shi Quan Da Bu Tang runs warmer. Or just message us, we don't mind.
Are these energy supplements?
Not in the caffeine sense. They won't give you a buzz. Herbalists see them as slow builders, taken over weeks to top you back up rather than to get you through the afternoon.
Every day, really?
Yep, that's how they're meant to be taken, usually for a few months. On other medication? Run it by your GP or pharmacist first, please.
So Ba Zhen Tang, or the Shi Quan one?
Think of Shi Quan Da Bu Tang as Ba Zhen Tang with a scarf on. Same eight, plus astragalus, cinnamon and a few more, so it's warmer and a touch stronger.
And a bottle lasts...?
Ten days, at six a day. Tonics are a slow game though, a couple of months is normal, so the 6-bottle pack tends to be the better deal.
Learn with Aura
More on tonics and tiredness
Just so we're clear: food supplements aren't a replacement for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, and they aren't meant to diagnose, treat or cure anything.