Kidney Essence
Its classic use: nourishing Jing, the deep reserve Chinese medicine keeps in the Kidneys.
Traditional Chinese herbal formula
Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan
五子衍宗丸 · Five Seeds · also known as
Five seeds and berries, and a name with big ambitions. Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan roughly translates as 'five seeds to carry on the family line', and herbalists have long thought of it as a formula for the Kidneys and the deep reserves they're said to hold. Historically, mostly for men.
Dodder seed, goji berry, Chinese raspberry, Job's tears and schisandra, made into 5:1 tablets. Six a day, and a bottle lasts ten days. Explore the formula
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- 5:1 strength
- DaoDi herbs
- Vegan & gluten-free
- GMP certified
- Free UK delivery £40+
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A short history of Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan
The version herbalists use today was written down in the Ming dynasty, in a mid-1500s collection of 'marvellous formulas for preserving life' put together by an official called Zhang Shiche. You'll hear stories that it's older than that, borrowed from Daoist longevity recipes, but we'd take those with a pinch of salt.
The name gives the game away. 'Yan zong' means extending the ancestral line, and in Ming China keeping the family name going was about as serious as life got. So historically this was what men took when they were hoping to start a family. That's the tradition, anyway.
There's a lovely simple logic to it. Seeds carry the potential for new life, so herbalists used seeds to nourish what they saw as the body's own store of potential. We've followed the classic recipe with one swap, Job's tears instead of plantain seed, and both of those gently drain damp.
In Chinese medicine
How herbalists understand it
According to Chinese medicine, the Kidneys store Jing, usually translated as Essence. Think of it as your inherited reserve, a deep battery that's behind growth, reproduction and ageing. You get a set amount at birth, and life spends it, slowly.
Once Kidney Essence gets low, herbalists describe a weak lower back and knees, feeling worn out right down deep, greying early, and a dip in vitality and drive. Ming herbalists linked it especially with men's reproductive health, and blamed over-work and too many late nights. Not much has changed, has it?
Dodder seed and goji berry nourish both the Yin and Yang of the Kidneys without heating things up too much. Chinese raspberry and schisandra are what herbalists call astringent, meaning they help hang on to what's been built. And Job's tears keeps it all light, so a formula stuffed with rich seeds doesn't end up heavy.
The Five Elements
A Water element formula
Water's the element of winter, storage and stillness, and the Kidneys live under it. Seeds sit out the winter underground before they sprout, so they feel right at home here.
Winter
Season
Water's season, when nature tucks its energy away and waits.
Kidney
Organ
Home of Jing, they say, the inherited Essence behind growth and vitality.
Black
Colour
Water's colour. Deep, dark, a touch mysterious.
Salty
Taste
Water's taste. Schisandra's famous for having all five tastes, and salty's one of them.
Fear
Emotion
A bad fright, or a long spell of worry, is said to drain the Kidneys over time.
Traditional use
How it has traditionally been used
These are the ways herbalists have traditionally used Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan. It's tradition and history we're describing, not medical claims.
A men's formula
Historically one of the best-known formulas for men's vitality, as you can probably tell from the name.
Running on empty
Picked for that worn-out-right-down-deep feeling, with a tired lower back and knees.
Getting older
Often taken as the years add up, alongside the more famous Kidney formulas.
This section describes traditional use in Chinese herbal practice. Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan is a food supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Inside the formula · Ingredients
Five seeds and berries
Every ingredient here is a seed or a fruit, which is unusual and very much the point. Amounts are per daily serving of 6 tablets.
Chiefs
Dodder Seed (Tu Si Zi)
Cuscuta chinensis1178mg
Cuscuta chinensis1178mg
Goji Berry (Gou Qi Zi)
Lycium barbarum1178mg
Lycium barbarum1178mg
Dodder seed and goji berry share top billing, both said to nourish Kidney Essence gently and without much heat. Goji you'll know, those little red dried berries. Dodder's a tiny brown seed from a rather odd climbing plant. Herb Glossary
Ministers
Chinese Raspberry (Fu Pen Zi)
Rubus chingii572mg
Rubus chingii572mg
Schisandra Berry (Wu Wei Zi)
Schisandra chinensis135mg
Schisandra chinensis135mg
Then Chinese raspberry and schisandra berry, both astringent, so the Kidneys can hold on to whatever the chiefs build up. Herb Glossary
Assistant
Job's Tears Seed (Yi Yi Ren)
Coix lacryma-jobi303mg
Coix lacryma-jobi303mg
Job's tears drains a little damp so the rich seeds don't clog things. The classic recipe had plantain seed here, for the same reason. Herb Glossary
Inactive ingredients: Cassava starch, Hypromellose, Magnesium stearate, Polyethylene glycol, Talc.
These are used in very small amounts to form and coat the tablets. They don't add to the formula itself.
How to take
A simple daily ritual
3In the morning
Tablets with water.
3In the evening
Tablets with water.
WeeksSteady use
Most people take a formula for several weeks.
Always follow the label. If you take any medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, please speak to your GP or pharmacist before use.
Choosing between them
Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan or Liu Wei Di Huang Wan?
| Compare | Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan | Liu Wei Di Huang Wan |
|---|---|---|
| First recorded | Ming dynasty, mid-1500s | Song dynasty, 1119 |
| The idea | Nourish Kidney Essence and hold it in | Nourish Kidney Yin |
| Herbs | 5 seeds and berries, led by dodder and goji | 6, led by rehmannia |
| Character | Balanced, neither hot nor cold | Gently cooling |
| Often chosen when | Deep vitality feels low, especially in men | Dryness and a little heat come with tiredness |
What does Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan mean?
'Wu zi' means five seeds and 'yan zong' is extending the ancestral line, so you end up with something like 'five seeds to carry on the family'. Fair to say it had a clear brief.
Is it only for men?
Historically it was mostly a men's formula, and that's still what it's best known for. Herbalists do give it to women too, though, if they see the same Kidney picture.
Why is it different from the textbook version?
In the classic recipe the fifth seed's plantain seed. We've used Job's tears instead, which does a similar job of gently draining damp. The other four are just the same.
How many do I take?
It's three in the morning and three in the evening, and a bottle of 60 lasts ten days.
Any safety points?
Pregnant, breastfeeding or on any medication? Have a chat with your GP before you start. Goji berry's been reported to interact with warfarin, so be careful with blood thinners, and schisandra can change how your body handles some medicines. Got a specific health worry? That's always one for your doctor first.
How long do people take it?
Kidney formulas are traditionally the slow-and-steady sort, so people tend to take them for a few months, not a few days. The six-packs make that a bit easier.
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Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Keep out of reach of children.