Shen Su Yin

What is Shen Su Yin?

Shen Su Yin is a Chinese herb formula. Its English name is Ginseng and Perilla Leaf Drink. It is one set mix of about eleven herbs, taken as a tea or a powder, not a single herb.

It has been used for coughs and colds in people who feel weak and worn out. The old texts point to a cold that comes with a wet, phlegmy cough, a stuffy chest, chills, and low energy.

We could not find good human trials of this formula. So we cannot say whether it helps a cold or not. A long history of use is not proof that a thing works, and that point is not repeated below.

How does Shen Su Yin work?

No one has shown how this mix acts in the body. What follows is theory, not proof.

Chinese medicine says ginseng builds qi (the body's own energy). Perilla leaf and kudzu root are said to push a chill out through the skin. Pinellia, citrus peel and poria are said to dry damp and calm a wet cough.

Lab and animal work hints at a few real actions. Licorice and perilla can calm swelling in cells. Ginseng may nudge the immune system, the body's defence against germs.

None of that work has been linked to people getting over a cold faster. Treat the whole mechanism story as an idea that has not been tested.

What forms does Shen Su Yin come in?

You will most often meet it in three forms:

Raw dried herbs, boiled at home into a strong tea (a decoction). Ready-made granules or a powder that you stir into hot water. Pills or capsules sold as a patent medicine.

Quality varies a lot between brands. Some imported products have been found to hold heavy metals such as lead, or hidden drugs. Buy only from a seller who tests each batch and will show you the test results.

Where it comes from:

The recipe comes from a Song dynasty book of set formulas, the Tai Ping Hui Min He Ji Ju Fang, published around 1107 CE. That makes it roughly nine hundred years old.

It has stayed in normal use in Chinese medicine ever since. Teachers group it with the formulas that both push out a chill and shore up a weak person at the same time. It is a staple of that one tradition, and is not part of Western herbal practice.

What does Shen Su Yin help with?

• Common cold with a wet cough, in people who tire easily: This is the classic use, and the one the old texts describe best. The picture is a chill, a wet cough, aching, and a person who is already run down. We found no human trial that tests the formula against a dummy treatment for this, so the use rests on long practice alone.
• Chesty cough with thick phlegm: Several herbs in the mix, including balloon flower root and processed pinellia, are traditionally used to loosen phlegm. Lab work on single herbs does not prove the mix helps a real cough. A cough that lasts more than three weeks needs a doctor, not a herb.
• Chills with a stuffy, tight chest: Perilla leaf and kudzu root are the classic pair for this in Chinese medicine. There is no trial evidence in people for the chest tightness claim. Tightness in the chest with breathlessness is never something to self-treat.
• Poor appetite and bloating during a cold: Citrus peel, poria and costus root are added for the gut side of the picture. Evidence here is traditional only. If you are not eating for days, or losing weight, see a doctor.

Which foods are rich in Shen Su Yin?

1. Fresh ginger: a normal kitchen spice, and one of the add-ins to this formula
2. Perilla (shiso) leaf: eaten as a herb and a wrap in Japanese and Korean cooking
3. Kudzu (kuzu) starch: used as a thickener in East Asian cooking
4. Dried tangerine peel: a common flavouring in Chinese stews and soups
5. Jujube dates: eaten as a dried fruit and added to soups

Practical Tips:

Eating these foods is not the same as taking the formula; the medicinal amounts and the processing are different.

What are the side effects of Shen Su Yin?

• Upset stomach, nausea or loose stools
• Dry mouth or a scratchy throat
• Trouble sleeping, or feeling wired (from the ginseng)
• Headache
• Swollen ankles or puffiness from fluid held in the body (from the licorice)
• Raised blood pressure with longer use (from the licorice)
• Low potassium, which can cause muscle weakness, cramps and an odd heartbeat (from the licorice)
• Rash or itching from an allergy to one of the herbs

Good to know:

Most people who take this for a few days get either no side effects or a mildly upset stomach. The serious problems come from the licorice and from long or heavy use.

Licorice can hold salt and water in the body. That pushes blood pressure up and potassium down. Low potassium can upset the rhythm of your heart, which is why long courses are a bad idea.

Stop taking it and get medical help if you get swelling, a pounding or uneven heartbeat, or bad muscle weakness.

How much Shen Su Yin should you take?

• Recommended daily: No trial has set a safe or useful dose, so every figure below comes from custom, not proof. As a tea from raw herbs, a practitioner typically uses 30 g to 60 g of the mixed dried herbs per day, boiled and split into two or three drinks. As granules, most brands suggest 3 g to 6 g, two or three times a day. For pills, follow the label and do not go above it. Do not guess your own mix. Get the blend from a trained practitioner who knows your other medicines.
• Best time of day: Split the daily amount into two or three doses, spread through the day. Take the warm tea while it is still warm. Avoid a dose late at night, since ginseng can keep some people awake.
• With or without food: Take it after food, or with a small snack. The citrus peel and pinellia can feel harsh on an empty stomach.
• Time to effect: Custom says a day or two if it is going to help at all. There is no trial evidence for any time frame. A normal cold clears in about a week on its own, which makes any single remedy hard to judge.
• How long to take it: This is a short-course formula for an acute cold. Three to seven days is the usual run. Stop and rethink if you are no better after five days. Do not take it for weeks on end. The licorice in it can raise blood pressure and drop potassium when used for long stretches.