🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Traditional Chinese medicine has proven clinical efficacy in treating diabetes. First, through comprehensive regulation—tonifying the five zang organs, nourishing essence and qi, removing blood stasis, treating both root and branch simultaneously—restoring balance to internal yin-yang, blood and qi, and weakened organ functions. Second, certain Chinese herbs possess actual hypoglycemic effects.
Based on imbalances between yin and yang, renowned diabetes expert Professor Lin Lan from Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, classifies diabetes syndromes into four types: Yin deficiency with heat excess, Qi-Yin deficiency, Yin-Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency with blood stasis.
Yin Deficiency with Heat Excess: Symptoms include intense thirst, frequent drinking, increased appetite with easy hunger, frequent urination with large volume, constipation, dark yellow urine, red tongue with little moisture, yellow dry coating, slippery rapid pulse. Treatment principle: Nourish yin and clear heat. Formula: Modified Zeng Ye Tang combined with Bai Hu Tang and Xiao Ke Fang: Raw Rehmannia 30g, Scrophularia 30g, Ophiopogon 10g, Raw Gypsum 30g, Anemarrhena 12g, Kudzu Root 15g, Trichosanthes Root 30g, Coptis 10g, Citrus Aurantium 10g. One dose daily, decocted and taken twice.
This syndrome is common in early-stage diabetes. Patients typically haven’t developed vascular or neurological complications, and most exhibit the classic “three poly” symptoms: polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia. Diagnostic key points: intense thirst, frequent urination, constipation, red tongue with yellow dry coating. Basic pathology: depletion of yin fluids, excessive internal heat. Therefore, treatment should focus on nourishing yin and clearing heat. Most medications for this syndrome are cold in nature and should not be used long-term to avoid damaging the spleen and stomach. For patients with weak spleen-stomach or elderly diabetics, dosage should be moderate; excessive use of cold-natured herbs may cause gastric discomfort, bloating, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal side effects.
Qi-Yin Deficiency: Typical "three poly" symptoms are not obvious. Dry mouth and throat, fatigue, shortness of breath, sore waist and knees, constipation, possibly palpitations and spontaneous sweating, dizziness and tinnitus, limb numbness or pain, blurred vision, swollen tongue with tooth marks, white coating, deep fine pulse. Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and nourish Yin. Formula: Modified Sheng Mai San combined with Zeng Ye Tang: Astragalus 15g, Polygonatum 15g, Prince’s Ginseng 15g, Ophiopogon 10g, Schisandra 10g, Raw Rehmannia 15g, Scrophularia 15g, Kudzu Root 15g, Trichosanthes Root 15g, Chinese Yam 15g, Cornus Fruit 10g.
Qi-Yin deficiency is the most common syndrome in diabetes, often evolving from Yin deficiency with heat excess, occasionally seen in elderly newly diagnosed diabetics. Clinical diagnostic features include dry mouth, fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen tongue with white coating, deep fine pulse. For Qi-Yin deficiency diabetes, formulas like Yu Ye Tang, Yu Quan Wan, or Jia Pi tablets may also be used.
Qi-Yin Deficiency with Blood Stasis: "Three poly" symptoms are not prominent. Dry mouth, fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness and tinnitus, sore waist and knees, limb numbness or pain, blurred vision, chest tightness or pain, possibly mild edema in lower limbs, or stroke-related hemiplegia, abnormal blood rheology, abnormal capillary microcirculation, enhanced platelet aggregation. Tongue is swollen, dark or purple with ecchymoses, sublingual veins dark and engorged, deep fine pulse. Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and nourish Yin, activate blood circulation and resolve stasis. Formula: Modified Qi-Yin Activating Blood Decoction: Polygonatum 30g, Astragalus 30g, Prince’s Ginseng 15g, Ophiopogon 12g, Schisandra 10g, Raw Rehmannia 20g, Scrophularia 30g, Salvia 30g, Angelica 10g, Persica 10g, Kudzu Root 15g, Trichosanthes Root 30g, Citrus Aurantium 10g, Rhubarb 6–10g.
Qi-Yin deficiency with blood stasis is the most common syndrome in diabetic complications. Features include: ① prolonged disease duration, commonly seen in middle to late stages of diabetes; ② typical "three poly" symptoms diminished, often complicated by blurred vision, dizziness, palpitations, limb numbness, edema, chest tightness or pain, stroke-related hemiplegia; ③ clinical presentation characterized by dry mouth, fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen dark tongue. Fully reflects the pathological mechanism of Qi-Yin deficiency with blood stasis. Treatment should focus on tonifying Qi and nourishing Yin, activating blood circulation and resolving stasis.
Yin-Yang Deficiency: Sore waist and knees, shortness of breath, fatigue, dry mouth with little desire to drink, cold intolerance, cold extremities, facial or lower limb edema, decreased appetite, alternating diarrhea and constipation, turbid urine resembling syrup, sallow dull complexion, dry earlobes, loose teeth, hair loss, impotence, pale dark tongue, dry white coating, deep fine weak pulse. Treatment principle: Nourish yin and warm yang, tonify kidney and invigorate blood. Formula: Modified Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan combined with Shui Lu Er Xian Dan: Prepared Rehmannia 15g, Chinese Yam 15g, Cornus Fruit 12g, Alisma 15g, Poria and Hoelen 15g each, Lotus Seed 15g, Golden Thorn 15g, Cinnamon Twig 6g, Prepared Aconite Slice 8g, Salvia 30g, Kudzu Root 15g.
Yin-Yang deficiency syndrome is commonly seen in the middle to late stages of diabetic complications. These patients have long-standing disease, multiple complications, complex conditions, affecting multiple organs, especially heart, liver, spleen, and kidney, with the kidney being central. Pathogenesis: prolonged diabetes damages yin, eventually affecting yang, severely impairing organ function, disrupting qi movement, obstructing blood flow, and disturbing fluid metabolism, resulting in dual deficiency of yin and yang, with dampness, turbidity, and stasis internally obstructing. Treatment should nourish yin and warm yang, tonify kidney and invigorate blood, while also promoting diuresis and resolving turbidity. The formula includes Liu Wei Di Huang Wan to nourish kidney yin; Lotus Seed and Golden Thorn to solidify kidney essence; Cinnamon Twig and Prepared Aconite Slice to warm kidney yang; Salvia and Kudzu Root to activate blood circulation; Alisma, Poria, and Hoelen to promote diuresis and resolve turbidity.