Does Medicinal Wine Really Enhance Yang?
Does Medicinal Wine Really Enhance Yang?
From the Book of Han: "Wine is the chief among all medicines." The character for "medicine" (医) includes "you" (酉), meaning wine—indicating a deep historical connection between medicine and wine. Li Shizhen said: "Wine is heavenly nectar." Moderate drinking harmonizes blood and qi, strengthens spirit, wards off cold, relieves sorrow, and stimulates joy; excessive drinking harms the spirit, depletes blood, damages the stomach, exhausts essence, generates phlegm, and stirs up fire—thus wine both benefits and harms. He also noted that brewing wine warms the waist and kidneys, preserves complexion, and enhances resistance to cold. Therefore, 69 medicinal wine prescriptions were collected and passed on as guidelines. Sun Simiao said: "In winter, take medicinal wine two or three doses, stop at the beginning of spring. If practiced lifelong, one will avoid all diseases." This tradition still persists today. Wang Shixiong stated: "Most folk medicinal wines rely on harsh, dry ingredients to intensify potency. Though named beautifully, hidden dangers remain unknown." Yet he selected seven formulas, proving this method is viable. In Taiwan, medicinal wine recipes commonly follow fixed prescriptions, but medical texts describe therapeutic effects vaguely. Thus, this commentary aims to clarify and expand knowledge for public health benefit.
Alcohol is an excellent solvent, extracting higher proportions of active components from herbs. It also enhances absorption, facilitates preservation, and promotes blood circulation and meridian flow. Thus, it's widely used for pain due to wind, cold, and dampness—but its applications extend beyond this. However, caution is needed: those with hypertension, gastric ulcers, or pregnant women should avoid it.
Medicinal wine has many benefits, among which enhancing yang is undoubtedly the most prominent.
In Ji Xiaolan’s notes from the Qing Dynasty, it was mentioned that since wine is used as a tonic, excessive use may lead to blood heat and reckless behavior, especially when combined with aphrodisiacs—its consequences are particularly severe. Because warming tonics yield quick results, people mistakenly believe all yang tonics work, leading to increased desire and progressive weakness until recovery becomes impossible. After all, harmony between yin and yang in nature allows life to flourish; similarly, balanced yin and yang in the human body ensure smooth flow through the meridians.
From the Inner Canon: "When essence is deficient, nourish it with flavor."
During the Qing Dynasty, Feng Zhaozhang believed that rich, greasy flavors do not necessarily generate essence, while simple, bland tastes best nourish it. Among all flavors, grains represent the purest taste and greatly support essence because the stomach is the sea of water and grain, transforming nutrients into vital qi and blood, nourishing the primary sinews. Since the yang channel converges at the primary sinews and the yangming governs them, strong digestion leads to abundant kidney essence, thus vigorous vitality. Conversely, poor digestion harms essence, weakening sexual function. This is because ingested food nourishes the five zang organs, and surplus flows into the kidneys—this is the path to enhancing yang. Relying solely on hot tonics is like heating a pot without water—completely exhausting the source of life generation.
In short, robust sexual function depends on good digestion and absorption by the spleen and stomach, along with balanced yin and yang throughout the body. Using hot tonics to enhance yang typically burns yin fluids, ultimately causing erectile dysfunction.
From Liu Ci’s "Comprehensive Guide to Harmonizing Life" during the Song Dynasty: "A little wine benefits, too much harms. A small amount guides the medicinal effect, moisturizes the skin, and improves complexion." The four selected formulas, if consumed slowly and steadily, balance yin and yang—though not specifically enhancing yang, they promote health, which is itself a form of yang enhancement. Enjoyment lies therein.