What is E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang?

E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang is an old Chinese herbal formula. In English it is called Ass-Hide Gelatin and Egg Yolk Decoction. You take it as one prepared drink.

Our library lists it as a single entry for that reason. It holds several herbs, plus donkey-hide gelatin and egg yolk.

Chinese medicine gives it to people getting over a long, draining fever. They are left weak, restless and shaky. Some have muscle twitching or trembling hands.

Healers call this "heat damaging the yin and blood, stirring internal wind". In plain words, the body is dried out and drained. The nerves and muscles are jumpy as a result.

Here is the honest verdict on proof. The formula has a long, respected place in one tradition. But it has almost no published human trial evidence of its own.

Traditional standing is not proof that a remedy works. That point applies all through this page.

How does E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang work?

No one has shown in people how this formula works. So everything below is old theory or lab guesswork.

In Chinese medicine, the gelatin and egg yolk "nourish yin and blood". That means they restore fluids and substance.

The shells and vine stems "settle wind". That means they calm tremor (shaking) and unrest. This is a note of intent, not a tested mechanism (a proven way of working).

Lab work on single ingredients gives a few threads. Uncaria (Gou Teng) holds alkaloids studied for calming and for lowering blood pressure. Peony root holds paeoniflorin, studied for relaxing muscle.

But the herbs are boiled together at old doses. Whether any of that effect survives is unknown.

What forms does E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang come in?

Traditionally it is a decoction, a drink made by simmering herbs in water. The herbs are simmered, then strained.

The raw egg yolk and melted gelatin go in last. Stir them into the warm liquid just before you drink it. Keep that liquid warm, not boiling.

You may also find granules, a powdered concentrate, or ready-made pills. Chinese herb suppliers sell these. They usually leave out the raw egg yolk, or use a dried egg powder.

Quality varies a great deal. Donkey-hide gelatin costs a lot, and it has a known history of being cut with other animal hides.

So buy only from a supplier that tests its raw materials.

Where it comes from:

The formula comes from the Tong Su Shang Han Lun. In English, that is the Popular Guide to the Treatise on Cold Damage. This Qing dynasty Chinese text is credited to Yu Gen-Chu, from about the late 1800s.

It belongs to a family of "extinguish wind" formulas. They are used late in warm febrile (fever) illness. That is the wrung-out phase after a bad fever breaks.

It has stayed in the standard Chinese formula course ever since. It is still taught and prescribed today.

Its use is mostly limited to Chinese medicine and the traditions that borrowed from it. Those include Japanese Kampo and Korean herbal medicine.

What does E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang help with?

• Tremor, twitching or shakiness after a long fever: This is the formula's classic target in Chinese medicine. Most textbooks describe this pattern. No published human trials have tested it for tremor (shaking). Shaking or twitching after an illness has other causes. It can signal low sodium (salt), low calcium, drug side effects or a nerve problem. So get a medical check first.
• Restlessness and insomnia during recovery from illness: Chinese medicine says the gelatin, egg yolk and shell minerals settle a wound-up, drained person. They are said to restore sleep. Human evidence for this formula is absent. Some lab work on uncaria and poria looks at calming effects. That does not tell you what the finished drink does in a person.
• Dizziness and blurred vision in a depleted person: Chinese medicine ties these signs to one pattern: "yin and blood deficiency with internal wind". The formula was written for that pattern. No trials have tested it for dizziness. New or worsening dizziness and vision change need a doctor, not a herbal formula. The causes include stroke, anaemia (low blood count) and low blood pressure.
• Muscle cramps and spasms: Peony and licorice are a long-standing Chinese pair for cramping. Both appear in this formula. That pair has been studied a little on its own, but not as part of this formula. Cramps that keep coming back can come from low potassium, low magnesium or medicines. All of those are worth a blood test.
• Dry mouth, dry skin and thirst after illness: Chinese medicine calls this formula "moistening". The idea is that it restores fluids after a fever burns them off. There is no trial evidence for this use. Thirst and dry mouth that hang on can point to diabetes or a salivary gland problem. Get it checked if it lasts.

Which foods are rich in E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang?

1. Egg yolk: one of the formula's own ingredients, though the traditional recipe uses it raw
2. Gelatin and bone broth: a rough food equivalent of the donkey-hide gelatin, though not the same material
3. Licorice sweets and licorice tea: a source of the same glycyrrhizin, and they add to the same risks

Practical Tips:

If you are taking this formula, cut back on licorice sweets and licorice tea, because the effects on potassium and blood pressure stack up.

What are the side effects of E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang?

• Nausea, bloating or a heavy, greasy feeling in the stomach
• Loose stools or diarrhoea
• Poor appetite
• Swelling in the ankles, hands or face from fluid retention (licorice)
• Raised blood pressure with longer use (licorice)
• Low potassium (a low level of an important body salt), which can cause muscle weakness, cramps and an irregular heartbeat
• Headache or dizziness
• Allergic reaction to egg, ranging from rash to breathing trouble
• Food poisoning from raw egg yolk, with vomiting, diarrhoea and fever

Good to know:

Most people who take this formula briefly report nothing worse than a heavy stomach or loose stools, because it is rich and oily.

The two real risks are the licorice and the raw egg. Licorice, taken for weeks, can push blood pressure up and potassium down, and low potassium can disturb the heart's rhythm. Raw egg yolk can carry salmonella, a food-poisoning bacterium.

Those two facts are why this entry is rated caution rather than routine, even though the formula itself is gentle-sounding.

How much E Jiao Ji Zi Huang Tang should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by research, because the research has not been done. What exists is old practice. A trained practitioner should prescribe this formula and adjust it for you. The classical decoction uses roughly: peony root 9 g raw rehmannia 12 g abalone shell 15 g oyster shell 12 g poria 12 g uncaria 6 g star jasmine stem 9 g donkey-hide gelatin 6 g honey-fried licorice 2.4 g 2 raw egg yolks These are simmered. The liquid is then split across the day. Granules sold in shops are far stronger. Follow the label on the product you actually bought. Do not use the classical gram amounts.
• Best time of day: The day's decoction is split into two or three warm doses. Morning and evening are common. Some practitioners give more of the dose at night when sleep is the main problem.
• With or without food: Take it warm, between meals. The gelatin and egg yolk make it rich and heavy. If it upsets your stomach, take it with a little food instead.
• Time to effect: Old sources expect change within a few days to about two weeks. No trial data backs up any timeline.
• How long to take it: Use this as a short course, not as a daily supplement. Old texts use it during recovery, for days to a few weeks. The licorice in it makes long use riskier. Licorice formulas taken for more than about four to six weeks raise the risk of high blood pressure. They also raise the risk of low potassium (a low level of an important body salt). If you see no change after two weeks, stop. Then talk it over with your practitioner or doctor.