What is Jiao Ai Tang?

Jiao Ai Tang is an old Chinese herbal formula. Its other name is Ass-Hide Gelatin and Mugwort Decoction. A decoction is a strong tea made by boiling herbs in water.

It is used as one single product, not as loose single herbs. Its main job in Chinese medicine is to slow bleeding from the womb. That covers heavy or long periods, spotting in pregnancy, and bleeding after birth.

Human trial proof is thin. Long use in a tradition is not proof that a remedy works, so treat this formula as unproven. Any bleeding during pregnancy needs a doctor the same day.

How does Jiao Ai Tang work?

No one has shown how this formula works in the body. Chinese medicine says it warms the womb, builds blood, and holds bleeding in check.

Lab work points to a few parts. Mugwort leaf has been looked at for slowing blood loss. Peony root and Chinese angelica root may relax the womb and ease cramps.

These are lab and animal findings. They do not prove the formula does the same thing in a person. Treat the idea of how it works as a theory, not a fact.

What forms does Jiao Ai Tang come in?

Most often it comes as raw dried herbs that you boil into a tea. This is the classic form and the one most herbalists use.

You can also find granules that melt in hot water, and ready-made pills. Strength varies a lot between brands. An amount that fits one form does not carry over to another.

E Jiao is made from donkey hide, so no form of this formula is vegan. Some E Jiao stock has been faked or mixed with other hides. Buy only from a seller that tests what it sells.

Where it comes from:

The recipe comes from the Jin Gui Yao Lue, a Chinese medical text from about 200 CE. Zhang Zhongjing is named as its author.

It has stayed in use ever since for bleeding in women. It is still taught in schools of Chinese medicine today. That gives it a strong standing inside one tradition.

What does Jiao Ai Tang help with?

• Heavy or long menstrual periods: This is the classic use. Chinese texts describe it for periods that run long, come often, or are thin and pale. We found no good human trial that tests it against a dummy treatment, so this rests on long use only. Heavy periods can be a sign of fibroids, thyroid trouble or low iron, so get checked first.
• Spotting or light bleeding in early pregnancy: The formula was written for this. In China it is still given for light bleeding in pregnancy where the womb is said to be cold and weak. There is no trial evidence we can point to that shows it protects a pregnancy. Bleeding in pregnancy is a same-day medical problem, not a home remedy problem.
• Bleeding that keeps on after childbirth: Used in Chinese medicine for slow, ongoing bleeding in the weeks after birth. No human trial we could find supports it. Heavy bleeding after birth can be life-threatening and needs urgent care.
• Irregular bleeding from the womb between periods: Traditional use covers spotting that drags on between periods. The cause needs to be found first, since bleeding between periods can come from polyps, infection or, rarely, cancer. Evidence for the formula itself is limited to tradition and lab work.
• Period pain that comes with heavy blood loss: Peony root and licorice root are used in Chinese medicine to ease cramping. That pairing has been studied on its own in other formulas, but not in a way that proves anything about Jiao Ai Tang. Treat this as an unproven use.

Which foods are rich in Jiao Ai Tang?

1. Licorice sweets and licorice tea: they add to the licorice already in the formula
2. Mugwort rice cakes and mugwort tea, common in East Asian cooking — they add to the mugwort dose
3. Salty packaged foods: salt plus licorice pushes blood pressure up faster

What are the side effects of Jiao Ai Tang?

• Upset stomach, nausea or loose stools
• Bloating or a heavy, greasy feeling after drinking it
• Poor appetite
• Swollen ankles or puffy hands, from the licorice
• Rising blood pressure with longer use
• Low potassium, which can cause tiredness, muscle weakness or cramps
• An uneven or fast heartbeat, linked to low potassium
• Headache
• Rash, itching or other allergy signs

Good to know:

Mild stomach upset is the most common complaint, because donkey-hide gelatin is rich and hard to digest for some people.

The serious effects come from the licorice root, not the gelatin. They build up over weeks of use, not after one cup. Swelling, weak muscles and an uneven heartbeat are the warning signs to act on.

People allergic to mugwort, ragweed or daisy-family plants can react to the mugwort leaf in this formula.

How much Jiao Ai Tang should you take?

• Recommended daily: No modern trial has set a safe, proven dose. What follows is only what Chinese texts list for the raw-herb tea, for one day. A common daily set is about 9 g E Jiao, 9 g Ai Ye, 9 g Dang Gui, 6 g Chuan Xiong, 12 g Bai Shao, 12 g Sheng Di Huang and 6 g Gan Cao. The herbs are boiled, then the gelatin is melted into the hot strained liquid. The day's tea is split into two or three drinks. Do not set your own dose. A trained herbalist should pick the amount and check it against every medicine you take.
• Best time of day: Split the day's amount into two or three warm drinks, usually morning and evening.
• With or without food: Usually taken between meals, warm. If it upsets your stomach, take it just after food instead.
• Time to effect: Chinese practice expects a change in bleeding within one to three days. This has not been tested in a trial we can name. If nothing changes in three days, stop and get medical advice.
• How long to take it: Short courses only. Chinese practice uses it for a few days up to about two weeks, then stops and looks again. The licorice in it makes long use risky. Taking licorice-containing formulas for more than four to six weeks raises the chance of high blood pressure and low potassium. If bleeding has not settled within three days, stop and see a doctor.