Modern people often suffer from various ailments, and upon careful reflection, many of them are related to fatigue, high stress, and irregular eating and sleeping habits. These factors combined often make the problems complex, with a wide range of symptoms. Many people feel as if they are uncomfortable all over: poor spleen and stomach function, poor digestion; liver and kidney deficiency, and lack of energy. How should one address this feeling of "everything being out of place"?

Today, I will introduce an ancient formula called "San Jing Wan" (Three Essence Pill), which uses only three herbs: Atractylodes rhizome, Lycium root bark, and black mulberry. Despite its simplicity, its cleverness lies in its ability to address the "upper, middle, and lower" parts of the body—what Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to as the "Triple Burner."

Atractylodes: Primarily targets the spleen and stomach in the middle jiao, specifically treating "dampness encumbering the spleen"

Nine out of ten modern people suffer from dampness in their bodies. When dampness accumulates, the spleen and stomach—the "transformation and transportation hub"—become sluggish. This leads to sensations like abdominal bloating, poor appetite, loose and sticky stools, and a persistent feeling of heaviness and fatigue in the body. The herb Atractylodes acts precisely in the middle jiao. It both dries dampness and resolves phlegm (dissipating and expelling excess, sticky dampness in the body) and strengthens the spleen (enhancing the transformation and transportation capacity of the spleen and stomach itself). It essentially lightens the load on the spleen and stomach, gives them a boost, and drives away the dampness that encumbers them.

Lycium Root Bark: Clears and descends deficiency fire in the upper jiao, relieving dryness and heat discomfort

Many people today are prone to "internal heat," but this type of heat is often "deficiency fire," not excess fire. Symptoms include sensations of heat in the palms and soles, intermittent waves of dryness and heat (known as "steaming bone" in traditional Chinese medicine), dry cough, shortness of breath, persistent thirst (a diabetic-like sensation), or restlessness and insomnia. These symptoms are often related to deficiency fire in the upper jiao (the heart and lung region). Lycium Root Bark cools the blood and clears steaming heat, and it clears the lungs and descends fire. It specifically targets this type of deficiency heat arising from yin deficiency, thereby reducing dryness in the upper jiao.

Black Mulberry: Nourishes the lower jiao (liver and kidney) and replenishes essence and blood deficiencies

The lower jiao primarily refers to the liver and kidney. When kidney essence is deficient and liver blood is insufficient, symptoms such as soreness and weakness in the waist and legs, dizziness, tinnitus, poor memory, premature graying of hair, and dry eyes may occur. Mulberry (especially black mulberry) enters the heart, liver, and kidney meridians, nourishes yin and replenishes blood, promotes fluid production and moistens dryness. It is particularly effective at tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence, providing raw materials for the "energy warehouse" of the liver and kidney in the lower jiao.

The combination of these three herbs unblocks and tonifies the triple jiao:

Atractylodes (cangzhu) manages the middle jiao (spleen and stomach), wolfberry root bark (digupi) clears the upper jiao (heart and lung deficiency heat), and black mulberry tonifies the lower jiao (liver and kidney essence and blood). Together, these three herbs clear lung heat in the upper jiao, strengthen the spleen and stomach in the middle jiao, and tonify the liver and kidney in the lower jiao, collectively regulating functional imbalances in multiple areas of the body.

Real-life Case:

I know a Mr. Zhang, a 38-year-old programmer who experiences high work pressure, often stays up late working overtime, and has irregular eating habits. He complained to me that he often feels bloated in the stomach with poor digestion and loose stools. At the same time, he experiences a dry throat, frequent coughing, restless sleep at night, and a feeling of heat in his palms. Moreover, he clearly feels a lack of energy, suffers from soreness in the lower back and back, significant hair loss, and slight blurriness in vision. These are classic symptoms of a combined condition: "dampness obstructing the spleen and stomach" (middle jiao) + "yin deficiency with empty fire" (upper jiao) + "insufficiency of liver and kidney essence and blood" (lower jiao). Under a doctor’s guidance, he began taking Sanjing Wan, a pill made from Atractylodes, Chinese Wolfberry Root Bark, and Black Mulberry (the specific combination and dosage were adjusted by the doctor based on his condition). After about two months of consistent treatment, he reported significant improvement: his stomach bloating has subsided, his bowel movements have normalized, his dry throat and coughing have reduced, his sleep quality has improved, and most importantly, he feels a notable recovery in energy and vitality, with much less lower back soreness.

Important reminder:

While the approach of Sanjing Wan is ingenious, Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes "pattern differentiation and treatment." Each individual’s situation is unique, with differences in constitution such as cold, heat, deficiency, and excess. As illustrated in Mr. Zhang’s case, the prescription was only used after the doctor clearly identified his constitution and issues. Therefore, it is crucial not to self-prescribe based on the formula alone! If you feel unwell, especially when symptoms are complex, it is essential to consult a professional TCM practitioner. Let the doctor determine whether this formula is suitable for your specific situation and how to adjust the dosage. Having a doctor "tailor" the treatment for you is the safest and most effective approach.