A "food-digesting, dampness-transforming" formula used in Chinese households for the all-too-familiar consequences of overeating, rich food, or a holiday dinner gone slightly too far.
Cultural reference - how this formula has been discussed in Chinese medical tradition. Not medical advice.
Background & origin
Compiled by the Ming dynasty physician Zhu Danxi (朱丹溪, 1281–1358) in "Danxi's Mastery of Medicine" (《丹溪心法》). Its name, 保和, "preserve harmony", refers to the gentle restoration of digestive harmony rather than to aggressive purgation, which sets it apart from older "drainage" formulas. It is one of the most commonly stocked 中成药 in Chinese households for "the night after too much".
From the source text
This page is cultural documentation, not medical advice.
From the source text · 《丹溪心法》卷三·积聚·保和丸
Classical text
保和丸：山楂肉三两，神曲、茯苓、半夏各一两，陈皮、连翘、莱菔子各五钱。为末，炊饼丸如梧子大，每服七八十丸，食远白汤下。
Modern Chinese rendering
保和丸以山楂为君,消一切食积,尤擅消肉食油腻之滞;神曲消食健脾、化酒食陈腐之积为臣;半夏和胃止呕、茯苓健脾渗湿,陈皮理气化湿、和胃,三药合为佐,理气化湿、和胃降逆;连翘清食积所化之热、莱菔子消食下气、宽胸利膈,亦为佐使。全方以消食化积为主,佐以理气、化湿、清热,治食积停滞所致脘腹胀满、嗳腐吞酸、不欲饮食诸症。本方命名"保和",意在温和恢复脾胃和畅,而不是攻下,与朱丹溪"阳常有余、阴常不足"的滋阴派思想同源——以消代补、以和代攻,处处留一份"和"字。
Editorial translation
Bǎo Hé Wán uses Shān Zhā as sovereign to disperse all forms of food stagnation, especially the cloying stagnation of meat and fatty foods; Shén Qū as minister to disperse food, fortify the spleen, and transform the stale accumulation of alcohol and aged food; Bàn Xià harmonizes the stomach and stops vomiting, Fú Líng fortifies the spleen and percolates dampness, and Chén Pí regulates qi and transforms dampness, the three together as assistants to regulate qi, transform dampness, and harmonize the descending of the stomach; Lián Qiào clears the heat that food stagnation generates, and Lái Fú Zǐ disperses food, directs qi downward, and opens the chest, also as assistants. The whole formula centers on dispersing food and transforming accumulation, assisted by regulating qi, transforming dampness, and clearing heat, and is used for the patterns of food stagnation: epigastric and abdominal fullness, belching of foul and sour regurgitation, and a poor appetite. The name "Bǎo Hé" — "preserve harmony" — captures its intent of gently restoring the harmonious qi of the spleen and stomach, rather than attacking downward, and aligns with Zhu Danxi's broader "yin-nurture" thesis of working through harmony and supplementation rather than purgation.
In tradition
In TCM tradition, often associated with patterns described as "food stagnation in the stomach": a heavy, distended feeling in the upper abdomen after eating, sour reflux, belching, mild nausea, loose stools or a sense that food is "not moving", a coated tongue, and bad breath tied to digestion. It is the kind of formula Chinese families reach for after a big feast, late-night barbecue, or a stretch of rich eating, the "I overdid it" remedy.
Formula composition
Monarch1
- Hawthorn fruit (Shān Zhā / 山楂) — digests all forms of food stagnation, especially meat and fatty foods
Minister1
- Medicated leaven (Shén Qū / 神曲) — digests food and transforms the stale accumulation of alcohol and aged food
Assistant6
- Malt (Mài Yá / 麦芽) — digests starchy foods and harmonizes the spleen
- Pinellia (Bàn Xià / 半夏) — harmonizes the stomach and stops vomiting
- Poria (Fú Líng / 茯苓) — fortifies the spleen and leaches dampness
- Citrus peel (Chén Pí / 陈皮) — regulates qi and transforms dampness
- Forsythia fruit (Lián Qiào / 连翘) — clears the heat that food stagnation generates
- Radish seed (Lái Fú Zǐ / 莱菔子) — digests food and directs qi downward
International availability
Japan (Kampo)
- KracieクラシエOTC保和丸Hōwa-gan
Korea (Hanbang)
- Kyungdong경동OTC보화환Bohwa-hwan
Taiwan & Hong Kong
- 順天堂OTC保和丸Bao He Wan
Cautions & context
- Considered a short-term, situation-specific remedy, not designed for chronic daily use, since "food stagnation" is treated as a temporary pattern in TCM.
- It is a gentle formula, but it is still a Chinese herbal preparation, not a Western antacid, if reflux or upper abdominal discomfort persists, seek medical evaluation.
- People with what TCM texts describe as pronounced "qi deficiency" (severe fatigue, weak digestion long-term) are typically advised not to use it as a daily tonic.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding people should consult a qualified practitioner before use.
Related formulas
Other formulas from this text· "Danxi's Mastery of Medicine"
Other formulas by this contributor· Zhu Danxi
Related concerns
Concern · digestion
Digestion
Upper-abdominal heaviness, bloating, sour reflux, loose stools, traveler's stomach, and the aftermath of a meal that was richer, spicier, or larger than usual.
Editorial note
Compiled from "Danxi's Mastery of Medicine" (1347).
Last reviewed: July 18, 2026
Three layers of evidence
Classical source
≈ 700 years · "Danxi's Mastery of Medicine" (1347)
Pharmacopoeia indication
"Disperse food and guide out stagnation. Used for food stagnation: epigastric and abdominal fullness, belching of foul and sour regurgitation, and lack of desire to eat."
Modern research status
As of 2026-07-18, a PubMed search using the formula name and the Latin / Korean / Japanese transliterations together with "systematic review" and "meta-analysis" did not identify a dedicated systematic review for this formula. Any clinical evidence that does exist is fragmented across small individual trials or covered in broad herbal-medicine umbrella reviews, which do not allow a per-formula evidence assessment; the absence of a dedicated SR is itself the relevant editorial fact here.
References
References reviewed on July 18, 2026 · PubMed search on 2026-07-18
- 01ClassicalZhū Zhènhēng (朱震亨, styled Yànxiū 彦修, self-styled Dān Xī 丹溪, 1281–1358), 《丹溪心法》 (Dān Xī Xīn Fǎ / Danxi's Mastery of Medicine), compiled by his disciples around 1347, vol. 3 (卷三), the "food accumulation" (积聚) section, the entry for Bǎo Hé Wán (保和丸), the foundational "disperse food and harmonize the stomach" (消食和胃) representative formula, with the "preserve harmony" (保和) naming capturing the intent of gently restoring the spleen-stomach qi through harmony rather than purgation; the present-day 中成药 form is the modern industrial production of the classical powder-and-pill formula attributed to Zhu Danxi's "yin-nurture" school.
- 02TextbookDuan Fuqin (段富津) et al. (eds.), 《方剂学》 (Fāngjìxué / Science of Formulas), 2nd edition, Shanghai Scientific and Technical Publishers, 2011, the standard modern university-level formula textbook in mainland China, with Bǎo Hé Wán analysed in the "harmonizing formulas" (消食剂) chapter as the representative "disperse food and harmonize the stomach" formula, the canonical entry for "food stagnation in the stomach" (食积停滞).
- 03PharmacopoeiaPharmacopoeia Commission of the PRC, 《中华人民共和国药典》 2020 edition, vol. 1 (Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Yàodiǎn, Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, 2020 ed., vol. 1), China Medical Science Press, 2020, the official national monograph for Bǎo Hé Wán (丸 / 颗粒 / 片), "functional indication" reads "disperse food and guide out stagnation, harmonize the stomach, used for food stagnation with epigastric and abdominal fullness, belching of foul and sour regurgitation, and lack of desire to eat".