Herbal & Flower Teas
Four Gentlemen Decoction (Si Jun Zi Tang)
traditionally used to support spleen and stomach qi
In short: Four Gentlemen Decoction (Si Jun Zi Tang) is a herbal & flower tea that traditionally used to support spleen and stomach qi. It is most often made for digestive wellness, children's wellness, liver wellness. Total time about 70 min. Key ingredients: codonopsis root, white atractylodes rhizome, poria, licorice root.
Why people make this soup
If you find yourself feeling bloated after meals, low on energy, or just not hungry despite not eating much, you are not alone — this is particularly common among office workers who eat quickly at lunch and then sit at a desk for the rest of the day. Traditional Chinese food therapy has long held that a sedentary lifestyle and hurried meals can weaken the digestive system over time. The Four Gentlemen Decoction (Si Jun Zi Tang) is one of the most respected classical formulas for this pattern, combining four herbs that together are said to reinforce the digestive system and support healthy energy levels.
What studies say about the key ingredients
Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.
- Licorice root
Compared with placebo plus the same low-calorie diet, licorice extract was associated with greater improvements in body weight, BMI, body fat, lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR at 8 weeks.Limitation: Small sample, short 8-week duration, and an extract dose that is not comparable to licorice eaten as food; the authors call for confirmatory research.PubMed 39080737 · 3 more licorice root studies - Red dates
Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly.Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type.PubMed 40399274 · 3 more red dates studies
From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.
Safety first — read before you cook
This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:
- are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
- take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
- have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.
Ingredient notes for this recipe
- Licorice root: Contains glycyrrhizin. Large amounts or long-term use have been linked to raised blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, and even smaller amounts have caused problems in people with high blood pressure, heart or kidney conditions, or a high-salt diet. Large amounts are unsafe in pregnancy, and it can interact with corticosteroids. Source: NIH NCCIH — Licorice Root
Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes
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