Xiao Yao Wan (simplified Chinese: 逍遥丸; traditional Chinese: 逍遙丸; pinyin: xiāo yáo wán), also known as Free and Easy Wanderer, is a Chinese classic herbal formula. It is commonly made into Chinese patent medicine.

History

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Xiao Yao Wan is an ancient Chinese patent medicine with a history of more than 1,000 years.

In the early days, the output of Chinese herbs was not high. In order to control the consumption of Chinese herbs, people ground Chinese herbs into powder.[1]

Formulation

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While Xiao Yao Wan formulations vary, the herbs most often combined in Xiao Yao San are:

Effects

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Studies on Xiao Yao San are limited to animal studies. Nevertheless, XYS has been shown to improve stress[2][3][4] and reduce depression.[2][5]

Traditional Medicine

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Xiao Yao San (XYS) has been used for centuries by practitioners of Chinese Traditional Medicine. Practitioners of TCM believe XYS works by clearing liver stagnation to improve the flow of qi (energy). Stagnant liver qi is said to affect the blood and contribute to stress, mood swings, pain, irritability, constipation, abdominal pain, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and irregular menstrual periods.[6]

Chinese classic herbal formula

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Name Common Name Pinyin Chinese (T) Chinese (S) Katakana Kanji Genus species
Bupleuri Radix bupleurum root chái hú 柴胡 柴胡 サイコ 柴胡 Bupleurum chinense
Paeoniae Radix Chinese peony root sháo yào 芍藥 芍药 シャクヤク 芍薬 Paeonia lactiflora
Angelicae Radix Chinese angelica root dāng guī 當歸 当归 トウキ 当帰 Angelica sinensis
Atractylodis Rhizoma white atractylodes rhizome bái zhú 白朮 白术 ビャクジュツ 白朮 Atractylodes macrocephala
Poria tuckahoe mushroom fú líng 茯苓 茯苓 ブクリョウ 茯苓 Poria cocos
Zingiberis Rhizoma fresh ginger rhizome shēng jiāng 生薑 生姜 ショウキョウ 生姜 Zingiber officinale
Glycyrrhizae Radix Chinese liquorice root gān cǎo 甘草 甘草 カンゾウ 甘草 Glycyrrhiza uralensis
Menthae Herba wild mint herb bò hé 薄荷 薄荷 ハッカ 薄荷 Mentha haplocalyx

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "What Is Xiao Yao Wan (Xiao Yao San, Free and Easy Wanderer)". Chinese Herbs Info. 6 August 2019.[unreliable source?]
  2. ^ a b Bao, L; Chen, J; Huang, L; Chen, W; Lin, Q; Yao, XS; Hiroshi, K (September 2008). "逍遥丸对小鼠行为绝望和应激性抑郁的影响" [Effects of Xiaoyao Wan on the behavioral despair and stress depression mice]. Journal of Chinese Medicinal Materials (in Chinese). 31 (9): 1360–4. doi:10.13863/j.issn1001-4454.2008.09.027. PMID 19180959.
  3. ^ Li, Xiao-Juan; Ma, Qing-Yu; Jiang, You-Ming; Bai, Xiao-Hui; Yan, Zhi-Yi; Liu, Qun; Pan, Qiu-Xia; Liu, Yue-Yun; Chen, Jia-Xu (December 2017). "Xiaoyaosan exerts anxiolytic-like effects by down-regulating the TNF-α/JAK2-STAT3 pathway in the rat hippocampus". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 353. Bibcode:2017NatSR...7..353L. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-00496-y. PMC 5428435. PMID 28336920. S2CID 970453.
  4. ^ Hong, Chunlan; Cao, Jingming; Wu, Ching-Fen; Kadioglu, Onat; Schüffler, Anja; Kauhl, Ulrich; Klauck, Sabine M.; Opatz, Till; Thines, Eckhard; Paul, Norbert W.; Efferth, Thomas (December 2017). "The Chinese herbal formula Free and Easy Wanderer ameliorates oxidative stress through KEAP1-NRF2/HO-1 pathway". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 11551. Bibcode:2017NatSR...711551H. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-10443-6. PMC 5599498. PMID 28912423.
  5. ^ Zhang, Yuqing; Han, Mei; Liu, Zhijun; Wang, Jie; He, Qingyong; Liu, Jianping (2012). "Chinese Herbal Formula Xiao Yao San for Treatment of Depression: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012: 931636. doi:10.1155/2012/931636. PMC 3159992. PMID 21869903.
  6. ^ "Qi Stagnation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics". www.sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
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