gao li shen

Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng)
Properties: sweet, slightly bitter, slightly warm
Channels: Lungs, Spleen
Key Characteristics: Powerfully tonifies the primal qi (yuan qi) of the five organs, nourishes yin, revives from collapse, stops heavy bleeding. Also benefits the Heart qi, calms the spirit and generates fluids to stop thirst.
Additional Notes: Very expensive, but essential when you need to target the yuan qi (e.g. to support the fetus in pregnancy). Substitutes like Dang Shen are fine but only tonify Lung and Spleen qi.