Li Dan Support is based on Benefit Gallbladder Tablets (Li Dan Pian); a modern formulation containing a combination of herbs that relieve stagnant Qi, particularly of the Liver and Gallbladder, clear Heat and Fire, relieve stagnation and support healthy functioning of the biliary system. Li Dan Support moves Liver Qi and addresses Damp Heat in the Gallbladder. The chief herb in the formula, Chinese skullcap root is bitter and cold and makes up almost a third of the formula by weight. It strongly clears Heat and dries Damp and, when paired with the other herbs in the formula, is particularly effective for expelling Damp Heat from the Gallbladder, Liver and Small Intestine channels. Lysimachia herb clears Damp Heat in the Liver and Gallbladder, resolves accumulations and supports healthy urination. Capillaris herb clears Heat and resolves Dampness, particularly in the Gallbladder. Honeysuckle flower clears Heat and resolves blazing Fire and Isatis leaf strongly cools Heat at the Qi and Blood levels. Chinese rhubarb rhizome and root clears Heat and purges excess accumulations, cools the Blood, removes Blood stasis, purges Dampness, and supports healthy urination. Saussurea root promotes the flow of Spleen Qi, strengthens the Spleen, addresses food stagnation and adjusts and regulates stagnant Qi in the Intestines. Bupleurum root raises the clear Qi of the Stomach and Gallbladder, relieves Liver Qi constraint and harmonizes the Liverand Spleen. ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENTBenefit Gallbladder Tablets (Li Dan Pian) is a modern formula based on two classical formulas with sources such as Major Bupleurum Decoction (Da Chai Hu Tang), first recorded in the Shang Han Lun, written by Zhang Zhong-Jing (Han Dynasty), and Gentiana Decoction to Drain the Liver (Long Dan Xie Gan Tang) from Analytic Collection of Formulas (Yi Fang Ji Jie) written by Wang Ang in 1682.
