Taohua Zhou (Peach-Blossom Porridge): A Dietary Therapy for Strengthening the Spleen and Stopping Diarrhea
“Taohua Zhou” (Peach-Blossom Porridge) is a famous formula of the Warm-Disease school, recorded in that school’s classic Wenbing Tiaobian (Systematic Identification of Warm Diseases). Its composition is: Renshen (Ginseng Radix) 3 qian (9 g), Zhigancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix preparata) 3 qian (9 g), Chishizhi (Halloysitum Rubrum) 6 qian (18 g, ground into fine powder), and Baijingmi (white japonica rice) 2 liang (60 g). First decoct the Renshen and Zhigancao in 2 sheng of water down to 1.2 sheng; strain out the dregs, then add the 2 liang of rice and cook into 0.9 sheng of porridge. Add 3 qian (9 g) of Chishizhi and stir well. If the diarrhea has not stopped after finishing the porridge, continue taking it the same way. Because the medicinal porridge has the color of peach blossoms, it is called Peach-Blossom Porridge.
Taohua Zhou boosts qi and fortifies the spleen, astringes the intestines and stops diarrhea. It is indicated for warm disease on day seven or eight, with a deficient rapid pulse, crimson tongue with little coating, dozens of diarrheal bowel movements daily, undigested food in the stool, and fever present or absent. If the patient has previously overused cold herbs and now presents with a non-rapid pulse and no fever, 3 qian (9 g) of dried ginger (Ganjiang, Zingiberis Rhizoma) may be added while cooking the porridge.
The Chishizhi in this formula is a silicate mineral of the halloysite group. Before use, impurities are removed and the mineral is crushed or ground fine; pure Chishizhi is red, smooth, and fine-textured. Chishizhi has extremely strong water absorption, which is why it can stop diarrhea. In traditional Chinese pharmacology it is an astringent whose main actions are to astringe the intestines, stop bleeding, and generate flesh to close sores. Taken internally, it treats chronic diarrhea and dysentery, bleeding from the bowel, and uterine bleeding with vaginal discharge; applied externally, it treats chronic non-healing ulcers and weeping sores with oozing pus.
The jingmi (japonica rice) in the formula is rice husked from japonica paddy—a type of Northeastern rice and one of our daily staple foods. TCM holds that jingmi supplements the center and boosts qi, fortifies the spleen and nourishes the stomach, and stops diarrhea; that is why this porridge uses japonica rice rather than other types. Renshen and Zhigancao both supplement qi and fortify the spleen, with Renshen in particular strongly supplementing original qi.
This medicinal porridge therefore both stops diarrhea and strongly supplements original qi, making it suitable as dietary therapy for patients who have just come through a severe infection with persistent diarrhea. It is also suitable for cancer or other serious-disease patients who develop intractable diarrhea after chemotherapy, targeted drugs, radiotherapy, or surgery. For radiation enteritis, it both stops diarrhea and has hemostatic and blood-nourishing effects. However, it can raise blood sugar, so diabetic patients should use it cautiously.