Common Names
- Jade Windscreen Powder
- Yu Ping Feng decoction
- Yu Ping Feng Wan
- Yu Ping Feng Pian
For Patients & Caregivers
Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.
What is it?
Yu Ping Feng San (YPFS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. It’s made up of three different herbs.
What are the potential uses and benefits?
Yu Ping Feng San is used to treat:
- Cold
- Influenza
- Asthma
- Allergic rhinitis (allergic reaction that causes congestion, sneezing, and sore throat)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (lung diseases that restrict your breathing)
Talk with your healthcare providers before taking herbal formulas. They can interact with some medications and affect how they work. For more information, read the “What else do I need to know?” section below.
What are the side effects?
YPFS can cause mild side effects that include:
- Sleepiness
- Headache
- Stomach discomfort
- Fatigue
- Skin rash
- Dry mouth
What else do I need to know?
- Talk to your healthcare provider if you take medications that suppress your immune system. YPFS may make them less effective.
- Talk to your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. YPFS may not be safe for you.
For Healthcare Professionals
Clinical Summary
Yu Ping Feng San (YPFS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula first documented in the ancient text Dan Xi Xin Fa. A blend of three herbs – Huang Qi (Astragalus mongholicus Bunge), Bai Zhu (Adactylies macrocephala Koidz Rhizome), and Fang Feng (Saposhnikovia divaricata Schischk) – YPFS is used to treat respiratory disorders including cold, influenza, nasal congestion, and asthma.
Limited clinical data suggest benefits of YPFS for allergic rhinitis (1) (2) and COPD (3). It was also effective in pediatric patients with asthma (4) although more data are needed to determine utility in those with allergic rhinitis (5).
In preclinical studies, YPFS demonstrated anticancer properties (6) (7) and enhanced the anticancer effects of cisplatin in non-small cell lung cancer cells (8) (9). A small study of end-stage cancer patients found YPFS beneficial in reducing idiopathic sweating (10).
More research is needed to bolster the evidence surrounding this formula.
Purported Uses and Benefits
- Cold
- Influenza
- Asthma
- Allergic rhinitis
- COPD
Mechanism of Action
One of the proposed mechanisms through which YPFS exerts anti-influenza effects is by suppressing neuraminidase activity of the virus, preventing its release and spread (11). Its effectiveness against allergic rhinitis is thought to be via regulating several signaling pathways including tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-17 (12).
In murine models, YPFS reversed drug resistance of cisplatin in lung cancer cells by down regulating the activities and expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) (8). It was also found to alleviate lung injury in COPD models by suppressing release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and collagen deposition (13).
Contraindications
- Because YPFS contains Huang Qi (Astragalus mongholicus Bunge), an immunostimulant, it should be avoided in patients taking immuosuppressives (14).
- Pregnant/breastfeeding women should avoid this formula.