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Lin Sister Herb Shop Inc

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Lin Sister Herb Shop Inc

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Located in NYC's Chinatown, Lin Sister Herb Shop is a Chinese medicine clinic and herbal pharmacy. linsisterherb.noterro.com (BOOKING APPOINTMENTS)

We offer over-the-counter herbal formulas, custom formulas, and acupuncture. Herbal Consultations with Frank Lin are available in-store or over the phone from 10:30am to 4:00 pm 6 days/week (closed Wednesdays and major holidays). Consultations are $30. Each day of a patient's custom herbal formula is, on average, $8/day. The length of treatment depends on the patient. Walk-ins only. No appointments. Acupuncture is available with Zhuang Cai two days a week: Tuesdays and Fridays 10am - 3:00pm. Each session is $55.

11/05/2026

A 2023 network meta-analysis reviewed Chinese herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhea across 54 randomized controlled trials and 5,345 women.
Many of the formulas studied are prepared as warm decoctions (herbal teas) and are traditionally started in the days before the period, when cold or stagnation patterns often appear.

Key findings from the review:
The herbal formulas showed higher overall response rates and greater pain reduction compared with conventional pain medications.

Siwu Decoction and Wenjing Decoction ranked among the top options across outcomes.

No serious adverse events were reported in the included trials.

What are Siwu and Wenjing?

These are classic multi-herb formulas, not single herbs.
Siwu Decoction (Four Substances Decoction) is a foundational blood-nourishing formula. Its main ingredients are Dang Gui (angelica root), Bai Shao (white peony), Chuan Xiong, and prepared rehmannia. It is often used when menstrual issues come with signs of blood deficiency.

Wenjing Decoction (Warm the Channels Decoction) is a warming formula traditionally used for cold stagnation in the uterus. Key ingredients include Wu Zhu Yu (evodia), cinnamon twig, Dang Gui, Chuan Xiong, and white peony, along with several others that warm the channels and move blood. It is commonly matched to cramps that feel better with heat.

In TCM practice these decoctions are matched to individual patterns. The same tea is not used for every person.

This is a summary of published research, not a recommendation to self-treat. Period pain can have many causes. If cramps are severe or keep you from daily life, please speak with a licensed herbalist and your doctor so the right approach can be chosen for you.
Have you tried any warm herbal teas in the week before your period?

The LinSisterHerb Family

Source: Wang et al., Chinese herbal medicine for primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of 54 randomized controlled trials, European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 2023.

11/04/2026

This Apple Red Date Warming Bowl is a gentle kitchen tonic many people make in the days before their period. It builds on the classic red date and ginger pairing and adds a few mild extras that support the common pattern of cold and light stagnation before the bleed arrives.
Swipe for the steps.

What you need
🍎 1 apple, cored and sliced
🔴 5 to 6 red dates, pitted and sliced
🫐 1 tablespoon goji berries
🫚 4 to 5 thick slices fresh ginger
🌰 2 to 3 walnuts
🍬 1 teaspoon black sugar or brown sugar
🌹 4 to 5 dried rose buds
🟤 4 to 5 pieces dried longan
💧 Water just to cover

How

1. Core and slice the apple. Pit and slice the red dates. Slice the ginger thick. Break the walnuts into pieces.
2. Layer the apple slices in a small pot.
3. Tuck the red dates, ginger, walnuts, and dried longan between the apple slices.
4. Scatter the rose buds and goji on top. Add the black sugar and just enough water to cover.
5. Cover and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes until the apple is soft.
6. Serve warm. Eat the fruit and drink the liquid.

Why it is used in TCM

🫚 Ginger and black sugar warm the middle and gently move stagnation. Helpful when pre period cramps feel better with heat.
🔴 Red dates and dried longan nourish blood and Qi and add mild sweetness.
🌹 Rose buds move Liver Qi. Useful when early cramps come with bloating, irritability, or breast tenderness.
🍎 Apple adds moisture and supports digestion.
🫐 Goji finishes with gentle yin and blood support.

Start this 3 to 5 days before the period is expected. It is everyday kitchen food, not a personalized formula. Patterns differ from person to person. If cramps are strong, come with large clots, or keep you in bed, please ask a licensed herbalist so the right pattern can be matched.

Do you usually feel more cold or more bloated in the days before your period?

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/29/2026

Qing Bu Liang is a classic gentle clear nourishing soup many families make as an everyday tonic. It is lighter than heavy winter broths and is traditionally used to moisten yin, support the Spleen, and nourish without being too warming.

The name refers to the style of the soup, not a strict herb count. Core herbs are Yu Zhu, lotus seeds, dried longan, lily bulb, Chinese yam, and fox nut. Goji and red dates are common finishers.

What you need:

🤍 15 to 20g Yu Zhu
🤍 15g lotus seeds
🟤 10 to 12 dried longan
🤍 10 to 15g lily bulb
🤍 20g Chinese yam
🤍 10 to 15g fox nut
🫐 1 tbsp goji
🔴 4 to 6 red dates, pitted
💧 8 to 10 cups water
Optional: small amount lean chicken or pork (blanched), or keep plant based

How:

1. Rinse herbs. Soak lotus seeds and fox nut if needed. Slice Chinese yam. Keep goji aside.
2. Add Yu Zhu, lotus seeds, longan, lily bulb, Chinese yam, and fox nut to water.
3. Bring just to a simmer. Do not boil hard. Lid slightly open.
4. Cook 45 to 70 minutes until soft.
5. Add goji last 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Why in TCM:

🤍 Yu Zhu moistens yin and supports lungs and stomach.
🤍 Lotus seeds and fox nut strengthen the Spleen and calm.
🤍 Chinese yam supports digestion and yin.
🤍 Lily bulb moistens and settles.
🟤 Longan and red dates nourish blood.
🫐 Goji finishes with gentle yin support.

This is everyday kitchen food, not a formula. Patterns differ. If symptoms continue, ask a licensed herbalist.

Do you prefer this clear style or a richer winter broth?

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/27/2026

Dang Gui (Angelica sinensis) is a classic sweet, warm blood tonic in Traditional Chinese Medicine, traditionally used to nourish blood, regulate the me**es, and ease fatigue when the pattern is blood deficiency.

It is rarely used alone. It appears in formulas such as Si Wu Tang (Four Substances Decoction) for menstrual regulation and Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang (Dang Gui and Astragalus Decoction) for blood and Qi support.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis of Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang added to conventional care for iron deficiency anemia included 7 randomized trials and 636 participants. The combination produced higher hemoglobin, red blood cell counts, and serum ferritin, along with a higher total effective rate, than conventional care alone. Adverse events were lower in the herb group.
In practice, herbalists may consider formulas containing Dang Gui for patterns that include irregular or scanty cycles, fatigue, pale complexion, or mild anemia markers linked to blood deficiency. These are guided formulas, not a suggestion to take the herb by itself.

Please consult your doctor and a licensed TCM herbalist before starting any herbs. Blood deficiency patterns and menstrual concerns can have many causes and need proper assessment.

Which part stands out to you: the cycle support, the fatigue side, or the anemia research? Drop it below and tag a friend exploring this.

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/21/2026

TCM Beauty Soup is a gentle kitchen pot of snow fungus, peach gum, dried longan, red dates, and Asian pear. In Traditional Chinese Medicine these ingredients are chosen to moisten yin, nourish blood, and support skin hydration from within.
Swipe for the steps.

What you need:

🤍 1 small snow fungus, soaked and torn
🟤 10 to 15 grams peach gum, soaked
🟤 10 to 12 dried longan
🔴 4 to 6 red dates, pitted
🍐 1 small Asian pear, sliced
🫐 1 tablespoon goji
💧 6 to 8 cups water
🍬 Optional: a little rock sugar or agave at the end

How
1. Soak the snow fungus until soft. Tear it into small pieces.
2. Soak the peach gum until soft and translucent.
3. Rinse the longan and red dates. Slice the pear.
4. Add snow fungus, peach gum, longan, red dates, and pear to the water.
5. Bring just to a simmer. Do not boil hard. Lid slightly open.
6. Cook 40 to 60 minutes until everything is soft.
7. Add goji in the last 5 minutes. Sweetener goes in off the heat. Serve warm.

Why it is used

🤍 Snow fungus is cool and moistening. It is classically used to hydrate skin and support yin.

🟤 Peach gum is traditionally added for its moistening quality and to support the skin.

🟤 Dried longan and red dates are warm and sweet. They nourish blood and Qi.

🍐 Asian pear is cool and moist. It adds natural juice and clears mild heat.

🫐 Goji is the gentle finisher. Add it late so it stays soft.
This is everyday kitchen food, not a formula or a promise of perfect skin. Patterns differ. If dryness or other symptoms keep going, please ask a licensed herbalist.

Do you like it plain or with a little sweetener?

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/19/2026

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis in Heliyon looked at Cangfu Daotan decoction (a classic TCM formula that includes Xiang Fu / Cyperus) as an add-on to standard care for PCOS. Across 25 randomized trials with 1,845 women, the combination improved ovulation rates, pregnancy rates, and ovarian volume while also lowering testosterone, LH, BMI, and other hyperandrogenism signs compared with the medication alone. Adverse events were mild.

Other reviews of multi-herb TCM formulas (including those with Dang Gui, Bai Shao, and Xiang Fu or similar herbs) have reported parallel gains in ovulation, androgen levels, and insulin sensitivity markers such as HOMA-IR when the herbs were used alongside lifestyle or conventional care.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, PCOS is often approached through patterns such as damp-phlegm, blood stasis, liver Qi stagnation, or kidney deficiency. Skilled herbalists build personalized formulas rather than using one fixed mix for everyone.

❤️ Dang Gui nourishes blood and supports cycle regularity

🧘 Bai Shao calms the liver and eases tension

🌿 Xiang Fu moves stuck Qi and supports smoother flow

These are research findings on guided formulas, not a suggestion to mix the herbs yourself. PCOS needs coordinated care. Please consult your doctor and a licensed TCM herbalist before starting any herbs.
Which part interests you most: the ovulation support, the hormone balance, or the insulin side? Drop it below and tag a friend exploring this.

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/15/2026

A simple vegan pot of ginger and Chen Pi for days when food feels heavy or the stomach feels cold. This is kitchen food, not a formula.

Swipe for the steps.

What you need
💧 8 cups water
🫚 5 thin slices fresh ginger
🍊 1 small piece Chen Pi, about 3 grams, rinsed
🍄 6 to 8 dried shiitake
🔴 2 to 3 pitted red dates
🫐 1 tablespoon goji
🧅 1 scallion
🥕 Optional: 1 carrot, sliced
🧂 A pinch of salt at the end

How:
1. Add ginger, Chen Pi, shiitake, and red dates to the water.
2. Bring just to a simmer and skim any foam. Do not boil hard.
3. Low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Lid slightly open. Add carrot earlier if using.
4. Add goji in the last 5 minutes. Scallion and salt go in off the heat.
5. Serve warm with rice, noodles, or soft vegetables.
Why the warmth matters

In TCM the Spleen and Stomach like warmth. A warm broth is a simple way to support the middle when food feels heavy, the appetite is low, or the stomach feels cold. Cold drinks and raw meals are said to slow that same middle.

🫚 Ginger is acrid and warm. It warms the middle and eases a cold, queasy stomach.

🍊 Chen Pi is acrid, bitter, and warm. It moves stuck Qi and eases fullness after meals.

This pot is for a cold, heavy day. If the stomach already feels hot, burning, or acid, skip it.
Why the rest

🍄 Shiitake and red date support the Spleen and keep the pot from tasting only like ginger.

🫐 Goji is the gentle finisher. Add it late so it stays soft.
If pain, reflux, or bloating keeps going, please ask an herbalist.

Would you add the carrot, or keep it simple?

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/13/2026

Use a whole organic, farm raised chicken, or bone in thighs, and eat the meat in the bowl. Ginger, Chen Pi, shiitake, red date, and goji finish the pot. This is a kitchen meal, not a formula, and it is not a promise of new collagen or a fix for stomach trouble.
Swipe for the steps.

What you need:

🍗 1 small organic, farm raised whole chicken, or 2 pounds bone in thighs
💧 8 cups water
🫚 5 thin slices fresh ginger
🍊 1 small piece Chen Pi, about 3 grams, rinsed
🍄 4 dried shiitake
🔴 2 pitted red dates
🫐 1 tablespoon goji
🧅 1 scallion
🧂 A pinch of salt at the end

How

1. Rinse the chicken. Cover with water. Add ginger, Chen Pi, shiitake, and dates.
2. Bring just to a simmer and skim the foam. Do not boil hard.
3. Cook until the meat is tender. About 45 to 60 minutes for a whole chicken, about 35 minutes for thighs.
4. Lift the chicken out. Shred or slice the meat.
5. Add goji in the last 5 minutes. Scallion and salt go in off the heat.
6. Serve the chicken in the broth with rice or noodles.

Why the warmth matters

In TCM the Spleen and Stomach like warmth. A warm broth is a simple way to support the middle when food feels heavy, the appetite is low, or the stomach feels cold. Cold drinks and raw meals are said to slow that same middle, which is why a warm sip shows up so often in home cooking.

🫚 Ginger is acrid and warm. It warms the middle and eases a cold, queasy stomach.
🍊 Chen Pi is acrid, bitter, and warm. It moves stuck Qi and eases fullness after meals. This pot is for a cold, heavy day. If the stomach already feels hot, burning, or acid, a warming ginger chicken pot can be too much.

Skip it then.

Why the rest

🍗 You eat the chicken. Bone in meat gives the pot some body. That is not proof of new skin collagen.
🍄 Shiitake and red date support the Spleen and keep the pot from tasting only like ginger.
🫐 Goji is the gentle finisher. Add it late so it stays soft.

If pain, reflux, or bloating keeps going, please ask an herbalist.

Whole chicken or thighs. Which one would you put in the pot?

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/08/2026

Jiang Huang is turmeric root. The studied piece is curcumin. A 2022 review in Phytotherapy Research pooled 10 randomized trials on hard exercise, the kind that leaves muscle sore the next day.

What shifted:

📉 Creatine kinase, a marker that leaks from stressed muscle, fell by about 66 units.

😣 Soreness scores fell by about half a point.

🔥 TNF alpha, one inflammation signal, fell a little.

What did not IL 6 and IL 8, two other inflammation signals, did not clearly change. Strength and joint ease looked a bit better in that same review, but this is recovery after exercise, not a treatment for a muscle injury or a chronic inflammatory disease.

In TCM, Jiang Huang is acrid, bitter, and warm. It is used to move blood and ease pain from stagnation. That is the traditional frame. The trials tested a concentrated compound, often in a form made to absorb better, not a kitchen spoon of powder.

This is research, not a home recipe. Do not mix it on your own if you are pregnant, on blood thinners, or already taking a formula. Please ask a clinician.

The marker, the soreness, or the inflammation signal. Which one do you want in plainer words?

The LinSisterHerb Family

10/06/2026

Black sesame, walnut, and goji make a warm cup for the Liver and Kidney reserve that TCM links with hair, dryness, and early greying. A kitchen drink, not a formula, and not a promise of new growth.

For one cup
🌰 2 tablespoons black sesame
🥜 4 walnut halves
🔴 1 tablespoon goji
🥛 1 cup warm water, or unsweetened soy milk
🍯 1 teaspoon honey or agave, optional

Toast the sesame on low until nutty. Grind it with the walnuts, stir into the cup, then add the goji. Sweeten only if you want it. Drink it warm, morning or evening, a few times a week.

Why these three:

🌰 Black sesame, Hei Zhi Ma. Sweet and neutral. Enters the Liver, Kidney, and Large Intestine. TCM uses it to nourish yin, support essence, and moisten dryness. The kitchen food people reach for when hair looks dry, thin, or early grey.

🥜 Walnuts, Hu Tao Ren. Sweet and warm. Enter the Kidney, Lung, and Large Intestine. They warm the Kidney and moisten dryness, so the cup is not only cool. A few halves are enough.

🔴 Goji, Gou Qi Zi. Sweet and neutral. Enters the Liver and Kidney. The gentle finisher for yin, essence, and the eyes. Add it near the end so it stays soft.

Honey or agave is only for taste. Water keeps it light. Soy milk makes it more filling.

Hair loss has many causes, and a cup will not sort them out. Please ask an herbalist before using this for hair loss, especially if you are pregnant, on medication, or already taking a formula.

Sesame, walnut, or a little goji on top. Which one would you add first?

The LinSisterHerb Family

Address

4 Bowery
New York, NY
10013

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12129625417

Website

http://www.linsisterherb.com/

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