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Discomfort and cramping

Health Concerns Six Gentlemen

A modified Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang of eight Chinese herbs in a vegetable capsule, taken two at a time between meals for weak digestion with gas, bloating and loose stools.

Health Concerns Six Gentlemen
Format
Capsule
Type
Traditional herbal
Tradition
Traditional Chinese medicine formula
Cost
$1.99 per day at two capsules three times a day ($29.90 for 90 on the brand site, $29.99 on Amazon, a 15-day bottle)
Customer rating
4.4 out of 5 from 41 ratings from Amazon

What the handful of reviews say

There is not enough independent feedback here to call those themes reliable. Low review confidence — Amazon shows 4.4 from 41 ratings on a listing sold by Health Concerns, the brand Judge.me widget shows 4.69 from 13 reviews of which 10 were posted within two weeks of each other, and no Trustpilot profile was read.

The mechanism, as the brand describes it

Health Concerns describes the formula in the tradition’s terms as tonifying spleen qi, transforming dampness and phlegm, and harmonizing the spleen and stomach: codonopsis and bai zhu to support what TCM calls spleen and lung qi, ginger and cardamom to warm the digestive system, and tangerine peel and costus root to move stagnation and reduce gas and fullness. Studies of the classical formula suggest changes in gastric emptying and visceral sensation, and none tests this label. The label gives only the blend total, so no herb dose can be set against a trial.

What has actually been tested

No trial of this capsule was found. The classical Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi formula has placebo-controlled trials in functional dyspepsia (202 analyzed in one, 160 in another) and a 23-study meta-analysis of low-quality studies, but their granules contain other herbs and a different dose. The related Japanese formula rikkunshito missed its primary endpoint in a 247-person trial (33.6 percent against 23.8 percent responders, P = 0.09) yet beat placebo in a 128-person trial.

What the panel prints, and what it leaves out

The panel is one 1,349 mg proprietary herbal blend per two capsules with eight herbs listed in order and no per-herb amounts; six are marked as extracts and bai zhu and ginger are listed as plain herb. Two of the six classical Liu Jun Zi Tang herbs (pinellia and poria) are not on the label, and cang zhu is added. The brand states no GMP or third-party testing on the pages read. Panel servings (45) are two-capsule servings; the bottle lasts 15 days at three servings a day. No Aristolochia species or mineral ingredient is on the label.

Herb entries for what is in it: Codonopsis, Atractylodes, Ginger, Licorice, Orange peel, Aucklandia (costus root), Cardamom. Each one gives the plant, what the traditions use it for, the trials, doses and the safety record.

When it makes sense

The symptoms it is scored against are bloating, gas, nausea, loose stools and general abdominal discomfort. It fits someone whose priority is day-to-day comfort or handling meals. Which product the quiz lands on also turns on what you have already tried, the format you prefer, and any exclusions that apply to you.

Where it falls short of the brief

No dietary claim is recorded for it, so none is assumed here. One group does not see Six Gentlemen in their results: people pregnant or breastfeeding or taking prescription medication. The product is not the problem; the person who should decide is. It is a capsule taken as often as the label directs, and the quiz asks whether that is a routine you will keep.

Side effects and what to be aware of

Reviewers raise the 45-servings-versus-15-days wording and the price, and a few say they cannot yet tell whether it works. Licorice is an ingredient. The bottle says to consult a practitioner before use, especially if pregnant, nursing or under medical supervision, and the page lists excess conditions and diseases caused by external factors as contraindications.

Questions people ask

Does Health Concerns Six Gentlemen work?

No trial of this capsule was found. Trials of Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi and Liu Jun Zi granules in functional dyspepsia reported better symptom scores than placebo, but they used different herb lists and doses. Amazon reviewers rate it 4.4 from 41 and describe less bloating and gas.

Is Six Gentlemen safe?

The label says to consult a health care practitioner first, especially if pregnant, nursing or under medical supervision. It contains licorice and ginger, and the brand page lists a contraindication for excess conditions and diseases caused by external factors. The 2017 granule trial reported no adverse events and the meta-analysis found no difference in safety events, both for other recipes.

What are the side effects of Six Gentlemen?

None are listed on the label. Reviewers say the capsules did not upset the stomach and mention a strong herbal scent. The Amazon page has one 1-star review with no text.

How much does Six Gentlemen cost?

$29.90 for 90 capsules on the brand site and $29.99 on Amazon. The label counts 45 servings of two capsules, but the suggested use is two capsules three times a day, so a bottle lasts 15 days: $1.99 a day.

Six Gentlemen vs Quiet Digestion: what is the difference?

Six Gentlemen is a modified Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang aimed at weak digestion with fatigue, gas and loose stool, and the brand says long-term use is typical. Quiet Digestion is a modified Bao He Wan that the brand positions for acute food stagnation, nausea and travel upset. Quiet Digestion is $35.90 for 90 capsules; Six Gentlemen is $29.90.

One check first. Health Concerns sells a supplement, not a treatment, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking prescription medication the decision belongs with a doctor or pharmacist, not with this page.

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Its peers in the catalog

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Further reading

The guides behind the category, written from the trials rather than the labels.

Guide Are Chinese herbal supplements safe? Aristolochic acid, adulteration, heavy metals and what to check on a label Aristolochic acid, undeclared drugs and heavy metals are documented in Chinese herbal products. In Belgium 18 of 39 patients with the kidney damage had urothelial cancer. Guide Does Chinese herbal medicine work for IBS? The Cochrane review, the JAMA trial and what came after A JAMA trial of 116 people put two herbal formulas ahead of placebo for IBS. The Cochrane review of 75 trials called most of the evidence low quality. Later trials split. Guide Classic Chinese digestive formulas: what the human trials show, formula by formula Eleven classic Chinese digestive formulas and the human trials behind each. The largest placebo trial, of rikkunshito in 247 adults, did not reach significance. Guide Chinese herbal medicine in the United States and Europe: practitioners, products, regulation and evidence Most US states regulate acupuncture and Chinese herbs are sold as supplements. A California survey found 32% of 260 patent medicines held undeclared drugs or metals. Guide Qi, the spleen and food stagnation: the TCM ideas behind gut products, explained 22 TCM terms from qi to teapill, each with its meaning in the tradition and the nearest modern idea, plus what a label that uses them lets a buyer check. Guide What is traditional Chinese medicine, and what does it say about digestion? TCM rests on Han dynasty texts and was standardized in the 1950s. It describes digestion as the work of the spleen and stomach. China had 682,770 practitioners in 2020. Guide Does Health Concerns Quiet Digestion work? A modified Bao He Wan, thirteen herbs and one blend weight Quiet Digestion shares four of the eight herbs in Bao He Wan. Only mouse work tests the formula, and the 45 servings on the label last 15 days at the suggested dose. Guide Does Health Concerns Six Gentlemen work? A Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang without pinellia or poria, and the dyspepsia trials Six Gentlemen omits pinellia and poria from Liu Jun Zi Tang. Rikkunshito: 33.6% vs 23.8% responders in 247 people (P = 0.09), a benefit in 128 people. Guide Does Snap Dynasty Stomach Chi work? An unnamed eleven-herb blend set against the rikkunshito trials Stomach Chi holds seven of the eight rikkunshito herbs at 3.0 g a day; the trials used 7.5 g of extract. Testing is stated, no lab named. Amazon: 4.5 from 162.