Lu Hui (芦荟) is the dried concentrate of aloe leaf juice, recorded as Aloe. It is bitter in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Liver, Stomach and Large Intestine channels. The catalogue files it among the purgatives.

Pinyin

lu hui

Chinese

芦荟

Latin Name

Aloe

English Name

aloe·Dried Concentrate Of The Juice Of Aloe Leaf

Japanese

rokai

Korean

nohoe

Actions and indications

Purges downward, drains Fire and clears accumulation

Constipation from accumulated Heat, with dizziness, red eyes and irritability
Hot-type constipation where Heart and Liver Fire bring restlessness, irritability and poor sleep
Headache with constipation from Liver and Large Intestine Heat
Long-standing constipation

Clears Heat and cools the Liver

Liver Fire or Heat in the Liver channel: headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, irritability, fever, constipation and discomfort in the epigastrium

Kills parasites and strengthens the Stomach

Nutritional impairment in children, particularly from roundworm
Tinea (ringworm)

External application

Burns, applied topically

Combinations

zhu sha

Long-standing constipation. Accumulated Heat with constipation, irritability and insomnia

long dan cao + zhi zi

Liver channel Heat with irritability, headache, dizziness and epigastric pain

long dan cao + huang qin + huang lian

Heat in the Liver channel causing dizziness, headache, irritability and pain in the epigastrium

dan nan xing + tian zhu huang + chuan bei mu

Phlegm-Heat with convulsions in children

shi jun zi

Nutritional impairment in children with constipation. Intestinal parasites (powdered and taken in equal parts with rice water)

bing pian

Hemorrhoids topically.

long dan cao + zhi zi + qing dai

Liver Fire.

ren shen + bai zhu

Malnutrition in infants with Spleen Deficiency and intestinal parasites

gan cao

Parasites causing itching, applied topically

Age

Raw

Granule

Tincture

Concentrate

Frequency

Any Pills or capsules: 0.6-4.5g Do not decoct; Tincture: 0.2-1ml; Whole leaf decoction: 10-15g

0.6-4.5 g

—

0.2-1 ml

—

Cautions

pregnancy Do not use in pregnancy

lactation Use with care while breastfeeding; anthraquinone laxatives are usually avoided during nursing

contraindication Menstruation or uterine bleeding

contraindication Hemorrhoids or bleeding from the rectum

paediatric Not for use in children

contraindication Cold from Spleen and Stomach deficiency; a strong cold purgative is poorly tolerated when digestion is already weak

contraindication Anorexia

contraindication Diarrhea

contraindication Pelvic Blood stasis

contraindication Known or suspected bowel obstruction, ileus, or an acute abdomen not yet diagnosed, since a stimulant laxative forces contraction against the blockage

caution Purging may come with abdominal pain and bleeding

caution Can cause nephritis in severe cases

caution Easy to overuse precisely because it works well

caution United States: aloe is not permitted as an OTC laxative ingredient, since regulators judged the data too thin to establish its safety and effectiveness

caution European Union: the food-safety assessment of hydroxyanthracene derivatives treats them as genotoxic and carcinogenic unless shown otherwise, and set no safe daily intake

caution Needs a proper diagnosis, not a laxative, when constipation persists or there is bloody stool, unexplained weight loss or altered bowel habit

Interactions

Drug interactions

Cardiac glycosides such as digoxin: sustained or heavy laxative use can lower potassium, the classic concern with these drugs
Diuretics that deplete potassium, and corticosteroids: their potassium loss adds to the laxative's
Other oral medicines: faster transit through the gut may reduce how much is absorbed, mainly when taken close together
Other anthraquinone herbs (Da Huang, Fan Xie Ye, He Shou Wu) or over-the-counter stimulant laxatives: combining them doubles up the same class, often without the patient realising

lu hui

About lu hui

Names

Classification

Actions and indications

Purges downward, drains Fire and clears accumulation

Clears Heat and cools the Liver

Kills parasites and strengthens the Stomach

External application

Combinations

Dosage

Cautions

Interactions

Drug interactions

About lu hui

Names

Classification

Actions and indications

Purges downward, drains Fire and clears accumulation

Clears Heat and cools the Liver

Kills parasites and strengthens the Stomach

External application

Combinations

Dosage

Cautions

Interactions

Drug interactions

Related

Used in 1 formula