Aloe – 1 lb (454 g)

Aloe, known in Chinese as 芦荟 (Lúhuì) and scientifically as Aloe, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Aloe carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Aloe helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Aloe provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Aloe has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Aloe, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Luhui, Nehui, and Nuhui. It is the dried concentrate of the juice from the leaves of plants in the Liliaceae family, specifically Aloe vera L. (Curacao Aloe), Aloe ferox Miller (Cape Aloe), or other closely related species of the same genus. The former is mainly produced in the West Indies of South America, while the latter is mainly produced in southern Africa. Curacao Aloe is commonly called “Old Aloe,” and Cape Aloe is commonly called “New Aloe.” Freshly harvested leaves are cut and placed with the cut side down in a container to collect the exuded juice, which is then dried to produce the herb. Alternatively, the leaves can be washed, sliced crosswise, boiled with an equal amount of water for 2–3 hours, filtered, and the filtrate poured into molds and dried by baking or sun-drying to obtain aloe gel.

[Properties] Bitter in taste, cold in nature. Enters the Liver, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians.

[Actions] Clears Liver heat, promotes bowel movements, kills parasites.

[Applications]
1. Used for constipation due to heat accumulation, red swollen eyes, irritability with insomnia, and convulsions. For constipation caused by heat accumulation with excessive Heart and Liver fire and irritability with insomnia, it can be combined with cinnabar in pill form for internal use, known as Gengyi Wan (更衣丸).
2. Used for convulsions and spasms. When Liver and Gallbladder fire is excessive with constipation, dark urine, dizziness, hypochondriac pain, and convulsions, it is often combined with Gentiana scabra (Long Dan Cao), Coptis chinensis (Huang Lian), Gardenia jasminoides (Zhi Zi), and Indigo naturalis (Qing Dai), as in Danggui Longhui Wan (当归龙荟丸). For pediatric Liver heat convulsions, it can be combined with Bovis Calculus (Tianzhu Huang), Arisaema cum Bile (Dan Nan Xing), and Fritillaria (Bei Mu).
3. Used for pediatric malnutrition (Gan Ji), it can be ground into powder with Quisqualis (Shi Jun Zi) and taken with rice water; if due to Spleen deficiency, it can be combined with Panax ginseng and Atractylodes macrocephala.
4. Used for amenorrhea, often combined with Rehmannia glutinosa (Shu Di), Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong), Rubia cordifolia (Qian Cao), and Carthamus tinctorius (Hong Hua).
5. Used externally for sores, fistulas, and stubborn tinea. For painful hemorrhoids with bleeding and discharge, aloe is ground with white wine and mixed with a small amount of borneol for topical application; for stubborn tinea of the neck, it can be combined with roasted licorice powder for external use.

[Dosage and Administration] Internal use: incorporated into pills or powders, or ground into powder and encapsulated, 0.6–1.5 g; not used in decoctions. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied topically, or juice mashed and applied.

[Cautions] Use with caution in patients with weak Spleen and Stomach; contraindicated in pregnancy.

[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: Fresh juice of aloe leaves contains anthraquinone compounds such as aloin and isoaloin, amino acids including aspartic acid and L-tryptophan, organic acids such as malic acid and citric acid, inorganic elements including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, sugars such as D-glucose and D-galactose, and trace amounts of volatile oils.
2. Pharmacological effects: Aloe contains anthraquinone derivatives like aloin that increase water content in the large intestine and promote mucus secretion by the intestinal mucosa, which are important for its laxative effect. Aloin inhibits Staphylococcus aureus 209P, Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, and 119 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. Aloe aqueous extracts inhibit Trichophyton inguinale, Trichophyton rubrum, and Microsporum asteroides. Aloe extracts promote lymphocyte transformation, inhibit human serum complement reactions, enhance specific antibody production, and reduce oxidative damage to neutrophils. It inhibits various tumor cell growth and prolongs survival time in tumor patients. It scavenges reactive oxygen species, inhibits lipid peroxidation, induces antioxidant proteins, and protects DNA and superoxide dismutase from damage, thereby protecting the skin.
3. Clinical reports: (1) Acne: Topical application of common ointments containing 5%–7% natural aloe leaf juice was observed in 140 cases; except for 4 cases with no change in rash, the rest showed varying degrees of improvement. [Liaoning Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1987, (9):27]
(2) Psoriasis: 10% aloe injection, 3 ml intramuscularly once daily, observed in 30 cases; results: 3 cured, 7 markedly effective, 13 improved, 7 ineffective. [Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 1983, (4):218]
(3) Chronic hepatitis B: Aloe extract injection (0.1 g crude drug per 1 ml), 4 ml intramuscularly daily for 2 months. Among 38 HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients, total effective rate was 86.8%, with 7 cases turning HBsAg negative. [Chinese Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, 1989, 14(12):746]