Lu Lu Tong
English Name: liquidambar fruit, beautiful sweetgum fruit,
Literal Translation: “all roads open”
Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus Liquidambaris
Medica Category: Blood-Invigorating and Stasis-Removing Herbs
Properties: Lu Lu Tong enters the Liver and Stomach channels; it is bitter in nature and neutral in temperature.
What is Lu Lu Tong?:
The Chinese Herb Lu Lu Tong is the dried, burr-covered fruit of the beautiful sweetgum (maple) tree (Liquidambar taiwaniana Hance.; syn. Liquidambar formosana Hance.), a large deciduous tree common to woodlands in Central and Southern China, Taiwan, and parts of Indochina.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Therapeutic Actions of Lu Lu Tong:
Lu Lu Tong activates qi and blood circulation and open the channels and collaterals to treat pain (especially in the lower back and the extremities).
Lu Lu Tong promotes urination to address dysuria and edema by draining excess water down and out of the body.
Lu Lu Tong treats skin and nasal allergies such as itching, hives, and allergic rhinitis.
–safety notes:
Contraindicated during pregnancy.
Contraindicated for women with hypermenorrhea.