Individual Herbs Notebook

Du Huo

Pharmaceutical: Radix Angelicae pubescentis seu biserratae
Taxonomy: Angelica pubescens seu biserrata

Other names: Pubescent Angelica Root / Hairy Angelica Root / Double Teeth Angelica Root

Category: Herbs that Dispel Wind-Dampness



Properties: Pungent, bitter, slightly warm

Meridans Entered:
Primary: Liver, Kidney, and Lung
Divergent Zones: Taiyang
Divergent Channels: Bladder, Kidney
Extraordinary Vessels: Du


Traditional Actions/Indications:
  1. Dispels Wind-Dampness and alleviates pain
    Wind-Cold-Damp painful obstruction (Bi Syndrome), especially in the low back and legs (acute and chronic).
  2. Disperses Wind-Cold-Dampness and releases the Exterior
    Exterior Wind-Cold with Dampness
  3. Treats Shaoyin Level headache and toothache
    Shaoyin Level headache and toothache
  4. Aids fasting
    Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing as part of the superior class of herbs which can, with protracted taking, make the body light and slow ageing. This may suggest it was part of supplementing the diet when engaging in an "avoiding grain" (Bigu 辟穀) fasting regime to cultivate life (Yangsheng 養生).

Suggested Daily Dosage: 3-9g in decoction.


Cautions: Being pungent, fragrant, bitter and dry, it can easily damage yin and body fluid, so it should be used cautiously to treat patients with usual constitution of yin deficiency and blood dryness.


Interactions:


Notable Constituents: For a more complete analysis of the compounds and differences between A. pubescens and A. biserrata, see Lu et al. (2020).
Appears in 38 formulae listed on this site: (click to display)
Research Links & References: (click to display)