Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan: A Simple Guide to Clearing Damp-Heat and Toxins
Hongji Medical- Feb 1
- 6 min read
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan, or Sweet Dew Toxin-Removing Elixir, is a classic Chinese herbal formula designed to tackle damp-heat conditions, such as infections or digestive issues caused by excess moisture and heat in the body.
This versatile remedy clears toxins, reduces inflammation, and restores balance. In this article, we’ll explain its ingredients, benefits, uses, and modern applications in an easy-to-understand way, plus share dietary tips to enhance its effects.
What’s in Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan?
This formula blends 11 herbs to clear dampness, cool heat, and support digestion:
Talc (mineral): Drains dampness and cools summer heat.
Artemisia (capillary wormwood): Clears heat and dampness, especially in the liver and gallbladder.
Skullcap root: Cools heat, reduces toxins, and fights inflammation.
Sweetflag rhizome: Clears dampness, boosts appetite, and sharpens the mind.
Patchouli leaf: Removes dampness, eases nausea, and regulates digestion.
White cardamom: Warms the stomach, reduces bloating, and stops vomiting.
Akebia stem: Promotes urination and clears heat.
Lotus stem: Detoxifies and reduces swelling.
Blackberry lily root: Soothes sore throats and clears heat.
Fritillaria bulb: Clears phlegm and eases coughs.
Mint leaf: Disperses heat and refreshes the body.
How to use it: Typically taken as pills or brewed as a tea. Dosage varies, so consult a practitioner for guidance.
How the Herbs Work Together
In Chinese medicine, herbs are grouped as “monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy”:
Monarchs: Talc, artemisia, and skullcap lead by clearing dampness and heat, targeting the root of the condition.
Ministers: Sweetflag, patchouli, and white cardamom support by removing dampness, improving digestion, and easing nausea.
Assistants: Akebia, lotus stem, and blackberry lily enhance heat-clearing, promote urination, and soothe throat irritation.
Envoys: Fritillaria and mint guide the formula, clearing phlegm, easing coughs, and refreshing the body.
This combination clears damp-heat, moves energy (qi), and detoxifies, earning its name “Sweet Dew” for its refreshing, cleansing effects.
How It Differs from San Ren Tang
Both Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan and San Ren Tang treat damp-heat, but they have different focuses:
San Ren Tang: Targets early-stage damp-heat with more dampness than heat, emphasizing moisture removal and qi flow. It’s ideal for mild summer heat or digestive bloating.
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan: Focuses on detoxification and is better for balanced or heat-heavy damp-heat conditions, like infections or liver issues. It emphasizes clearing toxins and heat.
Choose based on whether dampness or heat is more dominant, as advised by a practitioner.
What Does It Treat?
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan is ideal for “damp-heat epidemics” or conditions where moisture and heat build up, causing symptoms like:
Fever, especially worse in the afternoon.
Fatigue and sore, heavy limbs.
Chest tightness, bloating, or diarrhea.
Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
Sore throat, thirst, or facial swelling.
Dark, scanty urine or painful urination.
White, thick, or dry yellow tongue coating.
These signs reflect dampness and heat clogging the body, affecting the spleen, stomach, liver, or gallbladder, and sometimes causing infections or inflammation.
How It Works
The formula clears dampness and heat to reduce fever and swelling, detoxifies to ease sore throats and infections, and regulates digestion to relieve bloating and diarrhea. By addressing both dampness and heat, it restores energy flow and balances the body.
Modern Uses
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan is used today for a range of damp-heat-related conditions, including:
Infections: Typhoid, typhus, leptospirosis, or mumps.
Liver and gallbladder issues: Jaundice, hepatitis, or cholecystitis.
Digestive disorders: Acute gastroenteritis or bacterial dysentery.
Inflammatory conditions: Rheumatic fever or allergic purpura.
Urinary issues: Pyelonephritis or painful urination.
Heart issues: Tachycardia or irregular heart rhythms.
Its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties make it a versatile remedy for modern ailments.
Boosting the Formula with Diet
Pairing Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan with cooling, damp-draining foods can enhance its effects. Try this recipe:
Artemisia and Jujube PorridgeIngredients: 30g artemisia (capillary wormwood), 5 jujube dates, rock sugar to taste, 100g rice.Preparation: Wash artemisia and jujubes, simmer with rice in water until thick, and sweeten with rock sugar.Benefits: Clears heat, reduces dampness, and eases jaundice.
Other dietary tips:
Eat light, cooling foods like mung beans, cucumber, or barley.
Avoid spicy, greasy, or raw foods that worsen heat and dampness.
Stay hydrated with herbal teas like chrysanthemum or green tea to clear heat.
Lifestyle tips:
Engage in moderate exercise, like walking or yoga, to boost circulation and drain dampness.
Keep a positive mindset to support recovery, as stress can worsen damp-heat.
Avoid humid environments to prevent dampness buildup.
Things to Keep in Mind
Use Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan carefully:
Follow a doctor’s guidance to avoid incorrect dosing.
Stick to a light diet, avoiding spicy or greasy foods.
Don’t use for cold or dry conditions, as it’s designed for damp-heat.
Consult a practitioner to ensure it matches your symptoms.
Conclusion
Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan is a powerful Chinese herbal formula that clears dampness, cools heat, and detoxifies the body. Its 11 herbs work together to relieve fever, jaundice, sore throats, and digestive issues caused by damp-heat. Widely used for infections, liver issues, and inflammation, it’s backed by modern research for its versatility. Pair it with light, cooling foods like artemisia porridge and a balanced lifestyle for better results. Always use under professional guidance for safe, effective care.
Chinese Name | 甘露消毒丹 |
Phonetic | Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan |
English Name | Sweet Dew Toxin-Removing Elixir |
Classification | Dampclearing formulas |
Source | 《The Secret Transmission of Effective Medicine》Yi Xiao Mi Chuan《醫效秘傳》 |
Combination | Talcum (Hua Shi) 15 liang (450g), Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin) 10 liang (300g), Artemisiae Capillaris Herba (Yin Chen) 11 liang (330g), Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (Shi Chang Pu) 6 liang (180g), Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus (Chuan Bei Mu) 5 liang (150g), Akebiae Caulis (Mu Tong) 5 liang (150g), Pogostemonis Herba (Huo Xiang) 4 liang (120g), Forsythiae Fructus (Lian Qiao) 4 liang (120g), Amomi Fructus Rotundus (Bai Dou Kou) 4 liang (120g), Menthae Haplocalycis Herba (Bo He) 4 liang (120g), Belamcandae Rhizoma (She Gan) 4 liang (120g) |
Method | Grind the medicinals into powder and take 6-9g as a single dose. It can also be prepared into pills. Take 9-12g of the pills for each dose. In addition, it can also be prepared as a decoction. |
Action | Drains dampness and removes turbidity, clears heat and resolves toxins. |
Indication | Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan is indicated for damp-warmth and seasonal epidemic. It is a pattern with equal dampness and heat pathogens in the qi level. The symptoms are fever and fatigue, chest distress and abdominal distension, aching pain of limbs, throat pain, yellow skin and eyes, maxillofacial swelling, thirst, scanty and dark urine, diarrhea, and turbid strangury. The tongue coating may be either white, thick and greasy or yellow and dry. The pulse is either soggy and rapid or slippery and rapid. |
Pathogenesis | This formula is applied to patterns that have equal dampness and heat. Fever, aching pain of limbs and fatigue are caused by heat steaming dampness. Chest distress and abdominal distension are caused by dampness accumulation in middle jiao. Yellow skin and eyes are caused by damp-heat steaming in the liver and gallbladder. Thirst, throat pain, and maxillofacial swelling are caused by heat attacking the upper jiao. Scanty dark urine, diarrhea, and turbid strangury are caused by damp-heat pouring downward. A tongue with thick, white, and greasy or dry, yellow coating is a sign of damp-heat stagnation in the qi level. The therapeutic methods are to drain dampness and remove turbidity and to clear heat and resolve toxins. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan is a common formula used in the summer for damp-warmth and seasonal epidemic with equal amounts of dampness and heat. Doctor Wang Shi-xiong named it as the principal formula for treating damp-warmth. This clinical pattern is marked by feverish sensation and aching pain of limbs, thirst, dark urine, throat pain, yellow skin, white and greasy, or light yellow tongue coating. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders when the patient shows signs of equal dampness and heat: typhoid, acute gastroenteritis, infectious hepatitis with jaundice, leptospirosis, and cholecystitis. 3. Cautions and contraindications This formula is not applicable for damp-heat invading ying level, marked by delirious speech and crimson tongue. |
