Gua Lou
gua_lou.jpg

 

Gua Lou in TCM:

Explore the properties of Gua Lou according to Chinese
Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):


Factoids:

English Name: trichosanthes fruit, snake gourd fruit
Pharmacuetical Name: Fructus Thricosanthis
Properties: sweet, cold


Temperature: cold

Channels: LU, LI, ST

Flavors: sweet

Special Properties:
resolves phlegm, resolves dryness, reduces swelling, alleviates bi syndrome


Actions / Indications:
  • Clears heat and transforms phlegm (Pi / Ke, Shi, Ren) (heat in LU; cough with thick sputum that is difficult to expectorate)
  • Treats abcess; reduces swellings; dissapates clumps (Pi / Ke, Shi, Ren) (abcess of LU, breasts, intestines, carbuncles, breast tenderness, and swelling)
  • Expands chest; Relieves chest bi (Pi / Ke) (painful obstruction of chest due to phlegm turbidity; modern use for coronary artery disease)
  • moistens intestines (Ren) (dry constipation)

    Special Notes:
  • (note: incompatible with wu tou, fu zi)
  • In earlier times Gua Lou was used as a whole fruit, but today the individual parts have different functions.

Contraindications:
  • (cc: cold from deficiency)