What is Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang?

Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang is an old Chinese herb mix. The English name is Lophatherum and Tamarisk Decoction. It is a tea made by boiling dried herbs in water.

Healers used it for measles when the rash was slow to come out. The old books pair it with fever, a cough and a sore throat. This page treats the whole mix as one item, the way a single drug is listed, not as each herb on its own.

No human trials of this mix have been published that we could find. So we cannot say if it helps, or how much. Long use in China is not proof that a thing works, and that holds here.

Measles is a serious illness. A child with a rash and fever needs a doctor, not a home tea.

How does Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang work?

No one has shown how this mix acts in the body. Any account of it is a theory, not a fact.

In Chinese medicine, the herbs are said to push a rash out to the skin. Some are said to cool heat. Others are said to ease a dry, sore throat and a cough.

In lab tests, some of these plants calm swelling or slow germs in a dish. A dish is not a person. A cup of tea also holds far less of each plant than a lab test uses.

What forms does Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang come in?

Raw dried herbs are the classic form. You boil them in water and drink the strained liquid.

Some makers sell granules. These are dried herb extracts that you stir into hot water.

A few sell pills or a bottled liquid. These are less common outside China. Strength varies a lot between brands.

Where it comes from:

The formula comes from Chinese medicine and is a few hundred years old. It is usually traced to a Qing dynasty text on medicine, though sources differ on the exact book.

It sits in the group of formulas said to vent a rash. Chinese formula textbooks still list it. Doctors used it most often in children with measles, before vaccines were in use.

What does Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang help with?

• Measles rash that is slow to appear: This is the main old use. Healers gave it when a child had fever but the rash had not come out. There are no human trials to back this. Measles today is handled by a doctor, with vitamin A and care for fluids and fever where needed.
• Fever with a rash in children: Old texts pair this mix with a hot, restless child who has a rash. No trial has tested it. A child with a fever and rash should be seen by a doctor to find the cause.
• Sore throat with a rash: Several herbs in the mix were used for a dry, raw throat. The evidence is traditional only. A very sore throat with drooling or trouble swallowing is a reason to get help fast.
• Dry cough during a rash illness: Tradition says the moistening roots in the mix ease a dry cough. No human study has looked at this. A cough with fast breathing or wheeze needs a doctor.

Which foods are rich in Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang?

1. Licorice sweets: the same root is in the mix, so you get more of it
2. Mint tea: shares one of the herbs
3. Burdock root: a food in Japan and Korea, and one of the herbs here
4. Kudzu starch: used to thicken food, from the same root

Practical Tips:

Cut back on licorice sweets and licorice tea while you take this mix, so the licorice does not add up.

What are the side effects of Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang?

• Upset stomach or loose stools
• Puffy face, hands or ankles (from the licorice)
• Raised blood pressure with longer use
• Low potassium, which can cause weak muscles, cramps or an odd heartbeat
• Headache
• Skin rash or itch from an allergy to one of the plants
• Sweating more than usual

Good to know:

Short use at a normal dose is usually mild. Stomach upset is the most common complaint.

The serious risks come from the licorice root. Over weeks, or at a high dose, it can raise blood pressure, hold water in the body and drop potassium. Low potassium can upset your heart rhythm.

Stop the tea and call a doctor if you get swelling, bad headaches, muscle weakness or a fluttering heartbeat.

How much Zhu Ye Liu Bang Tang should you take?

• Recommended daily: No modern dose has been set, because no trials exist. In old practice, an adult day's dose used a few grams of each herb, often 3 to 9 grams, boiled in water and split into two or three cups. A child's dose is much smaller and is set by age and size. Only a trained Chinese medicine practitioner should work it out. Do not guess a child's dose at home.
• Best time of day: Usually split into two or three servings, spread through the day. Warm, not hot.
• With or without food: Often taken between meals. Take it with a little food if it upsets your stomach.
• Time to effect: Old texts expected some change in the rash within a day or two. No trial has tested this, so treat it as tradition, not fact.
• How long to take it: Old use was short. It was given for a few days during an acute illness, then stopped. Do not take it for weeks on end. The licorice in it builds up risk over time. If you see no change in two or three days, stop and speak to a doctor.