Herb

Ai Ye

Silvery wormwood leaf | 艾叶

Also known as:

Chinese mugwort , Argy wormwood , Ai Cao or Gaiyou

Ai Ye

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Properties

Hemostatic herbs (止血药) · Warm

Traditionally supports*

Menstrual Health Fertility Cold-Type Pain Relief Eczema and Dermatitis Relief

Parts Used

Leaf (叶 yè)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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About This Herb

Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties

Herb Description

Mugwort leaf is one of the most widely used warming herbs in Chinese medicine, best known as the raw material for moxibustion. Taken internally, it warms the womb, stops bleeding, and eases cold-related abdominal pain, making it especially valued in women's health for painful or irregular periods, heavy menstrual bleeding, and fertility support. Used externally as a wash, it helps relieve itchy skin conditions like eczema.

Herb Category

Hemostatic herbs (止血药) Warming herbs that stop bleeding (温经止血药)

Main Actions

  • Warms the Channels and Stops Bleeding
  • Dispels Cold and Alleviates Pain
  • Warms the womb and regulates menstruation
  • Calms the Fetus
  • Dries Dampness and Stops Itching

How These Actions Work

'Warms the channels and stops bleeding' means Ai Ye uses its warm nature to strengthen the body's ability to hold Blood within the vessels. In TCM, Cold can cause the body to lose its grip on Blood, leading to various types of bleeding. Ai Ye is particularly suited for bleeding that occurs alongside signs of internal Cold, such as heavy menstrual bleeding with pale, watery blood, or nosebleeds and vomiting of blood in people with a cold constitution. The charred form (Ai Ye Tan) is especially strong for this action.

'Disperses Cold and stops pain' means Ai Ye's acrid, warm nature helps drive out Cold that has settled in the body's interior, especially in the lower abdomen. Cold constricts and blocks the smooth flow of Qi and Blood, causing cramping pain. This action is relevant for lower abdominal pain that worsens with cold and improves with warmth, cold-type diarrhea, and cramping in the limbs.

'Warms the womb and regulates menstruation' makes Ai Ye one of the most important herbs in women's health. It directly enters the Liver and Kidney channels, which govern the uterus. When Cold lodges in the womb, it can cause painful periods, irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, and difficulty conceiving. Ai Ye warms the uterus, restores normal Blood circulation, and creates conditions favourable for conception.

'Calms the fetus' means Ai Ye helps stabilise a pregnancy that is threatened by Cold in the lower abdomen, addressing symptoms like vaginal bleeding or restlessness during pregnancy. It is a key herb in the classical formula Jiao Ai Tang used for this purpose.

'Dispels Dampness and stops itching' applies primarily to external use. When Ai Ye is decocted and used as a wash, its aromatic, bitter, and drying properties help clear Dampness from the skin. This is used for eczema, skin rashes, itchy skin, and vaginal itching.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Ai Ye is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.

The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.

Why Ai Ye addresses this pattern

Cold in the Uterus (Gong Han) is a pattern where pathogenic Cold lodges in the womb, constricting Blood flow and impairing reproductive function. Ai Ye is one of the primary herbs for this pattern because its warm nature and affinity for the Liver and Kidney channels allow it to directly warm the uterus, dispel Cold, and restore normal Blood circulation in the lower abdomen. Its acrid taste helps move stagnation caused by Cold constriction, while its bitter taste provides a mild drying effect against any co-existing Dampness. This makes it suited for the characteristic cramping menstrual pain, delayed or scanty periods, and infertility associated with a cold womb.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Amenorrhea

Menstrual pain that improves with warmth

Infertility

Difficulty conceiving due to a cold uterine environment

Irregular Menstruation

Delayed periods with dark, clotted menstrual blood

Cold Limbs

Cold lower abdomen and cold extremities during menses

TCM Properties

Temperature

Warm

Taste

Acrid / Pungent (辛 xīn), Bitter (苦 kǔ)

Channels Entered
Liver Spleen Kidneys
Parts Used

Leaf (叶 yè)

This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page

Product Details

Manufacturing, supplier, and product specifications

Product Type

Granules

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Botanical & Sourcing

Quality Indicators

Good quality Ai Ye leaves are large, intact (not excessively crumbled), and grey-green on the upper surface with abundant dense grey-white woolly hairs (tomentum) on the underside. The texture should be soft and pliable, not brittle. The aroma should be distinctly fragrant and characteristic, not musty or faint. The taste is slightly bitter and pungent. The best grade has thick tomentum, strong aroma, and minimal stems or impurities. Aged Ai Ye (陈艾, stored 1–3 years) is preferred for moxibustion and internal use because storage reduces harsh volatile oils while preserving therapeutic properties. Avoid leaves that are dark, musty-smelling, or show signs of mold or insect damage.

Primary Growing Regions

The most prized Ai Ye comes from Qichun County (蕲春), Hubei Province, known as 'Qi Ai' (蕲艾). Li Shizhen wrote in the Ben Cao Gang Mu that since the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, Qichun mugwort has been considered the finest, saying it was 'used to fill materia medica prescriptions, valued by all under heaven.' Modern analysis confirms that Qichun Ai Ye has significantly higher volatile oil, total flavonoid, and tannin content than mugwort from other regions. Historically, mugwort from Tangyin in Henan (called 'Bei Ai' or Northern Mugwort) and from Siming in Zhejiang ('Hai Ai' or Sea Mugwort) were also highly regarded during the Song Dynasty. Today, Ai Ye is commercially produced across Shandong, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, and Hunan provinces, with Hubei Qichun remaining the recognized dao di (terroir) source.

Harvesting Season

Late spring to early summer (typically around May, before the flowers open), when the leaves are most lush and aromatic. Traditional custom specifies harvesting around the third day of the third lunar month or the fifth day of the fifth lunar month (Dragon Boat Festival).

Supplier Information

Treasure of the East

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Miscellaneous Info

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Usage & Safety

How to use this herb and important safety information

Important Medical Disclaimer

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. This herb is a dietary supplement and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking other medications. Discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage

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Instructions for safe storage and consumption

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Traditional Dosage Reference

Standard

3–9g

Maximum

Up to 15g in acute Cold-type uterine bleeding, under practitioner supervision. Do not exceed this range for internal decoction use due to volatile oil toxicity risk with higher doses.

Notes

Use lower doses (3–6g) for warming the channels and regulating menstruation. Use moderate to higher doses (6–9g) for stopping bleeding due to Cold, especially in the charred form (Ai Ye Tan). For external use as a wash (eczema, skin itching), larger amounts (15–30g) can be decocted for topical application without toxicity concerns. The raw herb (生艾叶) is more aromatic and dispersing, better for Cold pain and skin conditions. Vinegar-processed Ai Ye (醋艾叶) is milder and less drying, preferred for deficiency-Cold patterns. Charred Ai Ye (艾叶炭) has the strongest hemostatic action and is the form of choice for bleeding disorders.

Processing Methods

Processing method

Clean Ai Ye is mixed evenly with rice vinegar, left to absorb until thoroughly moistened, then stir-fried over gentle heat until dry. The standard ratio is 15 kg vinegar per 100 kg of Ai Ye.

How it changes properties

Vinegar processing moderates the herb's drying tendency, making it warm without being overly drying. The vinegar also enhances the herb's ability to enter the Liver channel, strengthening its pain-relieving and Cold-dispersing actions. The aromatic quality becomes milder, replaced by a slight vinegar scent.

When to use this form

Preferred for patterns of deficiency Cold in the lower abdomen where the primary goal is pain relief rather than hemostasis. Commonly chosen for cold-type dysmenorrhea, infertility due to a cold womb, and lower abdominal cramping in people who tend toward dryness and cannot tolerate the raw herb's stronger dispersing nature.

Toxicity Classification

Slightly toxic

The volatile oil of Ai Ye is both the primary active component and the source of potential toxicity. It contains thujone, cineole, camphor, and other terpenoids. In excessive internal doses, the volatile oil can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing nausea and vomiting. More seriously, it can cause toxic hepatitis with jaundice and central nervous system disturbance (initial excitation leading to convulsions, followed by depression). These effects are dose-dependent and primarily a concern with concentrated essential oil preparations or markedly excessive decoction doses, not with standard clinical dosage. Proper processing and dosage make the herb safe: using aged mugwort (陈艾, stored 1–3 years) reduces volatile oil content and harshness. Charring the leaves (艾叶炭) further diminishes the pungent, dispersing properties while strengthening hemostatic action. At standard decoction doses of 3–9g, Ai Ye has a long history of safe clinical use.

Contraindications

Caution

Yin Deficiency with Blood Heat (阴虚血热): Ai Ye is warm and pungent. People with Yin Deficiency generating internal Heat, or with Blood Heat patterns, should avoid it as it can worsen Heat symptoms and further deplete Yin fluids. Classical texts state: 'Blood Heat conditions are prohibited' (血热为病者禁用).

Caution

Pre-existing Blood Deficiency with Heat signs: Those with chronic Blood loss who have developed secondary Heat signs (dry mouth, restlessness, red tongue with little coating) should not take Ai Ye, as its warm, drying nature can aggravate these symptoms.

Avoid

Excessive or prolonged internal use: The volatile oil in Ai Ye is both therapeutically active and potentially toxic. Prolonged or high-dose internal use can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, cause toxic hepatitis with jaundice, or overstimulate then depress the central nervous system, potentially causing convulsions.

Avoid

Hypersensitivity to Artemisia species: Individuals with known allergy to mugwort or other Artemisia plants should avoid Ai Ye. Mugwort pollen allergy is common in some regions and may cross-react with the herb itself.

Special Populations

Pregnancy

Ai Ye is traditionally considered safe during pregnancy at appropriate doses and is in fact one of the classical herbs for stabilizing pregnancy (安胎). The formula Jiao Ai Tang from the Jin Gui Yao Lue specifically uses Ai Ye combined with E Jiao to treat threatened miscarriage with vaginal bleeding due to Cold in the uterus. However, Ai Ye should only be used under practitioner guidance during pregnancy. Its warming, Blood-moving properties mean that excessive doses could theoretically overstimulate uterine circulation. It is indicated specifically for Cold-type threatened miscarriage and should not be used if the pregnancy complication involves Heat signs. The volatile oil component has central nervous system effects at high doses, which is an additional reason to keep within standard dosage range.

Breastfeeding

Ai Ye is generally considered compatible with breastfeeding at standard decoction doses (3–9g). It has a long tradition of postpartum use in Chinese medicine, including for postpartum abdominal pain from Cold and postpartum uterine bleeding. The volatile oil components could theoretically transfer into breast milk in small amounts, but no adverse effects on nursing infants have been documented at normal doses. External use (foot soaks, moxibustion) during breastfeeding is considered safe. Avoid prolonged or high-dose internal use, as the warming, drying properties could potentially reduce breast milk production in some individuals by consuming Yin fluids.

Pediatric Use

Ai Ye can be used in children but at reduced doses proportional to age and body weight (typically one-third to one-half of the adult dose for children over 3 years). External use is more common in pediatrics: Ai Ye foot soaks or baths for Cold-type abdominal pain, mild moxibustion for digestive weakness. Internal use should be limited to short courses under practitioner guidance. Avoid use in infants under 1 year due to the volatile oil content and potential sensitivity of immature liver function.

Drug Interactions

No well-documented pharmaceutical drug interactions have been established through clinical studies specific to Artemisia argyi. However, based on the known pharmacological properties of its active compounds, the following theoretical interactions warrant caution:

  • Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications (e.g. warfarin, heparin, aspirin): Ai Ye has hemostatic (blood-stopping) properties. Concurrent use could theoretically interfere with anticoagulant therapy by opposing the drug's intended effect. Conversely, some Artemisia species contain coumarins that might potentiate anticoagulants. Monitor coagulation parameters if used together.
  • Sedative and CNS-depressant drugs (e.g. benzodiazepines, barbiturates): The volatile oil, particularly thujone and camphor components, has central nervous system effects. Concurrent use with sedatives may have unpredictable additive or antagonistic effects.
  • Hepatotoxic medications: Given that the volatile oil can cause liver damage at high doses, caution is advised when combining with other potentially hepatotoxic drugs (e.g. acetaminophen at high doses, certain statins).

Dietary Advice

When taking Ai Ye internally for Cold-type conditions, avoid cold and raw foods (salads, ice cream, chilled drinks, raw fruit) as these counteract the herb's warming effect. Favor warm, cooked foods and warming spices (ginger, cinnamon). Avoid excessively greasy or rich foods that could impede digestion and the herb's ability to dispel Dampness. Traditionally, Ai Ye is also consumed as a food: young spring leaves are used to make green rice cakes (青团, qing tuan) during the Qingming Festival in southern China, and Ai Ye tea is prepared by steeping dried leaves.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this herb is typically safe for most individuals, it may cause side effects in some people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, postpartum women, and those with liver disease should use the formula with caution.

As with any Chinese herbal remedy, it is advisable to seek guidance from a qualified TCM practitioner before beginning treatment.