Natural Herb Library

TCM pattern · Blood deficiency

Liver Blood Deficiency

肝血虚 Gan Xue Xu Liver system

The Liver stores the blood, and its store is low. The face, lips, and nails are pale, the eyes are dry and tired, vision blurs, limbs go numb or cramp, periods are light or late, and sleep is thin. It is the pale, cool cousin of Liver yin deficiency.

The Liver is a reservoir that feeds the eyes, the tendons, the nails, and the cycle. When the reservoir runs low, the farthest fields dry first: the fingertips, the eyes, the period.

4 formulas Updated 2026-10-12 View API data

How to recognize Liver Blood Deficiency

The signs that point most strongly to this pattern:

  1. Pale face, pale lips, pale brittle nails
  2. Dry, tired eyes, blurry vision, floaters
  3. Numb limbs, muscle cramps or twitches
  4. Light, late, or absent periods
  5. Dizziness, especially on standing

Also common

  • Poor sleep with dreams
  • Dry skin and hair
  • Low mood, easily tired
  • Difficulty with night vision
Tongue
Pale, thin, a little dry.
Pulse
Thin, or thin and wiry.

Formulas for Liver Blood Deficiency

Primary Si Wu Tang 四物汤 Four-Substance Decoction When: The base blood formula for the pale, dizzy, light-cycle picture. For sleep Suan Zao Ren Tang 酸枣仁汤 Sour Jujube Decoction When: When poor sleep is the loudest complaint. With stagnation Xiao Yao San 逍遥散 Rambling Powder When: Blood deficiency with stress, tension, and an irregular cycle. With tiredness Ba Zhen Tang 八珍汤 Eight-Treasure Decoction When: When energy is low along with the blood.

Herbs that matter most for Liver Blood Deficiency

  • Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Angelica builds and moves blood.
  • Bai Shao White Peony Root White peony nourishes Liver blood and relaxes cramps.
  • Shu Di Huang Prepared Rehmannia Root Prepared rehmannia, the heaviest blood tonic.
  • Gou Qi Zi Chinese Wolfberry Fruit Goji feeds the Liver and the eyes.
  • He Shou Wu Raw Fleeceflower Root Fo-ti nourishes blood and darkens hair.
  • Sang Shen Mulberry Fruit Mulberry fruit for dizziness and dry eyes.

How Liver Blood Deficiency differs from its look-alikes

  • Liver Yin Deficiency Yin deficiency is warm and dry: night sweats, a red tongue, a hot temper. Blood deficiency is pale and cool with a pale tongue.
  • Heart Blood Deficiency Heart blood deficiency centers on sleep and palpitations. Liver blood deficiency centers on eyes, tendons, nails, and the cycle. They often sit together.

What drains into Liver Blood Deficiency

  • Blood loss from heavy periods, childbirth, or surgery
  • A diet short of blood-building food
  • Spleen weakness that makes too little blood
  • Long illness
  • Overwork and worry

Food and habits that help Liver Blood Deficiency

  • Red meat or liver in small amounts, eggs, dates, goji, black sesame, dark greens, beets.
  • Regular meals; blood is made from food eaten on time.
  • Screens off early; the Liver refills the eyes from stored blood at night.
  • Gentle movement; hard sweating spends blood.

What should change as Liver Blood Deficiency improves

  • Dizziness and the dry eyes ease within a month.
  • Nails and lips turn pink over one to two months.
  • The cycle fills out over two to three cycles.

Conditions where Liver Blood Deficiency shows up

Blood Deficiency Anemia Blurred Vision Dizziness Amenorrhea Menstrual Irregularities Insomnia

Sources

  • Maciocia, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, 3rd edition Liver blood deficiency.
  • Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Si Wu Tang.

Important Note

A pattern is a picture, not a diagnosis. Most people carry two patterns at once, and the signs here are the classic ones, not a checklist. Use this page to recognize yourself, read a formula label with understanding, and ask a qualified practitioner a sharper question.