Anemia, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Qi Xue Xu (Qi and Blood Deficiency Anemia), is most commonly caused by nutritional deficiencies, which refer to a lack of essential materials needed for hematopoiesis in the bone marrow. Treatment can involve supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B12, and iron supplements.Iron-deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia caused by insufficient iron in the body, affecting hemoglobin synthesis.
Type of Spleen Qi Deficiency: Pale or sallow complexion, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools, pale tongue, thin greasy coating, fine pulse.
Type of Qi and Blood Deficiency: Pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, pale swollen tongue, thin coating, weak fine pulse.
1. Blood-Boosting Red Date and Black Fungus Soup
Ingredients: 10g Black Fungus (Heimushroom), 50g Red Dates (Hongzao), appropriate amount of white sugar.
Indications: Anemia, Qi and Blood Deficiency type. Symptoms include pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, pale swollen tongue, thin coating, weak fine pulse.
Preparation: Soak the black fungus, wash, dry, and grind; cook the red dates until soft, remove skin and pits; cook the fungus powder, red dates, and white sugar together until thick. Consume before breakfast and after dinner.
Notes: Nourishes blood. Used for anemia, pale and dull skin, weakness.
2. Nourishing Blood and Qi Flavored Peanut Porridge
Ingredients: 50g Peanuts (Luohua Sheng) with skin, 15g Chinese Yam (Shanyao), 100g Japonica Rice (Jingmi), appropriate amount of rock sugar.
Indications: Anemia, Qi and Blood Deficiency type. Symptoms include pale complexion, fatigue, pale swollen tongue, thin coating, weak fine pulse.
Preparation: Wash and crush the peanuts, cook with yam and rice to make porridge, add rock sugar when porridge is nearly done.
3. Blood-Boosting Purple River Car (Placenta) Porridge
Ingredients: Half a fresh Purple River Car (Ziheshe, Placenta), 250g lean pork, 10 slices of ginger, 100g glutinous rice (Nuomi).
Indications: Anemia, Blood Deficiency type. Symptoms include pale complexion, dizziness, palpitations.
Preparation: Open the membranes and blood vessels of the placenta, remove any clotted blood, wash and cut the lean pork, slice the ginger, and cook with the rice to make porridge. Add scallions and a little salt for flavor. Consume 2-3 times a week for 15-20 times.
4. Qi-Boosting and Strengthening Cake
Ingredients: 1000g flour, 20g Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), 20g Fu Ling (Poria), 20g Longan Meat (Longyan), 20g Chinese Yam (Shanyao), 10g Dang Shen (Codonopsis), 10g Chen Pi (Dried Tangerine Peel), appropriate amount of white sugar.
Indications: Anemia, Qi Deficiency type. Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, poor appetite, sallow complexion, loose stools.
Preparation: Grind all herbs into fine powder, mix with flour and sugar, knead into dough, steam into cake, then dry in the oven. Consume as desired.
5. Qi and Blood Nourishing Glutinous Rice
Ingredients: 250g glutinous rice, 25g red beans (Chihongdou), 25g red dates (Hongzao), 25g longan meat (Longyan), 100g white sugar, 40g lard.
Indications: Anemia, Qi and Blood Deficiency type. Symptoms include pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath.
Preparation: Soak red beans; pit the red dates; wash and drain the glutinous rice, fry in lard until half cooked, then add red beans, red dates, longan meat, and sugar, mix well, add water, boil, and then steam for 20-30 minutes. Consume appropriately.
6. Spleen-Strengthening and Stomach-Nourishing Eel and Ginger Rice
Ingredients: 150g eel, 5-15mL ginger juice, 5 red dates, appropriate amount of rice, and seasonings.
Indications: Anemia, Spleen Qi Deficiency type. Symptoms include sallow or pale complexion, fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools, pale tongue, thin greasy coating, fine pulse.
Preparation: Mix eel meat with ginger juice, soy sauce, salt, and vegetable oil; steam rice and red dates for 30 minutes, then add eel on top and steam for another 20 minutes. Consume for lunch.
7. Kidney-Boosting Lamb Bone and Goji Berry Soup
Ingredients: 250g lamb bones, 15g goji berries (Gouqizi), 30g black beans (Heidou), 10 red dates, 50-100g Japonica rice.
Indications: Anemia, Kidney Qi Deficiency type. Symptoms include pale complexion, sore lower back and knees, pale tongue, thin greasy coating, fine pulse.
Preparation: Crush lamb bones, cook with goji berries, black beans, and red dates in a clay pot with water, season and consume. Take every other day for long-term use.
8. Blood-Boosting Mung Bean and Red Date Soup
Ingredients: 50g mung beans (Lvdou), 10 red dates, appropriate amount of brown sugar.
Indications: Anemia, particularly effective for iron-deficiency anemia.
Preparation: Wash mung beans and red dates, pit the red dates, cook until thick, add brown sugar, and boil for another 1-2 minutes before serving.
9. Blood-Boosting Longan and Mulberry Porridge
Ingredients: 15g longan meat, 30g mulberries (Sangshen), 100g glutinous rice, appropriate amount of honey.
Indications: Anemia, Blood Deficiency type. Symptoms include pale complexion, dizziness, palpitations.
Preparation: Cook longan meat and mulberries together, strain to obtain the juice, then cook with glutinous rice to make porridge, adding honey before serving.