Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that smooth blood circulation is essential for health. If the blood is in a hypercoagulable state or flows slowly, it can lead to blood stasis, resulting in a series of diseases such as cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. Today, Emma brings you medicinal recipes and acupoint massage to help invigorate blood circulation and improve blood stasis constitution!
“Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction” Invigorates Blood and Resolves Stasis
“Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction” contains 11 Chinese herbs, including Honghua (Carthamus tinctorius), Taoren (Prunus persica), Danggui (Angelica sinensis), Shengdi Huang (Rehmannia glutinosa), Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong), Chishaocao (Paeonia lactiflora), Niuxi (Achyranthes bidentata), Jiegeng (Platycodon grandiflorus), Chaihu (Bupleurum chinense), Zhiqiao (Citrus aurantium), and Gancao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis). “Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction” is also known as one of the five major blood-invigorating formulas. In this formula, Taoren breaks up blood stasis and moistens dryness, while Honghua invigorates blood and dispels stasis to relieve pain, serving as the monarch herbs. Chishaocao and Chuanxiong assist the monarch herbs in invigorating blood and dispelling stasis; Niuxi invigorates blood, opens the meridians, dispels stasis, and guides blood downward, serving as minister herbs. Shengdi Huang and Danggui nourish blood and benefit yin, clear heat, and invigorate blood; Jiegeng and Zhiqiao work together to regulate qi and relieve chest tightness; Chaihu soothes the liver and relieves depression, uplifting clear yang, all serving as assistant herbs. Jiegeng can also carry the medicine upward, serving as a messenger herb; Gancao harmonizes the other herbs, also serving as a messenger herb.
Emma：
Before starting the introduction, Emma would like to emphasize that the herbs in “Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction” have strong blood-invigorating properties. Therefore, it should be avoided by pregnant women, children, those prone to diarrhea, and individuals with chronic bleeding. The formula must be taken under the guidance of a physician. Additionally, blood-invigorating herbal teas should also be taken according to symptoms.
Next, Emma will focus on the monarch herbs in “Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction”, Taoren and Honghua.
Taoren
Taoren has a bitter and sweet flavor and is associated with the heart, liver, and large intestine meridians. It has the effect of relaxing the meridians and invigorating blood.
Modern research has proven that Taoren and its extracts can directly dilate peripheral blood vessels, increase local blood flow, reduce blood viscosity, and improve blood rheology. Its extracts can also inhibit platelet aggregation, providing anticoagulant effects and protecting cardiovascular health. Although Taoren is effective in invigorating blood and dispelling stasis, it should be avoided by pregnant women and those prone to diarrhea. The strong blood-invigorating power of Taoren may lead to miscarriage or bleeding in pregnant women. Taoren also has a laxative effect, so it should not be consumed by those prone to diarrhea. Additionally, the skin and tips of Taoren have certain toxicity, so processed Taoren should be chosen to remove its toxicity. In daily life, Taoren can be used in congee recipes to assist in invigorating blood and dispelling stasis!
【Preparation Method】Select clean Taoren, place it in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, soak for 5-10 minutes, then decoct to extract the juice, add rice to cook congee, and when the congee is cooked, add white sugar and boil for another minute or two to complete. Take one dose daily.
【Effects】Invigorates blood and resolves stasis, opens the meridians, and relieves pain.
【Indications】Suitable for blood stasis causing menstrual irregularities, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain due to stasis, trauma, blood stasis pain, stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, as well as hypertension, coronary heart disease, and angina.
Honghua
Unlike the neutral nature of Taoren, Honghua is a warm and dispersing herb. When combined with Taoren, it enhances the effects of invigorating blood and dispelling stasis.
Modern medical research has shown that Honghua mainly contains Honghua glycoside, Honghua quinone, Honghua yellow pigment, and Honghua oil, which have the effects of stimulating the heart, increasing coronary blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and reducing cholesterol.
In daily life, we can combine Honghua with Chenpi (dried tangerine peel) to make herbal tea to assist in invigorating blood and dispelling stasis!
【Effects】Promotes digestion, dispels stasis, and lowers lipids.
【Preparation Method】① Wash Honghua and dry it in the sun or oven; ② Place Honghua and Chenpi together in a large cup, pour boiling water over it, cover, and steep for 15 minutes.
Acupoints for Invigorating Blood and Resolving Stasis
Emma has found three major acupoints to assist in invigorating blood and resolving stasis!
Hegu Point (合谷穴)
【Location】Located between the first and second metacarpal bones on the back of the hand, approximately at the midpoint of the second metacarpal bone.
【Method】To locate the point, place the joint crease of the thumb of one hand on the web of the index finger of the other hand, and the point is where the thumb tip is.
【Function】Disperses wind and clears heat, opens the meridians, and moistens the skin, effective for facial and head ailments, acne, urticaria, and wind rash.
Xuehai Point (血海穴)
【Location】The patient sits on a chair with legs straight, a depression appears on the side of the knee, and above the depression is a raised muscle; the top of the muscle is the Xuehai point.
【Method】Gently massage both sides of the Xuehai point for 3 minutes daily, applying moderate pressure until a sensation of soreness and distension is felt at the point.
【Function】Regulates qi and blood, dispels wind and dampness, suitable for eczema, urticaria, butterfly spots, alopecia areata, and facial pigmentation.
Zusanli Point (足三里)
【Location】Located 3 cun below the Dubi point, 1 finger breadth lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia; to locate the point, sit upright or lie on your back with knees bent, and find the point 3 cun directly below the Dubi point, about 1 finger breadth from the anterior crest of the tibia, on the anterior tibial muscle.
【Method】Insert the needle straight 0.5-2 cun, and moxibustion can be applied.
【Function】Strengthens the spleen and stomach, regulates qi and blood, and is beneficial for weakness, facial wrinkles, sallow complexion, and acne.
Are You at Risk of Blood Stasis Constitution?
Are you at risk of blood stasis constitution that can lead to myocardial infarction? You can be diagnosed with blood stasis syndrome if you meet one major criterion or two minor criteria. Each major criterion scores 2 points, and each minor criterion scores 1 point, which can serve as a quantitative diagnostic standard for blood stasis syndrome.
Emma has noticed that many viewers have left messages about insomnia. Long-term insomnia can exacerbate blood stasis! For those with insomnia, under the guidance of a physician, Suanzao Ren Decoction (Sour Jujube Decoction) can be taken to alleviate insomnia. The formula contains five herbs: Suanzao Ren (Ziziphus jujuba), Gancao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), Zhimu (Anemarrhena asphodeloides), Fuling (Poria cocos), and Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong), which nourish blood, calm the spirit, and clear heat to relieve irritability.
Supplementing Vitamin D to Prevent Myocardial Infarction
In daily life, in addition to medicinal recipes and acupoint massage, we can also protect the heart and prevent myocardial infarction by consuming foods rich in vitamin D!
Modern medical research has found that vitamin D has various potential cardiovascular benefits, including reducing the production of renin, maintaining the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reducing the formation of foam cells that lead to atherosclerosis. Severe vitamin D deficiency is an independent predictor of cardiovascular death events during hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome.
