Nourishing the Body
Invigorating Blood and Strengthening the Body
Danggui
danggui
Dang
Gui
buxue qiangshen
As the saying goes: “Nourish in winter, and you will conquer the tiger in the coming year.” Winter is an excellent season for nourishment, and many people begin to replenish their health to resist the cold.
From a TCM perspective, to enhance immunity, one must ensure the abundance of Qi and blood. Today, I will introduce a wonderful herb for nourishing blood and strengthening the body—Danggui.
01
.
The
Holy
Medicine
for Women’s Health
Danggui is a “star” in the family of Chinese herbs, known for its precious medicinal value.
The “Pharmaceutical Dictionary” records: “Danggui can regulate Qi and nourish blood, allowing Qi and blood to return to their rightful places, hence the name Danggui.” Li Shizhen in the “Compendium of Materia Medica” states: “In ancient times, when a man married to continue his lineage, Danggui was the essential medicine for women to regulate blood, symbolizing the longing for a husband, thus it is named Danggui.”
The medicinal part of Danggui is the root of the Apiaceae plant, primarily produced in Min County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, known as the best authentic medicinal material, also called Min Danggui or Xi Danggui.
The root can be divided into whole Danggui (whole root), Danggui body (main root), Danggui head (root tip), and Danggui tail (lateral roots and root tips);
In TCM, it is believed that each part of Danggui has different effects;
Danggui head: stops bleeding; Danggui body: nourishes blood; Danggui tail: invigorates blood.
02
.
Danggui
Effects
for Optimal Health
Danggui is warm in nature, sweet and pungent in flavor, and enters the liver, heart, and spleen meridians; it has blood-nourishing and blood-invigorating effects, regulates menstruation and alleviates pain, and can also treat blood deficiency and constipation, with a wide range of medicinal applications.
Blood Nourishing and Invigorating
Danggui is also known as the premier blood-nourishing herb, suitable for various symptoms of blood deficiency, such as pale complexion, pale lips and nails, palpitations, numbness in limbs, dizziness, and cold hands and feet.
The “Commentary on the Treatise on Cold Damage” states: “The pulse is the residence of blood, all blood belongs to the heart, and any treatment of the pulse must first nourish the heart and benefit the blood; thus, Zhang Zhongjing treated coldness in the hands and feet, with a thin pulse on the verge of collapse, using the warming bitterness of Danggui to assist heart blood”;
This illustrates the blood-nourishing efficacy of Danggui.
Regulating Menstruation and Alleviating Pain
Ancient people referred to Danggui as the “Holy Medicine for Women,” as it can nourish blood and invigorate blood flow, and also regulate menstruation and alleviate pain.
Danggui is warm in nature, suitable for women with blood deficiency and cold stagnation, and is effective in treating irregular menstruation, scanty menstruation, amenorrhea, and dysmenorrhea.
Moistening the Intestines and Relieving Constipation
Danggui is sweet and warm, and has a moistening effect, suitable for blood stasis and Qi stagnation symptoms, as well as headaches, lower back pain, rheumatic pain, and dry constipation; it has certain therapeutic effects for postpartum women and elderly individuals with blood deficiency and constipation, often used in combination with herbs like Huo Ma Ren (Cannabis Seed) and Bai Zi Ren (Platycladus Seed) for their laxative properties.
03
.
Precautions
for Optimal Health
Although Danggui is beneficial, it is best to consult a TCM practitioner before use to ensure that your body condition is suitable for consuming Danggui.
1. Those with damp-heat in the stomach, bitter and greasy mouth, abdominal distension, or sticky stools or prone to diarrhea should avoid it.
2. Pregnant women and those with prolonged menstrual cycles or heavy menstrual flow should use it with caution.
04
Choosing
Danggui
for Optimal Health
Choosing the Appearance
Choose Danggui with a large head, thick and long main root, and few branches, as it absorbs more sunlight, moisture, and nutrients during growth, making it more valuable.
Choosing the Cut Surface
Danggui with a yellow-white cut surface and compact density is better; a red-brown cut surface indicates inferior quality, as those with a spongy and sparse density often grow in shady conditions.
Choosing the Color
Danggui that is earth-brown or black-brown is of better quality, while those that have been sulfur-fumigated are generally golden-yellow.
Danggui
Medicinal Dish
Danggui, Astragalus, and Black Chicken Soup
Ingredients: Black chicken 500g, Danggui 15g, Astragalus 20g, 3 slices of ginger. Method: 1. Clean the black chicken and blanch it; 2. Place the above ingredients in a stewing pot, add clear water, and stew for 2 hours, then add salt to taste. Effects: Nourishes Qi and blood. Suitable for individuals with a pale complexion, shortness of breath, fatigue, and scanty menstrual flow with light color, indicating a weak constitution and insufficient Qi and blood.
Source: Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Image Source: Shetu Network
Editor | Li Linxiao
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