What are the Chinese herbal medicines for nourishing blood?

For women, symptoms of anemia are more common. After all, women will experience massive blood loss several times in their lives, such as childbirth, miscarriage, etc. For women, menstruation every month will cause the body to lose a lot of blood. If the blood is not replenished in time, it is easy to suffer from anemia and other diseases. So, what are the Chinese herbal medicines that can replenish and nourish blood?

(1) Angelica: Angelica is the root of the Umbelliferae plant Angelica sinensis, also known as Angelica sinensis. Angelica sinensis tastes sweet and spicy, and is warm in nature. It has the effects of nourishing blood and activating blood circulation, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, as well as moisturizing and lubricating the intestines. Pharmacological studies have shown that angelica can lower blood pressure, protect the liver, calm nerves, relieve pain, improve systemic metabolic function, act as a diuretic, and have excitatory and inhibitory effects on the uterus. Angelica sinensis is an important blood tonic and is suitable for symptoms such as sallow complexion, dizziness, fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, and weak hands and feet caused by blood deficiency in the heart and liver. Angelica can nourish blood and activate blood circulation. When blood circulates, the blood flows smoothly, and when the blood flows smoothly, there is no pain. Therefore, Angelica can activate blood circulation, regulate menstruation, promote qi circulation and relieve pain. It is suitable for women with irregular menstruation, menstruation, abdominal pain, amenorrhea, and postpartum abdominal pain due to congestion. It is also suitable for rheumatic pain caused by blood stasis blocking the collaterals, numbness of hands and feet, blood stasis in limbs, blood deficiency and blood stasis in carbuncles and ulcers. It can also moisturize the intestines and treat constipation, and is especially suitable for habitual constipation in the elderly. Doctors since ancient times believed that angelica can be divided into three parts, each with different effects. The head of angelica stops bleeding and moves upward, the body of angelica nourishes blood and stays in the middle, the tail of angelica breaks blood and makes it flow downward, and the whole body of angelica harmonizes blood and does not move it. Therefore, Angelica sinensis has always been regarded as a holy medicine for blood.

(2) Ejiao: Ejiao is a block of glue made by dehairing the donkey skin, an equine animal. It was called Fuzhijiao and Penfujiao in ancient times. Donkey-hide gelatin is sweet in taste, neutral in nature, and enters the liver and kidney meridians. It has the effects of nourishing blood and yin, moistening dryness, stopping bleeding and calming the fetus. The pharmacological ingredients are mostly composed of collagen and its partial hydrolyzates, and the basic components are protein, multiple amino acids, calcium, sulfur and other substances. According to pharmacological research, donkey-hide gelatin can accelerate the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood. It can improve the calcium balance in the body, promote calcium absorption, and prevent and treat progressive muscular dystrophy. "Compendium of Materia Medica" said: "Donkey-hide gelatin is mainly used to replenish blood and fluid." Therefore, it focuses on replenishing blood and is suitable for consumptive diseases such as dizziness, palpitations, irritability, and insomnia caused by insufficient yin and blood. Donkey-hide gelatin is sticky in nature and can coagulate blood vessels. It is suitable for all blood diseases, such as vomiting blood, hematuria, epistaxis, bloody stool, coughing up blood, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, bleeding during pregnancy, and continuous bleeding after childbirth. Donkey-hide gelatin nourishes yin and moistens dryness, and is suitable for symptoms such as cough and asthma due to deficiency, yin deficiency and dry cough, dry throat with little phlegm, irritability and thirst. Because donkey-hide gelatin nourishes yin and moistens the lungs, relieves cough and bleeding, and has a mild nature, it is also an important medicine for tuberculosis. When taking donkey-hide gelatin, it should be dissolved in boiled water or rice wine, and when added to decoctions, it should be melted and taken with the drink. Because this product is sticky and impedes digestion, people with weak spleen and stomach or vomiting and diarrhea should not take it.

(3) Rehmannia root: Rehmannia root is the rhizome of Rehmannia root, a plant of the Scrophulariaceae family, which is processed and steamed. Rehmannia root is sweet and slightly warm in nature. It enters the liver and kidney meridians and has the effects of nourishing yin and blood, benefiting the kidneys and producing essence. Pharmacological studies have shown that Rehmannia root has cardiotonic, diuretic, anti-allergic, blood sugar lowering, blood pressure raising and vasoconstriction effects in small amounts, while in large amounts it has the effect of vasodilation. Rehmannia root is suitable for all symptoms of yin deficiency, blood deficiency, and essence deficiency. It is an important medicine for tonifying the liver and kidneys, nourishing yin and blood. Essence and blood are the basic substances of the human body, so Rehmannia glutinosa can nourish the lower abdomen and strengthen the foundation. It is clinically used for symptoms such as soreness of waist and knees, dizziness, blurred vision, shortness of breath, palpitations, hot flashes, night sweats, spermatorrhea and strain caused by liver and kidney yin deficiency. It is suitable for gynecological and obstetric diseases such as irregular menstruation, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, and anemia before and after pregnancy. It is also suitable for symptoms of yin deficiency and blood deficiency such as tinnitus, deafness, premature graying of hair, thirst, hematemesis, and epistaxis caused by kidney yin deficiency.

(4) Millettia reticulata: Millettia reticulata is the dried vine stem of the Millettia reticulata plant of the Leguminosae family. Millettia reticulata tastes bitter, slightly sweet, and warm in nature. It enters the liver and kidney meridians and has the effects of nourishing blood and activating blood circulation, unblocking meridians and activating collaterals, strengthening tendons and bones, and increasing hemoglobin and white blood cells. Because Millettia reticulata focuses on replenishing blood and activating blood circulation, it is suitable for gynecological diseases such as amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, and dysmenorrhea due to blood deficiency. Millettia reticulata can relax muscles and tendons and dredge meridians. It is also suitable for diseases such as limb numbness, waist and knee pain, rheumatism and paralysis. Because it can promote blood circulation and dredge meridians, it is also suitable for patients with traumatic diseases such as bruises, congestion and swelling.

According to clinical reports, Millettia reticulata is effective in treating leukocytopenia and anemic nerve paralysis caused by radiation. There is a kind of chicken blood vine paste on the market, which is made by boiling and concentrating chicken blood vine into the original paste, then taking glutinous rice and malt to make maltose syrup, and boiling safflower, Chinese sedge, knotweed, and black beans into medicinal liquid, and then mixing the three and concentrating them into a paste. This paste tastes slightly sweet and has a fragrant aroma. Its effects are similar to those of Millettia reticulata, but its blood-replenishing ability is stronger. It can be dissolved in rice wine and taken orally, or it can be melted and added to decoctions for consumption.

(5) Placenta: Placenta is the dried placenta of a healthy person, also known as placenta or Hunyuandan in ancient times. Placenta tastes sweet and salty, is warm in nature, and enters the lung, liver, and kidney meridians. It has the effect of strongly replenishing qi and blood, and benefiting the kidneys and producing essence. Placenta contains a large amount of gelatin, protein, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. According to pharmacological research, the placenta contains a variety of antibodies, interferon, gonadotropin, prolactin and a variety of enzymes with application value, which can enhance the body's resistance, prevent and alleviate infectious diseases such as measles and influenza, and have hormone-like effects.

Placenta nourishes Qi and blood, and is suitable for diseases such as weak body, yin deficiency fever, bone steaming and hot flashes, soreness of waist and knees, cough, asthma, impotence and spermatorrhea, as well as female infertility, habitual abortion caused by insufficient Qi and blood, and postpartum milk deficiency. Unlike ginseng, placenta is mainly used to replenish qi and blood, and is more suitable for various diseases caused by insufficient yin and blood, and loss of essence and qi. Just as it is said in "Zhegong Manlu": "Some people say that Heche is hot and contains fire. This view is the most misleading. Heche is a blood and yin tonic, so it is not hot in nature. But because of its heavy power, it seems to help fire. If it is taken slowly with other medicines, how can it help fire?" Therefore, it needs to be taken for a long time to achieve significant therapeutic effects. The medicinal effect of this product is mild and long-lasting. Long-term use will bring you many benefits without any harm.

The most common blood-enriching Chinese medicine is wolfberry, whose main ingredients are mostly vitamins, which can help resist falls, nourish the kidneys and improve essence. At the same time, wolfberry can lower blood sugar, blood pressure and prevent various diseases. What’s more important is that, like the above-mentioned traditional Chinese medicine, wolfberry is also very effective in replenishing and nourishing blood. Therefore, drinking more wolfberry soaked water is also beneficial to your health.