🌿 Folk Prescriptions

In traditional Chinese medicine, blood is transformed from food essence under the influence of qi. Its generation is closely related to the heart, spleen, stomach, and kidney. After formation, blood is governed by the heart, spleen, and liver in terms of circulation and storage—heart generates blood, liver stores blood, spleen governs blood. Blood and qi have a close relationship: not only is blood production dependent on qi, but blood circulation also relies on qi's propulsion. Therefore, qi deficiency often leads to blood deficiency, and blood deficiency often accompanies qi deficiency. When nourishing blood, qi must also be supplemented.
Blood deficiency includes conditions such as anemia, neurasthenia, certain weakness syndromes, and menstrual disorders. Manifestations include dull or yellowish complexion, palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, physical weakness, pale nails, irregular menstruation, insomnia, vivid dreams, abdominal pain after menstruation, fine pulse, pale tongue. For blood deficiency, herbs such as angelica sinensis, white peony root, cooked rehmannia, donkey-hide gelatin, polygonum multiflorum, longan, and purple river crane can be used. Since qi deficiency often coexists with blood deficiency, supplementary qi-tonifying herbs such as Huangqi, codonopsis, and licorice can be added to enhance blood-nourishing effects.
Common blood-nourishing prescriptions include Siwu Tang, Danggui Buxue Tang, and Shiquan Dabu Tang. Common blood-nourishing patent medicines include Danggui Buxue Gao, Sangshen Mi Gao, Ejiao Buxue Gao, Jianxue Chongji, Yannian Yishou Jing, Yangxue Shengfa Jiaonang, and Guiqiao Dihuang Wan. Danggui Yangxue Gao nourishes blood and qi, activates blood, and regulates menstruation. It treats symptoms due to blood deficiency with blood stasis and qi deficiency, including sallow complexion, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, palpitations, exhaustion, and irregular menstruation. Take 15 grams twice daily, dissolved in warm water. Sangshen Mi Gao nourishes blood, moistens dryness, and tonifies liver and kidney. It treats insomnia, forgetfulness, dizziness, fatigue, premature graying hair, and elderly blood deficiency with intestinal dryness and constipation. Take 15–30 grams twice daily, dissolved in warm water. Avoid in cases of spleen-stomach cold deficiency with diarrhea. Ejiao Buxue Gao nourishes blood, moistens yin, and tonifies middle energizer. It treats chronic illness with weakness, blood deficiency with yin injury, dim vision, blurred vision, scanty menstruation, and cough due to deficiency. Take 20 ml twice daily, dissolved in warm water. Jianxue Chongji nourishes blood and qi, removes stasis, and promotes new blood. It treats leukopenia after radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and unknown occupational leukopenia. Take 15 grams three times daily, dissolved in warm water. Yannian Yishou Jing tonifies essence and blood, nourishes liver and kidney. It treats dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, deafness, numbness, sore waist and legs, premature graying hair due to liver and kidney essence-blood deficiency. Take 10 ml twice daily, in the morning and evening. Yangxue Shengfa Jiaonang nourishes blood and kidney, expels wind, and promotes hair growth. It treats hair loss due to blood deficiency and kidney deficiency, postpartum or post-illness hair loss, seborrheic alopecia, and scalp itching. Take 4 capsules three times daily. Guiqiao Dihuang Wan nourishes blood and yin. It treats dizziness, blurred vision, dim eyesight, palpitations, restlessness, insomnia, vivid dreams, hot flashes, night sweats, dry mouth, sore throat, costal pain, and irregular menstruation due to blood deficiency and yin deficiency. Take 1 pill twice daily, dissolved in light salt water or warm water. Blood-nourishing patent medicines primarily aim to eliminate or improve symptoms of blood deficiency. Since blood deficiency often coexists with qi deficiency or yin deficiency, when using these medicines, the primary manifestation should be blood deficiency.
[Blood-Nourishing Herbs]