Three Herbal Soups for Stroke Patients
Li Li’s mother suddenly lost mobility in her right limb four days ago and was rushed to hospital. Diagnosed with “cerebral infarction,” Li Li was anxious, believing her mother’s weakness stemmed from physical weakness. Hearing that pig trotter soup with peanuts strengthens bones and body, she spent hours cooking soup at home during the day and stayed overnight in the hospital ward. However, after drinking the soup, her mother felt bloated, had poor appetite, and suffered constipation.
Family members of stroke patients often ask questions like “What soup should I cook?” or “Can I eat meat?” TCM views stroke as a complex condition involving “deficiency at root, excess at manifestation.” During acute phases, fever, convulsions, or bedridden status slow gastrointestinal motility and reduce digestive absorption, leading to constipation, poor appetite, thick tongue coating, and wiry pulse—mainly presenting “excess” symptoms. Diet should be light, providing nutrient-rich but easily digestible foods such as milk, soy milk, rice porridge, soft noodles, eggs, fish, lean meat, fresh vegetables, and fruits. For patients who enjoy soups, family members can chop fish or lean meat finely, mix with vegetables, and boil into a soup. Drink adequate water to prevent constipation and urinary tract infections. Avoid overly “tonifying” soups, which may “retain pathogens” and hinder recovery.
In recovery and post-stroke stages, the main presentation is “deficiency” with some “excess.” Diet should focus on reinforcing vital energy to “expel pathogens.” Commonly used ingredients include astragalus, codonopsis, angelica, notoginseng, salvia, chicken, lean meat (pork, beef), snakes, and turtles. However, the “tonifying” approach must be tailored to individual syndromes. Notably, regardless of stage, patients should avoid strong tea, alcohol, and fried, greasy foods.
Here are several herbal remedies:
Qi-Snake Soup: 50 grams astragalus, 200 grams live snake (head and intestines removed), 9 grams angelica, 6 red dates. Clean the snake, fry with 3 slices of ginger, combine all ingredients in a clay pot with sufficient water, simmer gently for two hours, season, and consume with meals. Suitable for post-stroke sequelae including hemiplegia, swelling and numbness in affected limbs, speech difficulties, dizziness, palpitations, bland taste, difficulty defecating, pale red tongue with ecchymosis, fine wiry pulse.
Notoginseng-Chicken Soup: 90 grams chicken, 10 grams notoginseng, 10 grams red ginseng, 30 grams astragalus. Crush notoginseng, fry chicken and 3 slices of ginger, combine all ingredients in a clay pot with sufficient water, simmer gently for two hours, season, and consume with meals. Suitable for post-stroke sequelae including hemiplegia, swelling and pain in affected limbs, speech difficulties, memory decline, dizziness, palpitations, pale dark tongue or ecchymosis, fine wiry pulse.
Rehmannia-Turtle Meat Soup: 1 turtle (~200 grams), 30 grams dried rehmannia, 20 grams wolfberry, 15 grams gentiana. Remove intestines and cut turtle into pieces, combine all ingredients in a clay pot with sufficient water, simmer gently for two hours, season, and consume with meals. Suitable for post-stroke sequelae including hemiplegia, limb spasm and rigidity, dizziness, flushed face, dry mouth, lower back soreness, red tongue with little coating, fine pulse.
Dr. Huang Yan, Chief Physician, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine