🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Lately, Guangzhou’s weather has gradually warmed up, making spring increasingly evident. At the same time, reporters learned that more patients with hepatitis are visiting infectious disease departments at major hospitals in the city. According to experts at the Hepatology Outpatient Clinic of Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, the number of patients has noticeably increased since spring began, with nearly 700 to 1,000 hepatitis patients seen daily. Experts point out that epidemiological studies over many years show spring is a peak season for hepatitis, particularly for hepatitis A and E. Chronic hepatitis B and C are also prone to recurrence or worsening during spring. Experts believe this may be linked to the revival of climate in spring, which activates pathogenic microorganisms. Reporter Li Heng, Correspondent Kong Qingfen
Spring Dietary Therapy for Liver Health
All things have two sides. So does the relationship between spring and the liver. While spring is a high-risk period for liver diseases, the bright, sunny days of early spring also mark a time of new growth, ideal for regulating the five zang organs. Hence, TCM advocates "spring is the time to nourish the liver."
Therefore, Dr. Li Yueping, attending physician at the Severe Hepatic Disease Department of the Eighth Hospital, suggests that spring diets should prioritize liver nourishment and recommends the following herbal food remedies:
1. Formula for Soothing Liver Qi, Strengthening Spleen and Stomach: 10g chicken gizzard lining, 9g fresh hawthorn, 10g poria, 10g coix seed. One dose daily. Boil and divide into four portions for oral intake. Course lasts two months.
2. Formula for Activating Blood, Nourishing Yin, Tonifying Kidneys and Liver: 10g mulberry, 10g ophiopogon, 9g adenosma, 9g placenta, 6g longan. One dose daily. Boil and divide into four portions for oral intake. Course lasts two months.
3. Use fresh chicken liver (3 pieces), 100g rice, cook together into porridge. Helps treat elderly patients with insufficient liver blood, poor appetite, dry eyes or tearing. Additionally, elderly individuals with limb numbness may use 5 chicken livers and 20g tianma, steam together once daily for half a month to see results.
4. Sour taste nourishes the liver—vinegar is best. Vinegar tastes sour and enters the liver, possessing functions such as calming liver fire, dispersing stasis, detoxification, and antibacterial effects. Elderly hypertensive patients with hyperactive liver yang may consume 40ml vinegar daily, diluted in warm water. Alternatively, soak eggs or soybeans in vinegar—highly effective. For those with liver pain due to emotional frustration, mix 40ml vinegar with 10g bupleurum powder and swallow immediately to relieve pain quickly.
5. Consume duck blood to supplement liver blood. Duck blood is neutral in nature and rich in nutrients. Since the liver stores blood, "using blood to replenish blood" is a common TCM approach. Cook 100g duck blood, 100g crucian carp, and 100g white rice into porridge. This nourishes liver blood, aids in treating anemia, and is also an excellent liver-protective dish for liver cancer patients.
6. Spinach is ideal for soothing the liver and nourishing blood. As a seasonal vegetable in spring, spinach moisturizes, clears heat, soothes liver qi, and nourishes blood, offering significant benefits for auxiliary treatment of liver qi stagnation combined with gastric disorders.
Strict Alcohol Abstinence for Chronic Hepatitis Patients in Spring
So how should one prevent hepatitis in spring? Based on the progression of hepatitis, Dr. Shi Yuming, chief physician at the Second Hepatology Department of Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, suggests the following preventive measures.
Prevent infection via mouth: Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through the digestive tract. Transmission occurs via ingestion of food, water, or utensils contaminated with hepatitis A or E virus. Current habits such as eating raw vegetables, fish, or seafood provide opportunities for hepatitis viruses to infect, causing hepatitis. Therefore, prevention of hepatitis A and E starts with personal hygiene—wash hands before meals and after defecation. Avoid drinking raw water. Choose clean restaurants when dining out. Eliminate bad habits like eating raw vegetables, fish, or seafood.
Avoid Overwork: Excessive physical or mental labor disrupts the body’s immune balance, promoting viral replication and increasing liver burden, potentially triggering chronic hepatitis relapse. Thus, chronic hepatitis patients should pay special attention to rest in spring—avoid long-distance travel, staying up late, intense mental stress, excessive work pressure, emotional fluctuations, and frequent sexual activity to maintain mental and physical balance.
Strengthen Dietary Regulation: Hepatitis patients should eat light, nutritious foods. Avoid greasy, fried, or spicy foods, which are hard to digest and increase gastrointestinal and liver strain, potentially triggering hepatitis flare-ups. Alcohol is one of the main causes of hepatitis recurrence. Alcohol oxidizes in the liver, producing harmful acetaldehyde, directly damaging the liver. Therefore, hepatitis patients must abstain from alcohol entirely. Besides vegetables and fruits, include more acidic foods like hawthorn or vinegar, which help protect the liver.
Prevent Other Diseases: Early spring brings unpredictable weather, making people susceptible to other illnesses such as colds, diarrhea, cholecystitis, or gastrointestinal bleeding—all of which can trigger abnormal liver function. Thus, chronic hepatitis patients should monitor weather changes, stay warm, exercise regularly, maintain regular routines, keep emotions stable, and avoid other illnesses whenever possible.