building blood

The concept of blood in traditional Chinese medicine goes beyond the viscous material coursing through our blood vessels; TCM believes that blood is vital energy comprised of nutrients gathered from the spleen that has been paired with kidney essence known as jing (we would commonly refer to this as our vis or our life force). This energy-rich blood is stored in the bone marrow and is affected by excess worry, overwork, pregnancy and poor diet.

In TCM, practitioners observe the tongue and palpate pulses found along the wrists to determine which organ the pathology has manifested in and to which extent. This information along with your symptoms come together and point to a pattern or a TCM diagnosis. Blood deficiency will commonly manifest in the liver, the heart and/or the spleen and will present with symptoms all pointing towards pale and poor.

blood deficiency

pale lips, nails, tongue

pale complexion

hair loss

premature grey or thinning hair

dry skin

numbness in arms and hands

poor sleep

poor memory

blurry vision or floaters

Building blood in Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Since blood is derived from nutrients, it is key that you’re digestive system is working properly

  • To encourage nutrient absorption, we build the qi of spleen and reduce any dampness that negatively impacts the spleen

• Ensure adequate protein intake; depending on the severity of the blood deficiency, animal protein may be recommended

• Correct nutrient deficiencies that impact blood deficiency: B12, folic acid, iron

• Ensure important nutrients are present for adequate absorption: Copper, B vitamins, vitamin C

• Encourage blood-building foods in the diet (note: these are very similar to iron-rich foods)

  • The richest sources of blood in TCM are seaweeds and micro-algae (think spirulina!)

  • Grains and greens are considered key blood tonics; this is likely because of their rich manganese content

• The hair is a strong indicator of blood quality in TCM; blood-building foods that are often recommended for premature grey hair include hijiki seaweed, blackstrap molasses, nettles and wheatgrass

• Remove damp-forming foods such as dairy, sugar, greasy foods and alcohol

• Treat excessive bleeding (menstrual, gastrointestinal, nosebleeds)

• Encourage heavy use of blood-rich foods in the diet

  • black and dark coloured foods: black grapes, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, beets, pomegranate, black rice, black chia seeds, umeboshi, black beans

• And, of course, use of acupuncture to strengthen qi and blood

Herbal Blood Building Lemonade

1 heaping tablespoon of Urtica dioica (Stinging Nettle) leaves

1/2 tbsp of Rosa canina (Rose hips)

1 tablespoon of Rubus idaeus (Red Raspberry)

A pinch of Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice), shredded for sweetness; you can skip this step and add honey instead!

1 large or 2 small Lemons, juiced

Add the herbs to a mason jar and fill the mason jar with boiled water and then cover.
If you are lucky enough to have sunny windows, you can also place the herbs and room temperature water in a covered mason jar and create a sun infusion instead. Watch and wait for the water to turn a deep colour and then it will be ready!
Leave for as long as you like; for a lighter-tasting tea, 15 minutes is ideal but I prefer to leave mine for at least 30 min to 45 minutes and then I lighten up the flavour with the lemon.
Strain into glass either over ice or serve at room temperature (my preference!)
Enjoy!

Resources and further reading:

The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford