“How Much Do You Know About Food Nutrition” Series | How much do you know about foods that truly replenish Qi and blood?

"Tonify in autumn and winter, fight tigers next year", what should we nourish in autumn? Many female friends said that they tend to look old in autumn, in fact, this is mostly caused by insufficient qi and blood. So how to replenish qi and blood? Today we will introduce to you what foods can really replenish qi and blood from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine.

What are the symptoms of insufficient Qi and blood?

Qi and blood deficiency refers to qi deficiency and blood deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine. Qi and blood deficiency will lead to the decline of organ function and cause premature aging. Qi deficiency is often manifested by chills, cold limbs, pale complexion, spontaneous sweating, dizziness, loss of appetite, mental depression, fatigue, palpitations and shortness of breath. Blood deficiency is often manifested by dull and sallow complexion, pale lips, pale gums, dry skin, dry and yellow hair, premature graying, dry and cracked nails with vertical lines, blurred vision, numbness of hands and feet, insomnia and forgetfulness.

What are the foods that truly replenish qi and blood?

1. Longan

Longan is an important medicine for the heart and spleen. It can not only replenish heart blood, regulate symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness and shortness of breath caused by heart blood disorders, but also treat spleen deficiency. The spleen and stomach transport and produce blood. When the spleen and stomach are healthy, the blood supply will also improve, and the body can absorb more nutrients, and the physical condition will gradually improve. Dried longan tastes sweet, contains rich glucose and a large amount of sucrose, as well as protein and trace iron, which can increase the activity of hemoglobin in human blood and play a significant role in replenishing blood.

2. Dates

Autumn is relatively dry, and red dates are warm and sweet in nature, and enter the spleen and stomach meridians. They have the effects of nourishing yin and qi, tonifying the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and promoting body fluid, nourishing blood and calming the mind, and detoxifying. Autumn is the harvest season for jujubes, and fresh jujubes are also the richest in vitamins. Eating more jujubes is good for people's health. For people with qi and blood deficiency, it is recommended to boil the jujubes before taking them, which will have a better effect.

3. Ejiao

Donkey hide gelatin is a block of glue made from donkey skin. It is mild in nature, sweet in taste, and enters the lung, liver, and kidney meridians. Donkey hide gelatin has a good blood-tonifying effect. It is an important medicine for treating blood deficiency and a good choice of medicinal food for people with anemia. In autumn, it can be used together with qi-tonifying medicines such as Codonopsis pilosula and Astragalus membranaceus to nourish qi and blood.

4. Mulberries

Mulberries have the effects of nourishing yin and blood, darkening hair and improving eyesight, and nourishing the liver and kidneys. Mulberries are high in iron and vitamin C, both of which are beneficial to hematopoiesis. People with anemia and weak constitution can eat more mulberries to replenish blood. It should be noted that mulberries have a strong effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, so pregnant women should not eat them.

5. Animal liver

Animal liver not only has a high iron content, but also has an absorption rate of over 30%. Especially pork liver, which has a higher iron content than meat and animal blood, up to 22.6 mg/100 g. Pork liver also has the effects of nourishing blood, regulating menstruation, and benefiting the liver. Proper consumption can regulate qi and blood, improve the body's hematopoietic function, and prevent the occurrence of rickets and iron deficiency anemia. It should be reminded that animal liver has a high content of vitamin A. Excessive consumption by pregnant women may increase the risk of fetal malformations, so pregnant women should eat less of this kind of food.

6. Black Chicken

Black-bone chicken is rich in protein, vitamins, lysine, histidine and trace elements, and is nutritious and has high tonic medicinal value. Its unique melanin can increase the red blood cells and hemoglobin in the human body after being used as medicine. The black substance in the black-bone chicken contains high levels of iron and copper, which is an effective nutrient source for the body to prevent iron deficiency anemia. It has the effect of replenishing blood and promoting recovery for anemia after illness and postpartum.

7. Red meat

Red meat is red meat such as pork, beef, and mutton. This type of meat is rich in hemoglobin iron and has a good blood-replenishing effect. Taking beef as an example, the iron content is as high as 3.3 mg/100 g.

Author: Nie Linshan and Lan Haobo from Luoyang Normal University

Review expert: He Jialiang, associate professor of the School of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology