Kidney tonification for the elderly should vary from person to person and cannot be generalized

Author: Xiangdong Jian, Chief Physician, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University

Reviewer: Guo Shubin, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Health is the top priority for the elderly. Kidneys, as the "innate foundation", are closely related to their physical health, and kidney deficiency is a common problem among the elderly.

Kidney deficiency needs to be supplemented, but to supplement the kidney, you must first distinguish whether it is kidney yin deficiency or kidney yang deficiency, and then adjust the supplement according to your own situation. Otherwise, not only may you fail to achieve the purpose, but you may also induce other diseases.

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1. How to distinguish kidney yin deficiency or kidney yang deficiency

1. Look at the complexion

Kidney yin deficiency causes red cheekbones and a dark complexion; kidney yang deficiency causes a pale complexion.

Kidney yin deficiency makes people afraid of heat. Since kidney yin cannot restrain yang, it is easy to cause virtual fire, causing a series of virtual fire phenomena such as hotness in the five hearts, dry mouth and throat, and preference for cold drinks. Kidney yang deficiency makes people afraid of cold. Kidney yang deficiency often occurs in people with yang deficiency or the elderly, and is mainly manifested by soreness of waist and knees, fear of cold limbs, dizziness, mental depression, etc. 3. Look at the appearance

Middle-aged and elderly people with kidney yin deficiency are mostly thin, and their teeth and hair fall out prematurely. People with kidney yang deficiency are mostly obese, and often show symptoms such as sore waist and knees, mental fatigue, frequent urination at night, and residual urine.

2. Kidney tonification should be tailored to the individual and the right medicine should be prescribed

1. For patients with kidney yin deficiency, Liuwei Dihuang Pills, Qiju Dihuang Pills, Zhibai Dihuang Pills and Erzhi Pills are suitable. For patients with kidney yang deficiency, Jingui Shenqi Pills, Sanxian Decoction and Jisheng Shenqi Pills are suitable. Warming kidney-tonifying drugs take a long time to take effect and require a certain period of time. The elderly should not believe in the "magic pills" on the market in the hope of seeing immediate results.

2. Food supplements

When it comes to kidney-tonifying foods, they are actually very common in life. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine believes that the kidney is black in color.

Colored foods have the function of nourishing the kidneys.

√ Food conditioning for kidney yin deficiency

You can eat more mulberries, wolfberries and some seafood, such as cuttlefish, which are all good for replenishing kidney yin. In addition, Tremella can nourish the yin of the five internal organs, so the elderly with kidney yin deficiency can also eat more.

√ Food conditioning for kidney yang deficiency

You can eat more leeks, walnuts, durian, etc., which are foods that replenish kidney yang. In addition, eating mutton regularly can also play a good role in replenishing kidney yang. Mutton has high nutritional value and a variety of cooking methods, which is very suitable for elderly people with kidney yang deficiency.

3. Lifestyle supplements

For the elderly, there are also many good ways to nourish the kidneys in daily life. Here are a few for you:

√ Drink more water

Many middle-aged and elderly people don't like to drink water. In fact, water is the source of life. If the body lacks water, the toxins in the body cannot be excreted with urine, which increases the burden on the kidneys and causes a variety of discomforts. Therefore, drinking more water is one of the main ways to nourish the kidneys.

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√ Keep feet warm

Many people believe that being afraid of cold is a sign of kidney deficiency. The kidney meridian originates from the soles of the feet. If the soles of the feet are affected by cold air, it is very easy to cause symptoms of kidney deficiency. Therefore, keeping the feet warm is very important in the process of tonifying the kidneys. It is recommended that the elderly must pay attention to keeping their feet warm.

√ Maintain a good sleep

Sleep is an important guarantee for promoting physical health, and it also plays a very important role in maintaining the kidney meridian. Clinically, many patients with renal failure have excessive staying up late and excessive fatigue. Therefore, to nourish the kidneys, you should pay attention to maintaining a good sleep.

√ Massage acupuncture points

The kidneys will age and become deficient with age. According to traditional Chinese medicine, massaging Yongquan, Taixi and Guanyuan points can replenish kidney qi, consolidate essence and protect the kidneys. In short, kidney deficiency in traditional Chinese medicine is a general term for kidney essence deficiency, which is different in yin, yang, qi and essence. The medication also has differences in warming, clearing, replenishing and consolidating. Therefore, do not take tonic medicine randomly when you hear "kidney deficiency" to prevent good intentions from doing bad things and making the condition worse.

Kidney-tonifying drugs are often greasy and inconvenient to the stomach, so they must be used under the guidance of a Chinese medicine practitioner. Even food should not be used for a long time or consumed in excess, so as to avoid the disadvantages of boosting yang and generating fire, replenishing yin and generating cold, and affecting digestion. "The kidney is the foundation of the body", and the elderly must follow the above measures to nourish the kidney and strengthen the body.