Concept of Blood

The concept of blood (xue) in traditional Chinese medicine is closely related to the concept of blood in Western medicine except that it goes further to include functions such as tissue nourishment.  The diagnosis of “blood deficiency” in Chinese medicine often corresponds to iron deficiency anemia in Western medicine but a patient can still have “blood deficiency” by Chinese medical standards even though testing may reveal normal blood iron level.

During female monthly cycle, blood plays a major roll in nourishing the endometrium (uterine lining) and preparing it for embryo implantation.   Endometrial tissue is very sensitive to hormonal fluctuations and as it gets closer to the ovulation, estrogen production increases which in turn provokes endometrial lining to proliferate and produce more blood vessels.   Nice and rich uterine lining creates a fertile ground for the new life to develop.  If uterine lining is too thin the process of conception becomes more difficult.  Uterine lining can be seen and measured via ultrasound and the thickness between 8 and 13 millimeters in the second part of the cycle (after ovulation) is generally considered normal.

What Causes Blood Deficiency?

Women are especially prone to blood deficiency if they have a history of heavy periods.  It is important to replenish the blood that has been lost during the period by eating blood nourishing and iron rich foods.  Inadequate protein intake is a very common contributing factor as well.  If a woman is consuming vegan or vegetarian diet she has to be especially careful to include enough protein with every meal, supplement vitamin B12 as well as include cereal grasses like wheat grass and micro algae such as spirulina and chlorella .  According to Chinese medical theory, overexercising tends to consume the blood which is why most professional athletes tend to stop menstruating.

Inability to absorb nutrients and gastrointestinal bleeding are important contributors to blood deficiency.  If a person experiences digestive issues it is important to address them first before prescribing blood tonic herbs which can be difficult to digest.  Anxiety, worry and over thinking can interact with the digestive process since the way we process our emotions is directly linked to the way we process our nutrients.  That is why our gut has been referred to as our “second brain” and functional GI disorders are closely linked to the amount of stress that we experience.

Signs and Symptoms of Blood Deficiency

Typical signs and symptoms of blood deficiency include:

-history of irregular periods

-light and short menstrual bleeding

-amenorrhea (complete cessation of periods)

-fatigue especially during and after periods

-dry skin, brittle nails, hair loss

-thin body constitution

-tingling and numbness in extremities, muscle tension

-tendency toward constipation and dry stools

-pale complexion, pale tongue, thin and weak pulse

How is Blood Deficiency Treated?

Blood deficiency responds well to dietary changes and usage of blood building herbal tonics.  To enrich blood with nutrition there are two general approaches:  improving digestive function and absorption of nutrients and adding blood building foods.   General guidelines for improving overall digestive function include:

-remove processed and denatured foods from your diet

-reduce or completely avoid sugar

-include fresh vegetables on daily basis

-eat fruit when in season

-consume only best quality organic meats

-regularly consume  fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, miso,

-drink only room temperature water and herbal tea, avoid fruit juices, coffee (especially decaf), sodas, energy drinks

Foods that are specifically used to build blood include:

-animal protein: chicken/beef liver, lamb,beef, chicken, turkey, gelatin, mussels, oysters, sardines, eggs

-grains: rice, oats, wheat, bran flakes, millet

-legumes: lentils, beans (black, kidney, navy, pinto), garbanzo beans, mung beans,

-vegetables: green leafy veggies (swiss chard, spinach, kale), beets, seaweed, sprouts, artichokes, mushrooms, cabbage, celery, watercress

-fruits: cherries, all berries (blackberry, raspberry…), grapes, dried apricots, dried figs, prunes

-nuts and seeds: almond, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, cashew

-herbs/other: nettles, wheat grass, spirulina, royal jelly, mugwort, white peony root, angelica root, rhemannia root, blackstrap molasses

General suggestions:

-chew your food properly

-sit down when you eat and avoid watching TV, reading, talking on the phone while eating

-try to rest as much as possible during your period and keep you body well dressed and warm

-don’t exercise to the point of exhaustion

-use meditation or any other mind calming exercises that help you relax

RECIPE:

Fast Beet Root Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium beetroots, grated

1 large carrot, grated

1 onion, finely chopped

1 leek, cut into thin strips

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 liter/1 3/4 pints beef/chicken/vegetable stock (or plain water)

salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons natural yogurt

Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the vegetables and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Before the end of cooking time add salt and pepper to taste. You can add yogurt just before serving.

Beetroot is nutritious and energizing, rich in potassium, silica, iron, amino acids and vitamins A, V and C. It is ideal blood tonic in anemia and is traditionally used in debilitating diseases and convalescence. Beef stock provides vital amino acids and nutrients for strengthening muscles and bones.

Why is this a reason for concern?

Well, there is nothing innately wrong with cow’s milk. The problem lies in the methods of production, preparation and amount of consumption. In the U.S., milk is usually served cold, unspiced, homogenized and in large amounts. Cows at the industrial farms are milked most of the day which makes them develop infections. In order to keep the production going, cows are given antibiotics as well as growth hormones so guess what?  All of that ends up in the milk that you drink. You would be shocked to know that FDA allows a certain percentage of pus from the infected udders to pass into the milk that you drink every day. And not to mention that these animals are kept indoors sometimes never seeing the sunlight and are given genetically modified grains and other foods that nature never intended for them.
Human beings are the only species that drink milk from another animal. However, since I am not an extremist in any sense, I think that people don’t have to completely give up the consumption of milk in order to stay healthy. As long as you are not allergic to it or notice symptoms such as: gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation or increased phlegm production (to name a few) you should use it skillfully and in small amounts.

Here are some tips for your next milk shopping:

- Make sure that the milk that you are buying is not homogenized. Homogenization process denatures the milk of its natural enzymes that help its digestion. In the old days, milk used to be praised for the thickness of the cream that it contained on the top. The farmer that had the thickest cream on his milk used to be able to charge more money for it. Homogenization process disperses the fat and does not allow the cream to form on the surface. It is a completely unnecessary process and it makes the final product look nothing like real milk.

-Buy only organic and hormone free milk. Why would anybody add growth hormones and antibiotics to their body? There is absolutely no good reason for it.

-Fermented milk products like yogurt and kefir are easier on your digestive tract and have added benefits of adding friendly bacteria to your guts. The more friendly bacteria you have the better since it keeps the bad guys (unfriendly bacteria) in check. In many cultures people consume small amounts of fermented milk products every day in order to keep their digestive system healthy.

-Avoid pasteurized milk if possible. Pasteurization process has made mass-produced milk consumption safer in terms of eliminating bacterial contamination. However, pasteurization does not make the milk more digestible nor does it eliminate the risk of potential viral contamination. The incomplete heating of pasteurization seems to cause the partial breakdown of milk proteins into tangled coils. These disorganized tangles are difficult for digestive enzymes to hold on to and break down. For some people, this may be why pasteurized milk causes them to be constipated, while boiled raw milk does not (raw milk refers to the milk that has not been pasteurized nor homogenized and is hard to obtain in majority of stores unless you live in California, if you are motivated enough to look for it please see the websites listed on the bottom).

-If you are able to find raw milk, it is always good to boil it before consumption. You don’t need to boil it for long periods of time, it is enough if it boils once and then you can take it off the flame (make sure you watch it closely since it can boil over very fast).

-Since milk has cold energetic nature, it is always good to warm it up and add warming spices to it like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and black pepper. After warming, you can add a little bit of honey to enhance its healing properties.

Useful sites:

http://www.pcrm.org/ – Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

http://www.realmilk.com/ – A Campaign for Real Milk, distributors of raw milk

Sources:

http://www.alternet.org/story/13557/

The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar and Urmila Desai

More info: Weston Price Foundation