Women’s Health–a point of view from Traditional Chinese Medicine
–Learning Chinese medicine from Dr. Cheng (1)
Seven “turning point” theory:
You may know that Chinese medicine has been practiced for thousands of years. Do you also know that the first Chinese medicine book written 2000 years ago is called Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperors Internal Classics)?
Would you like to learn about how female’s physiological changes were described as seven “turning points” in Yellow Emperors Internal Classics? The following detailed description may amaze you that how ancient doctors recognize these specific female physiological characters and apply these characters into women’s health maintenance and treatment, you may find it is more amazing that this theory is still guiding TCM gynecological practice.
Here is what written in Yellow Emperors Internal Classics in regarding female’s physiology:
1st “turning point”
Female reaches 7 years old, kidney Qi full, teeth start to change and hair starts to grow.
Remarks from Dr. Cheng: girls at this age need good nutrition for them to grow healthy, but do not over dose on nutrients to avoid early puberty.
2nd “turning point”
Female reach 14 years old, “Tian Gui (Hormone) comes, Ren meridian opens, Chong meridian is full, period starts and able to conceive and give birth”
Remarks from Dr. Cheng: when girls are going through puberty, female hormones start to secrete and they experience physical and mental/emotional changes. It may lead to symptoms like: acne, agitation, breast tenderness, mood swings, and heavy periods for which birth control pills are often given for treatment. In my opinion, this is a very important period of time for body’s hormone secretion and the hormone promotes the normal development of sex signs and reproductive system. In this period of time external hormones may interfere in the body’s natural hormone secretion and affect normal growth and development.
3rd “turning point”
female reaches 21 years old, kidney Qi reaches the plateau level, all teeth grow out.
4th “turning point”
Female reaches 28 years old: tendons and bones are strong, hair grows to maximum and body is at full growth.
Remarks from Dr. Cheng: female from 21 to 28 years old, the body develops to its peak and it is the best period of time to start family and give birth to children. If in this period of time females experience menstrual disorders and /or infertility, prompt treatment is essential if planning to have a family.
5th “turning point”
Female reaches 35 years old: Yangming meridian (distribute to face) decline, facial appearance started to show aging, hair loss starts.
Remarks from Dr. Cheng: for female, aging starts from late thirties, some people can experience early ovary decline. Good nutrition, supplements, sufficient calcium intake and exercises are important to prevent early menopause or early osteoporosis.
6th “turning point”
Female reaches 42 years old, the three Yang meridians all declined, face is withered, and hair turns to grey.
Remarks from Dr.Cheng: since female hormone start to decline at this period of time, it is recommended to take some natural supplements to support and help to maintain body hormone system, which will be helpful to delay aging.
7th “turning point”
Female reaches 49 years old, Ren meridian empty, Chong meridian decline, Tian Gui (hormone) finished, meridian blocked, reproductive system dysfunction, no longer able to conceive.
Remarks from Dr.Cheng: For females after menopause, it is very important to stay active, positive and eat nutritious foods. Again, natural supplements will help to maintain health and good energy and appearance.
Blood is women’s root (foundation):
In TCM, the reason we think blood is the foundation of the body is because that during a women’s life all the physiological stages are related to blood: ie. period, pregnancy, child birth as well as women’s appearance such as beauty and aging. We think that only if female has normal blood function, such as normal smooth flow, sufficient blood in the meridians that will leads to a normal physiological functions of period, conceive and pregnancy, and it gives women beauty and delayed aging.
Recipe for blood: Wolfberry, Chinese dates and dragon eyes with egg soup.
Wolfberry 10g,
Chinese dates 10g,
Dragon eyes 10g,
Add 150 ml water, cook for 10 minutes, add in one egg, boil as whole for 3 minutes, peel the shell, cook for another 2 minutes.
Good for: balance hormone, regulate period, calm the mind and maintain luster of facial appearance.
Liver is the congenital energy of female.
Liver is very important for female is also due to the fact that blood is very important to women. In TCM, we think that liver stores blood, and regulate blood flow in the meridians. Liver is also very closely related to emotions, if female has an emotional attack, often leads to liver Qi not able to flow smoothly (stagnation), that will leads to blood not flow smoothly-often manifested as menstrual cramps, infertility and cysts or fibroids.
Recipe for liver: Rose buds and wolfberry tea (Be Happy tea)
Ross buds 3 pieces,
wolfberry 5g.
Good for: lifting mood, relieve menstrual cramps.
Heart and liver relationship dominates women’s emotions:
In TCM, the heart dominates the mind, the liver is in charge of emotions. Both heart and liver need sufficient blood to nourish them in order to perform normal heart and liver functions. Also, stress and emotions often affect both heart and liver, leading to emotional disturbance which manifest as insomnia, depression, absent minded, poor memory and so on.
Formula for liver and heart:
Xiao Yiao Wan (easy wondering pill): soothe liver, nourish blood, tonify spleen, number one formula for depression.
Heart and spleen relationship dominate women’s mental and physical health:
We mentioned above that blood is the foundation of females physiological health, in TCM, we think that the heart is in charge of blood and mind, and spleen in charge of thinking and produces blood. Therefore, healthy spleen and heart gives women normal physiological and mental health. If heart and spleen is deficient it often will leads to insomnia, anxiety, poor memory, poor concentration, fatigue, infertility, withered complexion, heavy period and so on.
Formula for heart and spleen
Gui Pi Wan( return spleen pill)
Tonify Qi and blood, calm the mind. Improve energy. Use for insomnia, anxiety, poor memory, poor concentration, fatigue, infertility, withered complexion, heavy period.
Liver and kidney relationship dominate women’s aging process
Liver stores blood, related to period and emotions, kidney stores essence, related to growth, fertility and aging. When liver and kidney is deficienct, it may leads to delayed puberty, infertility and early menopausal symptoms and early aging. When female hormone drops, in TCM, we often see Yin energy declines which leads to symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, poor memory, hair loss and so on.
Formula for menopause:
Liu Wei Di Huang Wan
tonify liver and kidney Yin to relieve menopause symptoms.