Hypertension and other diseases are a major concern for people nowadays. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the best way to treat these diseases is through conditioning, and the most effective method is through medicinal cuisine. Below, I will introduce several medicinal cuisines that can help lower blood pressure and help with the conditioning of hypertension.
Medicinal Cuisine 1: Chrysanthemum and Locust Green Tea
Composition: 3 grams of chrysanthemum flowers, 3 grams of locust flowers, 3 grams of green tea.
Usage: Put the three ingredients in a teacup, pour boiling water over them, and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. Drink as a substitute for regular tea.
Effect: Clears heat, soothes the liver, and lowers blood pressure.
Indication: Hypertension due to excessive liver yang. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, redness of the face and ears, irritability, and easy anger.
Note: According to modern pharmacological research, locust flowers contain geniposide and its aglycone, quercetin, which can maintain the normal resistance of capillaries, improve their brittleness, reduce permeability, and have a significant antihypertensive effect. Chrysanthemum contains volatile oil, adenine, luteolin glycosides, flavonoids, etc., among which luteolin glycosides have antihypertensive effects.
Medicinal Cuisine 2: Hawthorn and Silver Chrysanthemum Tea
Composition: 10 grams of hawthorn, 10 grams of silver chrysanthemum, 10 grams of chrysanthemum flowers.
Usage: Crush the hawthorn, and boil it with silver chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum flowers. Drink as a substitute for tea.
Effect: Clears heat, soothes the liver, lowers blood pressure, and lowers blood lipid levels.
Indication: Hypertension due to excessive liver yang. Symptoms include redness of the face and ears, irritability, easy anger, and frequent dreams and insomnia.
Medicinal Cuisine 3: Chrysanthemum Porridge
Composition: 15 grams of powdered white chrysanthemum flowers, 100 grams of polished rice.
Usage: Remove the stems from the chrysanthemum flowers, steam and dry them, then grind them into fine powder. Rinse the polished rice and put it in a pot with a suitable amount of water. Boil it over high heat, then simmer over low heat until it becomes porridge. When the porridge is ready, add the powdered chrysanthemum flowers and simmer for a moment. Have it warm twice a day, morning and evening.
Effect: Clears heat, soothes the liver, improves eyesight, and lowers blood pressure.
Indication: Hypertension due to excessive liver yang. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, redness, swelling, and pain in the eyes.
Note: Pharmacological research has shown that chrysanthemum flowers not only have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, but also enhance the resistance of capillaries, reduce blood pressure, and improve blood lipid levels.
Medicinal Cuisine 4: Kelp and Cassia Seed Decoction
Composition: 30 grams of kelp, 15 grams of cassia seeds.
Usage: Wash the kelp and soak it in salted water for 2 hours. Put it in a pot with the soup stock, then add the cassia seeds. Simmer for 1 hour and drink the soup with the kelp. Take it once a day, twice a day for severe cases.
Effect: Clears heat, improves eyesight, lowers blood lipid levels, and lowers blood pressure.
Indication: Hypertension due to excessive liver yang. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, redness and swelling of the eyes, and dark and dry stools.
Medicinal Cuisine 5: Chrysanthemum Oolong Tea
Composition: 10 grams of Hang chrysanthemum, 3 grams of oolong tea (or Longjing tea).
Usage: Put the two ingredients in a teacup, pour boiling water over them, and let it steep. Drink as a substitute for tea.
Effect: Clears the liver, drains fire, and lowers blood pressure.
Indication: Hypertension due to excessive liver yang. Symptoms include redness of the face and eyes, headache, dizziness, bitterness and dryness of the mouth and throat, and dark and dry stools.
Note: Chrysanthemum contains catechins that enhance the flexibility and permeability of blood vessels. Tea also enhances blood vessel elasticity, lowers blood cholesterol, and prevents arteriosclerosis.
Medicinal Cuisine 6: Goji Berry, Chrysanthemum, and Rehmannia Porridge
Composition: 15 grams of cooked rehmannia, 15-30 grams of goji berries, 10 grams of chrysanthemum flowers, 100 grams of polished rice.
Usage: First, cook the cooked rehmannia and goji berries. Then add the chrysanthemum flowers. Strain the mixture and use the liquid to cook the rice into porridge. Have it in the morning and evening.
Effect: Nourishes the liver and kidneys, improves eyesight, and lowers blood pressure.
Indication: Hypertension due to liver and kidney yin deficiency. Symptoms include dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, deafness, and soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees.
Note: Pharmacological research has found that goji berries have anticholinergic effects, which can inhibit the heart, lower blood pressure, and contract intestinal smooth muscles. Goji berries also have hypoglycemic and blood lipid-lowering effects. Cooked rehmannia has the effects of strengthening the heart, diuresis, lowering blood pressure, and lowering blood sugar.
Medicinal Cuisine 7: Gastrodia and Fish Head
Composition: 50 grams of gastrodia, 10 grams of chuanxiong, 10 grams of poria, 1 fresh carp (about 1500 grams).
Usage: Remove the scales, gills, and internal organs of the fresh carp, and wash it thoroughly. Cut the chuanxiong and poria into large pieces, soak them in the second washing water of rice, and then soak the gastrodia in the same water for 4-6 hours. Take out the gastrodia and place it on top of the rice, steaming it until cooked. Slice the gastrodia and place it inside the fish head. Put it in a bowl, add scallions and ginger, and then add an appropriate amount of water. Steam for about 30 minutes, remove the scallions and ginger. In a separate pot, boil water, add water chestnut powder, clear soup, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, pepper, and sesame oil. Cook until it thickens, then pour it over the gastrodia fish head. Take it twice a day, as a side dish with meals.
Effect: Calms the liver, relieves wind, stops pain, promotes blood circulation, and activates qi.
Indication: Hypertension due to excessive liver yang and phlegm obstruction. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, numbness in the limbs, and general discomfort.
Note: Research has shown that Gastrodia injections have a certain vasodilating effect on coronary arteries, cerebral blood vessels, and peripheral blood vessels. It can increase blood flow, reduce vascular resistance, but does not significantly affect blood pressure.
