Ever since recent years, mugwort leaves have been widely used for foot soaking, which is a common way of health preservation. Many people use this method to improve their well-being. But can you soak your feet with mugwort leaves every day?
Can you soak your feet with mugwort leaves every day?
It is not recommended to soak your feet with mugwort leaves every day.
Occasionally soaking your feet with mugwort leaves can help maintain your health and dispel coldness. However, frequently soaking your feet with mugwort leaves can bring down virtual fire and cold fire, leading to blood and qi deficiency in the head and face, inadequate blood supply, and harm to the body.
What are the hazards of soaking your feet with mugwort leaves every day?
Excessive use of mugwort leaves can lead to weakness in the body, causing headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, dry eyes, fatigue, and low mood. In severe cases, it can cause coughing and wheezing.
How often should you soak your feet with mugwort leaves?
Soaking your feet with mugwort leaves should not be too frequent, 2-3 times a week is sufficient. The soaking time should not be too long, ideally 15-30 minutes. When soaking your feet, blood will flow to the lower limbs, which may result in inadequate blood supply to the brain. Patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and the elderly who experience chest tightness and dizziness should temporarily stop soaking their feet and rest.
How to soak your feet with mugwort leaves?
1. Take a small handful of mugwort leaves and boil them in water, then soak your feet. Alternatively, take a quarter of a pure mugwort leaf strip, tear it into shreds, and put it in a foot soaking bucket. Pour boiling water over it for a while, and then pour some warm water over it after the mugwort leaves have soaked in. Soak until you slightly sweat.
2. Put the mugwort leaves in a pot and boil them. After boiling for 15 minutes, remove the mugwort leaves and pour the water into a bucket or basin. Wait until it cools naturally to a suitable temperature, then put your feet in to soak.
When is the best time to soak your feet with mugwort leaves?
It is best to soak your feet with mugwort leaves before going to bed at night, as it can warm your feet and promote sleep. Each soaking session should last for about 20 minutes. If the time is too short, the effects of the mugwort leaves may not be fully utilized. If the time is too long, it may harm your vitality. Therefore, keeping it around 20 minutes is ideal.
What are the benefits of women soaking their feet with mugwort leaves?
Improving cold hands and feet and body chilliness
Mugwort leaves have the effect of dispelling cold and dampness, and catching a cold is usually caused by the body being exposed to coldness and having a weakened immune system. Using mugwort leaves to soak your feet in daily life can not only prevent and treat colds but also improve symptoms of cold hands and feet and body chilliness.
Promoting meridian circulation
Mugwort can open up the twelve meridians and regulate yin and yang. When the meridians are unobstructed, qi and blood will flow smoothly, and people with healthy qi and blood will naturally have no room for coldness in their bodies.
Eliminating foot odor and athlete's foot
Mugwort has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergic, and immune-enhancing effects, so regularly soaking your feet with mugwort leaves can help eliminate foot odor and athlete's foot.
Warming the uterus and regulating menstruation
Mugwort has a good effect in warming the uterus and regulating menstruation. Women who soak their feet with mugwort can help regulate qi and blood, expel cold and dampness, and benefit in many ways.
Dispelling coldness
Soaking your feet in hot water itself can promote blood circulation and expel dampness from the body. Combined with the effects of mugwort in dredging meridians and regulating yin and yang, soaking your feet can be more effective in dispelling coldness.
Dispelling virtual fire and cold fire
Most people have experienced sore throat, oral ulcer, or aphthous ulcer, all of which are related to excessive virtual fire or cold fire. Soaking your feet with mugwort can effectively alleviate these symptoms.
Health Preservation Tips
1. While soaking your feet with mugwort leaves, you must avoid consuming all cold and cool foods. You can drink a cup of ginger and red date water while soaking your feet with mugwort leaves, which can dispel coldness without causing diarrhea.
2. It is not advisable to soak your feet immediately after a meal. Soaking your feet after a meal will affect the blood supply to the stomach, which can lead to malnutrition in the long run.
3. Do not go to bed immediately after soaking your feet. Rub the soles of your feet while they are still warm, put on warm socks in a timely manner, and wait until the body heat gradually decreases before going to sleep for the best effect.
4. The soaking time should not be too long. Many people like to soak their feet in very hot water until it cools completely, and some even keep adding hot water to continue soaking for one or two hours. This does not bring any benefits to the body. It is recommended to soak your feet for about half an hour.
