High blood pressure and other lifestyle diseases are a major concern for people today. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the best way to treat these diseases is through diet therapy, with medicinal food being the most effective. In this article, we will introduce several medicinal recipes that can help lower blood pressure and regulate hypertension.
Medicinal Recipe 8: Chrysanthemum Porridge
Ingredients: 15g fresh chrysanthemum leaves, 50g glutinous rice
Method: Wash the chrysanthemum leaves and finely chop them. Rinse the glutinous rice and cook it in a pot with water until it becomes porridge. When the porridge is almost cooked, add the chrysanthemum leaves and stir. Bring to a boil, add a little salt, and then remove from heat.
Effects: Clears the liver, improves vision, and lowers blood pressure.
Indications: Hypertension with liver yang hyperactivity, headache, red eyes, tearing, restlessness, etc.
Medicinal Recipe 9: Brain-Clearing Soup
Ingredients: 50g tremella, 50g Eucommia bark, 250g rock sugar
Method: Boil the Eucommia bark three times, strain the liquid, and then add the tremella to simmer until it becomes soft. Add rock sugar to taste.
Effects: Nourishes yin, tonifies the kidney, and lowers blood pressure.
Indications: Hypertension with liver and kidney yin deficiency, dizziness, vertigo, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, dry mouth and throat.
Note: Eucommia bark has a significant and long-lasting antihypertensive effect. Clinical application can lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients and improve symptoms such as dizziness and insomnia. Its alcohol extract can lower total cholesterol in rats.
Medicinal Recipe 10: Stewed Pork with Prunella
Ingredients: 20g prunella vulgaris, 50g lean pork
Method: Wash the pork and cut it into slices. Rinse the prunella and put it in a pot with the pork. Add water and stew until the pork is well-cooked. Season to taste and consume twice a day.
Effects: Clears the liver, relieves heat, and lowers blood pressure.
Indications: Hypertension with liver fire, dizziness, headache, red face, bitter taste in the mouth, yellow urine, and constipation.
Note: Prunella vulgaris contains saponins, caffeic acid, alkaloids, and water-soluble salts. Its water and alcohol extracts have antihypertensive effects.
Medicinal Recipe 11: Hypotensive Tea
Ingredients: 6g Rubus leaves, 15g hawthorn, 5g schisandra berries
Method: Put the Rubus leaves, hawthorn, and schisandra berries in a teapot, add some rock sugar, and pour boiling water over them. Drink in place of regular tea.
Effects: Nourishes the liver and kidneys, resolves stagnant blood, and lowers blood pressure.
Indications: Hypertension with deficiency of liver and kidney, blood stasis obstruction. Dizziness, headache, discomfort in the neck and shoulders, heavy head and light body.
Note: Animal experiments have shown that Rubus leaves have a significant and stable antihypertensive effect. Hawthorn can lower blood lipids and blood pressure, while schisandra berries can enhance the excitatory and inhibitory processes of the central nervous system, regulate the cardiovascular system, dilate blood vessels, and have a strong heart and blood pressure-lowering effect. They also have a bidirectional regulatory effect on blood pressure.
Medicinal Recipe 12: Immortal Porridge
Ingredients: 30-60g prepared polygonum multiflorum, 100g sticky rice, 3-5 Chinese red dates
Method: Boil the prepared polygonum multiflorum in water to extract the concentrated juice, remove the residue, and cook it with sticky rice and Chinese red dates in a pot until the porridge is ready. Add a little brown sugar or rock sugar to taste. Take 1-2 times a day. A course of treatment lasts 7-10 days, with a 5-day interval before the next course. It can also be taken as desired.
Effects: Tonifies qi and blood, nourishes the liver and kidneys.
Indications: Hypertension with deficiency of liver and kidney qi and blood, dizziness, vertigo, dull complexion, heavy head and light body, sore and weak lower back and knees.
Medicinal Recipe 13: Stone Judas Soup with Abalone
Ingredients: 30g stone judas, 30g abalone, 30g wolfberry, 10g chrysanthemum.
Method: Soak the abalone in water, wash it, and cut it into shreds. Boil the stone judas for about half an hour, remove the residue and take the soup. Add the abalone, chrysanthemum, and wolfberry to the soup, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Season to taste and consume the soup and meat.
Effects: Nourishes yin, suppresses yang, and lowers blood pressure.
Indications: Hypertension with liver and kidney yin deficiency, liver yang hyperactivity, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, sore and weak lower back and legs.
Medicinal Recipe 14: Polygonum Multiflorum, Gastrodia, and Turtle Soup
Ingredients: 1 turtle (about 250g), 30g prepared polygonum multiflorum, 15g gastrodia, 30g wolfberry.
Method: Gut the turtle, remove the intestines, wash it, scald it with boiling water to remove blood, and remove the black skin. Cut it into pieces. Wash the prepared polygonum multiflorum, gastrodia, and wolfberry. Put all the ingredients in a pot, add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Season to taste and consume.
Effects: Tonifies the liver and kidneys, suppresses yang, relieves dizziness, and strengthens the lower back and legs.
Indications: Hypertension with liver and kidney yin deficiency, liver yang hyperactivity, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, sore and weak lower back and legs.
Medicinal Recipe 15: Orange Peel Drink
Ingredients: 10g orange peel, 10g almond, 10g old loofah, a little white fungus.
Method: Wash the old loofah and orange peel, peel the almond. Put all the ingredients in a pot with water, boil them over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Let it cool slightly, remove the residue, add some white sugar, and stir well. Drink in place of regular tea.
Effects: Regulates qi, transforms phlegm, dispels wind, and opens the meridians.
Indications: Hypertension with phlegm obstruction, dizziness, headache, chest tightness, poor appetite, heavy limbs, etc.
These are some common medicinal recipes for lowering blood pressure that can be easily incorporated into our daily lives. Not only can they help reduce blood pressure, but they can also alleviate the symptoms associated with hypertension to a certain extent, making them excellent for maintaining and restoring our health.
