In modern society, the "three highs" - high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood lipids have become common health problems.
The "Three Highs" in the "Eyes" of Traditional Chinese Medicine
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the "three highs" problem is largely caused by body congestion, that is, too much garbage toxins in the blood cannot be discharged, which can be attributed to the category of "phlegm, dampness, stasis, fire and poison".
These factors affect each other and work together to cause damage to all organs of the body. In this article, we will explore the relationship between the "three highs" problem and phlegm, dampness, stasis, and fire in TCM theory.
1. High blood pressure
In traditional Chinese medicine, hypertension often manifests as headache, dizziness, chest tightness, palpitations and other symptoms, and its causes can be mainly attributed to two conditions:
One is caused by hyperactivity of the liver. In spring, the liver qi rises vigorously, and the blood pressure is easy to rise; with the increase of age, the liver yin is insufficient for a long time, and the yin deficiency cannot inhibit the yang qi, resulting in hyperyang; and emotional stress may also lead to the hyperactivity of the liver yang.
As soon as such people are nervous, angry, upset, and impatient, they are prone to headache, dizziness, head swelling, flushing, thick neck, tinnitus and other symptoms.
Another condition is that there is too much waste toxin in the blood, resulting in blood vessel blockage, which often occurs at the same time as hyperlipidemia and high blood sugar.
When there is too much phlegm, stasis, and garbage in the blood, the blood viscosity increases, the blood flow speed slows down, and the pressure on the blood vessel wall increases. There is a saying in "Danxi Heart Method": "No phlegm and no dizziness", and "Su Wen" also mentions that "because of wetness, the head is like a wrap". These are all manifestations of high blood pressure.
2. Hyperlipidemia
Hyperlipidemia refers to the excess of lipid waste in the blood. In TCM theory, it falls under the category of "phlegm dampness".
It is recorded in the "Medical Mind": "Mortals who are addicted to fat and sweet, or wine and cheese, will receive dampness from within." "In addition, dampness produces phlegm, and phlegm produces heat, so there will be sudden fainting, loss of consciousness, etc.
It can be said that most of the people with high blood lipids in life are people with heavy phlegm and dampness and obesity.
3. High blood sugar
Hyperglycemia is similar to "thirst-quenching disease" in traditional Chinese medicine, and its pathogenesis is mainly yin deficiency and internal heat, which can be divided into three conditions in terms of syndrome differentiation:
Upper consumption: lung fever and injury, manifested as thirst and polydipsia;
Medium consumption: the stomach is hot, manifested as polyphagia;
Lower elimination: Kidney yin deficiency, manifested as polyuria.
In addition, more and more patients with hyperglycemia nowadays do not only present with traditional thirst symptoms, but also spleen and stomach diseases caused by long-term consumption of fatty and greasy foods and lack of exercise.
It is also recorded in the "Su Wen Treatise on Strange Diseases": "This person must eat sweet and fat, and the fat one will make people hot inside, and the sweet one will make people full, so his qi overflows and turns to quench his thirst." "Excessive consumption of fatty and sweet foods will block the middle coke, resulting in the spleen and stomach being unable to move normally, resulting in phlegm turbidity. Ingested sugar cannot be digested efficiently and enters the bloodstream.
It can be seen that whether it is high blood sugar, high blood pressure or high blood lipids, they are closely related to phlegm, dampness, stasis and fire.
The reason for the "three highs".
The accumulation of toxins and waste in the body is often due to the decline of the function of the internal organs. There are two main aspects involved:
The spleen is responsible for the transformation of food essences, and if they are dysfunctional, food essences cannot be metabolized effectively, and they will be converted into phlegm and dampness.
The liver is responsible for excretion, if the liver function is insufficient, the liver qi can not be smooth, the blood circulation is blocked, and it is easy to lead to blood stasis.
So, what factors contribute to the so-called "three highs"?
1. Aging: With the increase of age, the "three highs" phenomenon of "old" will appear, the function of the viscera will naturally decline, and the blood vessels will gradually harden.
2. Eating habits: The "three highs" that have been "eaten" for a long time are due to the frequent consumption of greasy and sweet foods, coupled with lack of exercise and excessive thinking, resulting in poor fat metabolism and affecting the normal movement of the spleen and stomach.
3. Emotional stress: Due to the "three highs" of "qi", the liver is closely related to emotions, and long-term staying up late and work pressure, as well as emotional problems such as anxiety and depression, will affect the normal excretion function of the liver.
These factors work together to form the physiological basis of the "three highs". Therefore, maintaining the health of visceral functions, balancing diet, and maintaining a good emotional state are essential for the prevention and treatment of the "three highs".
How to regulate and prevent the "three highs"?
The symptoms of the "three highs" are usually related to the accumulation of phlegm, dampness and blood stasis in the body, which are often closely related to insufficient liver and spleen function. Therefore, we can take comprehensive measures to address these issues in a targeted manner:
1. Cleans up phlegm, dampness and blood stasis accumulated in the body, just like cleaning up waste products in blood vessels.
2. Strengthens the transformation and transport functions of the spleen and stomach to promote better digestion and absorption.
3. Adjust the liver's excretory function, balance liver yang and clear liver fire.
In order to prevent or improve the "three highs", here is a homemade tea - hawthorn malt mulberry leaf tea, which is recommended for you.
Ingredients: 3 grams of hawthorn, 3 grams of scorched hawthorn, 6 grams of malt, 6 grams of mulberry leaves, 3 grams of white grass root, 3 grams of reed root, 3 grams of dandelion, 3 grams of licorice, 3 jujubes (pitted).
Method: Wash all the herb materials, remove the core of the jujube and break it open. Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot, put all the herbal ingredients in and boil for 10 minutes. Alternatively, place all the herbs in a thermos, pour boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes.
In-depth analysis of this tea recipe for conditioning the "three highs".
Hawthorn can not only strengthen the spleen and eliminate food, especially for meat food, but also reduce blood lipids. Burnt hawthorn is even better at digestive promotion. Raw hawthorn is good at invigorating blood and removing blood stasis, and its mild nature and sweet and sour taste make it a good medicine for the spleen, stomach and liver meridians. Hawthorn has also been proven by modern research to soften blood vessels, increase blood flow, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Malt is often paired with coke hawthorn to strengthen the spleen and invigorate qi, especially to digest rice and flour food. It also has the function of soothing the liver and regulating qi, symbolizing the germination of liver qi.
The "fairy grass" in "Shennong's Materia Medica", mulberry leaves can clear liver heat and calm liver yang. In spring, when the liver qi is vigorous, mulberry leaves can calm the liver yang and help relieve symptoms such as high blood pressure, dry eyes, and dizziness.
Dandelion, white grass root, reed root, these three kinds of herbs can clear away heat and reduce swelling. Dandelion clears heat and detoxifies, while white grass root and reed root can clear lung and stomach heat, and at the same time have the effect of diuresis and swelling.
Licorice and jujube can maintain the spleen and stomach, and avoid damage to the spleen and stomach while removing internal heat.
This tea recipe combines the effects of clearing phlegm, removing blood stasis, clearing liver fire, soothing liver qi, and strengthening the spleen and stomach, helping to remove the "garbage" of blood vessels and viscera, and eliminate blockages in the body.
This tea can help to melt away oiliness if you experience indigestion or gastrointestinal discomfort, and it can also help calm your mood if you are prone to mood swings, anxiety or depression in the spring.