Kudzu root, gastrodia elata, and salvia miltiorrhiza: A guide to herbal antihypertensive and dietary therapy for patients with hypertension.

Kudzu root – Relieves muscle tension and promotes rash eruption, generates fluids, quenches thirst, and lowers blood pressure: Total puerarin and puerarin in kudzu root can reduce plasma renin activity and angiotensin levels. Puerarin's main function is to increase the amplitude of capillary movement and improve local microblood flow. Symptomatic treatment: Kudzu root is a commonly used wind-dispelling and exterior-releasing herb, suitable for various types of hypertension, generally presenting with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and neck pain. Its compatibility is as follows: ◎ Hypertension due to liver yang hyperactivity: Combined with Gastrodia elata and Tribulus terrestris. ◎ Hypertension due to phlegm-dampness: Combined with Alisma plantago-aquatica and Pinellia ternata. Contraindications: Those with cold stomach and those with excessive sweating due to superficial deficiency in summer should use with caution. Recommended medicinal diet – Mustard greens and kudzu root stewed with lean pork Ingredients: 300g lean pork chunks, 200g mustard greens chunks, 20g kudzu root chunks, a small amount of apricot kernels (both north and south), and appropriate amount of ginger slices. Seasoning: A little salt. Instructions: ① Blanch the lean pork chunks briefly in boiling water with ginger slices, then rinse clean. ② Place all ingredients in a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Season with salt. Other names: Kudzu root, wild kudzu, wild kudzu vine, kudzu branches, kudzu vine. Properties and channels: Cool in nature, sweet and pungent in taste, enters the spleen and stomach channels. Dosage and administration: 10-20 grams each time, decocted or made into pills.

Prunella vulgaris – Clears liver heat and improves eyesight, disperses nodules, reduces swelling, and lowers blood pressure: Aqueous extracts of Prunella vulgaris have a significant blood pressure-lowering effect; total saponins from Prunella vulgaris can effectively lower diastolic and systolic blood pressure after intraperitoneal injection. Indications: ◎ Hypertension due to liver yang hyperactivity: Combined with Gastrodia elata, Chrysanthemum indicum, and Abalone shell. ◎ Red and painful eyes due to hypertension: Combined with Chrysanthemum indicum and Lycium barbarum. Contraindications: Those with a weak constitution should consume sparingly; those with spleen and stomach qi deficiency should use with caution. Recommended medicinal diet – Prunella vulgaris and Lycium barbarum tea: Ingredients: 10g each of Prunella vulgaris and Lycium barbarum, 30g of Abalone shell, and appropriate amount of green tea. Seasoning: None. Instructions: ① Filter Prunella vulgaris, Lycium barbarum, and Abalone shell together with water, place in a clay pot, add 500ml of water, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Filter and extract the liquid. ② While the filtered liquid is still hot, add green tea and steep for 3-5 minutes before drinking. Other names: Iron-colored grass, Lower withered grass, Blood-scaring grass. Properties and channels: Cold in nature, bitter and pungent in taste, enters the liver and gallbladder channels. Dosage and administration: 9-30 grams daily, decocted and taken orally; or 30-60 grams of fresh herb, pounded into juice and taken orally.

Gastrodia elata – Effective in calming the liver and relieving wind, dispelling wind, relieving pain, and lowering blood pressure: Gastrodia elata can slow the heart rate, increase cardiac output, reduce myocardial oxygen consumption, promote cerebral and cardiac blood flow, reduce cerebrovascular resistance, and lower blood pressure. Symptomatic Use: Gastrodia elata is mainly used for patients with hypertension due to internal liver wind, and is especially suitable for those with hypertension accompanied by cerebral complications. Its compatibility is as follows: ◎ Dizziness caused by hypertension: Combined with Tribulus terrestris, Uncaria rhynchophylla, and Pueraria lobata. Contraindications: Those with qi and blood deficiency should use with caution. Recommended Medicinal Diet Recipe – Gastrodia elata Stewed Chicken Soup Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 10g each of Gastrodia elata, Polygonatum odoratum, and Adenophora stricta, 5g of Lycium barbarum, appropriate amounts of ginger slices and chopped green onions. Seasoning: Salt to taste. Instructions: ① Remove the feathers and internal organs from the whole chicken and wash it thoroughly; wash all other ingredients. ② Place a pot on the stove, pour in an appropriate amount of water and bring to a boil. Put the whole chicken into the pot and blanch to remove blood and impurities. Remove and rinse with water. ③ Place the gastrodia elata, whole chicken, sand ginseng, wolfberry, polygonatum odoratum, ginger slices, and chopped scallions into a stewing pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium-low heat for 2 hours until cooked. Add salt to taste. Other names: Chijian, Tianmingma, Chijian root, Bailongcao. Properties and channels: Neutral in nature, sweet and pungent in taste, enters the liver channel. Dosage and administration: For internal use, decoct 3-10 grams; or make into pills or powder, grind into powder and swallow, 1-1.5 grams each time.

Danshen – Effective in Removing Blood Stasis, Relieving Pain, Promoting Blood Circulation, and Lowering Blood Pressure: Danshen can remove blood stasis, relieve pain, promote blood circulation, regulate menstruation, and clear the mind and relieve irritability. Indications: Danshen is mainly used for patients with hypertension due to blood stasis, who generally experience symptoms such as headache, dizziness, chest tightness, and numbness. It is especially suitable for those with hypertension accompanied by cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and other vascular complications. The following combinations are recommended: ◎Dizziness caused by hypertension: Combined with kudzu root and tribulus terrestris. ◎Numbness caused by hypertension: Combined with safflower and loofah. Contraindications: Women with excessive menstruation and those without blood stasis should not take it; pregnant women should use it with caution. Recommended medicinal diet recipe – Danshen Stewed Pork Liver Ingredients: 250g pork liver slices, 10g Danshen, a small amount of wolfberry. Seasoning: Salt to taste. Instructions: ① Wash the wolfberry and set aside; prepare all other ingredients. ② Place a soup pot on the stove, add an appropriate amount of water, add Danshen and wolfberry, and bring to a boil. ③ Then add the sliced ​​pork liver to the soup pot, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Finally, add salt to taste. Other names: Red ginseng, Purple salvia miltiorrhiza. Properties and channels: Slightly cold in nature, bitter in taste, enters the heart and liver channels. Dosage and administration: For internal use, decoct 5-15 grams each time, with a maximum dose of up to 30 grams.

Wild Chrysanthemum – Clears heat, reduces swelling, detoxifies, and lowers blood pressure: The active ingredient in wild chrysanthemum, wild chrysanthemum ethanol, has a slow and lasting antihypertensive effect with no obvious adverse reactions. Symptomatic Use: Wild chrysanthemum is often used for hypertension with heat symptoms, such as headache, red eyes, irritability, and bitter taste in the mouth. Its combinations are as follows: ◎ Hypertension due to liver yang hyperactivity: Combined with Gastrodia elata, Uncaria rhynchophylla, and Cassia tora. ◎ Headache and red eyes caused by hypertension: Combined with Prunella vulgaris and Kuding tea. Contraindications: Those with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, and pregnant women should use with caution. Recommended Medicinal Diet Recipe – Tofu and Honeysuckle Soup Ingredients: 200g tofu, 15g honeysuckle, 15g wild chrysanthemum. Seasoning: Salt to taste. Instructions: ① Wash the tofu, cut into cubes, and set aside. ② Add an appropriate amount of water to a stewing pot and bring to a boil. Add the tofu cubes and simmer briefly. Then add honeysuckle and wild chrysanthemum and simmer for a few more minutes until the tofu is cooked. Finally, add a little salt to taste. Other names: Mountain chrysanthemum, thousand-layer chrysanthemum, yellow chrysanthemum. Properties and channels: Slightly cold in nature, bitter and pungent in taste; enters the lung and liver channels. Dosage and administration: 10-15 grams, decocted for oral administration.

Chuanxiong (Ligusticum striatum) – Regulates Qi and Blood to Lower Blood Pressure: Chuanxiong can increase the permeability of blood vessel walls and promote the metabolism of harmful substances accumulated in the blood vessel walls, thereby lowering blood pressure. Symptomatic Use: Chuanxiong is mainly suitable for patients with hypertension due to blood stasis, who generally experience symptoms such as tingling in the head and numbness in the limbs. Its combination is as follows: ◎ For patients with hypertension due to blood stasis: Combine with Paeonia lactiflora and Pheretima aspergillum. Contraindications: Not suitable for those with yin deficiency and excessive fire, red tongue, and dry mouth. Recommended Medicinal Diet Recipe – Nourishing Black Chicken Soup Ingredients: 300g black chicken, 10g ginger, 1 herb packet (5g each of Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Paeonia lactiflora, and Rehmannia glutinosa, 3g Angelica sinensis, 2g Glycyrrhiza uralensis, 1g Chuanxiong), a small amount of wolfberry. Seasoning: a little salt. Instructions: ① Wash the black chicken, cut it into pieces, blanch it in boiling water to remove blood, and then remove it. ② Add an appropriate amount of water, the herb packet, and ginger slices to a soup pot and bring to a boil. After boiling, add the black-boned chicken, bring to a boil again, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Finally, sprinkle in goji berries and season with salt. Other names: Da Chuan Xiong, Xiong Qiong. Properties and channels: Warm in nature, pungent in flavor, enters the liver, gallbladder, and pericardium channels. Dosage and administration: For internal use, decoct 3-10 grams each time.

Corn silk – Diuretic, reduces swelling, soothes the liver, benefits gallbladder, and lowers blood pressure: The water extract of corn silk has a vasodilatory effect on peripheral blood vessels. When boiled with chrysanthemum into a soup, the blood pressure-lowering effect is even more pronounced. Symptomatic treatment: Corn silk is mainly used for patients with hypertension due to Yang deficiency, who generally experience symptoms such as cold pain in the top of the head, pale complexion, and dizziness. Its compatibility is as follows: ◎ Dizziness caused by hypertension: Combined with Eucommia ulmoides and Cordyceps sinensis. Suitable and unsuitable groups: Generally suitable for most people, but those with frequent urination should use it with caution. Recommended medicinal diet – Corn Silk and Ophiopogon japonicus Stewed Chicken Ingredients: 200g chicken breast slices, 50g corn silk, 10g each of American ginseng and wolfberry, 20g Ophiopogon japonicus. Seasoning: A pinch of salt. Instructions: ① Soak the chicken breast slices in water for a short time. ② Wash the Ophiopogon japonicus and soak it in water. Rinse the wolfberry and American ginseng with water. Wash the corn silk. ③ Place all ingredients into a stewing pot, add 2000 ml of water, and steam for about 1.5 hours. Season with salt before serving. Other names: Corn silk, maize stalk, corn bud. Properties and channels: Neutral in nature, sweet in taste, enters the bladder, liver, and gallbladder channels. Dosage and administration: Decocted in water, 50-100 grams each time.

Sour jujube seed – Nourishes the heart and liver, calms the mind, aids sleep, and lowers blood pressure: Sour jujube seed contains various components such as jujube saponins and vitamin C, which can improve symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, dizziness, and forgetfulness in patients with hypertension. Indications: Clinically, sour jujube seed is often used for hypertension of the yin deficiency and yang excess type, generally presenting with symptoms such as dizziness, facial flushing, and dry eyes. Its combinations are as follows: ◎ Hypertension due to liver yang hyperactivity: Combined with Uncaria rhynchophylla and bitter tea. ◎ Red and painful eyes due to hypertension: Combined with Prunella vulgaris and chrysanthemum. Contraindications: Those with spleen and stomach deficiency, poor appetite, or loose stools should avoid it. Recommended medicinal diet – Codonopsis and pork liver soup Ingredients: 250g pork liver slices, 20g each of Angelica sinensis slices and Codonopsis pilosula slices, appropriate amounts of sour jujube seed, chopped green onion, and chopped ginger. Seasonings: Appropriate amounts of cooking wine and salt, a little sesame oil. Instructions: ① Mix pork liver slices with salt and cooking wine, marinate briefly. ② Place a pot on the stove, add an appropriate amount of water, then add angelica root slices, jujube seeds, and codonopsis root slices. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes. ③ Add pork liver slices and cook until they change color. Add minced ginger and continue cooking for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and drizzle with sesame oil before serving. Other names: Sour jujube, prickly jujube, jujube kernel, sour jujube seed. Properties and channels: Warm in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste, enters the liver and stomach channels. Dosage and administration: Decoction: 6-15 grams; or in pills or powders.