Do you remember the young programmer who cried heavily after being stopped by the police for riding a bicycle against the flow on an overpass? Initially, when I saw this news, I thought it was no big deal, just overly dramatic. However, after watching the video, I realized that perhaps there are friends around us who, despite not speaking up daily, are bearing immense pressure inside. In today’s affluent society, everyone pursues luxury and a sense of ritual in life, but many people overlook the importance of mental and physical health, which should also be valued. Data suggests that in 2020, depression was the second-largest burden of disease globally (the burden of disease refers to the stress that diseases, disabilities, and premature deaths impose on society’s economy and health).
Is the cause of depression genetic? Is it related to one’s personality or environment? Is it due to excessive worry or overwhelming stress? Current medicine cannot provide a clear cause; all these factors could potentially trigger depression. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the liver governs the regulation of emotions and that this is the root cause of depression. Many previous articles have mentioned the importance of liver health in the spring, which is also a peak period for depression.
As early as the Ming Dynasty, renowned physician Zhang Zhongjing proposed that emotional diseases begin in the liver, and prolonged emotional turmoil can lead to liver stagnation. The manifestations of this stagnation fall within the modern medical category of depression, including symptoms such as mental depression, fatigue, chest tightness, poor appetite, insomnia with vivid dreams, suspicion and excessive worry, sadness, frequent sighing, and so on. In his practice, Zhang Zhongjing summarized effective approaches to treating liver stagnation. For instance, it is mentioned in Traditional Chinese Medicine that anger harms the liver, which is responsible for regulating the body (this regulation refers to the body’s blood, spleen, and stomach functions, and emotional adjustments). If the liver does not function properly, it leads to stagnation of liver qi, which can further cause blood flow blockages. Long-term disruptions in qi and blood circulation can worsen health conditions. Liver stagnation can also affect the spleen and stomach, resulting in reduced appetite. Therefore, resolving liver stagnation is an essential part of treating depression.
Many people believe that to nurture the liver, one just needs to brew some traditional Chinese medicine, and that it’s no big deal even if they make mistakes. However, this is not the case. There has been a clinical case where a patient heard that He Shou Wu can nourish essence and blood, darken hair, strengthen muscles and bones, and also belongs to the category of valuable traditional medicine. This led them to purchase a large amount, brewing it at home and cooking porridge, which eventually resulted in liver damage. This is because He Shou Wu has two forms: raw and prepared, which contain significantly different components. The raw form includes liver-toxic ingredients like emodin and chrysophanol. The prepared form undergoes multiple processing steps to reduce liver toxicity, but it is not recommended for long-term, large-scale use in patients. So, what foods are good for liver nurturing?
A well-known choice is chrysanthemum and goji berry tea. Prepare 15g each of chrysanthemum and goji berries, and steep them in hot water. Chrysanthemum can clear the liver and improve vision, while goji nourishes the yin and supports liver health. If there are symptoms like red and swollen eyes, bitter mouth, irritability, or constipation, one can brew a tea with cassia seeds and chrysanthemum, which has good liver-regulating properties. Besides tea, cassia seeds can also be used in porridge. Boil 10g of cassia seeds with water to extract the juice, then cook it with rice to make porridge, adding rock sugar once cooked. It can clear the liver, improve vision, and relieve constipation.
No matter how expensive or good the medicine is, nurturing the liver starts with maintaining a good mood and regulating emotions. Only with a good mood can one enjoy the beauty of spring.
