It seems as long as there has been people with grey hair there has been ways to get rid of the grey. In modern times most people utilize hair dye and chemicals including bleach. Obviously these havn’t been around as long (and some choose to take the route of not using chemicals) instead herbs have been used and believe  it or not it is internal medicine instead of external application that has dominated this game.

The most famous, and dated, use of herbs has been the long use of longevity herbs for the Emperor of china. With long flowing black hair and status to maintain they used herbs internally to keep the hair black and herbs externally for keeping the skin light. As mentioned in a previous article herbs that are used to treat the Kidney in Chinese Medicine are used for hair as the Kidney ‘rules’ the hair on your head. Also keep in mind that these herbs will also be dark to darken the hair. Lets have a few examples:

He Shou Wu / Polygala: He Shou Wu is often referred to as Fo-Ti as well. He Shou Wu utilizes all the acts of ‘longevity’ by strengthening the Kidney. He Shou Wu is used for hair growth, hair darkening, and blood building. All of these attributes are linked to the long life you are able to have with taking Fo-Ti.

Shu Di Huang / Prepared Rhemania  / Foxglove Root: Di Huang comes in prepared (Shu) and non-prepared (Sheng) forms. I prefer the prepared version of this herb to use as more of a tonic for darkening the hair and eliminating grey.

You can also add these herbs along with herbs like Bu Gu Zhi and Tu Si Zi to a tincture and apply a small amount externally with shampoo daily. These herbs are never able to single out one function so they are also useful for hair loss as well. Side effects will also include moistened skin, better sleep, improved vision, and more energy. So, why not give it a try?

Hair loss is an issue in a wide range of age groups. Although many think that hair loss is just for the elderly, this simply isn’t true. In fact hair loss can affect some even at high school ages where embarrassment can reach at its peak.

In Chinese Medicine the hair is connected with the Kidney. Also since the hair is often considered a ‘sprouting of abundance’, if you will, the hair has a strong connection to the Chinese Medicine reflection of blood and the abundance of blood in the body. These two characteristics are important in choosing internal medicinals that are helpful in treating hair loss.

Having a look at the Chinese Herbal Materia Medica you can find herbs that are good for supplementing the kidneys and herbs that have a positive impact on blood building. Herbs that have both of these qualities are known for good effects with hair growth and keeping a full head of hair. Here are a few examples:

He Shou Wu / Polygala Vine: He Shou Wu, sometimes called Fo-Ti, is an internal herb excellent at both benefiting the kidneys and building blood. It is a good herb for longevity and long term use. In this case He Shou Wu is an excellent choice in aiding in a good head of hair.

Sang Ji Sheng / Taxillus: Sang Ji Sheng is actually found in categories of dispelling wind damp or in bone and tendon strengthening. However the mechanism of either is still by supplementing Liver (blood relationship) and Kidney, therefore making it seem just as similar as other supplementing herbs. I really like to use Sang Ji Sheng in many formulas and I am always pleased with its results.

On the other end of the spectrum we have herbs that just have traditional uses for thwarting hair loss. These herbs in modern times have shown that the essential oils and other chemicals in them are indeed helpful. In the case of these medicinals they are mostly used externally to the area. These are a few herbs that have been helping hair loss in women for thousands of years, and I still see some of it stay a little mainstream in China. Here is a couple for you:

Huo Ma Ren / Hemp Seed: The oils of the hemp seed are used for many purposes in Chinese Medicine and they prove to be very reliable. Huo Ma Ren can be pounded or ground and applied directly to the scalp and left for a while and then washed away.

Ce Bai Ye / Platycladus: Ce Bai Ye has volatile oils in it that are known to be healthy to scalp health, and we know is healthy to skin. Ce Bai Ye can be made into a tincture or cooked like a decoction and applied to the scalp daily. Ce Bai Ye is effective for hair loss and itchy scalp, so it has a bit of a dual purpose!

Feel free to try some of these suggestions and herbs and see how it works out for you. Know that you are dealing with an issue that will need time to repair or keep at bay, so you will need to be consistent and give it time. You may want to look at herbal shampoos or something that someone already makes so you can use it every day with ease.

We have discussed previously on how high blood pressure and high cholesterol are in the top of the disease chart in the US and most of the world. 3 of the top 10 medications prescribed in the US are for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Granted, most people are fine taking 1-3 medications a day plus some more for possible side-effects, some people are looking for adjunctive ways to help reduce blood pressure. Similarly, you may be borderline on high blood pressure and you have been prescribed diet and exercise by your doctor. So where do you go from there?

We talked in a previous post about herbs for heart health about herbs and tea and much more information on heart health. Here we will give you a quick recipe on adding some foods to lower blood pressure. Diet and exercise to keep your blood pressure under control or lower it includes: higher intake of fiber, lower intake of salt, lower intake of bad fats, monitor correct cholesterol intake levels, and move your carb intake to whole food and non-refined. Exercise by the American Heart Association is recommended as 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. Basically if you do a brisk walk you want to do 30 minutes a day for 5 days. You can cut this in half with intense exercise.

Ok, so that is what we are told to contain our blood pressure and hopefully lower it, but what can we do to lower it? Luckily food therapy and herbal therapy have been used in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years. Additionally, China has spent lots of money in the last 50 years on research to prove or disprove many of these traditional therapies and advice. High blood pressure remedies from foods (remember herbs are often foods) are quite effective. So, let’s look at this juice or smoothie drink we have for you.

Using a blender, food processor, juicer, or anything else you want at together:
Granny Smith Apple- Typically use a whole or half a cored apple
Celery- Celery is a big item here and has many other health effects, use a 1-2 stalks at least
Parsley- Play with this one a little, a healthy pinch will do good but some may need to start lower to not over-power your drink
Bitter Melon- This can be more bitter to some than others, but the apple should overpower this. You will have to play with how much you use here.
Cucumber- Cucumber is quite refreshing this way and will add good taste, start with half to a quarter cucumber and modify from there.

No set recipe here, it is a great way to include a juice or smoothie in the morning for blood pressure. Since you should take this for a long period of time, it is more important to find a good ratio that you will enjoy daily! Feel free to send us comments on what ratio you came up with.