Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation in women over eighteen years of age, or the cessation of menstruation for three consecutive months or more after regular cycles. The primary causes include kidney deficiency, blood deficiency, liver qi stagnation, cold-induced blood stasis, and phlegm-dampness.
Amenorrhea is most commonly caused by blood deficiency or kidney deficiency.Blood-depletion amenorrhea occurs when kidney deficiency or blood deficiency leads to insufficient blood production. The blood sea fails to overflow regularly, creating a state of emptiness where no blood is available to descend, resulting in amenorrhea. This is analogous to a river irrigating trees: if the river dries up and the water source fails, the trees downstream will wither from lack of water.Blood-obstruction amenorrhea occurs when the body's blood supply is otherwise sufficient, but external factors—such as constitutional obesity with phlegm and dampness, exposure to cold, or emotional distress leading to liver qi stagnation—impede blood circulation. This obstructs the downward flow of blood needed for menstruation. It is akin to building a dam in a riverbed, causing blockage and preventing water from flowing normally downstream, thus depriving the trees of nourishment.
Clinically, blood deficiency amenorrhea is more common. Women are nourished by blood, sharing an innate, inseparable bond with it. Our ancestors warned us two millennia ago: "Women rely on blood as their foundation."A rosy complexion, radiant skin, and lustrous hair all depend on the nourishing influence of blood. Yet women are often more prone to blood loss. Throughout their lives, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation are significant physiological processes that consume substantial amounts of blood. Childbirth alone involves a massive loss of blood. Therefore, it is not surprising that women frequently experience blood deficiency or blood depletion.Mulberry and Safflower Decoction for Nourishing Blood and Regulating Menstruation How can one nourish blood to address amenorrhea caused by blood depletion? Blood-tonifying foods like donkey-hide gelatin, peanuts, longan, and black rice are essential. Additionally, the Mulberry and Safflower Decoction can be consumed regularly. Prepare 25g mulberries, 5g safflower, 20g chicken-blood vine, and a moderate amount of rice wine.First, decoct chicken-blood vine and safflower in 2 bowls of water until reduced to 1 bowl. Discard the residue and reserve the liquid. Wash mulberries thoroughly, add to the pot with sufficient water, and simmer until tender. Pour in the herbal liquid and rice wine, stir briefly, then simmer for another 5 minutes before serving. Consume warm twice daily.
Safflower promotes blood circulation, dispels blood stasis, regulates menstruation, and nourishes blood. As recorded in Ben Cao Hui Yan, "For menstrual obstruction, nothing but safflower can regulate it." Its efficacy in treating amenorrhea is particularly remarkable, a fact requiring no further elaboration.
The name Chicken Blood Vine originates from its stems. When cut, the cross-section immediately oozes a pale reddish-brown sap that gradually deepens to a vivid crimson, slowly flowing out. This bright red liquid closely resembles chicken blood, hence the name.
It is also a herb that invigorates and nourishes blood, commonly used for blood deficiency-induced amenorrhea, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, anemia, rheumatic arthralgia, and numbness of tendons and bones. When boiled into a paste, it becomes Chicken Blood Vine Paste, which enhances its blood-nourishing effects.
As early as ancient times, mulberries were already imperial tonics for emperors. The Diannan Materia Medica records that mulberries "nourish the kidneys and consolidate essence; long-term consumption darkens hair and sharpens vision." The Suixi Ju Dietary Spectrum also states, "Mulberries sharpen hearing, brighten eyesight, calm the soul, and stabilize the spirit." Black corresponds to the kidneys; mulberries, purple-black in color, possess kidney-nourishing properties.Nourishing the kidneys is an essential step in treating blood deficiency-induced amenorrhea. Mulberries, being a kidney-tonifying fruit, are precisely the right remedy for this condition.
For women, regular consumption of mulberries promotes beauty, nourishes the skin, and delays aging. Ancient people understood the value of fermenting mulberries into wine to nourish the liver and kidneys, treating premature graying of hair, female amenorrhea, and irregular menstruation.However, mulberries possess a cold nature and are unsuitable for those with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold or loose stools. "Irregular menstruation inevitably hinders conception." Prolonged amenorrhea can lead to female infertility, hence the traditional Chinese medicine concept of "regulating menstruation to promote conception." Should amenorrhea occur, it must not be taken lightly; timely treatment is essential.