In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), spring is associated with the liver and liver in turn, is associated with menstruation, movement, the ligaments and tendons, muscles, energy, and blood and Qi. The liver is also the most important organ when it comes to the health of the eyes. So, in TCM, one must treat the liver in order to treat the eyes.
One of our most important functions is our ability to see. We often take for granted our eyes. They are the only means we have to see the world and for others to see us. As we age, one of the greatest problems we will encounter is the degeneration of our eyes. Diseases such as heart disease and diabetes can harm the capillaries and tiny blood vessels that carry nutrients to our eyes, which oftentimes leads to damage to the eye. As we age, the risk for eye diseases such as pterygium, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts, increases. What can we do to prevent the onset of these eye conditions?
The Eyes and Traditional Chinese Medicine
The eyes and the liver
According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, the liver blood provides moisture and nutrients to the eyes. And when there is an excess of liver fire or a deficiency in liver blood, symptoms such as poor night vision, poor eyesight, floaters or spots, red eyes, bloodshot eyes, or dry eyes occur.
Foods that can tonify liver blood
Carrots – During childhood, most of us have been told that eating carrots is good for the eyes and doing so can help us see well at night. Carrots are very high in an antioxidant known as beta carotene, which enhances our vision. In TCM, carrots enter the meridians or energy pathways related to the spleen, lung, and liver. They are slightly warm and sweet and help tonify the spleen that in turn helps dispel heat, stops cough, strengthens and nourishes the eyes, tonifies liver blood, and boosts digestion. For a cough, eating coriander and carrot soup is highly recommended as well as eating ginger, apple, carrots, and beetroot.
Liver
To strengthen your liver, we recommend that you eat chicken liver or calf liver. Chicken liver is good when it is in the form of a pate. Consume chicken livers that are free of hormones. Chicken liver can tonify lover blood, move liver Qi, and restore eyesight.
Goji Berries (Gou Chi Hsi)
Goji Berries are also called wolfberry fruit. These berries are believed to enter the lung, kidney, and liver meridians and their taste is neutral and sweet. Goji berry is mainly a kidney tonic and helps enhance the production of body fluids and yin. It is known to moisten the lungs, brighten the eyes, and nourish the liver and is eaten to help improve weak and blurred vision, treat dizziness, and resolve kidney yin deficiency. Goji berry can also rectify liver yin deficiency that produces symptoms such as premature ejaculation, nocturnal emissions, and sore knees and lower back. This herb is ideal for the tonification of yin and yang which is rare for most herbs. This tonifying ability makes Goji berry especially useful for men particularly in the normalization of their sexual function as well as in stopping dry cough. You can buy Goji berries in your local Asian grocery. If you have problem with your eyes, you can eat Goji berries along with hot chicken soup.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in iron. It is sweet and has cooling properties as well. You can eat spinach to tonify your liver blood and your blood, in general. Spinach is good for the eyes because it is very high in vitamin A, a vitamin essential for maintaining the health of your eyes. When you eat it along with carrots, it can help improve night vision. Spinach is also good for the blood because it cools, builds, and tonifies blood. Spinach is also recommended if you suffer from toxic heat skin conditions like acne. It is believed in TCM, that blood moistens your stool and intestines and if you are deficient in blood, you can become easily constipated, something that commonly occurs in women after giving birth and in the elderly. Spinach can serve as a laxative because it lubricates the stools. If you have kidney stones, then caution is needed when eating this vegetable.
Lutein
Like lycopene (found in tomatoes) and beta carotene (found in carrots), lutein is also a member of the carotenoid family. All the foods in the carotenoid family are good for your eyes. You can find lutein in vegetables and fruits such as lettuce, broccoli, corn, cabbage, cantaloupe, and tomatoes and in egg yolks. The strongest carotenoid is lutein and it has been successfully tested to prevent cataracts and reduce macular degeneration.
Retinyl palmitate (Vitamin A)
Retinyl palmitate or vitamin A is synthesized in the liver from beta carotene and stored in the liver. Vitamin A is the most important vitamin for the eyes, most especially for night vision. It plays an important role in the perception of light and color of the rods and cones of the eyes. It helps keep the eyes moist preventing corneal and retinal damage, and eye dryness. Vitamin A is also a major contributor in the maintenance of healthy tissues all over the body. Spinach and carrots are excellent sources of vitamin A.
The eyes, the liver, and Taurine
Good sources for taurine are fish and meat proteins. Taurine is a protein that’s also manufactured in the liver and it plays a role in the development and excretion of bile salts in the body. Taurine is also a sedative and an anti-spasmodic. It helps protect the eyes from chemical and light damage. So, when your mother tells you to “eat your carrots and spinach,” she knows exactly what she’s saying. Also, eat lots of cherries and berries as they are rich in anthocyanidins that are good for the health of your eyes and heart. To protect your eyes from the UV rays of the sun wear quality sunglasses. Remember, the liver may well be the main culprit if you suffer from mood swings, depression, or melancholy or if you have poor vision.
Herbal medicine for the eyes
Herbal formulas containing a mixture of herbs rich in anthocyanidins, carotenoids, and vitamin A that can treat eye conditions are known as ophthalmics. Anthocyanidins are antioxidants that prevent damage to the collagen matrix of tissues and cells caused by free radical damage which can result in heart disease, peptic ulcers, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, glaucoma, cataracts, and even cancer. In several studies, these ophthalmics have been shown to enhance visual acuity during night time, rapidly restore visual acuity after exposure to glare, and promote faster adjustment to darkness.
Asian Health Center
27059 Chardon Rd
Cleveland, OH 44143-1113
Phone: (440) 833-0983
www.clevelandacupunctureclinic.com
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