Premature Graying — TCM Food Therapy & Dietary Approach
In TCM, hair is the surplus of blood, and the kidney manifests its essence in the hair.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns
In TCM, this concern is differentiated into several patterns, each with a classical herbal formula:
Liver-Kidney Deficiency (Deficiency of Essence and Blood)
Formula: Qi Bao Mei Ran Dan (Seven Treasures for Beautiful Whiskers Pill) — from *Yi Fang Ji Jie*
Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency (Consumption of Kidney Yin)
Formula: Liuwei Dihuang Wan (Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill) — from *Key to Therapeutics of Children's Diseases*
Yin deficiency with exuberant fire and predominant blood heat
Formula: Zhibai Dihuang Wan (Anemarrhena and Phellodendron Rehmannia Pill) — from *Golden Mirror of Medicine*
These formulas are for reference under TCM syndrome differentiation and should only be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.
Food Therapy & Diet
Dietary Therapy Recipes
- Black Sesame Porridge to Nourish Hair and Moisten the Intestines: 10 g black sesame, 10 g black soybean, 100 g black rice. Cook into porridge.
- Walnut and Sesame Paste: stir-fry 500 g each of walnut kernels and black sesame, grind into powder, and take mixed with honey.
- Fleeceflower Root and Jujube Porridge: decoct 30–60 g prepared fleeceflower root (zhi heshouwu) to obtain the juice, then add 60 g polished round-grained rice and 5 jujubes and cook into porridge (avoid if stools are loose).
- Black Fungus and Sesame Drink: 5 g black fungus, 10 g black sesame. Decoct to obtain the juice and add white sugar.
- Mulberry Paste: decoct 1000 g fresh mulberry fruit to obtain the juice, concentrate it, and add 300 g honey.
Dietary Principles
- Favor black sesame, black soybean, black rice, mulberry, walnut, wolfberry fruit, fleeceflower root and black fungus to supplement the kidney, nourish blood and darken the hair.
- Favor dark-colored blood-nourishing foods (purple rice, adzuki bean, black jujube, purple grape, sea cucumber, black-bone chicken).
- Keep regular sleep and work hours and ease the emotions; avoid staying up late and overwork.
- Avoid raw, cold, icy, greasy and heavy foods.
- For the blood-heat pattern, avoid acrid, dry, heating foods, smoking and alcohol.
- Avoid long-term self-administration of large amounts of preparations containing fleeceflower root (Polygonum multiflorum) because of the risk of liver injury.
Understanding the Condition
In TCM, hair is the surplus of blood, and the kidney manifests its essence in the hair. Premature graying may be associated with (1) liver-kidney depletion with insufficient essence and blood; (2) exuberant blood-heat, in which qi depression transforms into fire and blood-heat scorches the hair roots; and (3) liver depression with spleen deficiency and depletion of qi and blood, leaving the hair malnourished.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.