Itchy Skin — TCM Food Therapy & Dietary Approach
In TCM, "wind itching" (fengsaoyang), first described in the Zhubing Yuanhou Lun, is attributed to an external wind pathogen with mutual contention of wind and blood.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns
In TCM, this concern is differentiated into several patterns, each with a classical herbal formula:
Wind-heat invading the skin
Formula: Xiaofeng San (Eliminate Wind Powder) — from *Orthodox Manual of External Medicine*
Blood Deficiency with Wind-Dryness
Formula: Danggui Yinzi (Angelica Drink) — from *Formulas to Aid the Living*
Damp-Heat with Wind
Formula: Longdan Xiegan Tang (Gentiana Decoction to Drain the Liver) — from *Yi Fang Ji Jie*
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
- Mulberry and Sesame Paste: 100 g black mulberry, 100 g black sesame, 50 g polygonatum (huangjing), 50 g ophiopogon root (maidong), 50 g raw rehmannia (shengdihuang), 300 g honey.
- Spleen-Fortifying Winter Melon Porridge: 50 g polished round-grained rice, 150 g winter melon, 50 g minced lamb, 100 g Chinese yam.
- Kelp, Mung Bean and Coix Seed Soup: 50 g kelp, 100 g mung bean, 50 g coix seed.
- Angelica Porridge: half a bowl of rice, 5 g angelica root, a little brown sugar.
Dietary Principles
- Favor B-vitamin-rich whole grains (wheat bran, brown rice, beans, shiitake mushroom).
- Favor foods that nourish blood and moisten the skin (jujube, wolfberry fruit, Chinese yam, honey, black sesame, mulberry).
- Favor foods that clear heat and drain damp (mung bean, coix seed, winter melon, radish, celery, luffa, kelp).
- Favor a light diet with regular, fixed-amount meals and a balance of meat and vegetables.
- Avoid acrid, stimulating foods, alcohol, strong tea, coffee, fishy seafood and other "triggering" foods.
- Avoid greasy, high-fat and sweet foods, and chicken and goose that stir wind.
Understanding the Condition
In TCM, "wind itching" (fengsaoyang), first described in the Zhubing Yuanhou Lun, is attributed to an external wind pathogen with mutual contention of wind and blood. Wind may arise from externally contracted wind-damp-heat, internal damp-heat from improper diet, blood deficiency with wind and dryness in the weak elderly, and blood stasis obstruction.
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.