Literature Study On TCM Dietary Rules Of Postpartum Lactation

ObjectHypogalactia,or lactation insufficiency,is a commonly occurring issue in the postpartum period,and is one of the main causes of breastfeeding difficulties.This thesis is a literature review of ancient to modern Chinese medical and nutritional texts concerning Chinese food therapy for postpartum hypogalactia,using statistical analysis to quantify key treatment experiences and trends as a basis or reference to direct future nutritional studies or treatment plans.While clinical studies for nutritional therapy have been conducted in China,they are insufficient compared with clinical trials for drug therapy,and also lacking in guidance provided by Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)theory.Thus,by conducting a literature review,the goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive reference to assist future research of postpartum hypogalactia in medical,healthcare,and nutritional fields.MethodDocuments about or containing information on Chinese food therapy for hypogalactia,dating from the Han dynasty to modern times,were retrieved manually from local libraries or from online search engines.Chinese food therapies for hypogalactia were identified,extracted,collected and then organized into an Excel database.Frequency analysis was subsequently conducted to identify most common food therapies,formulations,and medical properties of these main component foods and herbs.Results(1)Chinese food therapies for hypogalactia span a history of2000 years,from the Han dynasty to modern times.(2)In regards to formulations,Chinese food therapies for hypogalctia were prepared as soups,congee,dishes,teas,wines,powders,electuaries,juices,staple foods,and desserts.Of these various types,soups were most common,occurring at a frequency of 54.5%.(3)Based on the TCM theories of preventive treatment,deficiency and stasis as most common postpartum syndromes,and deficiency plus stagnation as the main cause of hypogalactia,the function of most formulas were to tonify deficiencies,promote blood circulation to remove stasis,regulate qi,warm the interior,and relieve the exterior.Tonification was the primary treatment method used in Chinese food therapies,with blood circulation promotion,qi regulation,interior warming,phlegm resolving,and heat cleansing being used as secondary approaches.In regards to medicinal flavors,sweet was most common,followed by acrid and bitter tastes.In terms of medicinal properties,most were mild,while warm was secondary.When considering medicinal flavors in conjunction with their properties,sweet-mild combination had the highest frequency,followed by sweet-warm and acrid-warm.The most commonly used remedies were ginger,pig's trotters,scallions,wine,Tetrapanaxpapyriferus,japonica rice,Radix astragali,cowherb seeds,pangolin scales,Rhapontici Radix,pork,brown sugar,jujube,chicken eggs,peanuts,crucian carps,luffa,and Codonopsispilosula.In regards to channel tropism,target meridians of remedies were mainly the stomach and spleen,followed by the liver,lung,kidney,and heart meridians.(4)In regards to syndrome differentiation,postpartum hypogalactia is primarily divided into the following types:qi and blood deficiency,liver qi stagnation,blood stasis,phlegm obstruction of breast channels,and upper jiao heat stagnation.ConclusionChinese food therapy for postpartum hypogalactia has 2000 years of applied and recorded history.Considering the physiological and disease characteristics of breastfeeding women,Chinese food therapy and management is suitable and worth exploring.Chinese food therapy is based on the theories of the four properties,five flavors,and channel tropism-used in conjunction with syndrome differentiation,the most appropriate remedies are selected.Formulations are also wide and varied,including unique and convenient means of preparation such as soups,powders,congee,dishes,wines,electuaries,and teas.According to TCM,the most prevalent issue in the postpartum period is deficiency—specifically qi deficiency first and foremost,followed by yang deficiency—and coexists with conditions such as qi stagnation,blood stasis,phlegm-dampness,and excess fire.Thus,factoring in constitution and disease characteristics,nutritional therapy focuses on tonification in order to adjust imbalances.Reviewing the existing literature to explore methods and experiences of treating hypogalactia using Chinese food therapy is important for future research and development of effective treatment plans for postpartum lactation insufficiency.Utilizing TCM principles,Chinese food therapy manages hypogalactia according to underlying constitution,thus providing application for prevention before disease onset,prevention of disease exacerbation,and prevention of relapse.