The connection between the liver and women

The liver is the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to women’s health. It may be difficult to find a link between the liver and women based on the liver’s anatomical position alone; however, the body’s internal organs are related to women’s health, and women’s special physiological activities such as gynecopathy and obstetrics rely on the coordination of the internal organs to complete, with the liver playing a particularly important role.

“Women are blood-based, liver-based,” according to Chinese medicine. Because women’s particular physiological functions, including as menstrual excretion, pregnancy, delivery bleeding to breast milk production, are inextricably linked to blood, women’s health is extremely reliant on blood throughout their lives. The liver is the human body’s largest blood bank where blood gathers, and is physiologically linked to blood, thus women should take good care of their livers while nourishing their blood.

The liver’s physiological activities and features in TCM

The liver is a wood element in the five elements, and it is responsible for the generation of qi and blood, as well as regulating the process of qi’s rise and fall throughout the body and acting as the major blood storage.

1. Liver governs dredging and dispersing

In TCM, the liver’s dredging and distributing function primarily refers to the liver’s role in ensuring the smooth passage of qi throughout the entire body in order to support appropriate blood flow. Blood stagnation can occur when qi does not flow smoothly. In women, this function is most visible in the regulation of ovulation and menstruation. When the flow of liver qi is smooth, women’s special physiological activities can be carried out normally; however, when the flow of liver qi is stagnant and the regulation of qi is obstructed, a series of qi-related abnormalities such as menstrual disorders, dysmenorrhea, abnormal vaginal discharge, and Hyperemesis gravidarum can occur.

2. Liver stores blood

The liver is responsible for storing blood and regulating blood transport throughout the body. When a person is at rest, part of their blood flows back to the liver for storage, and when they are involved in intense activities or have mood swings, their blood demand increases, and the liver transfuses blood to the organs in need. Damage to the liver will definitely impair blood flow, and inadequate blood flow will also affect liver dispersion. Deficiency in blood volume caused by the liver storing blood and regulating blood dysfunction will result in decreased menstrual flow, delayed menstruation, and even absent menstruation.

Actions that harm the qi and blood of the liver:

1.1. Emotional problems

“Woman’s nature, paranoia, fury, and jealousy, affects liver,” according to “Wan’s Gynecology.” Emotional changes have a big impact on the liver’s physiological activity. Women nowadays frequently complain of long-term stress in their lives or at work, which can lead to emotional sadness or irritability, as well as hurting the liver qi, resulting in reversed liver qi flow, liver qi stagnation, or qi and blood abnormalities.

Many diseases are impacted by energy, according to ‘Su wen: pathophysiology of pain.’ Such as, when one is in fury, the energy will be reversing up; when one is overjoyed, the energy will be relaxed, when one is narrow-stricken, the energy will be dispersed; when one is in terror, the energy will be bogged down; when one encounters cold, the energy will be assembled; when one encounters heat, the energy will be discharged; when one is in excessive melancholy, the energy will be confusing; when one is over fatigue, the energy will be consumed; when one is anxious and worrying, the energy will be stagnated.’

All ailments, according to Chinese medicine, are caused by an imbalance of qi, and excessive emotions are unhealthy. Anger is the most harmful of the seven emotions to the liver. Anger causes liver qi to lose its temperament and affects its dispersion, resulting in qi reversal, depletion, and imbalance of qi and blood, leading to gynecological diseases such as irregular menstruation, poor menstruation, dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain during pregnancy, and lack of breast milk after childbirth, among others.

2. 2. Staying up late

When a man lies down, his blood flows towards the liver, according to ‘Su Wen: the functions of the five viscera to the human body and their reciprocal relations.’ When the eyes receive blood, they can see; when the feet receive blood, they can walk; when the palms receive blood, they can hold; and when the extremities receive blood, they can grip. The principal harm from staying up late is that it causes greater stress on the liver and hepatic dysfunction, in addition to advancing human ageing.According to Traditional Chinese medicine, the liver meridian runs from 1-3 a.m., which is the time when the liver is most active and the best time for the liver blood to innovate and detoxify, and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. is the time when the yin energy is at its peak, so sleeping during this time is the best way to nourish the yin and get the best sleep quality. Staying up late affects liver and gallbladder nourishment, impeding blood production and purification in the body, resulting in the accumulation of labour into disease, liver blood deficiency, qi and blood flow is not smooth, and symptoms such as numbness and cold limbs, stiff joints, less menstrual flow, and itchy skin develop.

Qi dispersal techniques for the liver

1. Maintain a positive attitude

If you want to nourish and safeguard your liver, you must first make sure you maintain a calm mood, and learn to let go of negative emotions. When confronted with irritating or unpleasant situations, you should try to talk to the people around you to relieve feelings, or shift your focus and release tension through exercise, outdoor walks, and other methods.

2. The best strategy to nourish the liver is to get enough sleep.

Establish a regular work and rest time, avoid staying up late at night, and try to sleep between 11:00 and 3 am as enough rest can allow the liver to get enough nourishment for self-repair. In the long run, liver qi is dispersed, liver blood is abundant, and people can stay energetic and full of vitality.

3. Nutritional care

Girls who are under a lot of stress in their lives, have long-term emotional despair, or are easily agitated and irritable should eat more food enhancing liver Qi regulation: