If the vertical lines on the nails are very obvious, you should pay attention, as this is one of the main characteristics of a deficiency of liver blood. You can tell the condition of the liver by looking at the nails.

The relationship between the liver and the nails was put forward very early in the “Huangdi Neijing”. It is said that “the luster of the liver is manifested in the nails”. Liver blood nourishes the body. After nourishing all the organs and viscera of the body, the excess liver blood will be used to nourish the nails. If there is a deficiency of liver blood, and other parts of the body are already insufficiently supplied, then the nails will basically have no remaining nutrients for supply, and they will become dry. This dryness, when seen with the naked eye, appears as 一条条 vertical lines.

So, you can observe yourself or the people around you. As long as the vertical lines on the nails are obvious, the color of the blood in the nails will also be relatively pale, the body’s immunity will be relatively poor, and the sleep is usually not good. These are all the most obvious characteristics of a deficiency of liver blood.

So, how can we solve the problem of a deficiency of liver blood? In fact, there is a proprietary Chinese medicine that is quite good, called Azhen Yangxue Oral Liquid. This Azhen Yangxue Oral Liquid is actually an upgraded version of Siwu Decoction. I have told you about Siwu Decoction before. The proprietary Chinese medicine of Siwu Decoction is called Siwu Granules, which is the basic prescription for tonifying liver blood.

Adding some more symptomatic medicines to the basic prescription will enhance the effect. Azhen Yangxue Oral Liquid is an upgrade based on Siwu Granules.

Azhen Yangxue Oral Liquid: Asini Corii Colla, Margarita, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Astragali Radix, Codonopsis Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Jujubae Fructus, Glossy Privet Fruit, Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma.

The name of this proprietary Chinese medicine, “Azhen”, does not mean that it was invented by someone named Azhen. Instead, it refers to the ingredients Asini Corii Colla and Margarita in the medicine.

Asini Corii Colla is a very good medicine for nourishing blood, and it is basically well-known to everyone. However, this medicinal material is relatively rare and expensive. So, for general tonifying of liver blood, there are many cheaper medicinal materials that can be used as substitutes. Asini Corii Colla will only be considered when there is a relatively large need for nourishing blood.

When Asini Corii Colla is combined with Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, it becomes the very famous Asini Corii Colla Siwu Decoction. Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata are the ingredients of Siwu Decoction. Siwu Decoction itself is a prescription specifically for tonifying liver blood. With the powerful Asini Corii Colla added as the “leader” and combined with Jujubae Fructus, the effect of nourishing blood will be even better.

Glossy Privet Fruit tonifies the liver and kidney. When it is ripe, it is black and is very good for tonifying the kidney. This is mainly because in the theory of the Five Elements, the liver belongs to wood and the kidney belongs to water. Only when there is enough water can the wood grow well.

Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma nourishes yin and promotes the production of body fluids. Together with Glossy Privet Fruit, it replenishes the kidney water. Only when the kidney water is sufficient can the liver wood be tonified.

Astragali Radix and Codonopsis Radix are used to tonify qi. Usually, we always talk about “qi and blood” together. These two things are very difficult to separate. Blood can carry qi, and qi can fix blood. The two complement each other.

Finally, there is Margarita, which has the effect of beautifying the skin and can also calm the mind. This is mainly aimed at the concurrent symptoms such as insomnia and poor complexion that are prone to occur due to a deficiency of liver blood.

So, you can see that this prescription is not as simple as Siwu Decoction. In addition to tonifying liver blood, it also tonifies the kidney and qi. This reflects the holistic thinking of traditional Chinese medicine, which does not simply treat the head when there is a headache or the foot when there is a footache. Instead, it requires corresponding adjustments to all the related parts of the body as a whole.

Therefore, for those with obvious vertical lines on their nails, they can consider tonifying their liver blood. If Siwu Decoction or Siwu Granules do not have an ideal effect, they can switch to this Azhen Yangxue Oral Liquid.