"Which 6 Foods Can Women Consume to Help Nourish Their Ovaries?"

Women require maintenance throughout their lives, particularly during middle age when the body experiences a decrease in water content, skin laxity, reduced estrogen secretion, and accelerated aging. How can one maintain ovarian health? Here are some food options for ovarian maintenance:

Foods for Ovarian Maintenance

1. Chestnuts - One of the nut foods, chestnuts are believed in traditional Chinese medicine to nourish the kidneys and strengthen the lower back. While chestnuts can nourish the kidneys for men, women who consume them regularly can benefit from their yin-nourishing properties, alleviating symptoms of menopause.
2. Yam - A food with excellent yin-nourishing effects, yam is an excellent choice for women to nourish their yin and ovaries. It is easily available in the market, with the iron stick yam being particularly recommended for its lung-nourishing, spleen-strengthening, and yin-nourishing properties.
3. Goji Berries - Usually orange in color, goji berries are versatile ingredients that can be used in soups or soaked in water. Avoid excessively bright red berries, which may have been dyed. As a food for women to nourish their yin and ovaries, goji berries have the effects of nourishing the kidneys and yin, improving eyesight, and enriching blood, thereby supporting ovarian health.
4. Red Dates - With their blood-enriching and yin-nourishing properties, red dates are rich in vitamin C. While dried red dates are also beneficial, consuming 6-8 pieces daily is sufficient for nourishing the yin and ovaries. After consuming red dates, remember to brush your teeth to avoid damaging your teeth, as red dates are good for the stomach but not for the teeth.
5. Legumes - Rich in essential nutrients like soy protein and iron, consuming legumes can promote estrogen secretion and delay aging for women. Additionally, legumes also nourish the yin and kidneys.
6. Spinach - Containing magnesium, a mineral that women tend to lack, spinach is important. When women consume less than 280 mg of magnesium daily, they may feel fatigued. Magnesium converts carbohydrates in muscles into usable energy.

Principles of Ovarian Maintenance

1. Align with the Periodic Changes of the Ovary - The ovarian cycle includes the follicular phase, ovulation phase, and luteal phase. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that during different phases of the menstrual cycle, the body's yin, yang, qi, and blood are in different states. For instance, the post-menstrual period is dominated by yin growth, and it is important not to overly warm the yang but instead nourish the yin and blood. Foods should be light, such as beans and tubers. The pre-menstrual period, on the other hand, is a time of yang growth, allowing for the consumption of warm foods or medications, increased exercise, and smooth qi and blood flow.
2. Adapt to Your Individual Body Constitution - Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes that people have different body constitutions, ranging from yin, yang, cold, heat, deficiency, and excess. Foods also have different properties of nourishing, purging, cooling, and warming. For example, those with a hot constitution should avoid long-term or excessive consumption of warming and nourishing foods like deer glue, donkey-hide gelatin, walnuts, and sesame seeds, as they may exacerbate internal heat or damp-heat, leading to menstrual disorders and "anger" symptoms.
3. Emphasize Mental and Physical Health - A positive mindset can maintain ovarian function. Women's reproductive endocrinology is influenced by the cerebral cortex. Long-term fatigue, stress, or depression can suppress the cerebral cortex, directly affecting women's endocrine function.