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What to eat for cold hands and feet

Jul 21, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, individuals experiencing cold hands and feet may consume foods such as lamb, ginger, red dates, walnuts, and kelp. Additionally, medications such as Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan, Ba Zhen Yi Mu Wan, Gui Pi Wan, You Gui Wan, and Fu Fang E Jiao Jiang may be taken under a physician's guidance to help promote blood circulation and enhance the body's ability to withstand cold. Maintaining good daily habits can also help improve symptoms of cold hands and feet.

Generally, for cold hands and feet, one can consume foods such as lamb, ginger, red dates, walnuts, kelp, etc. Additionally, under medical guidance, medications such as Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan, Ba Zhen Yi Mu Wan, Gui Pi Wan, You Gui Wan, and Fufang Ejiao Jiang may be used to help promote blood circulation and enhance the body's ability to resist cold. Detailed explanations are as follows:

I. Foods

1. Lamb

Lamb is a warming food rich in high-quality protein and various minerals, such as iron and zinc, which help the body generate heat and improve symptoms of cold hands and feet.

2. Ginger

Ginger contains components such as gingerol and shogaol. Gingerol stimulates the gastrointestinal mucosa, increases gastrointestinal blood flow, and enhances digestive capacity; shogaol stimulates the vascular motor center and sympathetic nerves, dilates blood vessels, promotes blood circulation, helps the body resist cold, and improves the condition of cold hands and feet.

3. Red Dates

Red dates are rich in carbohydrates, vitamin C, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, and various amino acids. Carbohydrates provide energy to the body, while vitamin C has antioxidant effects and boosts immunity. These components work together to nourish qi and blood, improve blood circulation, enhance peripheral blood flow, and alleviate cold hands and feet.

4. Walnuts

Walnuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, protein, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients. Unsaturated fatty acids help lower cholesterol and protect cardiovascular health; vitamin E improves blood circulation and protects vascular endothelial cells; minerals such as calcium and magnesium participate in nerve conduction and muscle contraction, promoting blood circulation, warming the body, and improving cold hands and feet.

5. Kelp

Kelp is rich in iodine, which is a raw material for synthesizing thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones regulate the body's metabolism and increase body temperature; moderate intake helps improve cold hands and feet.

II. Medications

1. Jin Kui Shen Qi Wan

Mainly composed of Rehmannia glutinosa, Chinese yam, and Cornus officinalis. Its mechanism of action is to warm and tonify kidney yang and promote qi circulation to remove fluid retention. By warming and supplementing kidney yang, it replenishes the body's yang energy, enhances kidney function, promotes blood circulation, and improves symptoms of cold hands and feet and cold intolerance caused by kidney yang deficiency.

2. Ba Zhen Yi Mu Wan

Composed of motherwort, Codonopsis pilosula, and fried Atractylodes macrocephala. This medication nourishes qi and blood and regulates menstruation. By nourishing qi and blood, it regulates the body's qi and blood balance, ensuring sufficient and smooth blood circulation, thereby improving cold hands and feet caused by qi and blood deficiency and menstrual disorders, and providing adequate blood supply to various organs and peripheral tissues.

3. Gui Pi Wan

Contains Codonopsis pilosula, fried Atractylodes macrocephala, honey-fried Astragalus membranaceus, and other herbs. Its mechanism of action is to strengthen qi and the spleen, nourish blood, and calm the mind. By enhancing spleen and stomach function, it promotes digestion and absorption of nutrients, generates sufficient qi and blood, and nourishes the blood to calm the mind, improving cold hands and feet, insomnia, and forgetfulness caused by deficiency of both the heart and spleen and insufficient qi and blood.

4. You Gui Wan

Composed of processed Rehmannia root, processed Aconite root, cinnamon, and other herbs. It functions to warm and tonify kidney yang, replenish kidney essence, and stop seminal emission. It warms and tonifies kidney yang, replenishes kidney essence, enhances the body's yang energy, promotes blood circulation, and improves symptoms such as cold hands and feet, low spirits, and cold intolerance caused by kidney yang deficiency and衰weak gate fire.

5. Fufang Ejiao Jiang

The main ingredients are Ejiao (donkey-hide gelatin), red ginseng, processed Rehmannia root, etc. This medication nourishes qi and blood, improves the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, enhances blood circulation, and relieves cold hands and feet caused by deficiency of both qi and blood.

In daily life, maintaining good habits such as regular exercise, avoiding prolonged sitting, and wearing warm clothing can help alleviate symptoms of cold hands and feet.

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