In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the term “五脏” (wǔ zàng) refers to the five organs: Heart (心, xīn), Liver (肝, gān), Spleen (脾, pí), Lung (肺, fèi), and Kidney (肾, shèn). The common physiological characteristic of the five organs is the transformation and storage of vital essence, and they are capable of housing the spirit, hence referred to as “神脏” (shén zàng). According to the Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经) – Suwen (素问) – Wuzang Bie Lun (五脏别论): “The so-called five organs are those that store vital essence and do not leak, thus they are full but not solid.“ In the Huangdi Neijing – Ling Shu (灵枢) – Ben Zang (本脏): “The five organs are responsible for housing the spirit, blood, qi, and soul.“ TCM believes that the five organs are the center of life activities, with mental consciousness activities distributed among them. Together with the six fu organs, they connect the body’s internal and external structures, forming a unified whole. Although the functions of the five organs are distinct, they coordinate with each other to maintain the life process.
Ruler of the Organs: Heart
The position of the Heart in the five organs is akin to the general in chess; its existence determines the outcome of the game, thus the Huangdi Neijing refers to the Heart as the “Ruler of the Organs”.
The Heart Houses the Spirit
TCM posits that the Heart houses the spirit. When the Heart’s qi and blood are abundant, the spirit is nourished, leading to clarity of mind, agility of thought, and sweet sleep.
Conversely, if there is a deficiency in Heart qi or blood, symptoms such as declining memory and poor sleep quality may arise.
Excessive Joy Harms the Heart
TCM believes that excessive joy can harm the Heart, as exemplified by the character Fan Jin from the story of “The Examination” who experienced great joy leading to harm to his Heart.
The Heart Opens to the Tongue
TCM practitioners can assess the function of the Heart by observing the shape and color of the tongue, as well as the fluency of speech.
For instance, individuals with frequent tongue ulcers may have excessive Heart fire; those who often stutter may have weak Heart qi; and a purple, swollen sublingual vein may indicate atherosclerotic disease.
Symptoms of Excessive Heart Fire
Abnormal Heart function often manifests as palpitations, pain in the precordial area, cyanosis of lips and nails, oral ulcers, insomnia with vivid dreams, and neurasthenia.
Heart-Nourishing Dietary Therapy
TCM suggests that red foods such as red dates (红枣, hóng zǎo), adzuki beans (赤豆, chì dòu), cherries (樱桃, yīng táo), and chicken or duck blood can nourish the Heart; if there is excessive Heart fire, bitter foods like bitter melon (苦瓜, kǔ guā) can be consumed to clear the fire.
Additionally, in daily life, frequently pronouncing the sound “呵 (hē)” can also help regulate Heart function.
Meridian Regulation
We can also regulate the flow of Heart qi and blood through simple massage techniques such as tapping the Pericardium Meridian (心包经, xīnbāo jīng), rubbing Neiguan (内关, nèi guān), striking Daling (大陵, dà líng), and patting Jiquan (极泉, jí quán).
General of the Organs: Liver
The Huangdi Neijing compares the Liver to the “General of the Organs”, using the strong and impulsive nature of a general to describe the physiological characteristics of the Liver.
Anger Harms the Liver
People with a quick temper often have excessive Liver fire, making it difficult for them to control their irritable emotions.
Those who are easily angered often need to vent their intense emotions to feel better, and only when this anger dissipates can their Heart qi become calm.
However, if a person is constantly angry, it can lead to high blood pressure and may trigger liver diseases.
A historical example is Zhou Yu from the Three Kingdoms period, who died from a sword injury after a fit of rage, illustrating the concept of “Anger Harms the Liver”.
The Liver Stores Blood
The Liver stores blood, which nourishes our eyes and nails.
Thus, the condition of the nails is an important indicator of Liver blood levels; if the nails are thinner, brittle, and pale compared to others, it may indicate a deficiency of Liver blood.
Additionally, the Liver opens to the eyes; if the eyes are frequently dry and tear easily in the wind, it may also indicate a deficiency of Liver yin and blood.
Symptoms of Liver Disease
Abnormal Liver function often presents with symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth, dizziness, dry eyes, red and swollen eyes, distension in the flanks, irritability, liver disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and dry nails.
Liver-Nourishing Dietary Therapy
Sour flavors, green foods, and the sound “嘘 (xū)” are all related to the Liver and can be used for its regulation.
Foods with sour flavors like black plum (乌梅, wū méi), vinegar (醋, cù), and hawthorn (山楂, shān zhā), as well as green foods like mint (薄荷, bò hé) and celery (芹菜, qín cài), are excellent for nourishing the Liver.
Additionally, foods like chrysanthemum (菊花, jú huā), onion (洋葱, yáng cōng), lychee (荔枝, lì zhī), papaya (木瓜, mù guā), peach (桃, táo), and carp (鲤鱼, lǐ yú) are also representative of Liver-nourishing foods.
In daily life, frequently pronouncing the sound “嘘 (xū)” can also help improve Liver health.
Meridian Regulation
Many people feel distension in the flanks when they are angry. This is due to the Liver Meridian (肝经, gān jīng) passing through the flanks.
In TCM theory, patting the flanks helps to clear Liver fire and promote the flow of qi and blood in the Liver Meridian, making it a simple and effective method for nourishing the Liver.
The Foundation of Postnatal Life: Spleen (Stomach)
The Spleen in TCM does not refer to the anatomical spleen in Western medicine, but encompasses the comprehensive functions of the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine (similarly, the other organs such as the Heart, Liver, Lung, and Kidney also refer to the TCM systems rather than their Western anatomical counterparts).
The Spleen Governs Transformation and Transportation
The Spleen belongs to the Earth element in the Five Elements theory and is the “production factory” of qi and blood in the human body. Its physiological function is to “govern transformation and transportation”, which means it digests food into nutrients (qi and blood) and transports them throughout the body.
Excessive Thinking Harms the Spleen
Throughout history, physicians have emphasized the importance of nurturing the Spleen and Stomach.
The Huangdi Neijing states: “The Spleen is the foundation of postnatal life, governing transformation and generating qi and blood.” This means that the Spleen and Stomach are the “foundation of postnatal life” for human health and the source of qi and blood production in the five organs.
The function of the Spleen and Stomach is closely related to emotional states; excessive thinking can harm the Spleen.
For example, Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms period died young due to overwork and excessive worry, leading to a lack of appetite and weakened Spleen and Stomach, ultimately resulting in insufficient qi and blood production.
The Spleen Opens to the Mouth
In TCM, a small trick to understand the state of qi and blood in the body is to observe the color of the lips.
Since the Spleen opens to the mouth, the color of the lips reflects the state of qi and blood.
If the lips are pale or dull, it indicates insufficient Spleen qi and, consequently, insufficient qi and blood production, suggesting the person may be qi and blood deficient.
Spleen and Stomach Disease Symptoms
Abnormal Spleen and Stomach function often manifests as indigestion, loss of appetite, abdominal distension after eating, nausea, vomiting, belching, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, gastritis, and gastrointestinal ulcers.
We can assess the Spleen and Stomach function based on the presence or absence of these symptoms.
If these symptoms occur, it indicates a problem with the Spleen and Stomach system.
Spleen-Nourishing Dietary Therapy
According to the Five Elements theory, TCM believes that yellow color, sweet flavor, and the sound “呼 (hū)” are all related to the Spleen and Stomach, which can nourish and benefit Spleen and Stomach qi.
Therefore, individuals with Spleen and Stomach issues should wear yellow clothing and use yellow colors in their living spaces.
Dietarily, they should consume more yellow and sweet foods, such as millet (小米, xiǎo mǐ), sweet potatoes (番薯, fān shǔ), corn (玉米, yù mǐ), pumpkin (南瓜, nán guā), and yellow beans (黄豆, huáng dòu), which are all excellent for nourishing the Spleen and Stomach.
In daily life, frequently pronouncing the sound “呼 (hū)” can also help improve Spleen and Stomach function.
Meridian Regulation
Within our bodies lies the power to nourish the Spleen and Stomach.
For instance, there is a saying that “massaging Zusanli (足三里) daily is equivalent to eating a whole chicken”, indicating that regularly tapping the Zusanli point can enhance the Spleen and Stomach’s transformation and transportation functions.
Additionally, abdominal breathing, massaging the abdomen, or squatting can strengthen the Spleen and Stomach system.
The Minister of the Body: Lung
The Huangdi Neijing states: “The Lung governs the qi of the body, controls respiration, and is responsible for the skin and hair, opening to the nose.” Therefore, the Lung is referred to as the Minister of the Body, overseeing the operation of life qi.
Excessive Sadness Harms the Lung
Sadness can obstruct the flow of qi in the body, thus excessive sadness harms the Lung.
The character Lin Daiyu, who was overly sentimental and melancholic, ultimately died from lung disease, exemplifying the concept of “Excessive Sadness Harms the Lung”.
Therefore, we should maintain an optimistic mindset and avoid unnecessary sadness, as it can be detrimental to the Lung.
Lung Disease Symptoms
If pathogenic factors invade the Lung, causing qi to become unregulated, common symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, susceptibility to colds, chronic bronchitis, asthma, rhinitis, and chronic pharyngitis.
Over time, qi stagnation can lead to skin roughness and acne.
Lung-Nourishing Dietary Therapy
According to the Five Elements theory, white color, pungent flavor, and the sound “呬 (xī)” are associated with the Lung.
White foods such as tremella (银耳, yín ěr), lily (百合, bǎi hé), and pear (梨, lí) are excellent for nourishing Lung yin; pungent foods like ginger juice (姜汁, jiāng zhī), onion (洋葱, yáng cōng), and cilantro (香菜, xiāng cài) can help open Lung qi, especially beneficial during wind-cold colds.
In daily life, frequently pronouncing the sound “呬 (xī)” can also help improve Lung function.
Meridian Regulation
In the body’s meridian points, the Yingxiang point (迎香, yíng xiāng) is effective for treating rhinitis; regularly massaging this point can effectively prevent rhinitis; the Dan Zhong point (膻中, dān zhōng) is a key point for regulating Lung qi, and frequent tapping here can have beneficial effects on various lung diseases.
=Foundation of Innate Life: KidneyThe Kidney Stores Essence and Governs Marrow
The Huangdi Neijing considers the Kidney to be the “storehouse of essence, governing bone and marrow”, serving as the “engine of life”; thus, ancient physicians also referred to the Kidney as the “Foundation of Innate Life”.
The Kidney stores essence and governs the reproductive system; if there are issues with the reproductive system, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, it indicates a deficiency of Kidney essence, necessitating prompt replenishment.
The Kidney Opens to the Ears
It is commonly said that “large ears bring fortune”; the underlying principle is that the Kidney opens to the ears. Sufficient Kidney qi results in full, robust ears and abundant energy, leading to success in endeavors.
As Zeng Guofan said: “Success is determined by one’s demeanor, while career success is determined by one’s spirit,” which reflects this idea.
Individuals who frequently experience tinnitus or hearing loss indicate insufficient Kidney qi.
The Kidney Governs Bones
What does it mean that the Kidney governs bones? TCM believes that the strength of the bones is determined by the abundance or deficiency of Kidney essence.
Individuals with osteoporosis should nourish their Kidney essence; when Kidney essence is sufficient, the bones will be strong and robust.
Saliva Belongs to Kidney Water
When walking, various physiological responses occur, one of which is the production of saliva.
This indicates that your Kidney qi and essence are being replenished, as saliva is classified as Kidney water in the Five Elements theory.
Thus, individuals with Kidney yin deficiency often experience dry mouths and lack saliva, indicating insufficient Kidney essence.
Symptoms of Kidney Disease
What symptoms arise from insufficient Kidney essence? Common symptoms include soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, cold hands and feet, fatigue, tinnitus, hair loss, loose teeth, osteoporosis, frequent urination at night, benign prostatic hyperplasia, reduced sexual function, infertility, Kidney deficiency, and menopausal syndrome.
Kidney-Nourishing Dietary Therapy
According to the Five Elements theory, black color, salty flavor, and the sound “吹 (chuī)” are all related to the Kidney.
Salty foods such as seafood (海参, hǎi shēn, sea cucumber), and shrimp (海虾, hǎi xiā) are excellent for nourishing the Kidney; black foods like black sesame (黑芝麻, hēi zhī ma), black beans (黑小豆, hēi xiǎo dòu), and black chicken (乌鸡, wū jī) are also great for Kidney nourishment; additionally, pork kidneys (猪腰子, zhū yāo zi), walnuts (核桃, hé táo), and leeks (韭菜, jiǔ cài) are also beneficial for the Kidney.
In daily life, frequently pronouncing the sound “吹 (chuī)” can also help improve Kidney function.
Meridian Regulation
The lower back is considered the residence of the Kidney; TCM believes that soreness and weakness in the lower back indicate Kidney deficiency.
Regularly rotating the waist is beneficial for the Kidney, a practice referred to as “shaking the dragon” in traditional health maintenance.
Practices like Tai Chi or Qigong emphasize a principle called “relaxing the waist”, which helps nourish Kidney qi.
Additionally, there is an important acupoint on the lower back called the Shenshu point (肾俞穴, shèn shū xué); regularly tapping this point can also greatly benefit Kidney essence.
