Yin is cold, Yang is hot; Yin is blood, Yang is Qi; when Yin and Yang are balanced, all diseases disappear. How to eliminate dampness? Let’s explore this article together!
Things have no inherent beauty or ugliness; excess leads to disaster. We know that human life activities cannot be separated from water, but if there is too much dampness in the body, it will overflow, and Yang Qi cannot emerge. It is like dark clouds obscuring the sun, making one feel fatigued, heavy all over, dizzy, and experiencing abdominal pain and diarrhea. This is what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to as excessive dampness. Where does dampness come from? It originates from the spleen and stomach. The spleen governs transformation and transportation, allowing Qi, blood, and body fluids to reach their proper places. If the spleen is deficient, it cannot function properly, leading to a decreased ability to transform and transport dampness, resulting in internal stagnation of dampness. As stated in the Huangdi Neijing, all swelling and fullness belong to the spleen.Thus, the fundamental approach to eliminating dampness lies in strengthening the spleen. Merely removing dampness without simultaneously strengthening the spleen is equivalent to futile effort. Over 1800 years ago, the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing prescribed a formula called Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang (Poria, Cinnamon Twig, White Atractylodes, Honey-Fried Licorice), which is recognized as the ancestral formula for transforming Qi and promoting fluid movement. Almost all subsequent formulas for eliminating dampness are derived from this base formula. Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang: Poria (Fu Ling), Cinnamon Twig (Gui Zhi), White Atractylodes (Bai Zhu), Honey-Fried Licorice (Zhi Gan Cao). This entire formula is slightly warming and suitable for individuals with cold dampness. In other words, if your tongue is large and swollen with tooth marks on the sides, the coating is thick and greasy and white, and you often feel drowsy and fatigued, then Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang is perfect for you.Gui Zhi is a key herb that Zhang Zhongjing frequently used in many formulas for treating water and dampness, adding a finishing touch.Gui Zhi is the tender branch from the top of the cinnamon tree, thus it has a strong ability to promote Yang. By strengthening the heart Yang, it effectively raises the body’s internal sun.When the sun shines brightly, the gloom dissipates. Excessive cold dampness is like thick fog in the mountains; once the sun comes out, the clouds and fog immediately clear. Gui Zhi disperses the hidden dampness in the organs and meridians, like fog, and allows it to seep out through the skin’s pores. Gui Zhi generates Yang energy, bringing warmth to the body. The spleen and stomach, originally cold and damp due to excessive consumption of cold foods, awaken under the warmth of Yang energy. Thus, the first strategy is to warm Yang and transform dampness. The second strategy is to dry dampness, which can also be found in TCM herbs, specifically Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes).Bai Zhu has an upward-moving property, directing its effects to the middle jiao (spleen and stomach). Therefore, it is a herb that nourishes the spleen earth, which can control water. Consider a bumpy country road; after rain, the dampness is heavy. If you spread some dry soil over it, it becomes dry immediately.The third strategy is to promote the drainage of dampness, which is akin to farming. During the summer, when there is excessive rain, water accumulates in the fields, threatening the crops. The best solution is to dig drainage ditches to guide the water away.In the human body, the drainage ditches are the bladder and San Jiao (Triple Burner). The bladder is the major source of water, while the San Jiao is the stream of water. The herb that can simultaneously promote the drainage of both the bladder and San Jiao is Poria (Fu Ling). TCM often treats water by regulating the waterways, allowing for smooth flow and comfort in the body. Poria promotes the drainage of dampness, effectively opening the channels and allowing excess, unnecessary, and errant water in the body to be expelled through urination. Elderly Master Yue Meizhong often utilized Poria for treating hair loss.Why hair loss? Because prolonged sitting leads to spleen deficiency and poor transformation, resulting in dampness. This dampness does not remain still; it wanders throughout the body. When it ascends to the head, hair begins to fall out.Everyone has cared for plants and knows that if the drainage hole at the bottom of a pot is blocked, excess water cannot escape, and the plants may rot.In this case, using powdered Poria daily can promote drainage while also strengthening the spleen. Once the dampness is eliminated, hair will grow back. Although Poria’s ability to strengthen the spleen is not as strong as Bai Zhu’s, its resilience should not be underestimated. It works gradually, like an ox plowing a field, helping the spleen and stomach correct imbalances. This is also why Poria is an excellent food-medicine source, often used in the health-preserving diet of Empress Dowager Cixi. With Gui Zhi above generating sunlight, Bai Zhu in the middle tonifying Qi and strengthening the spleen, and Poria below promoting drainage, these three generals work together to drive dampness away. However, having a strategy alone is not enough; a strong logistical support team is also necessary. As the saying goes, before the army moves, provisions must be prepared. If logistics are not well managed, even a million troops cannot win a battle.At this point, the elder statesman Zhi Gan Cao (Honey-Fried Licorice) comes into play, stationed in the middle jiao, firmly guarding the spleen and stomach as the main supply base. It acts as both a strategist and a supply officer, harmonizing the relationships among the three generals, ensuring they work together in unity; at the same time, it promptly delivers supplies to all departments. Thus, the medical sage is indeed a sage; every move is lethal. Although it consists of only four simple herbs, the arrangement is clear and vivid, as if there were thousands of troops. Winning this battle against dampness is as easy as reaching into a pocket.
Zhong Sheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Honey-Fried Licorice
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