Summer has arrived, and temperatures are rising, but some people are quite troubled; they dread the summer. For them, summer feels like torture. Even after taking a shower and lying still, they feel heat in their palms and soles, and they start to sweat. They experience constant dryness in their mouths and throats, and the most uncomfortable part is their irritability, often feeling like they want to explode.
However, do not mistakenly think that these individuals are healthy, young, and full of energy. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, such individuals may have a Yin Deficiency (Yin Xu) constitution. People with a Yin Deficiency constitution exhibit signs of heat in their bodies. In summer, high temperatures can easily lead to a deficiency of Yin fluids, making those with Yin Deficiency more prone to various heat-related issues. What does the tongue of a person with a Yin Deficiency look like? Let’s explore this article.
First, what is Yin? In TCM, Yin fluids refer to all nourishing fluids in the body or the essence of the organs. In terms of the nature of fluids, they are thick and turbid, belonging to Yin, hence called Yin fluids. From this concept, the blood, sweat, semen, saliva, etc., in our bodies are all considered Yin fluids. If the Yin fluids in the body are insufficient, it is like the land losing its moisture. At this time, the heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs, as well as the eyes, ears, nose, and skin, lose their moisture, and the source of life-giving nourishment dries up, leading to a series of dryness and heat-related symptoms. A Yin Deficiency constitution primarily refers to a state characterized by a deficiency of body fluids, essence, and blood, with manifestations of internal heat due to Yin deficiency. What causes Yin Deficiency? The main reasons include aftereffects of febrile diseases, prolonged illness, emotional disturbances, irregular sexual activity, and excessive consumption of drying and heating foods, leading to the depletion of Yin fluids and insufficient nourishment for the body.
1. Overconsumption of Drying and Heating Foods Drying and heating foods harm Yin. Individuals with a Yin Deficiency constitution often prefer fried, grilled, or barbecued foods, or have a penchant for smoking and drinking. Many people also enjoy spicy foods, such as mala tang (spicy hot pot) and suān là fěn (sour and spicy noodles). The seasonings used in these dishes can be described in TCM terms as: pungent, aromatic, and drying, which are effective for treating cold and dampness, but prolonged consumption can harm Yin. 2. Staying Up LateModern individuals, especially the youth, often stay up late due to binge-watching shows, playing on their phones, or working overtime. It is common to see people not sleeping until one or two in the morning. A person is like a lamp; Yang is the flame, and Yin is the oil. Nighttime is the time for rest; if the lamp keeps burning, the oil will gradually deplete, which is also a reason why staying up late harms Yin. 3. Excessive DesiresAs Laozi said: “Not seeing what is desired keeps the people’s hearts calm.” However, we are often disturbed by life, work, and personal emotional factors. When the heart is disturbed, it begins to wander, leading to the depletion of Yin essence. The great physician Zhang Jingyue from the Ming Dynasty stated: “The storage of essence is in the kidneys, while the control of essence is in the heart,” thus, “If one wishes to preserve essence, one should first purify the heart.” Essence, classified by Yin and Yang, belongs to the Yin aspect. Unfulfilled desires can easily give rise to evil fire, which in turn damages the Yin aspect.In today’s society, many people live in frustration due to excessive desires. This frustration can lead to liver Qi stagnation, which then transforms into liver fire, harming liver Yin and depleting body fluids.01 Manifestations of Yin Deficiency ConstitutionWe know that Yin in the body is responsible for stillness and moisture. If Yin is deficient, our body enters a state of empty heat and hyperactivity. Therefore, individuals with Yin Deficiency will exhibit signs of “empty heat” and “hyperactivity” in their physical state, self-perception, and even personality. 1. Impatience, hot palms and soles, easily irritated, insomnia From the perspective of Yin and Yang, Yang represents excitement, activity, and extroversion, while Yin represents relative stillness and introspection. Most individuals with Yin Deficiency are active and impatient, especially children, who can hardly stay still. Their palms and soles are often hot, and some describe the need to press their hands against a cold wall to feel comfortable. Another point is the heat in the heart, leading to irritability, which is referred to in TCM as “five hearts heat”. From an emotional standpoint, they are particularly prone to irritability and impatience due to the severe internal heat caused by the lack of body fluids, feeling as if there is a fire in their hearts, which worsens in the evening, naturally leading to poor sleep. Another symptom is night sweats, which can occur during sleep, with some sweating profusely upon falling asleep, while others sweat upon waking. This is commonly seen in some menopausal women. 2. Dry skin, dry lips, dry stools Yin is responsible for moisture. The body’s fluids, through inhalation and exhalation, are distributed by lung Qi throughout the body. Yin deficiency leads to internal heat, which burns the fluids, resulting in dry skin, dry lips, short and red urine, and dry stools. We often use the analogy of “boiling water in an iron pot” to describe Yin deficiency. Imagine boiling water in a pot; if the water is reduced while the fire continues to burn, the pot will become increasingly hot, and the steam rising from the pot represents empty heat. This heat accelerates the evaporation of water, ultimately leading to a further reduction of body fluids. 3. Ulcers, acne, toothache Since Yin deficiency generates internal heat, which tends to rise, most issues manifest in the head and face. For example, recurrent oral ulcers that do not heal, or acne, especially in young girls, can be quite distressing. In such cases, using Yin-nourishing herbs can lead to quick recovery.02 The Tongue Manifestation of Yin Deficiency1. Red Tongue
If we observe the tongue and find that a person’s tongue is red but the coating is thin, this tongue manifestation is referred to as a red tongue with thin coating in TCM, which can generally indicate a Yin Deficiency constitution. This is because when the body is heated, the blood flow accelerates, causing the blood to surge through the vessels, naturally making the tongue appear red. This tongue manifestation can also occur in cases of external heat invasion, so we need to differentiate.
There are also cases where the tongue is red but the coating is not thin, which often indicates that the person has both Yin deficiency and dampness. The tongue is red, but the coating covers the redness underneath. This is quite common, as many people have a combination of constitutions; some may have a red tongue with a not-thin coating, indicating that Yin deficiency is masked by dampness.
2. Very Thin or No Tongue Coating (Atrophy)
Why do individuals with Yin deficiency have very thin tongue coating? We can use the analogy of “boiling water in an iron pot” again. If the body’s fluids are depleted, it is equivalent to having less water in the pot, which means there will be less steam on the lid. Our tongue coating is like that layer of steam. This is why the tongue of someone with Yin deficiency often has little or no coating.
Why does the tongue coating atrophy? Because when you have Yin deficiency, there is internal heat, and the tongue coating contains various microorganisms. When the body fluids are depleted, the environment for these microorganisms is disrupted, leading to atrophy of the tongue coating, which can become very thin or even absent.
3. Deep Cracks on the Tongue
Some individuals have a very red tongue with many deep cracks, and they feel discomfort when eating spicy foods; these are manifestations of Yin deficiency. Who tends to have more severe Yin deficiency? In my experience, it is often the elderly. Why? Because as people age, the depletion of body fluids increases, and by old age, they are often quite low, resulting in a Yin deficiency constitution.4. Uneven Tongue Coating Distribution, Tongue Body is Red
The uneven distribution of tongue coating is referred to in TCM as “geographic tongue,” which is more common in children. This condition is characterized by patches of coating missing from the tongue, exposing the red tongue body, often indicating a dysfunction of the spleen and stomach, and spleen Yin deficiency. Our tongue coating is like moss on the ground, requiring moisture from the earth to thrive. If the body fluids are insufficient, it cannot provide adequate nourishment for the tongue coating, leading to its natural shedding.03Maintenance for Yin Deficiency ConstitutionYin deficiency with excessive heat is a TCM diagnostic differentiation, primarily treated with TCM herbal methods. It is recommended to nourish Yin and clear heat. Additionally, one should adjust their mindset to maintain emotional stability. Individuals with Yin deficiency and excessive heat are prone to worsening symptoms in the hot and dry summer. The following dietary therapies can nourish Yin and regulate the spleen and stomach:1. Asparagus Soup60 grams of asparagus and 100 grams of rice. Boil the asparagus to extract the juice, strain it, and then cook the rice to make porridge for breakfast.2. Rehmannia Soup150 milliliters of fresh rehmannia juice (or concentrated decoction of dried rehmannia) and 100 grams of rice. Cook the rice to make porridge, then add the rehmannia juice when the porridge is done, stir well, and consume.3. Lily Soup50 grams of fresh lily, 100 grams of rice, and appropriate amount of rock sugar. First, cook the rice to make porridge, then add the lily when it is cooked, and sweeten with rock sugar before consuming. If fresh lily is unavailable, 30 grams of dried lily powder can be used and cooked with the rice.What Should People with Yin Deficiency Eat?Individuals with a Yin deficiency constitution should consume more foods that are cooling and nourishing, such as sesame, glutinous rice, honey, dairy products, sugarcane, vegetables, tofu, and light fish dishes. They can also eat porridge made from Sha Shen (Adenophora), lily, goji berries, mulberries, and Chinese yam.Additionally, they can consume bird’s nest, white fungus, sea cucumber, clams, turtle meat, crab meat, Cordyceps, and old male duck. However, they should limit the intake of spicy and heating foods, such as scallions, ginger, garlic, leeks, chives, and peppers.Massage Therapy for Yin Deficiency ConstitutionInsomnia is a major culprit in the vicious cycle of Yin deficiency symptoms. Poor sleep can easily lead to excessive heat, and long-term sleep deprivation is a significant factor in harming Yin. Therefore, addressing sleep issues is crucial. How can one regulate this? By massaging the Taichong (LV3) point.
The Taichong (LV3) point is located at the highest point of the foot, in the depression between the first and second toes. Spend 10 minutes each night before bed massaging this point until you feel a noticeable sensation of soreness, numbness, swelling, or pain. Those who are usually easily irritated, have excessive heat, or tend to bottle up their emotions will find that regularly massaging the Taichong (LV3) point can help ease their mood and alleviate insomnia symptoms.
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