People’s daily diet of cereals and coarse grains does not directly nourish the body, but relies on the spleen to transform it into qi and blood, which is the key to postnatal vitality and the source of qi and blood generation. Poor spleen function can lead to ineffective food transformation, hindering the generation of qi and blood, which may trigger various diseases. The tongue, as an indicator of the body’s condition, can early reflect the health status of the spleen.
Poor spleen function is often accompanied by excessive dampness, causing the tongue to swell and leaving tooth imprints due to long-term tooth compression. Observing the tongue, if it appears swollen, with tooth marks on the edges, and the tongue surface is white or yellow, this may be a sign of spleen damage. Different types of spleen deficiency manifest differently in tongue coatings: spleen deficiency with severe cold presents with a white and thick tongue coating; damp-heat excess shows a yellow tongue surface with thick coating; when extreme heat injures yin, the tongue color changes from yellow to red, with a smooth tongue surface without coating.
As spleen deficiency and dampness intensify, the taste function of the tongue weakens, as the thick coating covers the taste buds, making food tasteless. If, when brushing teeth in the morning, the center of the tongue is concave and the sides are raised, this is also a sign of spleen deficiency, usually accompanied by a thick tongue coating.
Other manifestations of spleen deficiency include but are not limited to: – Edema in the limbs, especially in the lower legs, due to poor water metabolism and dampness accumulation in less active body parts. – Thin, sticky stools that are difficult to clean, indicating excess internal dampness. – Often lacking appetite, even when faced with favorite foods, reflecting poor food digestion and the influence of dampness.
Faced with spleen deficiency, there is no need for excessive worry; taking appropriate measures for regulation is sufficient. For example, massaging the Zusanli acupoint twice a day can help regulate the spleen and stomach, promoting overall health. Choosing to consume foods with dampness-clearing and spleen-invigorating effects, such as dried ginger, poria cocos, adzuki beans, Chinese yam, red dates, whether individually or in congee, can enhance spleen and stomach function and dispel dampness.
During rainy seasons when external dampness intensifies, special attention should be paid to avoiding dampness and maintaining indoor dryness and ventilation, reducing air conditioning use to protect the spleen from external dampness.
Maintaining spleen health is the foundation for longevity and directly relates to the body’s ability to resist diseases. Therefore, timely identification of spleen conditions through various bodily signals is crucial and should not be ignored.
