The Common Spleen Syndromes

Spleen Energy Deficiency

Primary Symptoms: Fatigue, weight loss, energy loss, poor appetite, abdominal distension, rumbling abdomen, loose stool, belching after a meal and/or oedema.

Individual herbs: Elecampane root, Liquorice root, Parsley root, Spirulina, Flower Pollen, Alfalfa, Wheatgrass, Asian ginseng, Ashwagandha, Oat Berry & Astragalus.

Energetic Herbals Formulae: Stamina, Herbal Multi, Elixir, Digestion and Absorption.

Foods: Favour beef, carrot, cherry, chestnut, chicken egg yolk, coconut, dates, potato, sweet potato and wheat bran. Also useful are chicken meat, honey, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, millet, pistachio nut, pork, pineapple, rice sprouts, string bean and whitefish.

Spleen Yang Deficiency

Primary Symptoms: Diarrhoea, stomach ache, cold abdominal pain, poor appetite, fatigue, fondness for warmth and massage, cold limbs or aversion to cold.

Individual herbs: Calamus root, Angelica root, Ginger root, Liquorice root, Peppercorn, Cloves and Cardamom.

Energetic Herbals Formulae: Classic Warmth, Digestion and Absorption.

Foods: Favour cayenne, chicken, fennel, mutton, nutmeg, pepper, beef, carrot, cinnamon, cherry, dates, garlic, ham, pineapple, shrimp and strawberry. Avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco and wine.

Middle Energy Cave-in (Central Qi sinking)

Primary Symptoms: Prolapse of anus, bladder or uterus, dragging or falling sensation in abdomen, vagina or rectum, frequent urination, diarrhoea and/or vaginal bleeding.

Individual herbs: Lady’s Mantle, Small Flowered Wllow Herb, Tormentil root, Raspberry leaf, Birth root, Oak bark and Sumac Root bark.

Energetic Herbals Formulae: Anti-Prolapse, Prostate Heal.

Foods: Favour apple, cucumber, carrot, dates, potato, papaya, tomato, peach, radish, sago, beef, cherry, chicken, coconut, pistachio, honey, herring, grape, rice, squash, mutton and sweet potato. Avoid hot and spicy foods and irritants.

Spleen Unable to Govern Blood

Primary Symptoms: Bleeding in small quantity from mouth or nose, discharge of blood from anus, vagina, blood in urine, heavy or aching legs, prolonged or copious menstruation, varicose veins and/or haemorrhoids.

Individual herbs: Dang Gui (Dong Quai), Astragalus, Yarrow, Horsetail, Barberry, Gotu kola, Lady’s Mantle, Mistletoe, Shepherd’s purse.

Energetic Herbals Formulae: Veins Tone, Diarrhoea Clear.

Foods: Favour apple, beans, cucumber, carrot, chicken, dates, grapes, pineapple, pistachio nuts, pork, potato, mutton, rice, squash, whitefish and yam. Avoid hot and spicy foods, along with stimulants.

Cold Dampness Troubling the Spleen

Primary Symptoms: Discomfort in the stomach and abdomen, gurgling abdomen, nausea, vomiting, loose, mucousy stools, poor appetite, heavy sensations of the head and body, sticky / greasy sensation in the mouth and/or cold limbs.

Individual herbs: Calamus, Rosemary, Angelica root, Garlic bulb, Cardamom pod and Elecampane.

Energetic Herbals Formulae: Classic Warmth, Digestion and Absorption, Brain Circulation.

Foods: Favour warming and drying foods, such as beef kidney, rooster meat, clove, cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek, lobster, oxtail, pistachio, raspberry, sheep kidney, shrimp and strawberry. Avoid cold foods, especially banana, fig, grapefruit, honey, lemon, potato and squash.

Damp Heat Steaming the Spleen

Primary Symptoms: Yellow or orange sclera (whites of eyes), abdominal swelling, congested sensation of stomach and intestines, no appetite, dislike of greasy foods, bitter taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, headache and/or fever.

Individual herbs: Yellow Gentian, Wormwood, Wilde Als, Blue Flag root, Barberry and Goldenseal.

Energetic Herbals Formulae: Natural Antibiotic, Liver and Gall, Skin Heal

Foods: Favour foods that are cooling and drying, add also: buckwheat, cantaloupe, carp, celery root, eggplant (aubergine), olive, soybean (incl. sprouts), squash and sunflower seeds. Avoid foods that are warming and moistening, as also alcohol, maltose, pork and sweet rice.