Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation

TCM This Season

The internal organs are much more than mere physical structures in the TCM view. They are complex systems also involving aspects of the mind, emotions, and spirit. Not only does each organ have a physiological function, it has functions at the invisible level of vital energy, or Qi. Each organ is uniquely related to a body tissue, a sense organ, emotion, taste, sound, climate, and a direction, among a seemingly endless range of correspondences. These associated qualities are organized in TCM's age-old Theory of Five Elements. Functioning as a template systematizing all phenomena into five universal patterns, this theory provides TCM practitioners with a comprehensive framework to understand, diagnose, and treat health problems.

Late Summer—The Earth Element 

Five seasons? Not so surprisingly, in the TCM Five-Element framework there are five seasons, each corresponding to an element. Late summer corresponds to the Earth element, and the Spleen and Stomach organ systems are predominant at this time of year. During each day they are predominant from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. (the Stomach) and 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. (the Spleen). The healthy function of this organ pair is crucial to the digestive process as well as several other important functions in your body.

Generating Energy

TCM understands that you have two sources of energy, or Qi: One you inherit from your parents, called "Inborn Qi," which is stored in the Kidney organ system. The other is energy largely generated by the Spleen and Stomach through the process of digestion, called "Acquired Qi." Functioning much like a checking account, Acquired Qi is the energy reserve for all your daily activities. This is why proper diet and digestion are so important to your overall health. If your choice of food is poor or you don't eat in sufficient quantity or at regular intervals during the day, you can actually weaken the function of your Spleen and Stomach. And this has the ability to affect the other organs, which depend on the Qi generated initially by this organ pair to function well. When the Spleen and Stomach are weak or do not work together harmoniously, your body may not receive adequate nourishment—no matter what you eat. As a result your energy can become deficient. If you do not have enough Acquired Qi to meet your daily needs, energy is then drawn from your savings account—your Inborn Qi, which is limited in supply.

It's the Spleen's job to transform the food and liquid processed by the Stomach into a type of energy (called "gu Qi," literally meaning "food Qi") that becomes the material basis for both Qi and blood. Essentially the Spleen separates food into useful and un-useful parts, and then transports these substances to their proper place in the body.

Helping to Regulate Water Metabolism

Another key Spleen function is absorbing and transporting water in the body. A weak Spleen cannot effectively regulate the body's water, and this state can lead to an accumulation of internal dampness, which in turn interferes with the Spleen's ability to transport nutritive essence. Signs that can indicate weak Spleen function include retention of water, lack of appetite, poor digestion, abdominal distention, and weight gain.

Controlling Blood Flow

It's the Spleen's duty to determine where, how, and how much, when it comes to blood flow in your body. This includes keeping the blood flowing within the blood vessels. Symptoms like bruising, internal bleeding, and varicose veins can signal impaired Spleen function.

Affecting the Muscles and Limbs

Good muscle tone and limbs that have strength are dependent on proper Spleen function. The nutrition extracted from food by the Spleen nourishes all your body tissues.

Regulating the Upward Movement of Energy

The movement associated with the Spleen is upward. It sends its nutritive essence particularly to the Lung, which distributes it to your entire body. The Spleen is responsible for holding your body's organs and tissues in place. This means that when the Qi of this organ is deficient, prolapsed organs can result—there is simply not enough energy to hold them in place. Persistent fatigue can also indicate weak or "sinking" Spleen Qi.

Opening into the Mouth and Manifesting in the Lips

Perhaps the Spleen's relationship to the mouth and lips is not obvious at first, but remember that chewing is the first step in a process that takes food from its just-eaten state in the mouth to a refined nutritive essence created by the Spleen. Healthy Spleen function will give you a good sense of taste. Your lips will have a rosy color and sufficient moisture if your Spleen functions well. Conversely, they will be pale and dry if this organ is deficient or impaired in some way.

Influencing the Capacity of Thought

Several organs exert an influence on thought and memory. Spleen function relates to our capacity to think in terms of concentration and activities like study and memorization. When Spleen Qi is weak the thought process can become fuzzy and there may be a lack of concentration and an ability to memorize efficiently. Spleen Qi influences our capacity to perform these tasks, yet when these tasks are overdone they can weaken the Spleen. It's interesting that overthinking and anxiety are the emotions associated with this organ.

Foods that Benefit the Digestive Organs

Include these foods in your diet during this season and help strengthen the function of your Spleen and Stomach.

* Available at most Asian food markets