How to Remove Dampness and Reduce Belly Fat

Aug 18, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Sun Lianqing

Introduction

Reducing abdominal dampness and decreasing belly fat can generally be achieved through targeted abdominal exercises, consuming ingredients that help remove dampness and reduce fat, abdominal moxibustion therapy, massaging the abdomen in a clockwise direction, and drinking herbal teas that help eliminate dampness. Exercises such as sit-ups, planks, and crunches can be selected, with 20–30 minutes performed daily. These exercises strengthen abdominal muscles, promote local blood circulation, and accelerate the metabolism of dampness in the abdominal area.

Reducing abdominal fat and eliminating dampness generally can be achieved through targeted abdominal exercises, consuming ingredients that remove dampness and reduce fat, abdominal moxibustion therapy, massaging the abdomen in a clockwise direction, and drinking herbal teas that help remove dampness. A detailed explanation is as follows:

1. Targeted abdominal exercises: Choose exercises such as sit-ups, planks, and crunches. By exercising abdominal muscles for 20-30 minutes daily, local blood circulation can be improved, accelerating the metabolism of dampness in the abdominal area while reducing fat accumulation. Consistent practice over time can reduce waist circumference.

2. Consuming dampness-removing and fat-reducing ingredients: Incorporate ingredients such as wax gourd (winter melon), red adzuki beans, and lotus leaves into your diet. Wax gourd can be cooked in soups or stir-fried, red adzuki beans can be boiled for drinking, and lotus leaves can be steeped in hot water. These ingredients help expel dampness and are low in calories, assisting in reducing abdominal fat accumulation.

3. Abdominal moxibustion therapy: Select abdominal acupoints such as Zhongwan (CV12), Guanyuan (CV4), and Tianshu (ST25). Perform moxibustion 2-3 times weekly, for about 15 minutes each session. The warm stimulation produced by moxibustion enhances abdominal blood circulation and Qi flow, aiding in resolving localized dampness and promoting fat burning in the abdominal area.

4. Clockwise abdominal massage: Every night before sleep, centering on the navel, massage the abdomen clockwise with the palm for 5-10 minutes with moderate pressure. This stimulates intestinal peristalsis, expediting the removal of abdominal dampness through feces, while also enhancing abdominal metabolism and helping reduce excess fat.

5. Drinking dampness-removing herbal teas: Boil tangerine peel (chen pi), poria (fu ling), and hawthorn (shan zha) together, allow to cool slightly, and drink once or twice daily. Tangerine peel regulates Qi and removes dampness, poria strengthens the spleen and promotes diuresis, and hawthorn aids in fat digestion. Together, they promote the elimination of dampness throughout the body, especially improving conditions of excessive abdominal dampness and excess fat accumulation.

Eliminating dampness and reducing abdominal fat requires long-term adherence to a combination of these methods, without expecting quick results. During this process, prolonged sitting should be avoided, dietary habits should remain regular, and consumption of sweet, greasy, and fried foods should be limited. If results are unsatisfactory after a period of time, or if discomforts such as bloating and constipation occur, it is recommended to consult a professional to adjust the plan accordingly.

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What is the best and fastest medicine for removing dampness?

Generally speaking, there is no such thing as "what medicine is best and fastest for removing dampness." If you wish to eliminate dampness, medications such as Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui (Agastache fortunei liquid), Shenling Baizhu San (Codonopsis and Atractylodes powder), Pingwei San (Regulating Stomach Powder), Wuling San (Poria and泽泻 Powder), and Er Miao Wan (Two Marvels Pills) may be taken under a doctor's guidance. Eliminating dampness requires syndrome differentiation to select appropriate medications, as different syndromes call for different treatments. Blindly taking medicine may worsen the condition. It is recommended to use these medicines under the guidance of a TCM practitioner.

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What foods help remove dampness?

Under normal circumstances, consuming foods such as Poria (Fu Ling), red adzuki beans (Chi Xiao Dou), Gorgon fruit (Qian Shi), winter melon peel (Dong Gua Pi), and stir-fried hyacinth bean (Chao Bian Dou) may help remove dampness from the body. If you have a need to eliminate dampness, it is recommended to conduct dietary adjustments under the guidance of a healthcare professional. In daily life, in addition to dietary regulation, you can also appropriately increase physical exercise, such as jogging or practicing Tai Chi, to promote blood circulation and assist in expelling dampness from the body.

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What are the differences between phlegm-dampness and dampness-heat?

Under normal circumstances, both phlegm-dampness and dampness-heat share dampness as their core pathological basis. The differences typically include variations in tongue coating appearance, bodily sensations, stool condition, complexion, body shape, and characteristics of secretions. In daily regulation, individuals with phlegm-dampness should focus on warming the body to resolve dampness, and may benefit from moderate exercise and consuming foods that strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness. Those with dampness-heat, on the other hand, should primarily focus on clearing heat and resolving dampness.

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How can individuals with excessive damp-heat eliminate dampness and heat?

Individuals with excessive damp-heat can generally eliminate dampness and heat through adjustments in diet, regular moderate exercise, improvement of living environment, maintenance of regular作息 (作息 should be translated as "daily routine" or "作息" can be kept as is if appropriate), and consumption of heat-clearing foods. Reduce intake of spicy, sweet, greasy, and fried foods, as these can easily exacerbate accumulation of damp-heat. Opt instead for mild, dampness-resolving ingredients such as coix seed (Job's tears), winter melon, mung beans, and red adzuki beans. Prepare meals using minimal oil and salt, and limit consumption of cold beverages and raw, cold fruits and vegetables.