What are the traditional Chinese medicines for removing dampness?

Aug 18, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Sun Lianqing

Introduction

Poria (Fuling) has a sweet and bland taste, with a neutral property. It can strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness, both nourishing the spleen and stomach and promoting the elimination of dampness through urine. It is suitable for dampness accumulation caused by spleen deficiency, with common symptoms such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, loose stools, and is often used in combination with other herbs. Coix seed (Yiyi Ren) is cool in nature and has functions of promoting diuresis to remove dampness and strengthening the spleen to stop diarrhea, helping to eliminate excess fluid from the body.

Generally, commonly used Chinese herbs for removing dampness include Poria (Fuling), Coix Seed (Yiyiren), Agastache (Huoxiang), Atractylodes (Cangzhu), and Magnolia Bark (Houpo). The details are as follows:

1. Poria (Fuling): Sweet and bland in taste with a neutral property, it benefits the spleen and promotes diuresis. It can both strengthen the spleen and stomach and help expel dampness through urine. It is suitable for dampness accumulation caused by spleen deficiency, often presenting symptoms such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, and loose stools. It is commonly used in combination with other herbs.

2. Coix Seed (Yiyiren): With a cool nature, it promotes diuresis, removes dampness, strengthens the spleen, and stops diarrhea. It helps eliminate excess body fluids and improves symptoms such as heaviness and edema caused by dampness. After being stir-fried, its cold nature is reduced, making it more suitable for individuals with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold conditions for dampness removal and regulation.

3. Agastache (Huoxiang): Pungent in taste with a slightly warm nature, it effectively resolves dampness, invigorates the spleen, relieves summerheat, and disperses exterior syndromes. It is particularly effective for fullness and distension of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting caused by dampness obstructing the spleen, and symptoms such as fever and chest tightness caused by summerheat-dampness. It is commonly used by decocting or steeping in hot water.

4. Atractylodes (Cangzhu): Warm in nature, it dries dampness, strengthens the spleen, dispels wind, and relieves cold. It is suitable for excessive dampness accompanied by weakened spleen and stomach function. It can relieve symptoms such as poor appetite and limb fatigue caused by dampness blocking the middle jiao. It also provides some relief for joint pain caused by cold-dampness.

5. Magnolia Bark (Houpo): Warm in nature, it removes dampness, eliminates phlegm, regulates qi, and relieves fullness. It helps resolve internal dampness and alleviates symptoms such as abdominal distension, chest tightness, and coughing caused by dampness obstructing qi circulation. It is often used together with other dampness-resolving herbs to enhance the effect of regulating dampness stagnation.

When using Chinese herbs to remove dampness, it is important to choose appropriate herbs according to one's specific type of dampness and constitution, avoiding indiscriminate use. Individuals with a yin-deficiency constitution or without obvious signs of dampness should not take dampness-removing herbs for a long time, as this may damage yin fluids. It is advisable to consult a professional practitioner before use to determine suitable herbs and dosages.

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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 are the functions and effects of Gentiana scabra (Dragon胆草)?

Under normal circumstances, the main functions and effects of Gentiana (Long Dan Cao) include clearing heat and removing dampness, purging fire from the liver and gallbladder, relieving bitter taste in the mouth, improving red eyes, and assisting in reducing jaundice. Gentiana is usually administered by oral intake of decoction, and the dosage should be controlled according to a physician's instructions. Due to its cold nature and bitter taste, it is contraindicated for individuals with spleen-stomach deficiency cold or without excess heat and dampness, to avoid damaging the spleen-stomach yang qi and causing discomfort such as abdominal pain and diarrhea.

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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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How to Remove Dampness, What Are the Most Effective Methods

Consuming more ingredients that strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness, such as coix seed, red beans, poria, winter melon, and Chinese yam, can be beneficial. These ingredients can be prepared as porridge or soup. At the same time, avoid raw, cold, sweet, greasy, and fatty foods to reduce the burden on the spleen and stomach, thus addressing the root cause of dampness formation internally. Consistently engage in moderate-intensity exercises, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and rope skipping.