What can be steeped in water for damp-heat in the spleen and stomach?

Generally, individuals with spleen-stomach damp-heat can choose ingredients known for clearing heat, eliminating dampness, strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the stomach to brew in water. Common ingredients include coix seed, poria, tangerine peel, dandelion, and stir-fried hyacinth bean. Drinking water brewed with these ingredients appropriately may help alleviate discomfort associated with spleen-stomach damp-heat. The specific details are as follows:

1. Coix Seed: Coix seed is cool in nature, sweet and bland in taste, and has functions of promoting diuresis to remove dampness and strengthening the spleen to stop diarrhea. Drinking water brewed with coix seed can help expel excess dampness from the body and relieve symptoms such as bodily heaviness and sticky stools caused by spleen-stomach damp-heat.

2. Poria: Poria is neutral in nature, sweet and bland in taste, and has effects of promoting diuresis to remove dampness, strengthening the spleen, and calming the mind. Drinking water brewed with poria can assist in expelling dampness while regulating spleen and stomach function, improving symptoms such as epigastric and abdominal distension and poor appetite caused by spleen-stomach damp-heat, and is mild in nature.

3. Tangerine Peel: Tangerine peel is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and has functions of regulating qi to strengthen the spleen and drying dampness to resolve phlegm. Drinking water brewed with tangerine peel can promote the flow of qi in the spleen and stomach, helping to relieve epigastric fullness and a sticky sensation in the mouth caused by spleen-stomach damp-heat. Its warming nature can also balance the cooling properties of some heat-clearing ingredients, preventing damage to the spleen and stomach.

4. Dandelion: Dandelion is cold in nature, bitter and sweet in taste, and has effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis, and resolving nodules. Dandelion-brewed water is suitable for cases of spleen-stomach damp-heat accompanied by mild inflammation, such as oral ulcers and throat discomfort, helping to eliminate damp-heat.

5. Stir-fried Hyacinth Bean: Stir-fried hyacinth bean is warm in nature, sweet in taste, and has functions of strengthening the spleen to remove dampness and harmonizing the middle jiao to relieve summerheat. Drinking water brewed with stir-fried hyacinth bean can enhance the transforming and transporting functions of the spleen and stomach, reduce dampness formation, and alleviate symptoms such as loose stools and poor appetite caused by spleen-stomach damp-heat, especially suitable for individuals with weak spleen and stomach function.

In daily life, in addition to using these ingredients to brew water for regulation, one should also maintain a light diet, avoid spicy, greasy, and overly sweet foods, eat regularly, and avoid overeating, which helps eliminate damp-heat and maintain the health of the spleen and stomach.