Damp-heat: What teas can help regulate it?
Aug 27, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
In general, individuals with a damp-heat body type can regulate their condition by drinking teas that have heat-clearing and dampness-resolving effects. Commonly recommended teas include honeysuckle tea, Poria tea, coix seed tea, tangerine peel and lotus leaf tea, dandelion tea, etc. In addition, individuals with a damp-heat constitution should avoid drinking strong tea, sweet tea, and other similar beverages, to prevent exacerbating internal dampness. At the same time, attention should be paid to maintaining regular作息 (作息 translates as作息 habits or作息 routines) in daily life.
Generally, individuals with a damp-heat constitution can regulate their condition by drinking teas that clear heat and resolve dampness. Commonly chosen teas include honeysuckle tea, poria tea, coix seed tea, tangerine peel and lotus leaf tea, dandelion tea, etc. Detailed explanations are as follows:
1. Honeysuckle Tea
Honeysuckle tea is mainly brewed from honeysuckle flowers. Honeysuckle has a cold nature and functions to clear heat, detoxify the body, and dispel wind-heat. It helps relieve symptoms caused by damp-heat such as dry mouth and throat, sore throat, and dark yellow urine. It aids in eliminating internal heat pathogens and promoting the removal of damp-heat, making it suitable for daily consumption by individuals with a damp-heat constitution.
2. Poria Tea
Poria tea primarily uses poria as its main ingredient. Poria has a neutral nature and can promote diuresis to remove dampness, strengthen the spleen, and calm the mind. It improves symptoms caused by damp-heat such as difficult urination, body edema, and abdominal distension by promoting the metabolism of water-dampness in the body, thereby reducing the impact of damp-heat on the body. It also regulates spleen and stomach function, enhancing the body's ability to transform and transport water-dampness.
3. Coix Seed Tea
Coix seed tea is made by roasting coix seeds and then brewing them. Coix seed has a cool nature and functions to strengthen the spleen, drain dampness, clear heat, and resolve abscesses. It can alleviate problems caused by damp-heat such as sticky, unsatisfactory bowel movements and leg edema. Roasted coix seed reduces its cold nature, making it more suitable for daily consumption. It helps expel excess dampness and heat pathogens from the body and improves a damp-heat constitution.
4. Tangerine Peel and Lotus Leaf Tea
Tangerine peel and lotus leaf tea is brewed from a combination of tangerine peel and lotus leaf. Tangerine peel has a warm nature and functions to regulate qi, strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, and resolve phlegm. Lotus leaf has a neutral nature and can clear summerheat, resolve dampness, and raise clear yang energy. Together, they address both drying dampness and clearing heat, improving symptoms caused by damp-heat such as abdominal fullness, poor appetite, and short, red urine. It also helps regulate the transformation and transportation functions of the spleen and stomach, reducing the formation of damp-heat.
5. Dandelion Tea
Dandelion tea is made from the entire dandelion plant. Dandelion has a cold nature and functions to clear heat, detoxify the body, promote urination, and resolve nodules. It improves conditions caused by damp-heat such as boils and sores, and painful, difficult urination. It promotes urine excretion, accelerating the elimination of damp-heat pathogens from the body, making it suitable for individuals with severe damp-heat who do not have deficiency-cold in the spleen and stomach.
In addition, individuals with a damp-heat constitution should avoid drinking strong tea, sweet tea, etc., to prevent worsening internal dampness. At the same time, in daily life, attention should be paid to maintaining regular作息 (作息 should be translated as "作息" in English, meaning rest and activity patterns), avoiding long-term exposure to damp environments, and assisting in improving damp-heat conditions.
