What kind of tea should one drink for damp-heat in the spleen and stomach?

Generally, individuals with damp-heat in the spleen and stomach can regulate their condition by drinking teas that clear heat, resolve dampness, strengthen the spleen, and harmonize the stomach. Commonly chosen teas include coix seed and adzuki bean tea, tangerine peel and poria tea, honeysuckle tea, lotus leaf tea, and dandelion tea. Detailed explanations are as follows:

1. Coix Seed and Adzuki Bean Tea

Coix seed and adzuki bean tea is prepared by steeping coix seeds and adzuki beans together. Coix seeds can strengthen the spleen, drain dampness, clear heat, and resolve abscesses, while adzuki beans help remove dampness, strengthen the spleen, nourish blood, and improve complexion. Together, they promote the transformation and transportation functions of the spleen and stomach, aid in eliminating damp-heat from the body, and alleviate symptoms such as abdominal distension and sticky, unsatisfactory bowel movements caused by damp-heat in the spleen and stomach. Stir-frying the coix seeds before steeping can reduce their cold nature and minimize gastrointestinal irritation.

2. Tangerine Peel and Poria Tea

Tangerine peel and poria tea is made from tangerine peel and poria. Tangerine peel is warm in nature and helps regulate qi, strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, and resolve phlegm, while poria is neutral in nature and promotes diuresis, drains dampness, strengthens the spleen, and calms the mind. This tea helps resolve dampness in the spleen and stomach while also clearing mild heat, relieving symptoms such as poor appetite, bitter taste, and stickiness in the mouth caused by damp-heat. It is suitable for individuals with mild damp-heat accompanied by abdominal distension.

3. Honeysuckle Tea

Honeysuckle tea is primarily made by steeping honeysuckle flowers. Honeysuckle is cool in nature and has effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as dispersing wind-heat. It helps eliminate heat pathogens in damp-heat conditions of the spleen and stomach, improving symptoms such as sore throat and dark yellow urine caused by excessive heat. However, due to its cold nature, individuals with damp-heat in the spleen and stomach accompanied by mild cold deficiency should consume it in small amounts to avoid aggravating gastrointestinal discomfort.

4. Lotus Leaf Tea

Lotus leaf tea is made from fresh or dried lotus leaves. Lotus leaf is neutral in nature and helps clear summerheat, resolve dampness, and promote the ascending of clear yang. It aids in expelling dampness from the spleen and stomach and assists in clearing heat pathogens, alleviating symptoms such as summerheat-dampness diarrhea and short, dark urine caused by damp-heat. It is especially suitable for consumption in summer and can be combined with a small amount of hawthorn to enhance digestion and accumulation removal, thus improving the spleen and stomach's transformation and transportation functions.

5. Dandelion Tea

Dandelion tea is made from the entire dandelion plant. Dandelion is cold in nature and has effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting diuresis, and resolving nodules. It effectively clears damp-heat from the spleen and stomach, improving symptoms such as skin sores, swelling, pain, and burning sensation in the epigastrium caused by severe damp-heat. However, those with spleen and stomach cold deficiency should avoid long-term consumption. A small amount of ginger can be added to neutralize its cold nature and reduce gastrointestinal irritation.

In addition, individuals with damp-heat in the spleen and stomach should avoid sweet teas and strong tea, as they may worsen internal dampness. In daily life, attention should be paid to maintaining a regular diet, avoiding spicy and greasy foods, keeping a regular schedule, and using tea therapy to assist in improving the condition of damp-heat in the spleen and stomach.