What to Eat to Remove Damp-Heat from the Body

Generally, internal damp-heat may present symptoms such as bitter taste and sticky mouth, heavy limbs, sticky bowel movements, and short, dark urine. To regulate this condition, one can consume foods like winter melon, mung beans, adzuki beans, coix seed, and purslane. Additionally, medications such as Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (Dragon胆Liver-Draining Pill), Qing Re Qu Shi Ke Li (Clear Heat and Remove Dampness Granules), Si Miao Wan (Four Marvels Pill), Yin Zhi Huang Oral Liquid (Yinchen栀Huang Oral Liquid), and Fu Fang Ji Gu Cao Jiao Nang (Compound Chickenwort Stem Capsules) may be taken under medical guidance to eliminate damp-heat. Detailed explanations are as follows:

I. Foods

1. Winter Melon

Winter melon has a sweet bland taste and cool nature. It contains abundant moisture and dietary fiber, which help clear heat, promote diuresis, and reduce edema. The high water content facilitates urination to expel damp-heat from the body, while dietary fiber enhances intestinal motility, improving sticky stools caused by damp-heat.

2. Mung Beans

Mung beans have a sweet taste and cold nature. They are effective in clearing heat, detoxifying the body, promoting urination, and relieving summerheat. The proteins and vitamins in mung beans assist in eliminating internal heat toxins and promoting the excretion of damp-heat through urine, alleviating symptoms such as dry mouth, sore throat, and yellowish urine caused by damp-heat.

3. Adzuki Beans

Adzuki beans have sweet and sour tastes and a neutral nature. They strengthen the spleen, promote diuresis, remove dampness, and detoxify. These beans enhance the digestive functions of the spleen and stomach, reducing the accumulation of dampness in the body. Their diuretic effect helps eliminate damp-heat, making them suitable for individuals with edema or loose stools caused by damp-heat.

4. Coix Seed

Coix seed has a sweet bland taste and cool nature. It is commonly used to strengthen the spleen and remove dampness. It promotes water metabolism and clears damp-heat within the body. The presence of components like coixol helps alleviate symptoms such as heavy limbs and joint discomfort caused by damp-heat.

5. Purslane

Purslane has an acidic taste and cold nature. It clears heat, detoxifies, cools the blood, stops bleeding, and treats dysentery. It effectively removes damp-heat toxins from the body, improving conditions such as dysentery, diarrhea, and short, dark urine caused by damp-heat.

II. Medications

1. Long Dan Xie Gan Wan (Dragon胆Liver-Draining Pill)

This formula contains ingredients like gentiana (Long Dan), scutellaria (Huang Qin), and gardenia (Zhi Zi), which clear heat and dampness from the liver and gallbladder. Gentiana clears excess fire from the liver and gallbladder, while scutellaria and gardenia clear internal heat and fire. It is suitable for symptoms such as distending pain in the rib area, bitter taste in the mouth, and dark urine caused by liver and gallbladder damp-heat, helping to restore the liver and gallbladder's normal function of free flow.

2. Qing Re Qu Shi Ke Li (Clear Heat and Remove Dampness Granules)

This formula consists of codonopsis (Dang Shen), capillaris (Yin Chen), and other herbs. It clears heat, removes dampness, replenishes qi, and generates body fluids. Capillaris clears damp-heat, while the roots of Elaeocarpus (Gang Mei Gen) clear heat and detoxify. Codonopsis replenishes qi and strengthens the spleen, making this formula suitable for fatigue, fever, and dry mouth caused by damp-heat combined with qi deficiency. It removes dampness while supporting the body's vital energy.

3. Si Miao Wan (Four Marvels Pill)

This formula contains phellodendron (Huang Bai), atractylodes (Cang Zhu), coix seed (Yi Yi Ren), and achyranthes root (Niu Xi). It clears heat and removes dampness. Phellodendron clears heat and dries dampness, atractylodes dries dampness and strengthens the spleen, coix seed drains dampness and clears heat, and achyranthes root promotes joint circulation. It is suitable for redness and swelling of the feet and knees, and yellowish urine caused by downward invasion of damp-heat.

4. Yin Zhi Huang Oral Liquid (Yinchen栀Huang Oral Liquid)

This formula mainly contains capillaris (Yin Chen), gardenia (Zhi Zi), and scutellaria glycoside (Huang Qin Gan). It clears heat, detoxifies, promotes diuresis, and reduces jaundice. Capillaris promotes bile secretion and reduces jaundice, while gardenia clears heat and fire. It is suitable for jaundice caused by damp-heat steaming, relieving symptoms such as yellowing of the skin and sclera and dark urine.

5. Fu Fang Ji Gu Cao Jiao Nang (Compound Chickenwort Stem Capsules)

This formula contains chickenwort stem (Ji Gu Cao), capillaris (Yin Chen), andlycopodium (Chuan Xin Lian). It clears damp-heat, soothes the liver, and relieves pain. Chickenwort stem soothes the liver, relieves pain, clears heat, and promotes diuresis, while lycopodium clears heat and detoxifies. It is suitable for discomfort in the rib area, abdominal distension, bitter taste, and yellow urine caused by liver and gallbladder damp-heat.

In daily life, it is important to avoid spicy, greasy, and sweet foods such as chili peppers, fried foods, and cakes. Maintain a regular routine and avoid prolonged exposure to damp environments to help eliminate internal damp-heat. Medication should strictly follow medical instructions and should not be taken with self-adjusted dosages.