How to Support a Child’s Spleen Function Through Dietary Therapy
May 24, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Zhang Weiling
Introduction
Children with spleen deficiency may benefit from the following approaches to regulation and tonification:
- Reduce intake of cold-natured foods; avoid herbal cooling teas, cold beverages, ice cream, and raw, cold fruits and vegetables. Instead, favor neutral or slightly warming foods.
- Maintain regular daily routines—especially going to bed early at night—and engage in frequent outdoor physical activity and sun exposure.
- Simple Tui Na (Chinese therapeutic massage) techniques can help regulate the spleen and stomach. For children, these include abdominal rubbing, foot rubbing, spinal捏 (Gua Sha-like pinching along the spine), and spinal pushing.
Spleen deficiency in children often leads to weakened immunity. If your child exhibits signs of spleen deficiency, the following approaches may help regulate and strengthen spleen function:
① Dietary Regulation
Limit intake of cold-natured foods. Avoid herbal cooling teas, chilled beverages, ice cream, and popsicles. Cold-natured foods include: pears, bananas, watermelons, dragon fruit, mangosteens, kiwifruit, white radishes, water chestnuts, Chinese cabbage, and crabs.
Instead, favor neutral or mildly warming foods: apples, oranges, durians, longans, nectarines, cherries, grapes, waxberries, prunes, red dates, green dates, cauliflower, Chinese kale, white gourd, chayote, pumpkin, pork, beef, fish, and shrimp.
② Lifestyle Modifications
Maintain regular daily routines—especially ensuring early bedtime. Encourage frequent outdoor physical activity and sun exposure. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), “the spleen governs the four limbs”; therefore, regular limb movement and exercise not only promote digestion but also support spleen health.
③ Tui Na (Chinese Therapeutic Massage)
Simple tui na techniques can effectively regulate spleen and stomach function in children. These include gentle abdominal massage, foot rubbing, spinal捏脊 (pinching along the spine), and spinal推脊 (pushing along the spine). Parents may perform these techniques at home for a short period each day; consistent practice often leads to noticeable improvement in the child’s spleen deficiency symptoms.
