Spleen, digestion, cooked and raw foods by richardheft
The spleen cooks food and fluids inside the stomach and small intestine, separating the pure food essences (nutrients) from the impure food essences (non-nutrients, including fiber). The pure essences, nutrients mist, rise up (spleen chi rises) to the lungs, combine with the pure essences of air (oxygen) before moving down into the heart for the final transformation into blood. The impure essences, foods and fluids not digested absorbed are waste and is moved down to the large intestine for eventual elimination
The first stage of digestion occurs in the stomach. The stomach produces hydrochloric acid (HCl) and other enzymes specifically designed to digest animal food, protein and fat. The second stage occurs in the small intestine, which receives enzymes and bile from the pancreas and liver via the pancreatic duct, connected to the bile duct. The bile duct carries bile from the gall bladder, liver.
The first stage of digestion in the stomach is more important, as protein and fat digestion are more difficult to digest, requiring greater, stronger acid and enzymes.
The spleen, pancreas, stomach, etc. are built fueled and cleansed by blood, nutrients. Building foods, protein and fat build and fuel all structure and function. Too little, in the extreme, tends to weaken, cool digestion, reducing nutrient absorption, blood. Water, minerals, sugar, vegetables (raw, salads) and fruits (tropical, juices) reduce, cleanse, cool and moisten. Too much, in addition to soft dairy and cold drinks dilute, weaken and cool digestion, acid, enzymes and bile, reducing absorption, blood, while also slowing and moistening elimination (looses stools, diarrhea and or constipation).
Building foods, hot soups, cooked foods stimulate digestion, spleen, pancreas and stomach function, and are generally eaten at t beginning of the meal. Cleansing foods, vegetables and fruits cool, moisten and stop digestion, secretion of acid, enzymes while also cleaning up the waste products (foods, nutrients and non-nutrients not digested, absorbed) incurred during digestion, and are generally eaten at the end of the meal. The waste of building foods, protein and fat is more poisonous, toxic (Ama) than fruits, vegetables and grains.
Digestion, three meals a day, produces excess energy, heat that not only transforms and transports food, nutrients but also heats the body. Weak digestion tends to cool and moisten the body with excess fluids (dampness, kapha). Cold condenses. The best example is the cold temperatures of winter that cool harden and condense water in the air into rain, ice and snow. In the body, colder temperatures via weak digestion, environmental cold slow, harden water in mucous, phlegm, cysts, white vaginal discharges, etc.
Spleen chi, digestive energy, heat moves up and out. The lungs, nose, sinuses and throat are located above the digestive organs. Weak digestion tends to cool and moisten the lungs with excess fluids: mucous, phlegm, causing coughing, shortness of breath, snoring, etc. In TCM, the spleen is the origin of dampness, and the lungs its receptacle. Weak digestion can also adversely affect the ears (childhood inner ear infection, loss of hearing), breasts (lumps, cysts), reproductive organs (cysts, white vaginal discharges (leucorrhea), yeast infections, etc.). Long-term low protein, low fat (especially dairy) and high carbohydrate diets, chronic illness, surgery, drugs, etc. weaken, cool digestion.
Excess water, water weight (edema, cellulite, mucous, phlegm, cysts, etc.) is generally a symptom of weak digestion and is more common in women than in men. Women, in general, tend to have a lower metabolism due in large part to menstruation and the tendency to eat low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate diets. Men are the opposite, have a higher metabolism, due in large part to testosterone (hot, energetic, fiery hormone, increases all function including digestion) and the tendency to eat high protein, high fat diets. Testosterone is the ultimate fat burner, especially when combined with high protein, high fat diets.
Too much protein and fat, especially animal, in the extreme, tends to over stimulate the spleen, stomach and pancreas causing heartburn, nausea, acid regurgitation, pain, inflammation (stomach ulcer, pancreatitis), tumors, etc.
The following are symptoms of weak digestion, spleen chi (yang), mild to severe. The general causes are poor diet (low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate diets, overeating), chronic illness, surgery and drugs.
Stage One. Spleen chi deficiency (weak digestion)
1. Abdominal distention The stomach is the first organ to receive food and fluids, which it mixes with digestive enzymes and acid, before passing it down into the small intestine (22 feet in length). Stomach chi, energy moves down. Weak digestion, spleen chi tends to slow the movement of food, causing it to collect and expand within the stomach and or small intestine, which in turn, distend the abdomen. Cooked foods, soups, protein, fat and spices build, fuel, stimulate and move the stomach, food. Standing up, moving around, walking after a meal, also moves food (down), increasing digestion, absorption and elimination.
2. Loose stools Digestive fire, enzymes and acids cook food and fluids in the stomach and small intestine. Weak spleen chi, digestive fire cooks, dries lesser fluids, increasing fluids in the stomach and small intestine that eventually pass into the large intestine, making the stools watery and loose. Protein and fat thicken and form the stools. Fruits, vegetables and water, juices thin, loosen the stools. Too little protein and fat or too much water, fruit and vegetables thin and loosen the stools.
3. Gas Too many fluids, sugar, etc. tend to disrupt the chemistry of digestion, creating gas. A certain amount of gas is normal. Spices (Chapter 3) aid digestion and generally help counter gas, flatulence, burping, in addition to abdominal bloating and loose stools.
Stage Two. Blood deficiency
4. Tiredness The spleen transforms and transports food, nutrients, fuel into blood, structure and function (energy, chi). Weak digestion, in the extreme, transforms and transports less food, nutrients into blood, energy, which in turn, causes fatigue and tiredness.
5. Sallow complexion. Weak digestion, spleen chi, in the extreme, transforms and transports less food, nutrients into blood, weakening all structure and function, including the heart, circulation. Less blood is circulated to the head, as it is harder, takes more energy to move blood up, than it does down. Spleen chi, digestive energy rises, moves up, and when it fails to rise, blood sinks from the face making the complexion, less bloody (blood is red), pale, sallow.
6. Low appetite Blood, nutrients, protein and fat fuel all function, including digestion. Weak digestion, in the extreme, reduces, thins the blood, which in turn, reduces, thins the appetite. Low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate diets naturally thin the blood, which in turn, thins, weakens all structure and function. Too many cleansing, cooling foods also weaken all function.
7. Weak limbs Digestion transforms and transports food, nutrients into blood. Chronic weak, cold digestion (spleen chi, yang) transforms and transports less, thinning and reducing blood, nutrient, energy flow to the extremities, arms, legs, bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, etc. Digestion builds and fuels the heart, circulation.
8. Pale tongue with cracked or swollen sides The tongue is blood rich. Blood is red and moistening. Chronic, weak digestion thins and reduces blood flow to the head, causing the tongue to become blood and chi deficient: dry, weak, pale and swollen.
Stage Three. Spleen chi, yang deficiency
9. Cold limbs The spleen, digestion transforms and transports food, nutrients into blood. Chronic, long-term weak digestion tends to thin and weaken blood, which in turn, thins and weakens circulation, reducing blood flow, especially to the extremities: arms, legs, bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves, etc. producing coldness and weakness.
10. Bright, white complexion Chronic, long-term indigestion (weak digestion) tends to thin and reduce blood flow to the head, face producing a bright, white (color of cold) complexion.
11. Loose stools with undigested food. Digestive fire, acids and enzymes digests, reduces food to its smallest components: nutrients and non-nutrients. It also burns, consumes excess water. Chronic weak digestion burns, transform and transports less, causing the stools to be loose with undigested foods.
12. Vaginal discharges (leucorrhea) Digestive fire heats the body, including the sexual organs. Heat dries and dissipates excess fluids Chronic, long-term, weak digestion tends to cool the body, burning less fluids. More fluid accumulates in the vagina: mucous, white discharges (leucorrhea). Cold condenses.
13. Bearing down sensation in the abdomen Spleen chi, yang rises, ascends. Chronic indigestion, weak spleen yang digests less creating more waste product, heaviness in the intestines, producing a bearing down sensation.
14. Depression It takes energy to be content and happy. Chronic indigestion decreases nutrient absorption, blood, structure and function (energy). Blood deficiency weakens, depresses and slows the body, which in turn, depresses the mind. Lack of faith in God also causes depression. Modern medicine normally treats depression (cold, weak condition) with amphetamines, stimulants. Stimulants heat, move fluids, food, emotions, thoughts as do hot soups, spices, protein, fat, sunshine and exercise. .
15. Tongue is pale, swollen and wet with a white coating. The tongue normally has a thin white coating produced by stomach fluids. Weak spleen yang, digestive fire increases fluids in the stomach that tend to overflow onto the tongue creating a moist coating, white or clear. It also produces less blood and energy causing the tongue to be pale and swollen.
Stage Four. Severe blood and chi deficiency
16. Bleeding (under the skin, in the urine, stools) The spleen, digestion transform food, nutrients into blood. Long-term, chronic indigestion thins and weakens the blood, which in turn, thins, weakens and easily bruises, bleed the capillaries, skin, etc. Tumors and stones (kidney or bladder) can also cause bleeding in the stools and urine.
17. Menorrhagia (abnormally long or heavy menses) and metrorrhagia (bleeding between periods) can be caused by chronic blood and spleen chi, yang deficiency and or a uterine tumor.
18. Extreme chronic diarrhea Chronic indigestion via cold diet and or parasites and bacteria tends to cause chronic diarrhea.
19. Prolapse Spleen chi ascends. It also controls the transformation of food into blood. Chronic, weak digestion, blood and chi (energy) deficiency weakens the organs (stomach, uterus, rectum, etc.) causing them to sink, prolapse. Blood, protein and fat build and fuel, hold the organs in their places, positions. Less blood creates less holding whether it is organs, blood, liquid, thoughts, etc. The spleen not only controls digestion and blood, but also holding.
20. Auto-immune illnesses The spleen transforms and transports food, nutrients into blood. Chronic, weak digestion decreases nutrient absorption, blood, elimination, immunity, while increasing waste and constipation, contributing to the development of autoimmune illnesses.
In TCM, the spleen and brain have an intimate relationship as they both separate pure from impure. The spleen, digestion separates pure, food essences (nutrients) from the impure food essences (non-nutrients, preservatives, colorings, etc.). The brain separates pure, relevant thoughts, stimuli, from the impure, irrelevant. Both “organs” ability to separate, analyze, remember, etc. is a function of blood, nutrients, food, which in turn, are a function of digestion (spleen chi, yang). Strong digestion, separation passes, strengthens the blood, which in turn, strengthens, increases the brain’s ability to separate: analyze, remember, etc. Chronic, weak digestion creates weak, thin and murky blood, which in turn, creates weak, thin and murky, cloudy thinking, inability to reason, separate and remember (indecision forgetfulness, etc.). Weak digestion, blood, protein and fat deficiency weaken all function, mental and physical.
In TCM, the pancreas is part of the spleen. It not only produces digestive enzymes but also regulates blood sugar via the production of insulin and glycogen. Insulin lowers the level of blood sugar by converting it into glycogen (storage form of glucose) and storing it in the liver and muscles. When blood sugar gets too low, the pancreas signals the liver to release glycogen back into the bloodstream.
The pancreas and liver control the level of blood sugar. Any amounts greater or less, in the extreme, tend to cause too much (hyperglycemia) or too little blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which in turn, weakens, sickens the body mind through a variety of blood sugar related problems, including diabetes. Adult onset diabetes, depending upon severity (operations, medication, etc.) is generally curable through diet, discipline, etc. Juvenile diabetes is more difficult to cure.
Sugar, protein and fat stimulate digestion, liver and pancreas function. Too much protein, fat and or sugar over stimulate the pancreas and liver, weakening, reducing all their functions: blood sugar, digestion, cholesterol, etc. Once an organ becomes weak, all of its functions weaken. Poor diet (high protein, high fat, alcohol sugar, overeating, or low protein, low fat and high carbohydrate tend to cause most disease, including high and low blood sugar.
Hot and Cold Health
Article Source: Spleen, digestion, cooked and raw foods