Recently, when I went to see the doctor, he said I had a bit of dampness in my body. My family had bought some Huang Jing (Polygonatum), so I wanted to ask if Huang Jing can help remove dampness.
Can Huang Jing Remove Dampness?
No, it cannot.
In traditional Chinese medicine, there are two main causes of dampness. First, external dampness invades the body due to humid weather. Second, excessive consumption of meat weakens the spleen and stomach, leading to dysfunction in water and dampness metabolism. The clinical manifestations include heaviness in the head and body, soreness in the limbs, loss of appetite, sticky stools, etc. The treatment should focus on strengthening the spleen, clearing heat, and promoting diuresis.
Huang Jing has a sweet taste, neutral nature, and enters the lung, spleen, and kidney meridians. It has the effects of tonifying the spleen, nourishing the lungs, and replenishing qi and yin. It is commonly used to treat symptoms such as spleen and stomach qi deficiency, fatigue, lung deficiency with dry cough, coughing up blood, lumbago and knee weakness, premature graying of hair, etc. However, it does not have the ability to clear heat and promote diuresis, so it cannot remove dampness.
Can People with Dampness Eat Huang Jing?
It is not recommended to eat Huang Jing.
People with dampness have dampness stagnating in the spleen and stomach, which leads to dysfunction in water and dampness metabolism and causes a series of discomfort symptoms. Dampness needs to be absorbed and metabolized by the spleen. If people with dampness eat Huang Jing, it will only increase the burden on the spleen and may worsen the symptoms of dampness. Therefore, in general, it is not advisable for people with dampness to eat Huang Jing.
What to Do if People with Dampness Eat Huang Jing?
1. Stop taking Huang Jing
If people with dampness feel worse after taking Huang Jing, it is recommended to stop taking it to avoid further burden on the spleen.
2. Eat appropriate dampness-removing foods
Such as red beans, coix seed, winter melon, etc. If people with dampness feel significantly uncomfortable after taking Huang Jing, they can eat some dampness-removing foods in moderation, which can help alleviate the symptoms to some extent.
3. Consult a doctor
If people with excessive dampness feel obvious discomfort, it is recommended to consult a professional doctor and take diuretic and spleen-tonifying drugs under the doctor's guidance for treatment.
Who Should Not Eat Huang Jing?
People with excessive phlegm and cough
People who have cough with phlegm and excessive phlegm should not eat Huang Jing because it has a sticky and nourishing nature. Taking Huang Jing will not relieve the symptoms but may aggravate the original symptoms of excessive phlegm and cough.
People with cold and diarrhea in the middle burner
People with deficiency-cold and diarrhea in the middle burner should not eat Huang Jing. Their diet should be light, while Huang Jing is nourishing and sticky. Taking Huang Jing may worsen the symptoms of deficiency-cold and diarrhea in the middle burner.
What Should People with Dampness Eat?
Poria cocos Congee
Ingredients: 30g Poria cocos, 20 red dates, 100g glutinous rice, appropriate amount of rock sugar.
1. Crush the Poria cocos and remove the pits from the red dates.
2. Cook the red dates until they are soft.
3. Add the crushed Poria cocos and glutinous rice, and add an appropriate amount of water.
4. Cook until the congee is ready, then add rock sugar and it is ready to eat.
Adzuki Bean and Coix Seed Congee
1. Use equal amounts of adzuki beans and coix seeds.
2. Wash the ingredients and soak them in water for about 2 hours.
3. Cook in a pot for about 2 hours.
4. Add an appropriate amount of rock sugar for seasoning.
