Humid-heat constitution often manifests as heaviness in the head, chest and abdominal distension, sticky mouth, and lower limb edema, making dampness removal urgent. Drinking tea to remove dampness is a common method, but what teas are effective? What are the recipes for dampness-removing tea?
How to know if you have dampness in your body
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, when dampness invades the body, there are eight typical symptoms.
Sticky mouth, white and greasy tongue coating
Dampness is sticky and stagnant, so its pathogenic effects exhibit sticky and stagnant characteristics. The most typical symptom is a sticky mouth and a white, greasy tongue coating. This is because dampness damages the spleen, impairing its function of transporting and transforming nutrients, leading to loss of appetite and abnormal taste. Since the "spleen opens into the mouth," it results in a sticky mouth and a white, greasy tongue coating.
Chest and abdominal distension, scanty urine
As dampness is a yin pathogen, it lingers in the organs and meridians, obstructing qi movement and causing various discomforts. For example, dampness stagnating in the chest diaphragm leads to chest tightness; dampness obstructing the spleen and stomach disrupts the ascending and descending functions of qi, causing abdominal distension; dampness stagnating in the lower burner obstructs qi movement and impairs transformation, resulting in scanty urine.
Heaviness in the head, fatigue in the limbs
Dampness is heavy and turbid, so its pathogenic effects typically cause heavy and sinking sensations. Since the "spleen governs the muscles," dampness invading the muscles leads to general heaviness, fatigue in the limbs, and a heavy head as if wrapped in cloth. If dampness lingers in the joints, it causes heavy and painful joints.
Lower limb edema, frequent diarrhea
Dampness is akin to water, which tends to sink downward, so its pathogenic effects often affect the lower body. Common symptoms include lower limb edema and diarrhea, with loose stools that are sticky and not smooth, leaving an incomplete sensation after defecation. In cases of dysentery, the stool is typically mucoid with pus and blood.
What teas can remove dampness
1. Fragrant Orchid Cool Tea
Recipe ratio: 9g of patchouli, 9g of orchid grass, 6g of tea leaves. Preparation: Wash 9g of patchouli and 9g of orchid grass, then place them in a teapot with 6g of tea leaves. Pour 500ml of boiling water, cover, and steep for 5 minutes. Add ice cubes to cool before drinking. Effects: Clears heat and wind, dispels summer heat and dampness, stimulates appetite, and stops vomiting.
2. Heat-Clearing Dampness-Removing Cool Tea
Main ingredients: Mahonia, spatholobus stem, dandelion, etc.
Effects: Clears heat and detoxifies, removes dampness and turbidity. Suitable for symptoms caused by damp-heat, such as yellow greasy tongue coating, abdominal distension, poor appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and heavy limbs. Ideal for those frequently outdoors or suffering from summer heat.
3. Heat-Clearing Dampness-Removing Tea
Suitable for gastrointestinal damp-heat syndrome: fatigue, drowsiness, poor appetite, abdominal distension or pain, bad breath, mouth ulcers, gum swelling, or eczema, itchy skin, hard or loose stools, yellow urine, and thick yellow tongue coating. Formula: 15g honeysuckle, 30g kapok, 10g pagoda tree flower, 30g polygonum, 15g gardenia, 15g capillaris, 30g hyacinth bean, 15g bitter orange, 15g hawthorn, 10g patchouli, 15g dandelion.
4. Spleen-Invigorating Dampness-Removing Tea
50g white atractylodes, 50g poria, 50g licorice, 50g wolfberry, 50g tribute chrysanthemum, 50g citron (omit for men).
5. Lotus Leaf Cool Tea
Tear half a lotus leaf into pieces and boil with 10g talcum, 10g white atractylodes, and 6g licorice in water for about 20 minutes. Strain, add a little sugar, stir well, and cool before drinking. Helps prevent heatstroke and cool down.
