Spleen and Stomach are the basis of whole body wellness
Posted on March 02, 2020 by Jun Yun, One of Thousands of Health and Fitness Coaches on Noomii.
The theory of 12th century Chinese physician I Dong-won explains that for our whole body to be healthy, we need to have strong spleen and stomach
Today I would like to share the perspective of renowned Chinese doctor E Dong-won (1180–1251 AD) and his theory on diseases. He is considered the father of a school of thought that emphasizes assisting the organs representing Earth elements [보토학파 补土學派], which are spleen and stomach (More on traditional Asian medicine theories and philosophies coming soon!). His key thesis is that diseases originate from the weakened functions in the spleen and the stomach, which affect rest of the organs. Yi’s theory is considered one of the classics of traditional Asian medicine that explains idiopathic diseases (ones with unknown causes) and chronic diseases with complications as well as autoimmune diseases.
Weakened digestive system disables proper food digestion and absorption. Consequently, the main body process that gets affected first is Haematopoiesis (creation of blood cells). Here we have to think broadly not only in terms of lack of quantity of blood but also the inability of blood to properly carry out its function. The function of blood is to supply the necessary nutrients and oxygen throughout the body and carry the waste back to the heart. If this function does not run optimally, then the cells are always “under pressure” (Think of the stress we would feel if we are surrounded by unclean environment with nothing to eat!).
Which organ gets hit the hardest due to inadequate blood supply? It’s the liver. Think of liver as a swimming pool filled with blood (spooky, I know). In there, liver eliminates toxins and carries out all types of biochemical processes that convert nutritional components so that they are absorbed optimally by the body. In addition, liver distributes energy (기 氣 gí) all throughout the body. Imagine the quality of gí distributed from that pool if the pool water (blood) is inadequate or dirty. If we have problems with liver blood or suffer from chronic emotional stress, gí stagnates in the liver, which inhibits the gí distribution. Think of the gí as people leaving from the “pool” to reach their homes (cells) but stuck in the highway traffic jam. Not only would they be “stressed,” but also those waiting back “home,” leading to increased overall stress levels. Blood and gí stagnation result in pain, depression, anxiety, chest pain, anger, and irregular menstruation.
Another important function of the spleen and the stomach is converting the food we eat into energy and delivering it throughout the body. Yet, if there is a problem with this conversion and transportation, dampness accumulates in the body. You may wonder, ‘How in the world can my body be “damp?”’ Considering the fact that 70% of our body is made of water, we can understand how dampness can be created by water metabolism from our food and fluids. This dampness moistens the lungs and softens our skin, but if this dampness condenses and travels to the lower body it causes edema. If it gets trapped in the chest area we feel bloated and our bodies would feel heavier.
(Side note: the types of food that easily creates dampness are wheat-based products, sugar, and dairy. Dr. E’s theory would consider these foods to be problematic, which matches up with the modern science proving them to be unhealthy part of our modern diet!)
To summarize, weakened spleen and stomach lead to reduced function of blood, which affects the function of liver and even creates excess dampness in our body that makes us feel tired. Despite this post being a very brief introduction to Dr. E’s theory, the takeaway is that the functions of the spleen and the stomach are not only relevant to the digestive system, but to the whole body. This is the reason why I recommend digestive enzymes, probiotics, and other nutritional supplements pertaining to digestive system for everyone.
