Functions of the Spleen
The Spleen governs transportation and transformation.
Commentary: The Spleen is the most important digestive organ in TCM. It plays an important role in our daily life. The Spleen produces Food Qi (Gu Qi) from the ingested food. Food Qi (Gu Qi) is the basis for Qi, Blood and Body Fluids that we need every day. The Spleen plays a major role in the formation of Qi and Blood. The Spleen extracts the essence of grain and water (nutrients) and dispatches this Food Qi (Gu Qi) to other organs, so that it reaches all parts of the body, up to the Lungs and down to the Bladder. Food Qi is the basis for Qi and Blood production. Turbid parts of the raw food material that cannot be used by the Spleen are sent to the Small Intestine for further processing. The Spleen is the source of the Acquired Qi. If the transformation of the Spleen is weak, Food Qi is not sufficiently produced. This can lead to Qi and Blood Deficiency. It can also result in the accumulation Dampness. The Spleen is always involved in the development of Dampness and its diseases. If the Spleen function is weak, Dampness is produced. Soft stool can be a first sign for the accumulation of Dampness in the body; it also shows a failure of the Spleen' s transformation function. The function of the Spleen can be affected by diet. The Spleen is affected and weakened by a diet that includes large amounts of raw, cold or dampness-producing foods. Give the patient dietary advice. The change of eating habits and diet are the key to successful treatment. The Spleen can be considered to have similar digestive functions on the mental level. The Spleen helps us to "digest" experiences and process our daily impressions. The Spleen ensures mental clearness and counteracts the accumulation of mental waste. One aspect of living today is the constant over-stimulation. The mind is overwhelmed and the Spleen's digestive function on the mental level is affected. The Spleen is only able to handle one task at a time in the same way it can only digest one experience at a time. Most of the time we are experiencing more than one thing in the same moment. This could weaken the Spleen and lead to mental "indigestion" which can manifest in the form of Dampness on the physical level. In fact, people seem to need constant stimulation. The mind is not able to be aware in just the actual situation, for example: banal things, like watching television while eating meals. The mind is scattered and involved in many different thoughts at the same time. The Spleen is overwhelmed and the transformation function is affected. The development of Dampness is often based on the insufficient mental transformation; diet and nutrition play a minor role in this context. In fact, Dampness in this context can accumulate even with the perfect diet. Mental indigestion can affect our overall perception. Our mind is so busy and caught up in its own topics, that we are unable to see and experience our environment untainted by our own projection. We are not able to perceive the natural state of reality. Communication then is far from real understanding, and hurtful for our fellow human being and ourselves. The Spleen, also referred to as being the center, is related to the Earth element in TCM, which manifests in the last 18 days of each season and facilitates the transition into the next season. The digestion process involves mouth, Stomach, Spleen, Small Intestine, Large Intestine and even Liver and Gallbladder. All these organs contribute their part to the food assimilation. Of special importance is the Kidney Yang, which provides warmth and governs the body's metabolism.