QiLifeSpleen 脾
The Spleen governs transformation and transport — turning food and drink into usable energy, and moving what has been transformed.
Pinyin: Pi · Five Element: Earth · updated
The Spleen is the organ of transformation. Its function is to take what arrives as food and drink, separate the useful part from what is not, and send the useful part onward to where it is needed. Everything else in the system depends on that step succeeding.
This is why so many other patterns eventually arrive at the Spleen. Poor transformation creates dampness; insufficient lifting creates heaviness; a Spleen unable to hold leads to bruising. In the classical hierarchy the Spleen is paired with the Stomach, and the two are treated as one system — the Stomach receives and the Spleen transforms.
Its element is Earth, and its season is late summer. Practically, supporting the Spleen means regular meals eaten warm and unhurried, avoiding overeating, and keeping digestion moving with modest daily activity. The heavy, sweet, greasy end of the diet is what pushes it closest to overload.
Signs that suggest this pattern
No single sign establishes a pattern — Chinese medicine reads combinations, not isolated symptoms. If several of these are familiar and have been for a while, it is worth running the Zang-Fu Organ Check to see what the combination scores.
- A weak or variable appetite
- Loose stools, or stools that feel unfinished
- Heaviness after meals, or mental fog after eating
- Yellowish or puffy skin, and puffy eyelids
- Bruising easily
- Chronic damp or heavy, tired legs
Acupoints used for this pattern (1)
Every point below opens the full library entry, including location, technique, frequency and the cautions attached to it.
Foods listed against this pattern (13)
Nature and flavour are the traditional classification. Read the avoid note before changing anything you eat regularly.
Jujube (red date)
Builds blood and Qi gently. A base ingredient in almost every tonic tea.
Warm · Sweet
Chinese yam
Supports digestion and lung function without being cloying. The safest tonic food for most people.
Neutral · Sweet
Coix seed (pearl barley)
The classic food for draining dampness: heaviness, puffiness and loose stools. Sold as pearl barley in most shops.
Cool · Sweet, bland
Aged citrus peel
Moves Qi, dries dampness and helps phlegm clear. The standard partner to rich or heavy meals.
Warm · Pungent, bitter
Astragalus
Builds Qi and supports defensive energy. Traditionally used for fatigue, a weak voice and catching everything going around.
Warm · Sweet
Pumpkin
Steadies digestion and builds Qi gently. A good staple for a weak or unsettled middle.
Warm · Sweet
Millet
Harmonises the middle and settles the stomach. The traditional congee grain for recovery and a poor appetite.
Cool · Sweet, salty
Finger citron (Buddha's hand)
Moves Liver Qi and harmonises the stomach. Used for a tight chest, sighing and bloating when stressed.
Warm · Pungent, bitter
Beef
Builds Qi and blood steadily. A warming staple for fatigue and a pale complexion.
Warm · Sweet
Oats
Steadies the middle and supports digestion gently. A reliable warm breakfast grain.
Neutral · Sweet
Longan
Nourishes blood and settles the Heart. Used for restless sleep, palpitations and poor memory.
Warm · Sweet
Sweet potato
Builds Qi and steadies the middle. A good grounding staple for the cold months.
Neutral · Sweet
Lotus seed
Steadies the middle and settles the mind. Used for loose stools, restless sleep and a weak appetite.
Neutral · Sweet, astringent
Tea formulas listed against this pattern (3)
These are traditional reference formulas. Doses shown are traditional reference amounts, not a prescription — check with a qualified practitioner, especially if you are pregnant, on medication, or managing a condition.
Jujube & licorice tea
Gentle daily tonic for steady energy and a settled digestion.
3 dried jujubes, 2 slices licorice root
Tangerine peel & poria tea
Lightens heaviness and helps clear phlegm.
5 g aged tangerine peel, 10 g poria
Yam & poria tea
Supports digestion and lifts post-meal heaviness.
15 g dried yam, 10 g poria
Which assessment identifies this pattern
Zang-Fu Organ Check
Twenty questions across the five Zang-Fu systems. You get a score for each and the two weakest named explicitly, with what to do about them.
TCM Body Constitution Test
Nine types, 27 questions, about five minutes. No email, no sign-up — you get the result immediately and an explanation of what it means.
TCM Symptom Pattern Decoder
Twenty-eight questions across eight patterns, ranked by fit rather than a single verdict. Free, no email, results you can act on.
Patterns that often appear alongside this one
Qi Deficiency
Qi deficiency means your defensive and transformative Qi runs low, so ordinary effort costs more than it should and colds come easily.
Balanced
A balanced constitution is the reference point the other eight are measured against — no strong lean toward heat, cold, damp or deficiency.
Qi
Qi is the umbrella concept in Chinese medicine — the body's capacity to move, warm, transform and defend, rather than a single substance.
Phlegm
Phlegm is the thickened, obstructive form of trapped fluid — the concrete congestion that dampness produces when it concentrates.
Phlegm and Dampness
Phlegm and dampness describe fluids that transform slowly, leaving the body heavy, coated and prone to congestion.
Heart
The Heart governs blood and vessels, and houses the Shen — the classical term for the mind and consciousness.
Related vocabulary
Search terms this page covers: spleen tcm, spleen meridian, digestion tcm, spleen qi, stomach spleen.