Warming Yang, promoting Qi circulation, diuresis, and reducing edema: Fuzi Guizhi Tang and Beiqi Fulingpi Tang are used for edema-type obesity.
Water-dampness type obesity refers to a clinical manifestation where the body exhibits both obesity and internal water retention. However, the water retention is relatively mild, so the edema is not severe, and it is more common in the lower body. Nevertheless, water retention in the body is never a good thing. If the condition persists, the body will only deteriorate. Excessive water retention, coupled with the accumulation of fat that is difficult to burn, can gradually develop into edema-type obesity.
In addition to obesity, patients with edema-type obesity also exhibit significant swelling. However, the condition is more pronounced and severe than that of patients with water retention-type obesity. Besides noticeable swelling in the lower limbs, other parts of the body may also experience swelling, such as the body, upper limbs, face, and eyes, and may also have prominent eye bags.
The swelling in patients with edema-type obesity is generally quite unstable. It's especially noticeable when dressing; sometimes shoes and clothes feel tight, and other times they feel light and comfortable. This is because the amount of water retention in the body is unstable. Since water and dampness are highly mobile, when there is excessive water retention, a person feels bloated all over. However, when the body feels better, or after eating foods that promote diuresis and remove dampness, the excess water is expelled, and the person immediately feels much thinner.
Patients with edema-type obesity also experience noticeable changes in their eye bags. When edema is severe, the eye bags become significantly larger, causing discomfort to the eyes. As the edema subsides, the eye bags also diminish noticeably, and the eyes feel more comfortable. Sometimes, drinking water before bed can cause facial and eye swelling upon waking. When overall health is poor, the eye bags become more pronounced. Patients with edema-type obesity are likely to personally experience the frustration of "gaining weight even from drinking water."
Patients with edema-type obesity need to both lose weight and regulate their bodies to reduce swelling, with regulating the body being more important. Otherwise, the function of internal organs will deteriorate, the flow of qi and blood will become increasingly disordered, and the edema will worsen. Don't assume that taking more diuretics will solve the problem. Yes, diuretics can expel excess water from the body, resulting in immediate weight loss. However, the edema will also quickly subside. This is because the internal organs are dysfunctional and unable to metabolize water. Blindly taking diuretics will only damage the kidneys and harm the body, causing the condition to gradually worsen.
Traditional Chinese medicine states that "the kidneys govern the body's water metabolism," meaning that the kidneys control the body's fluid metabolism. When kidney function is robust, it can effectively transform and regulate fluids. If kidney qi is deficient or kidney yang is insufficient, the body cannot transform and regulate fluids, leading to edema and the accumulation of dampness and phlegm in the body. The spleen also plays a role in the transformation and transportation of fluids. Stagnant dampness is often related to spleen deficiency. Furthermore, the lungs also influence the body's fluid metabolism. The lungs govern the body's qi, and qi can move water. When lung qi is abundant, it can effectively promote water metabolism; when dampness accumulates in the body, it is invariably related to lung qi deficiency.
Furthermore, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that another organ related to edema and dampness is the "Triple Burner" (San Jiao). The Triple Burner has the functions of "governing all Qi" and "regulating water metabolism." Simply put, the Triple Burner coordinates the flow of Qi, facilitating its ascending, descending, entering, and exiting. It also clears water passages and balances fluid metabolism. Therefore, the ancients said, "The Triple Burner is the official in charge of drainage, from which waterways originate." In conclusion, the kidneys, lungs, spleen, and Triple Burner all influence edema-type obesity. To prevent and treat this type of obesity, it is necessary to regulate the functions of these four organs.
Edema-type obesity and corresponding herbal decoctions:
(1) Prepared Aconite, Cinnamon Twig and Dried Ginger Soup. Servings: 2 people. Ingredients: 5 qian of prepared aconite, 5 qian of cinnamon twig, 3 qian of dried ginger, half a catty of pork. Preparation: Boil in 10 bowls of water for 2 hours. Efficacy: Warms the kidneys and invigorates yang, promotes diuresis and reduces swelling.
For dampness or edema, diuretic and dampness-removing methods can certainly be used. However, this is only a temporary solution. The dampness or edema will quickly return. To address the root cause, a method of warming and tonifying kidney yang should be adopted. As long as kidney yang is abundant, it can naturally warm and disperse dampness, and prepared aconite root can be used. Prepared aconite root is a very pungent and hot Chinese herb, which functions to tonify fire and assist yang, restore yang and rescue from collapse, warm the spleen and kidneys, dispel wind and cold, and relieve pain. It is often used for deficiency of kidney yang, insufficient kidney yang, and excessive dampness. Modern research indicates that prepared aconite root has cardiotonic, blood pressure-raising, anti-allergic, immune-boosting, and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, it also has the function of lowering blood sugar.
Cinnamon twig has a pungent and sweet taste, and is warm in nature. It has the effects of inducing sweating and relieving exterior syndromes, warming the meridians and promoting blood circulation, and invigorating yang and transforming qi. It can be used for external wind-cold, rheumatic pain, amenorrhea and abdominal pain, water retention, phlegm-dampness cough and asthma, dysuria, disharmony of ying and wei, and insufficient heart yang. Cinnamon twig can both tonify and dispel pathogens. Moreover, it is very inexpensive and is known as "folk ginseng." Cinnamon twig combined with prepared aconite root is a perfect match, enhancing the effects of warming the kidneys and promoting diuresis. It is especially suitable for edema-type obesity. In addition, cinnamon twig has a unique fragrance that is often appreciated by those with deficiency and cold constitution.
Dried ginger has a pungent taste and warm properties. It has the effects of warming the middle jiao (spleen and stomach) and restoring yang, as well as warming the interior and dispelling cold. Dried ginger is made by drying fresh ginger. The aroma of dried ginger is stronger than that of fresh ginger, so it's easy to imagine that the soup made with it will be more fragrant. In addition, fresh ginger has the effect of dispelling wind-cold, and when used in large quantities, it can cause sweating or dry mouth; dried ginger, on the other hand, has the function of warming the interior and dispelling cold, does not have a sweating effect, and is not as drying as fresh ginger, leaving a warming feeling after consumption.
(2) Astragalus, Apricot Kernel, and Poria Peel Soup. Serves: 4. Ingredients: 1 tael of Astragalus membranaceus, 5 mace each of North and South apricot kernels, 1 tael of Poria peel, 1 partridge. Preparation: Simmer in 12 bowls of water for 2 hours. Efficacy: Tonifies Qi and strengthens the spleen, promotes diuresis and reduces swelling.
Astragalus, originally named "Huangqi," is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine for tonifying Qi. It has a sweet taste and is slightly warm in nature. It possesses the effects of tonifying the middle Jiao and replenishing Qi, invigorating Qi and raising Yang, consolidating the exterior and stopping sweating, promoting tissue regeneration and detoxification, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. Astragalus and ginseng are both Qi-tonifying herbs. However, ginseng only tonifies Qi and does not have the effect of promoting diuresis and reducing swelling; while astragalus's Qi-tonifying effect is not as strong as ginseng's, it does have the effect of promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. It also has lipid-lowering and blood sugar-lowering effects, making it very suitable for patients with edema-type obesity.
Almonds are divided into "southern almonds" and "northern almonds." Both have the effects of relieving cough and asthma, resolving phlegm and regulating qi, and moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements. Southern almonds are more focused on nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, while northern almonds are better at relieving cough and asthma. Almonds have the effect of opening the chest and regulating qi. When combined with astragalus, they can not only open up lung qi and prevent chest tightness, but also regulate qi flow and enhance the qi-tonifying and qi-boosting effects of astragalus.
Poria cocos is sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It has the effects of strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach, calming the mind and soothing the nerves, and promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness. It is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in dietary therapy. As for Poria cocos peel, it is the outer skin of Poria cocos. Its effects are similar to those of Poria cocos. In terms of strengthening the spleen, Poria cocos is more effective; however, in terms of promoting diuresis, eliminating dampness, and reducing swelling, Poria cocos peel is superior. For edema-type obesity, Poria cocos peel is better. Because Poria cocos peel has a strong diuretic effect, after consumption, the amount or frequency of urination will increase.