The spleen doesn’t get as much respect in western medicine as it does in Chinese medicine.

Before a child is born, the spleen plays an important role in producing blood cells.

Afterwards, it serves as a storage unit for blood platelets, supports antibody production, and assists with identifying and destroying abnormal cells found in blood as it passes through the organ.

However, if the spleen is injured, physicians have no concerns with removing it. People can live without a spleen, and it is thought that the absence is barely noticeable.

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a different perspective on the spleen.

Unlike the western theory that this organ is relatively superfluous, eastern medicine considers the spleen a critical component of the digestive system.

It has a strong relationship with the stomach, and it is credited with extracting qi from the food you eat, then ensuring that the qi is delivered to the rest of the body.

When spleen qi is deficient, blocked, or stagnant, the entire body suffers.

What Is Spleen Qi?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi, or chi, is the life force or vital energy that flows through all things.

Healthy bodies have strong, free-flowing qi that connects organs, systems, and tissues. Individual organs and systems have their own qi, and when that qi is deficient, stagnate, or blocked, you will experience negative health effects. 

Due to the interconnectedness of all the body’s systems, symptoms attributed to an issue with the qi of one organ may not stay isolated to that system.

When left untreated, spleen qi deficiency, which disrupts the digestive system, will eventually lead to illness and disease in other parts of the body. 

What are the Symptoms of Low Spleen Qi?

One of the central theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine is that all organs, systems, and tissues are interconnected. An issue in one part of the body can prompt symptoms of illness and disease in other parts.

However, certain symptoms, known in western medicine as “gastrointestinal issues”, can be traced directly to deficiency, blockage, or stagnation of spleen qi. 

Some of the most common – and most uncomfortable – indications of low, blocked, or stagnant spleen qi include: 

•     Nausea or upset stomach
•     Acid reflux
•     Poor appetite
•     Eating disorders 
•     Diabetes
•     Diarrhea 
•     Hemorrhoids
•     Excess gas and bloating
•     Varicose veins 
•     Mental fog
•     Difficulty getting up in the morning

At best, this collection of symptoms is disagreeable. At worst, patients may suffer from the painful effects of poor nutrition, an inability to regulate blood sugar, and abdominal pain.

What are the Best Foods to Increase Spleen Qi?

Though there are significant differences between Traditional Chinese Medicine and western  medicine, the two disciplines have some things in common.

For example, both agree in the power of nutrition to promote good health.

Certain foods contribute to the strength of qi throughout the body. Some of these include: 

•     Healthy Fats – coconut oil, olive oil, salmon, avocados 
•     Fermented Foods – kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and miso soup 
•     Cooked Fruits and Vegetables – choose a variety of colors from all parts of the plant (leaves, berries, roots) to increase nutrient intake

If you have determined that your symptoms are specific to a spleen qi deficiency, there are foods particularly suited for supporting the spleen. Examples include: 

• Protein – poultry, beef, lamb, shellfish, salmon, trout, tuna, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts
• Fruits and Vegetables – carrots, apples, sweet cherries, mustard leaf, peaches, sweet potatoes, apricots, plums, squash, red grapes, taro plant root, dates, pumpkin, figs, dried fruits, cabbage
• Grains – millet, lentils, oats, quinoa, polenta, rice
• Herbs and Spices – fennel, nutmeg, cinnamon, aniseed, ginger, vanilla, cardamom

The spleen appreciates foods that are naturally sweet, and in some cases, it makes sense to add healthy sweeteners to your recipes in moderation. These include raw honey, maple syrup, and molasses. 

Adding foods that support spleen qi is a good start, but real improvements come when you also remove foods that suppress spleen qi.

These include dairy products, fried foods, refined sugars, salty foods, refined grains, iced drinks, and meats high in saturated fat.  

How Do You Nourish Your Spleen Qi?

A focus on whole, unprocessed foods is an important start in nourishing spleen qi, but there are a number of additional measures you can take to ensure optimal health.

The first is to focus on rest. Today’s lifestyles are highly geared towards productivity, which means there is constant pressure to work harder, play harder, and pack in as many tasks and activities as possible.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with a strong work ethic and a dedication to your hobbies, it becomes a problem when you find yourself constantly in motion, skipping sleep to get it all done. 

Your relationship with rest, mindfulness, and sleep directly contributes to the strength of your spleen qi.

You will enjoy greater physical and mental health when you set boundaries on work hours, limit the number of activities you participate in, and set time aside throughout the day to rest, regroup, and stay in touch with your mental and physical well-being.

At night, don’t allow any responsibilities to interfere with getting a full night’s sleep.

Once you get used to being well-rested, you may be shocked to discover how much more you can do – and do well – with the hours you dedicate to work. 

As a general rule, stress is detrimental to qi, and stress goes hand-in-hand with lack of rest.

When you are working too much, chances are your stress levels are high, in addition to missing out on rest.

Pay close attention to stress levels at various times of day, and take note of what you are doing and with whom when you feel stress is particularly high.

For the sake of your health, it may be necessary to adjust your activities and spend more time away from people who push your stress levels higher. 

Exercise is critical to keeping spleen qi healthy, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend more time lifting at the gym.

Traditional workouts have their place in a healthy lifestyle, but consider adding the practice of gentle movement disciplines like Tai Chi and Qigong, as well.

Both of these have centuries-old roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

While there is focus on building strength and flexibility, Tai Chi and Qigong take an integrated whole-body approach.

As you go through movement activities, these disciplines place an emphasis on breathing, posture, and mindfulness.

They are dedicated to supporting, integrating, and promoting the wellbeing of mind, body, and spirit.

How is Spleen Qi Stagnation Treated?

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine often rely on the combination of several complementary therapies to resolve issues with spleen qi stagnation, deficiency, and blockage.

Your practitioner will recommend that you start by adjusting your diet, increasing rest, reducing stress, and adding gentle movement to your routine. However, if your symptoms are severe, you may need additional treatment. 

One of the most popular solutions for addressing issues with spleen qi is acupuncture, and occasionally, acupressure.

These methods work to stimulate and clear the pathways in the body that permit qi to travel between organs and tissues.

Acupuncture uses tiny needles that are nearly always painless, while acupressure relies on firm, consistent pressure at the appropriate point.

Practitioners typically use fingers, thumbs, elbows, and various tools to apply the right amount of pressure where it is needed. 

In many cases, your practitioner will suggest a customized herbal mixture designed to support spleen qi.

Some of the herbs you might find in such a remedy include:

• Astragalus
• Chinese Yam
• Codonopsis
• Licorice
• Red Ginseng

What Emotions are Stored in the Spleen?

There is a reason that people describe nervousness and worry as having “butterflies in their stomach”. The spleen and the stomach store these emotions.

When they are not dealt with in a healthy manner, they can contribute to spleen qi deficiency, stagnation, and blockage.

If you are prone to a lack of trust, anxiety, and other related emotions, consider whether you tend to ignore and suppress them. If you are in the habit of squashing emotions rather than accepting and working through them, you may be contributing to issues with spleen qi. 

Instead of ignoring and suppressing nervousness and worry, consider alternatives. If it isn’t practical to rely on friends and family for discussion and resolution of your emotions, try options like talk therapy, journaling, and online support groups. T

here are many online forums where you can find like-minded individuals with similar challenges, and you can stay anonymous during the conversation. 

The bottom line is that protecting and promoting robust spleen qi is an important component of whole-body wellness.

If you aren’t already experiencing the symptoms of spleen qi deficiency, stagnation, and blockage, these measures may prevent symptoms from developing.

If you already have symptoms, you may be able to turn things around through careful attention to what you eat, how much you rest, and whether you regularly participate in gentle movement activities.