Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is not concerned with cause and effect, i.e. a person contracted Influenza and now has the flu. We want to know how a person’s unique constitution interacts with their environment, i.e. what is the relationship? Typically, a person’s constitutional strength in a given environment will determine whether or not sickness occurs. And that’s just one facet of our medicine, because each relationship can have levels, and no person or environment is the same. But for today’s purposes, this means a TCM practitioner wouldn’t say, “the disease is allergies, and the cause is mold.” Mold isn’t even one of our “pathogens,” technically. TCM’s list of external pathogens totals only 7: Wind, Cold, Summer-Heat, Dampness, Dryness and Fire. See? No Mold. Eventually I will talk more about all of these, but for now let us focus on Dampness.

Qualities of Dampness are heaviness, slowness, stickiness, moves inward and downward, and according to our schoolbooks “causes repeated attacks.” Notably, a Damp disease “weighs the body down and causes a feeling of tiredness, heaviness of the limbs or head, or a ‘muzzy’ feeling of the head” (1). Sound familiar? These are very similar to symptoms of a mold allergy, and mold itself is often found in damp, dark places, or in environments that are humid. But Dampness can be generated internally. It comes from a weakness in the digestive system we call the Spleen. The Spleen in TCM is in charge of transforming and transporting fluids, and when it is too weak or overwhelmed by poor diet, lifestyle or the environment, it generates Dampness. In my experience, though not always, people who struggle with internal Dampness are sensitive to external Dampness as well.

Does a person have to come in contact with mold to have the symptoms of Dampness? No. Weak digestion, poor diet, and overwork and lack of rest are great causes as I mentioned above, and are incredibly popular in the US. And not everyone who comes in contact with mold responds the same way, because in truth, mold isn’t just Dampness. Mold can also share attributes with Wind, Heat, and Cold (more on that later).

Because external pathogens are often able to affect the body due to internal weakness, changing diet and lifestyle are major steps to recovery and prevention. Dietary recommendations from your TCM practitioner will vary depending on the details of your specific case, but if a Standard American Diet is on the menu, I can mention a few great ideas.

When we eat food, the body spends a lot of energy digesting and moving stuff around so that we can get the most out of it, but if we eat things that trigger reactions too early, or take too much effort to tackle, we can damage the TCM Spleen. I mentioned it last week, but the best one to start out with is reducing your sugar. Sugar isn’t a bad thing in TCM, but it was never meant to be a major food source. Because we put so much refined sugar in our food and drinks in the West, it is so easy to just cut back on those products. Have fewer sodas, or energy drinks, one less candy bar, or subtract a few pumps of the syrup in your morning coffee. Start simply.
- If you’ve already reduced your sugars, then ask yourself if your timing or current intake is in balance. Fruit is a great natural source of sugar, but if you have ever done an elimination diet (like I did), you would be surprised how much sugar fruit can contain with little else. My recommendation is to pair quick-burning sugars with slow-burning protein to balance the timing in your system. This is especially effective for someone struggling with blood sugar problems like hypoglycemia or diabetes. Shifting when you eat fruit is another great idea, because a small amount after meals can help promote the digestive process.
Also, try warmer foods. I don’t mean spicy foods, I mean the actual temperature. The Spleen can easily be burdened by colder foods, which weigh the digestion down promote Dampness. This concept makes sense when you consider things like ice cream - if you eat too much ice cream you feel bloated, sleepy, and your body starts shifting to warm up the cold inside you rather than digest the food you ate (not to mention all the sugar). We are warm animals, and when we move nutrients through our body, it is easier to break down and separate all the ingredients if they’re closer to our natural temperature.
Foods which strengthen the Spleen and help eliminate Dampness are Daikon (which also clears Heat and is perfect in the Summer), Celery, Asparagus, Job’s Tears (also great for high blood sugar), Lemon, Onion, Mustard Greens, as well as Green or Jasmine (Green) Tea
- Just like overall temperature matters, slightly cooking your veggies can make a huge difference for how we digest them. Not only does it warm them up, but it starts the breakdown process before it even hits your mouth - less work for your body to digest!
Spices which help clear Dampness are Basil, Caraway, Cardamom, Clove, Coriander, Garlic, Horseradish, Marjoram, Oregano, and Parsley.
- These are just suggestions, and there are so many more options as well, including animal products like Mackerel and Quail (2).
- Remember that less is more. Just because a lot of spices help does not mean you should put all of them in, or even a lot of them. TCM also believes that the Spleen can be damaged by overconsumption of rich or spicy foods.

References:

Maciocia, G. (2005). The foundations of Chinese medicine (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

Leggett, D. (2005). Helping ourselves: A guide to traditional Chinese food energetics. Totnes, Devon: Meridian.