In this article, we explore the concept of dampness from the perspective of Chinese medicine. The dietary recommendations are intended in particular for patients with a corresponding TCM diagnosis.
Please keep in mind that Chinese medicine uses a metaphorical and symbolic language and way of thinking. For example, the TCM term ‘dampness’ in the body does not translate into oedema or swelling being present. You can read more on language and conceptual differences here → Western Medicine and Chinese Medicine | A Contrast.
From a TCM perspective, eating habits in our culture include a lot of foods that cause dampness in the body. Patterns involving dampness frequently arise in connection with long-term improper dietary habits. Therefore, the advice in this article may be applicable as general dietary recommendations for a lot of people.
What Is Dampness from a TCM Perspective?
Chinese medicine has developed a particular concept of fluid metabolism within the body. Fluids are taken in through food and drink and are then ‘transformed and transported’ throughout the body. The consistency of bodily fluids plays an important role: depending on their function, they may need to be thinner or thicker in nature. Fluids are needed everywhere – in the blood, tissues, and joints.
Some foods provide the body with fluids that are difficult to process. When consumed in large amounts over long periods of time, an excess of dampness may develop that the body can no longer adequately transform and transport. An excess of dampness in the body interferes with physiological processes. As a result, additional patterns of disharmony can develop.
How Can Diet Help?
Alongside treating the underlying TCM patterns, dietary adjustments can be very helpful – especially when the ‘wrong’ eating habits play a contributing factor.
The following foods are considered dampness-promoting:
- Sugar and sweets — especially refined sugar, sweeteners, and artificial flavorings
- White flour and highly processed foods — e.g. white bread, pastries, white pasta
- Milk and dairy products such as soured cream, cheese, etc.
- Dairy alternatives (e.g. soy milk, oat milk)
- Very greasy and deep-fried foods
- Bananas
- Raw foods and cold meals (e.g. salads, cold drinks)
The following foods help eliminate dampness:
- Whole grains such as rye, barley, and millet
- Culinary herbs with aromatic and bitter qualities (e.g. ginger, rosemary, sage, green tea)
- Radishes
- Celery, asparagus, fennel
- Mushrooms and seaweed
- Cooked vegetables in general
Foods that promote dampness do not need to be excluded completely from the diet. They become problematic when they make up a large proportion of meals and are consumed in large amounts. In moderation, and combined with other foods, they can contribute to a varied diet.
Dampness frequently occurs in combination with other TCM patterns. It may therefore be advisable to expand these recommendations depending on the individual pattern involved.
The advice in this article is intended for patients with the corresponding TCM patterns. If we have discussed different dietary recommendations during treatment, those recommendations take priority over the information provided here.
Patterns in Chinese medicine represent snapshots of a dynamic system. A previous TCM diagnosis therefore does not necessarily mean that the same pattern is still present currently.
If you have any questions or are unsure how these recommendations apply to you, you can contact me directly via the contact page.
