What are the traditional Chinese medicine decoctions for spleen deficiency?

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that children's anorexia and indigestion are often related to spleen deficiency. Spleen deficiency is mostly caused by improper diet or insufficient resistance, which leads to physical weakness and thus affects the spleen and stomach. So what Chinese medicine should be taken to relieve spleen deficiency?

1. Dislike eating tangerine peel

For children with anorexia caused by weak spleen and stomach, Sijunzi Decoction + dried tangerine peel can be used to form Yigongsan for conditioning.

The specific prescription is: 8 grams of Codonopsis pilosula, 8 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 8 grams of Poria cocos, 8 grams of Licorice, and 3 grams of Tangerine peel. Tangerine peel belongs to the spleen meridian, and has the effects of regulating Qi, strengthening the spleen, regulating the middle, drying dampness, and resolving phlegm.

2. If you don’t like rice, use malt

When a child is picky about food or has anorexia, especially when he or she doesn't like rice or pasta, use Sijunzi Decoction + malt to treat the condition.

The specific prescription is: 8 grams of Codonopsis pilosula, 8 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 8 grams of Poria cocos, 8 grams of Licorice, 8 grams of malt, and 8 grams of barley sprout for conditioning. If the child has thick white tongue coating, add 5 grams of Amomum villosum (added later) on the basis of the above. Amomum villosum can invigorate the spleen and promote qi circulation. Barley malt and barley sprouts both belong to the spleen and stomach meridians, and have the function of helping food and strengthening the stomach. However, the former focuses on digesting food and soothing the liver, while the latter is better at invigorating the spleen and nourishing the stomach. If you add a little malt or barley sprout to the spleen-tonifying prescription, it can wake up the spleen and strengthen the stomach, and it has the effect of tonifying without stagnation, and eliminating without harm.

3. If you don’t like meat, use hawthorn

If the child does not like to eat meat, use Sijunzi Decoction + Hawthorn.

The specific prescription is: 8 grams of Codonopsis pilosula, 8 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 8 grams of Poria cocos, 8 grams of Licorice, and 8 grams of Hawthorn. Hawthorn slices contain a variety of vitamins, acids, etc., which can promote the digestion of fatty foods. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that hawthorn has the effects of eliminating accumulation and stagnation, astringing and stopping diarrhea, and promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.

4. Use Zhishi for food stagnation

If a child has a poor appetite and hard stools, it means food stagnation. A strong appetite or a weak digestive system can cause food stagnation. Use Sijunzi Decoction + Zhishi or Chicken Gizzard Stone.

The specific prescription is: 8 grams of Codonopsis pilosula, 8 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 8 grams of Poria cocos, 8 grams of Licorice, and 8 grams of Citrus aurantium (or 5-8 grams of Chicken Gizzard Stone), which can effectively improve the symptoms. Zhishi enters the spleen and stomach meridians, and has the effects of breaking up qi, eliminating accumulation, resolving phlegm and dispersing abdominal distension. Chicken gizzard lining enters the spleen, stomach, and small intestine meridians, and has the effect of helping digestion and strengthening the stomach.