How Important Are The Kidneys?

Western human science believes that the main function of the kidneys is to filter, regulate blood pH, discharge metabolic waste, and maintain an appropriate amount of water. While acknowledging this function, Chinese medicine also believes that the kidney system in a broad sense has a deeper meaning, that is, the essence of life. Brandon LaGreca, an acupuncturist, and herbalist in East Troy, Wisconsin, told The Epoch Times that the concept is similar to Western medicine's understanding of the adrenal gland: the gland above the kidneys It is very small, but it secretes more than fifty hormones related to growth and development, reproduction, inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar, and almost every other aspect of bodily functioning.

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The adrenal glands are classified as the endocrine system in Western medicine because they secrete hormones. Traditional Chinese medicine attributes these endocrine diseases to the kidneys. "We would diagnose the symptoms of weakness as kidney deficiency, which is highly similar to what Western medicine calls adrenal fatigue," LaGreca said.

"Two bank accounts"

Early Chinese medicine literature summarizes the essence of our life as "essence". Chinese medicine believes that learning to preserve this precious substance can prolong life. "Essence" is divided into two types: innate essence and acquired essence, which can be regarded as two bank accounts. Acquired essence - the energy obtained from eating and breathing can be regarded as a "checking account", which can be accessed from time to time to meet the needs of life.

The innate essence is the "savings account" (savings account), which is basically owned by the parents. It's a deep reserve of energy that you only tap into when you really need it. When your checking account is too low, it's easy to save money, and there's no benefit to withdrawing from a savings account. "If you're living a good life and sleeping well, you're just withdrawing money from your checking account," LaGreca said, "but if you're burning candles and eating badly, you're going to have to withdraw money from your savings account. , and more and more. It goes on like this, and when your savings account balance drops to zero, your life is over.” Innately strong individuals come into the world with abundant energy, but not everyone can inherit a large inheritance at the beginning of life. All people can learn to preserve their energy, regardless of their innate conditions.

Store energy for winter

In Chinese medicine, winter is the season related to the kidneys, which tells us the importance of storing the essence. Unlike the warm and fertile seasons of spring and summer, winter is not only cold, but resources are scarce. If we are full of energy, it is easy to exert our strength in difficult times. If there is a lack of energy, stress will start draining our savings, making it difficult to recover, and showing signs of aging. The typical signs of aging—fatigue, hair loss, back pain, osteoporosis, memory loss, etc., are also the performance of gas depletion.

What is the rapid loss of energy? Just look at the before and after photos of people taking meth. Crystal methamphetamine stimulates the adrenal glands to release the "stress hormone" (cortisol) in large quantities over a long period of time. In just a few months, you'll see teens and otherwise feisty people being "pulled out" because meth drains them of energy. This is an extreme example, but there are some common behaviors that drain the body's precious energy over time. "In the long run, the most serious thing is overwork," LaGreca said. "Traditional Chinese medicine believes that over-thinking can damage the spleen, but now I see that it also damages the kidneys, mostly because of over-exertion of the brain." Sleep is another important aspect of conserving energy. Sleep recharges us, and it also reminds us of animals hibernating and how trees store energy in their roots after the leaves have fallen.

Practice in life

Reproductive function is a key part of the TCM concept of the kidney. Fertility is a sign of essence, and ancient medical books and even literary works warn people not to waste essence and blood excessively, especially men. While many cultures in the world are admonishing from a moral point of view, Chinese medicine offers very practical reasons. "If you think about it, it takes a lot of physical effort to produce sperm," LaGreca said. "In order to produce the strongest offspring, you need to produce the highest quality sperm that increases your chances of conceiving. If you ejaculate too many times, the kidneys can't keep up. up, it will deplete your reserves."

Chinese medicine believes that reducing ejaculation as much as possible allows men to preserve their essence. Zhang Jingyue, a physician in the Ming Dynasty, thought: "Injury has a cause, and only people do it by themselves." He also said: "Desires cannot be indulged, and the essence will be exhausted. , it's more than that." "Lust can be avoided, I can't be lost." Passing the lineage requires energy, and so does the mother during pregnancy. Western medicine admits that women need extra rest and nutrition during pregnancy, while traditional Chinese medicine advocates that women rest for several months after giving birth and supplement nutrition to restore their vitality.

Nourishes the bones and nourishes the kidneys

We eat for energy, but according to Mary Rogel, an American acupuncturist and editor of the Oriental Medical Journal, getting good nutrition is also vital to our energy. "Nutritious food, clean water, and fresh air are all essential for treating kidney qi deficiency," Roger said. In Chinese medicine, the details of a person's appearance can reflect the health of the body. Whether the kidneys are deficient can be seen from whether the bones, teeth, and hair are in good condition.

When it comes to nourishing the kidneys, Roger believes that the bones need to be nourished. She recommends bone broth. "Bone broth helps build the 'foundation' of synovial fluid in bones, cartilage, and joints." She also believes that dark leafy greens provide the body with important vitamins and minerals for bone health. "In my opinion, those two things are better for kidney health than any nutritional supplement." Chinese medicine believes that salt is also important for kidney nutrition. Because sodium raises blood pressure, people today know to eat less salt, but Roger said the body also needs a lot of the minerals that salt provides. She recommends eating natural sea salt rich in minerals, or kelp with sea salt.

Herbs for kidney and adrenal health include ginseng, licorice, and Rehmannia, which are known today in the Western healthcare community as tonics because of their ability to help the body adapt to stress. Roger's favorite is medicinal mushrooms, including reishi mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, maitake, and Agaricus blazer (also known as Brazil mushrooms) native to the Americas. "I suggest that people with low energy eat some fungi, which can replenish kidney essence very well." Eating mushroom omelets for breakfast is a good start, but if you want to replenish your energy, you may also need to take some concentrates, such as reishi tea, reishi powder, etc.

The right exercise

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that qigong is a good way to preserve the essence and qi, cure diseases, and prolong life. According to ancient medical texts, qigong practice can bring us into harmony with the natural workings of the universe. "There's been some great research showing that doing tai chi can improve balance and even increase bone density," LaGreca said. "Maybe tai chi can make people more comfortable and stronger. Maybe it can also improve energy in the universe. Gather on people." Roger also recommends that people with kidney deficiency learn Qigong, but also points out that any form of exercise can help. "To keep your bones strong, you have to exercise."

Fear is the enemy

Chinese medicine believes that emotions are one of the main causes of illness, and the kidneys are the most sensitive to fear. When the essence is insufficient, people are prone to anxiety; on the contrary, when the kidney essence is strong and the kidney qi is full, the willpower and decision-making power of the person will also be strong. In modern medical terminology, we can also find this idea: the adrenal glands release adrenaline in large quantities when we perceive danger, giving us an "attack or flight response" It's great to trigger this mechanism in moments of life and death, but if we continue to live in fear and worry, the adrenaline levels will remain high: always at a tipping point, and we'll be drained very quickly.

Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang

In addition to storing essence, the kidney is also the root of the yin and yang of the body. "Yin and Yang are the way of heaven and earth, the rule of all things, the parent of change, the origin of life and death, and the house of gods." To understand the role of yin and yang, Roger said, think of the kidneys as a steaming oven: Yin is water and yang is fire, two forces that drive growth, development, and reproduction. "Fire propels us to live active lives and digest nutrients. Water balances fire. A balance of both keeps us healthy," she said.

Symptoms of insufficient firepower (deficiency of kidney qi and kidney yang) include weakness in the lower back, cold hands and feet, asthma, and chronic bronchitis. LaGreca said: "Imagine an old man with a hunchback and a cane. He may have consumed a lot of firepower due to overwork in his life, making him lack yang support." On the other hand, if kidney water is deficient (kidney yin deficiency), symptoms include dehydration, wrinkles, hair loss, sperm exhaustion, and osteoporosis. "We see that older women are prone to yin deficiency, which is manifested in a series of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and irritability."

Ancient Wisdom in Contemporary Life

The world seems to be full of never-ending challenges, and as we enter the new year, we might as well look back at the ancient wisdom that has guided mankind for thousands of years. When we are full of energy and yin and yang are in harmony, we will be better able to deal with the unexpected in life. This is also the health secret of the "immortals" in ancient Chinese mythology. People who understand kidney health will tell you that this ancient wisdom is true.

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