Pathogenic Mechanisms of Spleen Deficiency-Phlegm Dampness in Obesity and Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment Strategies：from the Perspective of Immune Inflammation

Yumei LI; Peng XU; Xiaowan WANG; Shudong CHEN; Le YANG; Lihua HUANG; Chuang LI; Qinchi HE; Xiangxi ZENG; Juanjuan WANG; Wei MAO; Ruimin TIAN

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Pathogenic Mechanisms of Spleen Deficiency-Phlegm Dampness in Obesity and Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevention and Treatment Strategies：from the Perspective of Immune Inflammation

VernacularTitle:免疫炎症视角下脾虚-痰湿在肥胖中的致病机制及中医药防治策略
Author: Yumei LI ¹ ; Peng XU ¹ ; Xiaowan WANG ¹ ; Shudong CHEN ¹ ; Le YANG ¹ ; Lihua HUANG ¹ ; Chuang LI ¹ ; Qinchi HE ¹ ; Xiangxi ZENG ¹ ; Juanjuan WANG ¹ ; Wei MAO ¹ ; Ruimin TIAN ¹
Author Information

1. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine/The Second Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine，Guangzhou，510120
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: obesity; spleen deficiency; phlegm dampness; immunity; inflammation
From: Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):31-37
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Based on spleen deficiency-phlegm dampness as the core pathogenesis of obesity， and integrating recent advances in modern medicine regarding the key role of immune inflammation in obesity， this paper proposes a multidimensional pathogenic network of "obesity-spleen deficiency-phlegm dampness-immune imbalance". Various traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） herbs that strengthen the spleen， regulate qi， and resolve phlegm and dampness can treat obesity by improving spleen-stomach transport and transformation， promoting water-damp metabolism， and regulating immune homeostasis. This highlights immune inflammation as an important entry point to elucidate the TCM concepts of "spleen deficiency-phlegm dampness" and the therapeutic principle of "strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness to treat obesity". By systematically analyzing the intrinsic connection between "spleen deficiency generating dampness， internal accumulation of phlegm dampness" and immune dysregulation in obesity， this paper aims to provide theoretical support for TCM treatment of obesity based on dampness.