Essential Oils for Spleen Qi

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Supporting the spleen can help alleviate fatigue, including physical, mental, and emotional fatigue.

I genuinely believe that our bodies need energy reserves both to maintain peak daily function and to fuel any healing efforts. The key energy-generating organs include your adrenal glands, your thyroid, and your spleen.

READ MORE HERE: Essential Oils for Boosting Energy

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) associates the spleen with digestion, nutrient absorption, blood filtration, immune function, and the generation of Spleen energy, which is associated with the flow of life energy in your body, called Qi (pronounced Chi).

Spleen Qi deficiency can manifest as symptoms like fatigue, poor appetite, loose stools, and overthinking or worry.

An imbalance of Chi energy in your spleen can contribute to symptoms like fatigue, poor appetite, nighttime worry, and stress that interferes with restful sleep. In other words, imbalances in spleen energy can throw off both physical, mental, and emotional energy and impact our sleep.

This is because the spleen harmonizes every organ in the body, supporting not only immune function and detoxification, but also digestion, metabolism, circulation, and our emotional health.

What Does Your Spleen Do?

Your spleen, which sits in the upper left part of your abdomen behind your ribs, is responsible for digesting food and carrying that energy into your cells, providing warmth and vitality to the body, providing physical energy for immune function, and mental energy for work and creativity.

The spleen also regulates and filters your blood, impacting the number of red blood cells that carry energy and supplying oxygen throughout the body. The spleen is also part of our lymphatic system and a key player in our immune response, detecting pathogens in the blood and producing white blood cells to fight infections. As blood filters through the spleen, it’s cleaned, and threatening microbes are engulfed and filtered out. Without the spleen working correctly, you can’t maintain the red and white blood cells you need for ongoing energy, which is why low spleen energy can be linked to fatigue.

TCM considers the spleen to be responsible for digesting food and carrying that energy into your cells, along with providing warmth and vitality to the body, providing physical energy for immune function, and mental energy for work and creativity.

Prolonged stress, cold weather, too much cold food, and mental overwork can exhaust or weaken the spleen’s energy or Chi.

Signs of Weak Spleen Energy

Signs of weak spleen energy can include:

Fatigue or weakness
Poor appetite
Trouble waking up in the morning
Brain fog throughout the day
Nausea
Loose stools or undigested food in stool
Dull stomach pain or spleen tenderness, usually on the upper left side of the abdomen, or pain that has spread from the abdomen to the left shoulder
Low energy levels, possibly even chronic fatigue
Bleeding or bruising easily
Easy sweating without exertion
Bloating or Gas
Swelling or Inflammation
Excessive phlegm
Craving sweets
Difficulty waking in the morning
Weak muscles or aches and pains in muscles
Varicose veins
Obsessive worry or “obsessing”
Lack of empathy

What Contributes to Spleen Imbalances?

Overworked Immune System—If the immune system is fighting hard to remove threats from the body, an undue burden can fall on the spleen, making it challenging to keep up with the high demand.

High Toxic Burden—Several organs in the detoxification system work together to help remove toxins. The spleen works as part of the body’s natural “drainage network,” producing protective white blood cells and carrying waste and bacteria away from the body. If key detoxification organs, like the liver or gall bladder, are overburdened, the burden can fall on the spleen, causing it to become overworked.

Poor lifestyle habits—Prolonged use of drugs, like antibiotics, a poor diet, a diet low in protein or high in cold raw food, can damage spleen energy, as can cold, damp climates.

Stress—Overthinking and chronic worrying can deplete spleen energy. Our spleen helps us process both our food and our thoughts. The act of having to process many thoughts simultaneously can wipe out our energy reserves.

Insufficient Rest—Lack of sleep or overwork can deplete Qi and weaken the Spleen.

Lack of Exercise—Physical inactivity can lead to stagnation of Qi and fluids, affecting Spleen function.

Cold Weather—The Spleen prefers warmth to function optimally. Cold foods and drinks, especially in cold weather, can weaken the Spleen’s “digestive fire”, making it work harder to digest food and convert nutrients into energy. Cold can contribute to the accumulation of dampness in the body, particularly impacting the Spleen’s ability to process and transport fluids.

Your spleen helps to pull energy from your food, transport, and transform the nutrients into your blood, which then nourishes and strengthens the energy (or Qi) delivered to your body and your brain through your blood.

Essential oils can help tonify and strengthen the Spleen, supporting energy and vitality.

Spleen Qi is the vital life force that flows through the body’s meridians and sustains life. Essential oils are thought to interact with and support Qi by influencing the Flow of Qi along Meridians. Similar to acupuncture, essential oils can be applied to specific acupuncture points to stimulate meridians and promote the harmonious flow of Qi.

Spleen Qi™ helps support the Vitality and Energy of the Spleen to promote healthy blood cells, bringing vibrancy to your energy and increasing the flow of Qi energy in your body and brain.

The following essential oils in Spleen Qi may help to balance the Qi associated with the spleen:

Mandarin (Citrus reticulata)

Citrus oils, like Mandarin, have been shown to support the spleen’s function. The sweet smell of Mandarin is considered to have nourishing and tonifying properties for the spleen.

Mandarin peel—from which essential oils are derived—has traditionally been believed to “regulate qi,” “dry dampness,” and “strengthen the Spleen. The process of distilling these concentrated plant essences into essential oils makes them more bioavailable and accessible to the body and the spleen.

Citrus fruits like Mandarin contain plant compounds known as flavonoids, which have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain and reduce inflammation. Mandarin essential oil contains limonene, which may support the spleen’s health by strengthening it, and also helps clear phlegm and dampness from the spleen. It also helps reduce inflammation, relieve anxiety, nervous tension, and restlessness, and switch off an overactive mind and promote relaxation. Research on the Effects of citrus fragrance on immune function and depressive states found that “citrus fragrance was more effective than antidepressants.

READ MORE HERE: Essential Oils for Brain Inflammation

Fennel Seed (Foeniculum vulgare miller)

Fennel is traditionally used as a tonic, believed to tone and strengthen the spleen. Fennel seed has a sweet-warm energetic nature that is drying, making it helpful for symptoms of internal dampness – like chronic sinusitis, stomach upset with sticky bowel movements, and chronic phlegm – associated with the sluggish Spleen energetic system in Chinese medicine.

It is considered a depurative (blood cleanser) that aids in removing toxins, which indirectly supports the spleen’s role in filtering blood and producing immune cells.

As a Spleen Qi supporting essential oil, fennel seed helps tonify the Spleen and stimulate the flow of physical Qi. Research demonstrates that the medicinal component trans-anethole found in Fennel calms inflammation by regulating cytokine expression in the spleen tissue.

Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)

Helps to warm the body and stimulates circulation, increasing blood flow to your spleen and digestive system, which helps to boost nutrient absorption.

Black pepper and its active compound, piperine, work as a “bioenhancer” by enhancing circulation, stimulating digestive enzymes, and enhancing digestive capacity, increasing absorption in the intestines, and reducing gastrointestinal food transit times. This means that your cells are better able to utilize nutrients and healing remedies when piperine is added, so much so that it is often added to supplement formulations to enhance the effectiveness of the supplement. Dr. Datis Kharrazian, a Harvard-trained clinical researcher, found that adding black pepper to his supplement formulations increased the absorption by 200 to 400 percent.

Black Pepper also contains high levels of the sesquiterpene constituent Beta-caryophyllene, which helps support healthy blood sugar levels. It also contains significant amounts of limonene, a terpene thought to stimulate circulation, increase energy, and warm and enhance the function of the spleen. Black pepper is also known to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasitic properties. (Study)

Celery Seed (Apium graveolens)

Strengthens spleen function by improving the strength of the blood. Celery seed oil contains natural diuretic constituents and anti-inflammatory properties that may help regulate fluid metabolism and promote smooth energy flow to support healthy spleen function. Some studies suggest that celery seed extract can inhibit splenocyte proliferation and cytokine production.

Research demonstrates the protective effects of celery seed oil on the liver, which indirectly supports spleen health as the liver and spleen are closely linked. Celery seed contains compounds like apigenin, which have anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can impact spleen function, and celery seed’s anti-inflammatory effects might be beneficial. Celery seed essential oil also promotes healthy nutrient digestion and assimilation by supporting healthy secretion of digestive juices and enzymes.

Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum)

Helichrysum promotes circulation and frees blocked energy, particularly from old injuries or stagnation in the spleen.

Helichrysum is thought to help detoxify the spleen and liver, relieve congestion in these organs, and encourage a healthier spleen function. The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology found that the anti-inflammatory power of helichrysum works by reducing inflammatory enzymes and reducing swelling.

Helichrysum may boost circulation, potentially benefiting the spleen’s role in blood filtration and red blood cell production.

Renowned for its pain-relieving properties and ability to accelerate healing, Helichrysum™ may be beneficial in spleen support. Known for its antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and mild sedative properties, Helichrysum™ has been used historically to help repair tissue and reduce swelling and inflammation both inside and outside the body.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Oregano essential oil is a powerful antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory that can relieve swelling and pain associated with the spleen.

Oregano can potentially impact the spleen’s health, particularly in the context of immune system response and infection. The spleen plays a crucial role in the immune response, and oregano extract has shown promise in mitigating the adverse effects of E. coli infection on the spleen in animal models. The changes observed in the spleen tissue, such as a reduction in depletion and an improvement in the white pulp, indicate that oregano extract may help the spleen’s immune cells function more effectively in combating the infection.

Oregano is the most antiseptic of all essential oils. Called “Nature’s Antibody” for its remedial properties, it helps boost all the systems of the body. Oregano, particularly its rosmarinic acid content, possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which could be beneficial in reducing inflammation and cellular damage within the spleen during an infection.

Research shows that phenolic compounds—found in spices such as cinnamon, ginger, clove, thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and basil—modulate inflammatory pathways, noting that “Spices are known to possess a variety of antioxidant effects and other biological activities. Phenolic compounds in these plant materials are closely associated with their antioxidant activity, mainly due to their redox properties and capacity to block the production of reactive oxygen species… Many spice-derived compounds are potent antioxidants that may help protect the human body against oxidative stress and inflammatory processes.”

Hot essential oils, like Oregano, Thyme, Clove, and Cinnamon, can stimulate infection-fighting white blood cells and stimulate antibodies against germs. In fact, research found that essential oils high in eugenol, like Cinnamon and Clove, gave the most protection against viruses.

Heat, including heat from hot essential oils, makes antiviral and antibacterial immune responses more efficient. Much of your body’s immune response is designed to respond to a heightened body temperature, including antiviral and antibacterial immune responses. A fever-range temperature also allows your body to better remember germs it’s exposed to, making it stronger at fighting them off in the future.

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)

Myrrh is a natural gum or resin known to support, stabilize, and ground. It also supports smooth circulation to move blood and energy, which is beneficial to the spleen. Myrcene, a chemical constituent of Myrrh, has been shown to have sedative effects. Research correlated myrcene with muscle relaxation and increased sleeping time, finding that “myrcene increased sleeping time by around 2.6 times.”

Myrrh also supports detoxification. Research found Myrrh to be “a potent antioxidant, enhancing the antioxidant and immune defense mechanisms.” In other words, Myrrh exhibits an antioxidant effect strong enough to protect the liver—the “detox” organ bombarded with toxins every day—from oxidative damage. Finally, studies in mice have shown that myrrh can enhance the immune response, increasing the total white blood cell count and improving the density of lymphatic glands in the spleen.

Vitex Berry (Vitex agnus-castus)

Vitex Berry helps regulate the liver and intestines to function correctly. Ancient Greek and Roman physicians, including Hippocrates and Dioscorides, mentioned the use of Vitex to treat inflammation and enlargement of the spleen.

Vitex Berry may help regulate female hormones and stabilize energy through endocrine harmony, indirectly supporting Spleen and Liver harmony.

How to Apply Spleen Qi™

Apply 2-3 drops of Spleen Qi™ over the spleen (left side of the body, under the breast) or over the Spleen 6-point (inside of the leg just above the highest peak of your ankle), four finger widths up from, apply deep pressure slightly behind the tibia bone.

You can also topically apply Spleen Qi™ over a powerful spleen acupuncture point—Spleen 6, located inside the leg just above the highest peak of your ankle (four finger widths up from, apply deep pressure slightly behind the tibia bone). You can read more here .

You can also apply specific blends over the organ systems they are designed to balance. To alleviate anxiety or fatigue, which is often a reflection of underlying adrenal imbalances, you might apply indicated essential oils on the lower back over the adrenal glands. Applying essential oils to pulse points, like the wrists, the temples, and the back of the neck, where the blood vessels are the closest to the skin, allows for quicker absorption and helps them get to work faster.

Essential Oils for Spleen Qi

What Does Your Spleen Do?

Signs of Weak Spleen Energy

What Contributes to Spleen Imbalances?