What is body fluid

In fact, body fluid is a general term for the normal water in our human body, such as gastric juice, saliva, joint fluid, etc., and semen has a strong physiological function in the human body. In fact, it can help nourish and produce blood. At the same time, it can also help us regulate yin and yang normally, so that the yin and yang of the human body are in a balanced state, so it is of great significance to our physical health.

(1) Nourishing

Body fluids are mainly composed of water, have a strong moisturizing effect, are rich in various nutrients, and have nutritional functions. Compared with liquid, the quality of liquid is the lightest and clearest, while liquid is clear and crystal clear, thick and condensed. Among the four elements of the human body, essence, blood, body fluid and liquid, blood is the most abundant, essence is the heaviest, and body fluid is the most useful. From the internal organs, tendons and bones to the skin and hair, everything depends on body fluids for nourishment. "Body fluid is transformed from food and water. The turbid part becomes blood and the clear part becomes body fluid. It moistens the internal organs, muscles, and veins, allowing qi and blood to circulate smoothly without stagnation. It is indispensable in qi and blood. Without it, qi and blood will become dry and sticky and unable to flow... Fluid is thick and does not run away with qi. It is also transformed from food and water and stored between bones, joints, and tendons to facilitate flexion and extension. The fluid that comes out of the orifices is called tears and saliva, which are all of the same kind" ("Reading Medical Essays. On Qi, Blood, and Spirit"). The body fluids distributed on the body surface can nourish the skin, warm the muscles, make the muscles plump and the hair shiny; the body fluids in the body can nourish the internal organs and maintain their normal functions; the body fluids injected into the orifices can moisturize the nine orifices such as the mouth, eyes and nose; the body fluids that flow into the joints can warm the joints; the body fluids that penetrate into the bone marrow can nourish the bone marrow and brain marrow.

(II) Metaplastic blood

Body fluid seeps into the blood vessels through the sun vessels and becomes one of the basic components of blood. Body fluids fill the blood, nourish and lubricate the blood vessels, and the blood circulates continuously. Therefore, it is said: "The air coming out of the middle burner is like dew, flowing into the valleys and streams, and seeping into the sun vessels, the body fluids are harmonized, and change and become red blood" ("Lingshu·Carbuncle"), "When water enters the meridians, blood is formed" ("Discussion on the Spleen and Stomach·Discussion on the Dos and Don'ts of Using Medicines").

(III) Regulating Yin and Yang

Under normal circumstances, the yin and yang in the human body are in a relative balance. As a part of Yin essence, body fluid plays an important role in regulating the balance of Yin and Yang in the human body. The normality of the yin of the internal organs is inseparable from the abundance or deficiency of body fluids. The human body maintains a normal state through self-regulation of body fluids based on changes in the body's physiological conditions and the external environment, thereby adapting to changes in the external environment. For example, when it is cold, the sweat pores of the skin close, and the body fluid cannot be discharged from the body through sweat, but instead flows into the bladder, increasing urination. In the summer, when you sweat more, the body fluid decreases and flows downward, reducing urination. When the body loses water, drink more water to increase the body's fluid. "Food and water enter the mouth and are transported to the intestines and stomach. The fluids are divided into five types. When it is cold and you wear thin clothes, they become urine and gas. When it is hot and you wear thick clothes, they become sweat" (Lingshu. Differentiation of the Five Types of Urticaria and Body Fluids). This regulates the body's yin and yang balance, thereby maintaining normal life activities.