Strengthening the Body and Boosting Immunity, April 21, 1978

Strengthening the Body and Boosting Immunity, April 21, 1978

The term “immunity” literally means the ability to avoid getting sick. The body itself possesses this function, known as immune function. This function arises when antigens enter the body, triggering the production of antibodies. By producing antibodies, the body mounts an immune response, which helps maintain relative stability within the body, enhances disease resistance, and enables the body to perform immune surveillance, preventing the proliferation and metastasis of mutated cells. This is a normal immune response.

More than 2,000 years ago, traditional Chinese medicine already recorded concepts similar to immunity. The “Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine” states, “When true qi is maintained and spirit is kept within, disease will never arise,” and “When righteous qi resides within, evil cannot invade.” Here, “true qi” and “righteous qi” can eliminate pathogenic factors, protecting the body from illness, indicating that the “true qi” and “righteous qi” in traditional Chinese medicine are equivalent to the body’s immune system. This system can protect against both infectious diseases (external factors) and non-infectious diseases (internal factors). The immune function that protects against infectious diseases (external factors) corresponds to Wei Qi, while the immune function that protects against non-infectious diseases (internal factors) corresponds to Yuan Qi. Both fall under the umbrella of Zheng Qi (true qi). Traditional Chinese medicine holds the following view on the concept of qi:

Innate qi → Kidney qi (Yuan Qi) — originates from the two kidneys and resides in the Dantian.

Zheng Qi (true qi)

→ Qi derived from food and drink (“True qi is obtained from heaven and combined with food qi to fill the body.” From “Spiritual Pivot: The True Nature of Pathogens and Evil”).

→ Ying Qi (clear qi within the meridians)

→ Wei Qi (turbid qi outside the meridians)

→ Qi from breathing → accumulates in the chest.

Acquired qi

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《Ling Shu · Ben Zang》states: "Wei Qi is what warms the flesh, fills the skin, nourishes the pores and skin, and controls opening and closing." It further says: "When Wei Qi is balanced, the flesh loosens and flows freely, the skin becomes smooth and supple, and the pores and skin are tightly sealed." This demonstrates that Wei Qi serves as a barrier for the skin and mucous membranes. Once this barrier function weakens, external pathogenic factors invade, and Wei Qi rises up to fight against them; when it clashes with these pathogens, disease arises. As stated in "Su Wen · Malaria Discussion": "Wherever Wei Qi resides, if it combines with pathogenic factors, illness will occur." If external pathogenic factors penetrate the spaces between the skin and flesh, Wei Qi can immediately surround them, leading to local abscesses or sores, just as "Su Wen · Wind Discussion" explains: "Wind pathogen enters along with the Sun Meridian into the meridians and acupoints, disperses into the spaces between the flesh, interacts with Wei Qi, obstructs its flow, causing the muscles to become inflamed and develop sores." "Su Wen · Abscess and Boil" also points out: "When cold pathogen invades the channels and collaterals, blood stagnates... When blood stagnates and cannot circulate, Wei Qi cannot pass through, becoming blocked and unable to flow, thus generating heat. If the heat persists, the flesh decays, and decay leads to pus."

The above passages illustrate that Wei Qi has the function of resisting external pathogenic factors. Combining this with modern medical understanding, we can consider that Wei Qi in Traditional Chinese Medicine plays a role entirely similar to white blood cells, phagocytes, lymph nodes, and other components in modern medicine. In addition to its defensive function, Wei Qi also provides warming and protective effects for the body's internal tissues and organs. "Su Wen · Arthralgia Discussion" states: "Wei Qi is the vigorous qi derived from food and water; its nature is swift, slippery, and unyielding, unable to enter the vessels, so it circulates within the skin and between the flesh, permeates the fatty tissue, spreads throughout the chest and abdomen. If its flow is obstructed, disease occurs; if it flows freely, recovery ensues." "Ling Shu · Wei Qi Circulation" notes: "It initially enters the yin meridians, often starting from the Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, then flowing to the Heart, from the Heart to the Lung, from the Lung to the Liver, from the Liver to the Spleen, and finally returning to the Kidney to complete the cycle." This indicates that all five zang organs and six fu organs have Wei Qi circulating through them, and when pathogenic factors appear, they clash with Wei Qi. If the pathogenic factors are too strong and Wei Qi cannot overcome them, it is called "obstructing its flow," resulting in disease; if the pathogenic factors are not strong and Wei Qi prevails, it is called "following its flow," leading to recovery. Overall, the function of Wei Qi is comparable to the "anti-infectious immunity" in modern medicine. As for non-infectious immunity, Traditional Chinese Medicine believes it is mainly due to the action of Yuan Qi within Zheng Qi.

Yuan Qi, or original qi, is the innate kidney qi, which includes two types: Yuan Yin and Yuan Yang. It bears the great responsibility of regulating the body's yin-yang balance. The "Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine" states: "When yin is balanced and yang is concealed, spirit thrives," and "When yin and yang are separated, essence dissipates." This shows that imbalances in yin and yang are the primary internal factors leading to disease. When the body's yin-yang balance is disrupted, disease results; the principle of treatment lies in regulating yin and yang, with the kidneys serving as the central regulator. The kidneys exert their regulatory effect through Yuan Yin and Yuan Yang, i.e., Yuan Yin and Yuan Yang.

Modern medicine holds that the stability of the body's immune function is closely linked to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The pituitary gland is the main link in the immune response; through the action of ACTH, it promotes the secretion of adrenal cortical hormones, which are fundamental substances that suppress and reduce immune responses. At the same time, the pituitary gland also secretes growth hormone, which helps promote and enhance immune responses. In this way, the body's immune function achieves relative stability. Of course, the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system is also influenced by the nervous system, antigens and antibodies, lymphokines, and other factors. Recent domestic research findings indicate that the "kidneys" in Traditional Chinese Medicine largely refer to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. For example, increasing kidney yang enhances antibody production, meaning it boosts immune function while reducing immune response; whereas strengthening kidney yin prolongs the survival time of antibodies, indicating a reduction in immune function and an increase in immune response. According to recent studies on the sources of active immune cells in the body, there is indeed a connection with the "kidneys" in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Immune-active cells originate from bone marrow stem cells, which can differentiate into various T cells and B cells—these are the material basis for the body's specific immunity, namely cellular immunity and humoral immunity. The "Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine" states: "Kidneys generate bone marrow," demonstrating the relationship between the kidneys and the generation of immune-active cells. The classic also mentions: "Wei Qi originates from the lower jiao," meaning that Wei Qi comes from the spleen and stomach's fluids and grains, but must be transformed by the kidneys before becoming a substance with defensive functions. If we consider Wei Qi to some extent as referring to white blood cells, lymphocytes, phagocytes, and other reticuloendothelial cells, then the assertion that "Wei Qi originates from the lower jiao" does indeed have a certain scientific basis.

In summary, the body's immune function is collectively referred to as Zheng Qi (true qi), which includes Wei Qi and Yuan Qi. Wei Qi governs the pores and skin, controls opening and closing, originates from food and water, derives from the spleen and stomach, circulates outside the vessels, and has a robust, forceful nature, with characteristics of protecting the body surface and resisting external pathogenic factors—comparable to the anti-infectious immunity in modern medicine. Yuan Qi comprises Yuan Yin and Yuan Yang, originates from the kidneys, is stored in the dantian, and serves as the overall regulator of the body's yin-yang balance, representing the innate foundation. From a modern medical perspective, it corresponds to the hypothalamic-pituitary system. Wei Qi performs the functions of white blood cells, phagocytes, lymph nodes, and the reticuloendothelial system, while Yuan Qi represents the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. Both are biochemically related to bone marrow stem cells; therefore, the assertion in the "Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine" that "the kidneys generate bone marrow" is correct.

In recent years, with the development of biochemistry and immunology, five types of immunoglobulins have been discovered in the human body: IgA, IgG, IgD, IgE, and IgM. IgG is a typical precipitating antibody formed by plasma cells and enters the bloodstream. It is the main component of humoral antibodies in serum, accounting for about 80% of adult serum antibodies, and is active against various viruses, bacteria, toxins, fungi, parasites, and more.

From an immunological perspective, when the body is stimulated by antigenic substances, an immune response may occur. An immune response is a physiological reaction that maintains the body's internal environment in a relatively stable state, enhances disease resistance, defends against pathogen invasion, and enables the body's immune surveillance function. This is a normal immune response, which can only be achieved when the body's Zheng Qi is strong and yin-yang balance is harmonious; otherwise, abnormal reactions may occur, leading to immune dysfunction. Such abnormal immune responses can manifest in two ways: ① overreaction, presenting as autoimmune diseases; ② underreaction, characterized by loss of resistance and recurrent illness. It is clear that abnormal immune responses can lead to disease. Underreaction is often caused by weak Zheng Qi and low bodily reactivity; overreaction is often due to strong pathogenic factors and increased pathogenicity. Treatment for the former focuses on reinforcing Zheng Qi, while the latter emphasizes eliminating pathogenic factors. There is also a situation where both reinforcing Zheng Qi and eliminating pathogenic factors are combined, known as a combined approach of tonifying and purging.

Experiments have shown that many traditional Chinese medicinal herbs used to reinforce Zheng Qi have the function of increasing and promoting immunity, enhancing the body's disease resistance. In particular, polysaccharide plants can enhance the function of the reticuloendothelial system—for example, ginseng, schisandra, lingzhi, codonopsis, astragalus, adenosma, polygonatum, ophiopogon, he shou wu, rehmannia, ligustrum, goji berries, and poria all contain bioactive polysaccharides, known as immune-enhancing herbs, capable of mobilizing the body's immune defenses. Traditional Chinese methods of tonifying the kidneys can improve immune function, enhance the body's immune status, and regulate the relative stability of immune function. Some researchers measured the immune response level of patients with kidney yang deficiency using the rose flower test and found that the T-cell ratio was very low. After administering kidney-tonifying herbal medicines, the T-cell ratio gradually increased, and clinical symptoms improved accordingly. Others, from the perspective of humoral immunity, measured the IgA content in the sputum of chronic bronchitis patients and found that after taking kidney-tonifying drugs such as rabbit placenta tablets, the IgA content in the patients' sputum tended to increase. The former Chengdu Military Region Outpatient Clinic conducted a skin sensitivity test (SK-SD) on 100 patients with chronic bronchitis to examine their cellular immune status. The results showed that 70% of the rose flower tests were positive, while 80% of the healthy control group tested negative. In treatment, the clinic adopted the theory that "for patients with phlegm-dampness, warm medicines should be used," employing warm kidney-yang tonifying drugs and applying them via navel patches, achieving remarkable efficacy—the positive rate of the rose flower test among chronic bronchitis patients dropped to 20%. The Shanghai Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine's Oncology Group used crude fetal alpha-fetoprotein as an antigen to induce an immune response in rabbits and found that yang-tonifying drugs could accelerate the formation of this antibody, while yin-tonifying drugs could prolong its existence. The First Shanghai Medical College, in its practice of preventing and treating chronic tracheitis, discovered that after kidney-tonifying treatment, the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system in patients with kidney yang deficiency, as well as serum immunoglobulins (IgA and IgM), both improved. Additionally, yin-tonifying drugs can counteract the side effects of hormones. It was also pointed out that tonifying the kidneys and balancing kidney yin and yang can regulate endocrine and immune functions. Therefore, using methods to tonify kidney yin and yang can regulate excessive or insufficient immune responses.

The above demonstrates that Traditional Chinese Medicine's method of reinforcing Zheng Qi has valuable potential for enhancing the function of the reticuloendothelial system and boosting the body's immunity. On the other hand, Traditional Chinese Medicine's methods of eliminating pathogenic factors often control immune function, especially blood-circulating and detoxifying herbs, which can suppress immune responses and are thus considered immune-suppressing herbs. Autoimmune diseases treated with blood-circulating and detoxifying herbs usually involve excessive immune responses that urgently need suppression. Western medicines such as 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) can be used for such conditions. Common examples include acute and chronic nephritis, acute and chronic hepatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, myasthenia gravis, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, and others. The onset of these diseases is due to the body's own internal antigen-antibody reactions, at which point the immune system loses the ability to distinguish between self and non-self. Some experiments have also observed that blood-circulating and detoxifying herbs can reduce the degree of allergic reactions produced in the knee joint cavity of guinea pigs sensitized with horse serum, indicating that such herbs can inhibit pathological damage caused by immune responses. Shanxi Medical College achieved high efficacy in treating chronic nephritis using blood-circulating and detoxifying herbs, with the mechanism being the suppression of immune responses. Some researchers have used the thymus atrophy test to observe the effects of plants like sophora root, hedyotis herb, and large green leaves on immune responses, finding that these herbs can promote thymus atrophy in young mice, suggesting that they have the effect of suppressing immune responses.