If you experience recurring summer fatigue and thirst, you might say, “I feel drained easily every summer.” “I feel completely worn out after sweating a lot.” “It feels like I’m still thirsty even after drinking water.” These are common complaints we hear in the clinic once the hot weather begins. Summer, more than you might think, is a season that expends a lot of the body’s energy. When you sweat a lot in hot weather, it’s not just water that’s lost; your body’s vital energy can also be depleted.
Today, I will talk about Saengmaeksan (生脈散), a Korean medicine prescription often sought in summer. I will also introduce Sunyujae’s Saengmaeksan Su and Saengmaeksan Plus. Hello, this is Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in Dongcheon-dong, Suji-gu, a place where kind hearts reside.
Saengmaeksan, meaning in its name: The ‘Saeng (生)’ in Saengmaeksan means to revitalize, and ‘Maek (脈)’ refers to the pulse. Literally, it means a prescription that revitalizes the pulse. In Korean medicine, it is believed that excessive sweating in summer can lead to the depletion of both the body’s vital energy and body fluids.
Therefore, Saengmaeksan has been used when one is exhausted from the heat, experiences severe thirst, and feels a drop in energy. Saengmaeksan also appears in 『Naeoeisangbyeonhongnon』, a book written by Yi Dong-won, a famous physician during China’s Jin Dynasty. Saengmaeksan is also recorded in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.
Given that records show the royal family also utilized Saengmaeksan for health management during the hot summer, it can be seen as a representative Korean medicine prescription for summer that has been passed down for a long time. Why do we get tired so easily in summer? When hot weather persists, our bodies sweat to regulate body temperature.
Sweating is a natural response. However, if sweating becomes excessive, it’s not just water that decreases; physical stamina can also drop. When this is combined with air-conditioned environments, lack of sleep, irregular meals, and increased outdoor activities, the body becomes even more easily fatigued than usual.
In the clinic, we hear these stories often in the summer: “I’m tired even after getting enough rest.” “My mouth is dry, and I’m often thirsty.” “My appetite is poor, so I eat carelessly.” “My recovery after exercise isn’t what it used to be.” “My concentration drops when I study or work.” In such cases, simply drinking a lot of water might not be enough.
It’s advisable to consider the amount of sweat, thirst, appetite, digestive state, sleep quality, and daytime concentration together. Basic Ingredients of Saengmaeksan Saengmaeksan is primarily composed of Liriope Tuber, Schisandra Berry, and Ginseng. Liriope Tuber is used to address summer thirst and dry mouth.
It is an herb considered when one sweats a lot and feels a sense of dryness in the body. Schisandra Berry is used to help retain vital energy that is easily dispersed by sweat. It is frequently utilized when one is easily fatigued by the heat and experiences recurring thirst.
Ginseng is a representative tonic herb used to address states of easy fatigue and depleted energy. It is used when considering summer physical decline and fatigue together. With these three herbs combined, Saengmaeksan has been utilized as a prescription to address summer thirst, sweating, and decreased vitality.
There are people who get unusually tired easily every summer, and whose thirst persists even after drinking water. Many also experience body sluggishness after sweating a lot, or a decreased appetite leading to irregular meals. Some people, after exercising like golf, running, or hiking, experience prolonged fatigue.
Those who engage in a lot of outdoor activities, and students or test-takers who need to manage their physical strength and concentration, also need to pay attention to their summer condition. Children can also get tired faster than expected in the summer. It’s common for them to sweat a lot while playing or exercising outside, and their appetite often decreases due to the heat.
If these changes are recurring, rather than simply dismissing them as due to hot weather, it’s advisable to check the body’s current vital energy, body fluids, and digestive state together.
What do studies report? Research related to Saengmaeksan has reported results on physiological responses observed in high-temperature environments. Some animal studies have reported that when Saengmaeksan was administered, changes in oxidative stress and blood circulation-related indicators were observed in situations of high-temperature exposure.
There is also research related to Astragalus, which is frequently used in summer tonics. Astragalus Polysaccharide, potential to reduce heat-induced intestinal damage and inflammatory responses A recently published animal study investigated how Astragalus Polysaccharide (APS), a main component of Astragalus, affects intestinal damage caused by heat stroke.
The researchers divided the experimental animals into a normal group (CTR), a heat stroke-induced group (HS+NS), and an Astragalus Polysaccharide-administered group (HS+APS) for comparison. First, observing the intestinal tissue under a microscope, the heat stroke-induced group showed damage to the mucosal structure of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon, with shortened villi.
In contrast, the group administered Astragalus Polysaccharide showed a tendency for the damaged intestinal tissue structure to be relatively preserved. Furthermore, graph (C) quantified the structural changes in the intestinal tissue, showing that the increased intestinal wall thickness and tissue changes due to heat stroke were reduced in the Astragalus Polysaccharide-administered group. Graph (D) shows indicators related to inflammation.
In the heat stroke-induced group, levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β significantly increased, but these levels were significantly reduced in the group administered Astragalus Polysaccharide. The researchers suggested the possibility that Astragalus Polysaccharide may help alleviate intestinal damage and inflammatory responses caused by heat stress.
Of course, since this study is an animal experiment result, we cannot conclude that the same effect will occur in humans. However, it can be seen as a result that partially explains, from a modern research perspective, why Astragalus has traditionally been used for managing summer energy depletion and fatigue. Especially in hot weather when one sweats a lot and gets easily tired, or when physical strength declines due to prolonged outdoor activities, prescriptions including Astragalus can be utilized as a method of health management.
Sunyujae Saengmaeksan Plus includes Astragalus and other Korean medicine herbs that are added or subtracted to aid in summer energy recovery and health management, making it more widely applicable during the hot season. Instead of cold drinks, Saengmaeksan for summer health.
In summer, we naturally reach for cold drinks. Children often look for sodas, and adults often seek iced americanos. Of course, cold drinks provide a sense of satisfaction.
However, temporarily quenching thirst is slightly different from comprehensively managing the body’s condition during summer. Coffee or sugary drinks might feel cool momentarily, but they may have limitations in addressing summer fatigue and physical decline. Saengmaeksan can be stored in the refrigerator and consumed cold, making it usable like a summer health drink.
Some people add ice to drink it as iced Saengmaeksan, or seek it for condition management before and after outdoor activities. However, Saengmaeksan is a Korean medicine tonic. Its suitability may vary depending on one’s constitution and current health condition, so it is advisable to consult with a Korean medicine doctor before taking it.
Two Types of Saengmaeksan at Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic offers two types for summer health management: Saengmaeksan Su and Saengmaeksan Plus.
Saengmaeksan Su Saengmaeksan Su is a health drink-type Saengmaeksan that can be enjoyed cold in summer. We recommend it to those who experience frequent thirst in hot weather, sweat a lot, and wish to start managing their summer condition lightly. It is a refreshing summer health drink and Saengmaeksan that cares for a body tired from heat and sweat.
We recommend it as a summer Korean medicine drink that children can choose instead of soda, and adults instead of iced americano. Stored in the refrigerator and consumed cold, it can be taken without burden even in the hot season.
Saengmaeksan Plus Saengmaeksan Plus is a formulation that adds Korean medicine herbs to the basic Saengmaeksan prescription, considering the body’s condition in summer. It is a summer tonic prepared with more care for those who easily lose energy after sweating a lot, have a reduced appetite, feel indigestion, and experience recurring summer fatigue. Sunyujae Saengmaeksan Plus is characterized by the addition of Rehmannia Root and Astragalus Root, considering summer body fluid, heat sensation, and decreased vitality together.
Rehmannia Root is an herb used to address body fluids and blood, and to consider heat sensation and dryness caused by heat. It can be considered for those who experience dry mouth and a feeling of internal dryness in summer. Astragalus Root is used for managing the vital energy of those who easily get tired after sweating a lot.
It is a tonic herb frequently used when addressing summer physical decline and lethargy together. Additionally, herbs such as Pueraria Root, Licorice, Amomum Fruit, Agastache, Atractylodes Rhizome, and Citrus Peel have been added or subtracted. Pueraria Root is considered when the body feels heavy and fatigued due to the heat.
Licorice helps harmonize the prescription and is used to assess the stomach’s condition. Amomum Fruit, Agastache, Atractylodes Rhizome, and Citrus Peel are herbs considered when one frequently drinks cold beverages in summer or experiences bloating and loss of appetite due to humid and hot weather. Sunyujae Saengmaeksan Plus is not just a prescription for thirst.
It is a Korean medicine for summer health management formulated to address not only summer fatigue, thirst, and discomfort due to sweating, but also loss of appetite, digestive state, decreased concentration, and post-exercise condition. Early summer health care is important. Summer fatigue and thirst can be experienced by anyone. However, if you easily get tired, sweat a lot, and your appetite and digestion are disturbed every summer, it’s difficult to see it as simply a matter of being sensitive to the heat.
Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic helps manage summer health by checking the patient’s constitution, lifestyle, amount of sweat, degree of thirst, and digestive state. In the hot summer, please do not miss the small signals your body sends. Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic will be with you to ensure you have a healthy summer.
We hope you will join Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in sharing valuable information for a healthy life. Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in Suji-gu pursues evidence-based medicine and integrative medicine.
This post was written directly by the medical staff of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic to provide medical information, in compliance with Article 56(2) and Article 57(3) of the Medical Service Act. The duration and outcome of treatment may vary from person to person, so please consult a qualified practitioner before beginning treatment.
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