Appetite is the desire to eat. Decreased appetite is when our desire to eat reduces. But poor appetite is the consistent lack of desire to eat. Decreased appetite is usually affected by illness. Any illness can affect our appetite. If the illness is treatable, the appetite should return.

Common Causes of Decrease in Appetite

• Emotional upset

• Loneliness

• Boredom

• Bereavement

• Depression

• Anorexia nervosa

• Acute and chronic infections HIV Pregnancy (first trimester)

• Cancer

• Hypothyroidism

• Medications

Treatment

• Increase calorie intake by eating nutritious high-calorie food

• Family members can help by encouraging and supplying the person with favorite foods to help stimulate the person's appetite

• Tasking appropriate vitamins to stimulate the appetite

• If caused by taking medications, ask your healthcare professional to change the dosage or the drug

• Change to herbal medication if necessary

But what happen when the person consistently suffers from poor appetite for no apparent reason? What can be the cause of such a problem?

If you look at allopathic explanation of appetite problem, they are caused by emotional and external factors. But for TCM the problem is view different because TCM science has a deeper and far more accurate understanding of our digestive process.

Allopathic people view digestion as an independent action of the stomach. In this view food is digested in the stomach and passed on to the small intestines. The nutrients in the food are then absorbed by the intestines. It is then distributed to all tissues and cells of the body via the blood circulation system. Energy is then produced by the cells through the biological oxidation process of the mitochondria.

But TCM accurately view the digestion process as the complex interaction of the spleen and the stomach. For allopathic people the functions of the spleen are:

• defense   
• phagocytosis of bacteria and worn-out red blood cells and platelets
• salvaging iron and globulin content and returning them to the blood  
• production of lymphocytes, monocytes and plasma cells, which in turn produce antibodies    
• store blood and release it through contraction of the spleen or in case of hemorrhage
• production of red blood cells in the fetus but not adults.

Whereas TCM, in addition to the above, view spleen has the additional function:

• governs the transformation and transportation of food and fluids in the body
• rules the blood
• transporting the body's energy and blood to the muscles, flesh, arms and legs
• manifest in the mouth through the tongue and lips
• raises the energy
• govern the thought

Signs of dysfunction spleen

• no appetite
• abdominal distention after eating
• tiredness
• lethargy
• sallow complexion
• weakness of the arms and legs
• defecating immediately after meals
• loose stools
• sleepiness after eating
• tongue swollen with scallops of the side in the middle section
• edema
• chilliness
• cold limbs

Treatment for Poor Appetite

Therefore for those with consistently having poor or no appetite the treatment is to restore the function of the spleen.

Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza is a very useful herb that is, among other things, used for improving the function of the spleen.

This Herb is Widely Used Throughout the World

The earliest of all the Chinese herbal texts, The Divine Husbandman's Classic (Shen nong Bencaojing) listed Dan Shen (Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza) as an herb that invigorates the blood and improve functions of liver and spleen. Sage has long had the reputation for restoring failing memory in the elderly; and, like other memory-enhancing herbs, for some unknown reason, it was planted on graves. It is said that when the British started importing tea from China, the Chinese so valued sage that they would trade two cases of tea for one of dried English sage. However, it is noted that in the 17th century, Dutch merchants were trading three chests of China tea for one of sage leaves. The Romans considered it a sacred herb and would gather it with ceremony. The Aztecs used seeds from the Salvia species as a food. They were toasted, ground into a flour, and added to cornmeal to make a thick drink called "chianzotzolatol? "Chia" seeds are still used today to prepare cold beverages with lemon and sugar as well as being a popular fast-growing plant sold on ceramic animals. Native American healers mixed sage with bear grease and applied it as a salve to heal skin sores and wounds. They also used the woody stems as a toothbrush. The Cherokee used sage to relieve asthma, coughs, and colds. They also used a leaf infusion to treat diarrhea. The Mohegans used it to treat intestinal worms. In Israel and Cyprus, and elsewhere, Greek sage is used for cardiac symptoms, lung complaints, colds, coughs, nervousness, and digestive problems. Externally, it is used to treat skin problems. In Costa Rica, sage is used for wounds, arthritis, asthma, and problems with the prostate gland. In Europe, sage is used to lower blood sugar in diabetics.

Scientifically Proven:

• it has antifibrotic effects

• it has strong antioxidant properties

• it has anti-inflammatory activity

• it has hemodynamic effects

• prevention of bone loss

• hepatoprotective effect

• improve blood circulation

Some of the traditional uses (like hepato-protective function, bone regeneration ability, improved blood function, hypolipidemic, anti-edema and antioxidant properties) of these herbs Radix Panax Notoginseng, Poria Cocos Wolf, Calyx Diospyros Kaki,  Radix Polygonum Multiflorum  and Radix Salvia Miltiorrhiza have been proven by scientists throughout the world. These herbs have traditional been used to improve kidney, liver and spleen function and to treat frequent urination caused by weak kidneys.

In TCM as spleen promotes healthy digestion, an improved spleen function would restore the appetite.