略析“皮毛生肾”

Brief Analysis of “Skin and Hair Nourish the Kidney”

摘要: 本文基于《黄帝内经·素问·阴阳应象大论》中的“皮毛生肾”理论，结合中医经典理论与现代医学研究，探讨了肾与皮毛在生理和病理上的多重联系。通过分析肾藏精、主水液代谢、调控卫气及与肺的协同作用，揭示了肾对皮毛健康的影响。现代医学研究进一步表明，肾脏通过维生素D代谢、水液平衡及免疫调节等机制，参与皮肤病的发生与发展，为中医“肾主皮毛”理论提供了科学依据。

Abstract: Based on the theory of “Skin and Hair Nourish the Kidney” from Chapter on the Correspondence Between Yin-Yang and the Manifestations in Suwen (Plain Questions) of Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), this paper integrates classical theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with modern medical research to explore the multiple physiological and pathological connections between the kidney (in the TCM context) and the skin and hair. By analyzing the kidney’s core functions in TCM—including storing essence, governing fluid metabolism, regulating defensive qi, and its synergistic interaction with the lung—this paper reveals the kidney’s impact on the health of the skin and hair. Modern medical research further indicates that the kidneys (in the anatomical sense) participate in the occurrence and development of skin diseases through mechanisms such as vitamin D metabolism, fluid balance regulation, and immune modulation. This provides a scientific basis for the TCM theory of “the kidney governing the skin and hair”.