What is the primary function of the triple warmer (san jiao)?

The primary function of the triple warmer, also known as san jiao, encompasses the circulation of three types of qi, which are essential for maintaining the overall balance and function of the body's systems. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the triple warmer is conceptualized as a functional system that plays a critical role in the distribution and regulation of qi throughout the body. This includes managing the heat and energy necessary for various bodily functions and the interaction between the upper, middle, and lower jiao, or the three areas of the body where different physiological processes occur.

While regulation of body temperature represents one aspect of what the triple warmer influences, it does not capture the full scope of its primary role, which is fundamentally about the circulation and integration of qi. The other options, such as storage of nutrients and filtration of bodily fluids, pertain more directly to the roles of the spleen and kidneys, respectively, rather than to the comprehensive function of the triple warmer in qi circulation. Therefore, the integration and distribution of qi is the most accurate representation of the triple warmer's primary function.