What is Chinese Nutritional Therapy?
In Chinese medicine, food is looked at as medicine. Western nutrition focuses on the biochemical characteristics of food, while in Chinese medicine the focus is on the thermal nature, six flavors, actions, and indications of each food. Foods are recommended based on these characteristics.
Thermal Nature
Each food contains a thermal nature of either cold, cool, neutral, warm, or hot. Depending on your Chinese diagnosis or “patterns”, foods of a particular thermal nature will be recommended. For example, if you have areas of inflammation and heat in the body, cool and cold foods will be recommended.
Six Flavors
In Chinese medicine, foods are categorized by their flavor. A single food can have one or more flavors. These flavors consist of sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and bland. Each flavor has an effect on specific organ systems in your body. For example:
Sweet – The sweet flavor corresponds to the spleen and stomach. It has the action of tonifying, harmonizing and
relaxing. In cases of fatigue or deficiency, sweet substances have a reinforcing and strengthening action.
Sour – The sour flavor corresponds to the liver and gall bladder. The sour flavor has absorbing, consolidating and
astringent functions. It aids in stopping abnormal discharge of body fluids and substances such as excessive
perspiration, diarrhea, and urinary incontinence.
Salty – The salty flavor corresponds to the kidney and urinary bladder. The salty flavor has the function of softening and
dissolving hardenings. It also moistens and lubricates the intestines. Body symptoms such as lumps, nodes, masses,
and cysts can be softened and dissolved by salty substances.
Pungent – The pungent flavor corresponds to the lung and large intestine. The pungent flavor has the functions of
dispersing, invigorating, and promoting circulation. Its function of dispersing is mainly used to disperse pathogens
from the exterior of the body, such as we see in the common cold and flu. Its function of invigorating is to promote
circulation of Qi, blood, and body fluid.
Bitter – The bitter flavor corresponds to the heart and small intestine. Bitter tasting substances have the action of
drying dampness and dispersing. Bitter foods often clears heat in the body. Bitter foods aid conditions like dampness
or edema.
Bland – The bland flavor falls under the sweet category. It tends to be diuretic, promotes urination, and relieves edema
(swelling).
Actions and Indication
The actions of a particular food relate to the effects it has on the body and the indications relate to the type of conditions it can treat. For example, peppermint has a pungent flavor and is cooling. The pungent flavor corresponds to the lung and large intestine. Peppermint tea would be good for someone who has a respiratory infection with a dry, irritating cough. It will disperse, invigorate, and promote qi and blood circulation to the lungs to promote healing and cool the lungs.
In Chinese medicine, food is looked at as medicine. Western nutrition focuses on the biochemical characteristics of food, while in Chinese medicine the focus is on the thermal nature, six flavors, actions, and indications of each food. Foods are recommended based on these characteristics.
Thermal Nature
Each food contains a thermal nature of either cold, cool, neutral, warm, or hot. Depending on your Chinese diagnosis or “patterns”, foods of a particular thermal nature will be recommended. For example, if you have areas of inflammation and heat in the body, cool and cold foods will be recommended.
Six Flavors
In Chinese medicine, foods are categorized by their flavor. A single food can have one or more flavors. These flavors consist of sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and bland. Each flavor has an effect on specific organ systems in your body. For example:
Sweet – The sweet flavor corresponds to the spleen and stomach. It has the action of tonifying, harmonizing and
relaxing. In cases of fatigue or deficiency, sweet substances have a reinforcing and strengthening action.
Sour – The sour flavor corresponds to the liver and gall bladder. The sour flavor has absorbing, consolidating and
astringent functions. It aids in stopping abnormal discharge of body fluids and substances such as excessive
perspiration, diarrhea, and urinary incontinence.
Salty – The salty flavor corresponds to the kidney and urinary bladder. The salty flavor has the function of softening and
dissolving hardenings. It also moistens and lubricates the intestines. Body symptoms such as lumps, nodes, masses,
and cysts can be softened and dissolved by salty substances.
Pungent – The pungent flavor corresponds to the lung and large intestine. The pungent flavor has the functions of
dispersing, invigorating, and promoting circulation. Its function of dispersing is mainly used to disperse pathogens
from the exterior of the body, such as we see in the common cold and flu. Its function of invigorating is to promote
circulation of Qi, blood, and body fluid.
Bitter – The bitter flavor corresponds to the heart and small intestine. Bitter tasting substances have the action of
drying dampness and dispersing. Bitter foods often clears heat in the body. Bitter foods aid conditions like dampness
or edema.
Bland – The bland flavor falls under the sweet category. It tends to be diuretic, promotes urination, and relieves edema
(swelling).
Actions and Indication
The actions of a particular food relate to the effects it has on the body and the indications relate to the type of conditions it can treat. For example, peppermint has a pungent flavor and is cooling. The pungent flavor corresponds to the lung and large intestine. Peppermint tea would be good for someone who has a respiratory infection with a dry, irritating cough. It will disperse, invigorate, and promote qi and blood circulation to the lungs to promote healing and cool the lungs.
Can you guess which flavor each of these foods have?
Turnip greens
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Peach
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Celery
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Garlic
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