According to the Five Elements Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the five tastes of sour, bitter, bitter, sweet and salty have a specific "affinity" with the five internal organs. "The Yellow Emperor's Neijing, Suwen, Xuanming Five Qi Chapters" said, "The five flavors enter, the acid enters the liver, the bitterness enters the lungs, the bitterness enters the heart, the saltiness enters the kidneys, and the sweetness enters the spleen." ”
Sour foods such as green plums, hawthorns, oranges, etc., have the effect of astringency and astringency, can make liver fire, replenish liver yin, and are the favorite of the liver;
Spicy foods include green onions, ginger, garlic, etc., which are good at dissipating wind and cold, promoting qi and relieving pain, helping to vent lung qi and prevent external evil from attacking the lungs.
Bitter food into the heart meridian, often eat bitter gourd, lotus seed heart, etc., can clear heat and relieve fire, treat insomnia, irritability and other symptoms caused by strong heart fire;
Salty foods refer to "naturally salty and fresh" foods such as kelp, seaweed, seaweed, and crabs, rather than eating more salt, which communicate with kidney qi and can nourish kidney essence, soften and dissipate knots;
Sweet foods such as yams, pumpkin, rice, sweet potatoes, etc., are the "helpers" of nourishing qi and blood, and harmonizing the spleen and stomach.
However, all things are mutually reinforcing, and the five flavors and shades are suitable to nourish the five organs, but if it is too excessive, it will take care of one or the other, and disrupt the balance and restriction between the five organs.
"Peng Zu's Theory of Life and Cultivation" emphasized: "The five flavors should not be delayed, sour hurts the spleen, bitterness hurts the lungs, bitterness hurts the liver, sweet hurts the kidneys, and saltiness hurts the heart." ”
Acid hurts the spleen
Acid can nourish the liver, but too much sour food will cause the liver qi to be favorable, offending the spleen and stomach, and causing the spleen and stomach to become dysfunctional. The main muscles of the spleen, which are in the lips, cause the "Yellow Emperor Neijing" to say "eat more acid, and the flesh is wrinkled and the lips are revealed". Therefore, people with symptoms of spleen deficiency such as poor digestion and loose stools should pay attention to eating less sour food.
Xin Duo hurts the liver
"If you eat too much, you will be anxious and your claws will wither." Excessive consumption of spicy substances can easily cause lung qi to prevail, and the liver will be affected, affecting the function of the liver to store blood and the main tendons, resulting in a decrease in the elasticity of the tendons and the impact of blood circulation. Therefore, people with symptoms of liver deficiency such as dizziness, dull complexion, and blurred vision should eat less spicy food.
Suffering hurts the lungs
Too much suffering may cause the heart to be too hot, which in turn will restrain the lung qi. The lungs are dominated by fur, and if there is too much bitterness, the skin may lose its luster, and the hair is easy to fall out, resulting in the consequence of "eating more bitterness, then the skin will be plucked and the hair will be plucked". People with lung qi deficiency, such as being prone to colds, coughing, and phlegm, should appropriately control the intake of bitter foods.
Salty and sad
"If you eat too much salt, your veins will condense and change color." Eating too much salty flavor can cause excessive kidney qi and restrain heart qi, damaging the function of the heart. The heart is the leader of the blood, and its lack of function can make the blood condense and the face darken. Therefore, people with heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain and other discomforts must eat less salty.
Gando hurts the kidneys
Too much sweets can cause temper favoritism and devastation of the kidneys. Because the main bone of the kidney stores essence, its bloom is in the hair, and eating too much sweetness will make the hair lose its luster, lose hair, and cause bone pain and pain, resulting in "eating more sweet, then the bone pain will fall". People with symptoms of kidney deficiency such as frequent soreness in the waist and knees, tinnitus, deafness, etc., sweets should be properly controlled.
The five flavors help the four seasons to maintain health
The five flavors metamorphose into yin essence, which can nourish the five internal organs, but if you prefer a certain taste, it will destroy the coordination between the five internal organs and lead to lesions. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the taste according to the changes of natural laws, such as reducing acid and increasing sweetness in spring to nourish the spleen, reducing bitterness and increasing bitterness in summer to nourish the lungs, reducing bitterness and increasing acid in autumn to nourish the liver, and reducing saltiness and increasing bitterness in winter to nourish the heart.
spring
Eating sour food in spring is easy to promote liver fire, eat less sour food to make liver wood too prosperous, and eat more sweet food to nourish the body's spleen and stomach qi and help resist the ability to resist the invasion of liver qi. For people with a strong liver, we can choose some foods that have the effect of clearing the liver and soothing the liver, such as cabbage, rape, carrots, celery, spinach, camellia, marantou, water chestnut, etc.
summer
Summer is fire, its qi is hot, through the heart, the taste is bitter, the main rest, the summer evil is in order, in the summer diet principle should reduce bitterness and increase bitterness, eat sweet or cold food, to prevent heart inflammation, but also to enhance the resistance of lung qi. In summer, the climate is hot, the diet should be light, eat less fat and sweet, and eat more legumes, such as lentils, mung beans, red beans, black beans, etc., to relieve heat and dampness, strengthen the spleen and kidneys.
autumn
In autumn, spicy foods will diverge lung qi, while acidic foods can converge lung qi. Autumn is good for astringency, nourishment, moisturizing dryness, and nourishing the lungs, so during this time, you can eat some sour foods appropriately, such as hawthorn, olives, grapes, apples, grapefruits, pomegranates, etc. Reduce the taste of pungent powder, such as using less ginger, green onions, tangerine peel and other condiments in the diet, and eating less or no spicy hot pot, beef and mutton, etc.
winter
Winter is the season of hiding essence qi, at this time the kidney qi is in season, the diet should reduce saltiness and increase bitterness, you can eat more beef, mutton, lean pork, chicken and other warm and soft foods to replenish the kidney, but also eat some bitter food, such as celery, lettuce, lettuce, bitter chrysanthemum, etc. to nourish the heart. ■
[Source: This article is comprehensively compiled from the outpatient department of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Healthy Aging]