People are closely connected to the outside world, and besides breathing, diet is a crucial aspect. The process of intake and excretion of food is constantly happening in the human body 24 hours a day, which is a vital aspect of life science.
Foods have five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty, which correspond to the five organs of the body.
1. Sour Benefits the Liver
This means that sour foods enhance digestion and protect the liver. Regular consumption of acidic foods not only aids digestion and helps eliminate bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, but also has the effects of preventing colds, reducing blood pressure, and softening blood vessels. Sour foods such as plums, cornel cherries, pomegranates, tomatoes, hawthorns, and oranges are rich in vitamin C, which can prevent cancer and slow down aging.
2. Bitter Benefits the Heart
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that "bitter benefits the heart" and "bitter taste enters the heart". Bitter foods can promote bowel movements, dryness, and nourish yin. Bitter taste also has the functions of eliminating dampness and promoting diuresis. Bitter foods include orange peel, bitter almonds, bitter gourd, and lilies. Bitter foods can also be used to treat diseases, such as bitter gourd, which can treat edema.
3. Sweet Benefits the Spleen
We often hear that we should not eat sweets, but in fact, this mainly refers to excessive consumption of sweets. Eating sweets in moderation is beneficial to our health. Sweet foods can nourish qi and blood, replenish calories, relieve fatigue, and have the effects of regulating the stomach, detoxification, and relieving spasms. Common sweet foods include brown sugar, longan flesh, honey, and rice noodles.
4. Salty Benefits the Kidneys
We often say that light salted food is good for health. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that "salty enters the kidneys" and has the function of regulating cell and blood osmotic pressure and maintaining normal metabolism. After vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy sweating, it is advisable to drink a moderate amount of diluted saltwater to maintain normal metabolism. Salty taste has the functions of laxative, softening hard masses, and nourishing yin and blood. Salty foods include table salt, kelp, seaweed, and jellyfish.
5. Spicy Benefits the Lungs
Eating spicy foods can induce sweating and promote qi circulation. Commonly consumed spicy foods such as onions, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, and black pepper contain "spicy elements" that can protect blood vessels and regulate qi and blood, as well as unblock meridians. Regular consumption can effectively prevent colds caused by wind and cold. However, people with hemorrhoids, constipation, and neurasthenia should avoid eating spicy foods.
Traditional Chinese medicine and traditional nutrition theory in China advocate "carefully combining the five tastes, maintaining strong bones and flexible tendons, promoting the flow of qi and blood, and tightening the pores." This is to say that by paying attention to the harmonization of the five tastes in diet, the bone marrow can be upright, the tendons can be flexible, the qi and blood can circulate smoothly, and the pores can be tight, ensuring good health and longevity.
