The causes of kidney deficiency are many, and diseases and aging can both lead to kidney dysfunction. The best way to treat kidney deficiency is to choose food supplementation based on one's own specific situation. However, when choosing food supplementation, the following principles must be followed.
Principles of Medicinal Food Supplementation
1. Treatment based on syndrome differentiation
The key to choosing medicinal food supplementation is to treat the symptoms. Kidney deficiency can be divided into kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency. In the selection process, it is important to first determine which type one belongs to. If it is kidney yang deficiency, then one should choose medicines that tonify qi and assist yang. For those with kidney yin deficiency, medicines that nourish yin and replenish essence should be chosen. If the kidney qi is not strong and there is a manifestation of slippery discharge, then medicines that stabilize kidney and astringe essence should be chosen.
2. Medicinal food with dual use
Medicinal foods that can be used as both food and medicine are preferred. These materials are both food and medicine, and long-term use ensures safety without worrying about toxic side effects. Examples include mulberry, wolfberry, Chinese yam, black sesame, walnut, lotus seed, and foxnut.
3. Health-preserving medicinal herbs
Some medicinal herbs not only have therapeutic effects but also have health-preserving effects. They can be used in the diet in appropriate amounts, but attention should be paid to dosage, contraindications, and usage. Examples include Fructus Psoraleae, Morinda officinalis, Cistanche, Euryale ferox, and Rehmannia glutinosa.
4. Reasonable combination of the five flavors
"Reasonable combination of the five flavors" refers to the five flavors of sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty in food, each of which has different affinity with the five organs of the body. Only by harmonizing the five flavors can the five organs be nourished comprehensively, thereby maintaining balanced and coordinated organ function. In addition, the complementary effects of nutrient components should also be considered, with a balanced intake of animal and plant foods to ensure adequate and diverse nutritional needs.
5. Consistency in consumption
In terms of nourishing the body, it is important to progress gradually and persist. Inconsistency will not produce results. Medicinal food therapy is different from drug treatment and cannot produce immediate results. It requires a certain amount of time for nourishment in order to prevent diseases and improve symptoms. Patients with mild symptoms will see better results, but for those with severe symptoms, it is best to seek professional treatment. Medicinal food can then be used as an adjunctive treatment rather than a substitute for drug treatment.
Foods for Different Symptoms of Kidney Deficiency
1. Foods suitable for kidney yin deficiency
Black foods are good materials for nourishing kidney yin, such as black rice, black beans, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, black chicken, and soft-shelled turtle.
2. Foods suitable for kidney yang deficiency
Some foods in seafood, meat, insects, vegetables, fruits, poultry, and nuts are natural aphrodisiacs and are suitable for people with kidney yang deficiency. Examples include loach, prawns, sea cucumber, silkworm pupa, mutton, deer meat, pigeon meat, quail meat, leeks, and chestnuts.
During the use of nourishing medicinal food, it is best not to drink strong tea or eat radishes to avoid affecting the effectiveness of supplementation.
