"Heavy taste" has become a joking term among friends nowadays. But in the eyes of traditional Chinese medicine, the taste of food should not be taken lightly.
According to the theory of the Five Elements in traditional Chinese medicine, the five tastes of sour, spicy, bitter, sweet, and salty have specific affinities with the five organs. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon states, "Sour taste enters the liver, spicy taste enters the lungs, bitter taste enters the heart, salty taste enters the kidneys, and sweet taste enters the spleen."
Among them, sour foods such as green plums, hawthorns, and oranges have astringent and firming effects, can regulate liver fire, and nourish liver yin; spicy foods like onions, ginger, and garlic are good at dispelling wind-cold, promoting qi circulation, and preventing external pathogens from invading the lungs; bitter foods enter the heart meridian, frequent consumption of bitter melon, lotus seed hearts, etc., can clear heat and relieve fire, treat insomnia, irritability, and other symptoms caused by excessive heart fire; salty foods refer to "naturally salty and fresh" foods such as kelp, seaweed, nori, and crabs, rather than excessive salt consumption. They are connected with kidney qi and can nourish kidney essence, soften hardness, and disperse stagnation; sweet foods such as Chinese yam, pumpkin, rice, and sweet potatoes are helpful in nourishing qi and blood, harmonizing the spleen and stomach.
However, everything has its limitations. The appropriate balance of the five tastes can nourish the five organs, but if they are excessively biased or excessive, it may disrupt the balance and restraint between the five organs. The book "Peng Zu's Health Preservation and Character Cultivation Theory" emphasizes, "Do not indulge in a single taste. Excessive sourness harms the spleen, excessive bitterness harms the lungs, excessive spiciness harms the liver, excessive sweetness harms the kidneys, and excessive saltiness harms the heart."
[Excessive Sourness Harms the Spleen]
Sour taste can nourish the liver, but excessive sour foods can cause liver qi dominance and damage the spleen and stomach, leading to functional disorders. The spleen controls the muscles, and its manifestation is on the lips, which causes the "wrinkling and peeling of the lips" mentioned in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon. Therefore, people with poor digestion, loose stools, and other symptoms of spleen deficiency should pay attention to reducing the consumption of sour foods.
[Excessive Spiciness Harms the Liver]
"Excessive spiciness causes tendons to become stiff and claws to wither." Excessive consumption of spicy foods can easily cause lung qi dominance and harm the liver, affecting the liver's function of storing blood and governing tendons, leading to reduced tendon elasticity and impaired blood circulation. Therefore, people with symptoms of liver deficiency such as dizziness, dull complexion, and blurred vision should consume less spicy food.
[Excessive Bitterness Harms the Lungs]
Excessive bitterness can cause excessive heart fire and inhibit lung qi. The lungs control the skin and hair. Excessive bitterness can cause the skin to lose its luster and hair to fall out, resulting in the consequences of "wrinkled skin and hair loss" mentioned in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon. People with symptoms of lung qi deficiency such as frequent colds, coughing, and sputum production should control the intake of bitter foods.
[Excessive Saltiness Harms the Heart]
"Excessive saltiness causes pulse to congeal and complexion to change." Excessive consumption of salty taste can cause excessive kidney qi and inhibit heart qi, impairing the function of the heart. The heart is the ruler of blood, and its insufficiency can cause blood stasis and a dark complexion. Therefore, people with discomfort such as palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pain should consume less salty food.
[Excessive Sweetness Harms the Kidneys]
Excessive consumption of sweet foods can cause excessive spleen dominance and harm the kidneys. Since the kidneys govern bones and store essence, its manifestation is in the hair. Excessive consumption of sweet taste can cause hair to lose its luster, hair loss, and bone pain, leading to "bone pain and hair loss". People with symptoms of kidney deficiency such as frequent lower back and knee weakness, tinnitus, and hearing loss should control the consumption of sweet food.
