They say, "Don't eat anything that goes against the doctor's orders." Dietary restrictions during medical treatment refer to the prohibitions on food and drink. This is a characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine, and has always been highly valued by medical professionals. The relevant information can be found in various medical texts such as the "Inner Canon," "Treatise on Cold Damage," and "Essentials of the Golden Cabinet." Practical experience has proven that these dietary restrictions have a certain rationale.
We commonly consume various foods such as fish, meat, chicken, eggs, vegetables, fruits, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, and alcohol. Each of these foods has its own properties and can have an impact on the occurrence, development, and therapeutic effects of diseases. As written by Zhang Xingyun in the book "Dietary Therapy for Diseases," a patient's diet helps nourish the stomach and promote the effects of medication. Therefore, appropriate dietary choices can assist in treatment, while improper choices can hinder it.
For example, when taking medicine to clear internal heat, one should avoid consuming hot foods such as onions, garlic, peppers, lamb, and dog meat. When treating cold-induced symptoms with warm medicines, one should avoid consuming cold foods.
Ancient texts also contain numerous records of food restrictions. Licorice, coptis, balloon flower, and black plum are best avoided when eating pork. Mint should not be consumed with soft-shelled turtle meat. Poria should not be consumed with vinegar. Soft-shelled turtle should not be consumed with amaranth. Chicken should not be consumed with yellow eel. Honey should not be consumed with raw onions. Tangerine peel should not be consumed with carp. Schizonepeta should not be consumed with fish, crab, pufferfish, or donkey meat. Chinese white atractylodes should not be consumed with garlic, peaches, or plums. These examples illustrate that certain foods should be avoided when taking certain medications. If these forbidden foods are consumed, the desired therapeutic effects may not be achieved, or the opposite effects may occur. Furthermore, during the course of treatment, certain foods that are difficult to digest or have special irritant properties, such as raw and cold foods, oily and greasy foods, and fishy or pungent foods, should be avoided. For example, during a cold or when a child has not fully recovered from a rash, it is not advisable to consume raw and cold, sour, or greasy foods. When treating chest tightness and abdominal distension caused by qi stagnation, beans and sweet potatoes should be avoided.
However, dietary restrictions cannot be absolute. They should vary depending on the individual and the disease. For general patients, especially those with chronic diseases, if dietary restrictions and prohibitions are imposed for a long time and cover a wide range of foods, it may result in inadequate intake of nutrients required by the body, thereby reducing the body's resistance and adversely affecting the recovery of health. Therefore, under the guidance of a physician, it is advisable to consume foods that provide adequate nutrition to prevent nutrient deficiencies.
