Chinese medicine has two concepts of dietary taboos: a broad concept and a narrow concept. The broad concept of dietary taboos involves food and its relationship with constitution, region, season, age, condition, as well as dietary arrangements, methods, and quantities. The narrow concept of dietary taboos only refers to the dietary restrictions related to the condition.
Medication and Dietary Taboos
During medication, there are certain foods that should be avoided, which is commonly known as dietary taboos. Ancient literature mentions that licorice, coptis chinensis, platycodon, and black plum should not be consumed with pork; mint should not be consumed with turtle meat; poria cocos should not be consumed with vinegar; soft-shelled turtle should not be consumed with amaranth; chicken should not be consumed with eel; honey should not be consumed with green onions; ophiopogon japonicus should not be consumed with carp; atractylodes should not be consumed with garlic, peaches, or plums; ginseng should not be consumed with radishes; and smilax glabra should not be consumed with tea. However, these restrictions should not be taken as absolute and should be flexibly applied. Further clinical evidence is needed to support some of these claims.
Dietary Taboos During Illness
The dietary dos and don'ts during illness are determined based on the nature of the illness, such as cold or heat, deficiency or excess, and the characteristics of the food, including taste, energy, ascending or descending properties, and meridian affinity. Chinese medicine has accumulated a wealth of experience and established systematic theories to guide dietary restrictions during illness. According to ancient medical literature, foods to be avoided during illness can be broadly categorized into the following:
1. Cold: cold drinks, cold food, and large amounts of raw vegetables and fruits, which should be avoided by patients with spleen and stomach deficiency and diarrhea.
2. Sticky: sticky rice, barley, wheat, and other foods made from glutinous or non-glutinous rice, which should be avoided by patients with spleen deficiency and poor appetite or those in the early stages of external pathogens.
3. Greasy: fatty meat, fried food, dairy products (milk, butter, cheese), etc., which should be avoided by patients with spleen dampness or phlegm dampness.
4. Fishy and gamey: sea fish, scaleless fish (pangasius, catfish, flounder, etc.), shrimp, crab, seafood (scallop, clam, dried fish, etc.), mutton, dog meat, deer meat, etc., which should be avoided by patients with wind-heat syndrome, phlegm-heat syndrome, or rashes and ulcers.
5. Spicy: onions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, Sichuan pepper, leeks, alcohol, tobacco, etc., which should be avoided by patients with internal heat syndrome.
6. Foods that induce recurrence: foods that can cause the recurrence of old diseases or aggravation of new diseases. In addition to the aforementioned fishy, gamey, and spicy foods, there are also some special foods, such as buckwheat, bean sprouts, alfalfa, goose meat, chicken head, duck head, pig head, donkey meat, etc., which should be avoided by patients with asthma, wind disorders, or skin diseases.
Dietary Taboos for Different Illnesses
Due to the different nature of cold and heat in bedridden illnesses, the dietary therapy must consider the specific nature of the illness and follow the treatment principles of "treating heat with cold," "treating cold with heat," "tonifying deficiency," and "purging excess."
1. Cold Syndrome: The treatment principle is to tonify qi, warm the middle, dispel cold, and invigorate the spleen. Foods with warm or hot properties should be consumed, while cold and raw foods should be avoided.
2. Heat Syndrome: The treatment principle is to clear heat, generate fluids, and nourish yin. Foods with cooling properties should be consumed, while foods that are warm and drying should be avoided.
3. Deficiency Syndrome: The treatment principle is to tonify and nourish the body. For patients with yang deficiency, warm tonics should be consumed and cold and cooling foods should be avoided. For patients with yin deficiency, mild and nourishing foods should be consumed, while spicy and hot foods should be avoided. Generally, patients with deficiency syndrome should avoid foods that deplete qi and damage fluids and should consume foods that are mild and nutritious.
4. Excess Syndrome: Excess syndrome refers to conditions where pathogenic factors are abundant, such as heat syndrome and cold syndrome. In deficiency syndrome, there may also be signs of excess. Dietary dos and don'ts should be based on the specific condition and aim to treat both the root cause and the symptoms. In some cases, treating the symptoms may be prioritized, while in others, treating the root cause may be prioritized. It is important to focus on the main contradiction in order to achieve good results in combination with medication.
Pregnancy and Postpartum Dietary Taboos
During pregnancy and postpartum, the mother's body undergoes special physiological changes, and diet plays an important role in maintaining health. During pregnancy, the mother's organs and meridians are focused on nourishing the fetus. The mother's body often exhibits a state of yin deficiency and yang excess. Therefore, it is important to avoid consuming spicy and fishy foods that may deplete yin and blood and affect the fetus. Instead, it is recommended to consume sweet and mild foods that nourish and cool the body. For pregnant women with morning sickness, it is advisable to avoid greasy foods and consume foods that invigorate the spleen, harmonize the stomach, and regulate qi. In the later stages of pregnancy, as the fetus grows, it may affect the mother's qi movement, leading to bloating. Therefore, it is advisable to consume fewer foods that cause bloating and constipation, such as buckwheat, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and taro.
Chinese medicine believes that "deficiency is inevitable after childbirth" and that postpartum women often have blood stasis. Postpartum women often exhibit signs of yin and blood deficiency or blood stasis. Additionally, they need to breastfeed their infants. Therefore, the dietary principles after childbirth should focus on nourishing yin and yang, especially nourishing yin and blood. It is recommended to consume sweet and mild grains, meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, while avoiding spicy and drying foods, foods that induce recurrence, and cold and raw foods.
