"Don't eat chicken when you have a cold", "Allergy sufferers should be cautious about eating seafood", "People with weak spleen and stomach should eat less glutinous rice"... People in Lingnan pay attention to health preservation and diet restrictions, and avoid "triggering substances" in traditional Chinese medicine.
The term "triggering substance" is well-known to many people, but what exactly does it mean? There is only a vague impression. Traditional Chinese medicine experts say that "triggering substances" is not a specific concept, and it varies from person to person and from constitution to constitution. For some people, "triggering substances" may affect their health, but the same "triggering substances" may have health benefits for certain individuals. It is important to differentiate and treat accordingly.
【What are Triggering Substances】
Whether it is a triggering substance depends on taste, diseases, and constitution
"There is no clear definition of "triggering substances" in traditional Chinese medicine." said Cao Yang, Director of the Tumor Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. The term "triggering" implies the ability to induce certain diseases or symptoms. Specifically, consuming certain foods may not cause any problems in individuals without pre-existing conditions; for those with pre-existing conditions, it may cause a relapse of the old condition; and for those with existing illnesses, it may worsen the condition. All of these can be considered "triggering substances". For example, people with a cold are not recommended to eat chicken and eggs, which are considered "triggering substances" for those with a cold. However, this does not mean that chicken and eggs are always "triggering substances". For people without a cold, chicken and eggs contain nutrients that are essential for daily nutrition and may not be "triggering substances".
"Whether a food is a triggering substance depends on its taste, diseases, and individual constitution. It is a relative concept," Cao Yang said. To determine whether a food is a triggering substance, one must first consider its taste and whether it is likely to induce diseases or symptoms. For example, eating lamb in the summer can easily cause excessive yang energy and lead to internal heat, making it a triggering substance for most people. Secondly, triggering substances are also related to diseases. For example, some people are prone to allergies when they eat shrimp and crab, so shrimp and crab are triggering substances for these individuals. Additionally, triggering substances are also related to individual constitution. For example, snow pears are considered nourishing and cooling fruits for many people, but for those with a weak constitution and cold body, snow pears are considered triggering substances due to their cooling nature and tendency to cause cold accumulation."
Treating Triggering Substances According to Syndrome Differentiation
Using the right thing in the right way can be a treasure, but using the wrong thing in the wrong way is garbage.
As mentioned above, whether a food is classified as a "triggering substance" depends not only on the characteristics of the food itself, but also on factors such as diseases and constitution. This means that we cannot generalize all triggering substances as harmful. The correct way to achieve health preservation is to consume triggering substances appropriately and avoid their negative effects.
Cao Yang said that triggering substances can be a treasure when used in the right way, but they can be garbage when used in the wrong way. For example, people with high uric acid levels and gout should eat less soy products and seafood, which are triggering substances for them. Inflammatory and tumor patients should eat less triggering substances that are hot and stimulate blood circulation. Patients who have just recovered from a serious illness should eat less greasy, stagnant, and damp-heat triggering substances to avoid affecting digestion. People with a weak constitution during a cold are better off with a light diet to avoid all kinds of triggering substances.
For people with weak spleen and stomach, glutinous rice is a triggering substance that is damp and hot and should not be eaten in large quantities. However, for those with deficient qi and blood, consuming glutinous rice in moderation can help supplement qi. Beef and mutton are prone to causing excessive internal heat for people with a hot and dry constitution, but they have a certain warming effect for people with a deficient and cold constitution, making them particularly suitable for supplementing yang qi in winter.
【Common Types of Triggering Substances】
1. Heat-Inducing Triggering Substances
Typical foods: ginger, garlic, chili, Sichuan pepper, lamb, beef, etc.
Avoid: Those with excessive yang energy and yin deficiency internal heat, generally in summer
Heat-inducing triggering substances themselves have a strong yang energy and can easily cause internal heat. In the summer when yang energy is abundant, it is generally not recommended for consumption, especially for those with excessive yang energy and yin deficiency internal heat.
Recommended: Those with weak spleen and stomach, generally in winter
Heat-inducing triggering substances can sometimes be excellent tonics, especially in winter, where they can help promote yang energy. They can be consumed in moderation.
2. Cold-Accumulating Triggering Substances
Typical foods: snow pears, watermelon, persimmons, etc.
Avoid: Those with weak spleen and stomach, cold constitution
Cold-accumulating triggering substances have a cooling nature, which can worsen symptoms of cold constitution individuals and cause discomfort in the spleen and stomach, so they should be consumed in moderation.
Recommended: Those with yin deficiency internal heat
Cold-accumulating triggering substances are excellent for reducing internal heat in those with yin deficiency internal heat, especially in summer.
3. Damp-Heat Triggering Substances
