In the "Great Treatise on the Ultimate Truth" section of Su Wen, it is said: "Sour enters the liver first, bitter enters the heart first, sweet enters the spleen first, pungent enters the lungs first, and salty enters the kidneys first
In the long-term practice, doctors combine the theory of organs and meridians with the theory of the Five Elements to match the five flavors with the five organs, and use the five flavors to nourish the five organs. The five organs have abundant essence and qi, and the human body is healthy and balanced.
Acid can absorb energy and astringency
Sour taste has a astringent and astringent effect, known as "sourness". Sour medicinal food is often used to treat diseases such as body deficiency, excessive sweating, prolonged cough, prolonged diarrhea, nocturnal emissions, and enuresis.
Ume is a representative sour medicine and the main source of sour taste in traditional drinks such as sour plum soup. The "braised plum water" recorded in the "Wulin Old Stories" of the Southern Song Dynasty is the predecessor of sour plum soup, which was improved to "earth tribute plum decoction" in the imperial kitchen of the Qing Dynasty and became popular in palaces. It is said that Emperor Qianlong was particularly fond of this drink and praised it as "the imperial made plum soup of the Qing Palace's exotic treasures". Later transmitted to the people, it has been used to this day and has become sour plum soup.
Bitterness can dry up and cause diarrhea
Bitter taste has the effects of clearing and drying dampness, known as "bitter hardness". Bitter tasting medicinal foods are often used to treat wheezing, coughing, nausea, constipation, etc. Drinking tea daily has the effect of clearing heart fire.
Lotus seeds have a bitter taste and a cold nature. They have the effects of clearing the heart and calming the mind, connecting the heart and kidneys, and stopping bleeding with astringent essence. The book "Wen Bing Tiao Bian" records: "Lotus seed heart, which runs from the heart to the kidneys, can make the fire of the heart flow downwards to the kidneys, and then rise in a loop, which can make the water of the kidneys flow upwards to the heart." Therefore, lotus seed heart is suitable for insomnia patients with the main manifestations of dry mouth, thirst, hand and foot heart heat, and hot flashes and night sweats, who suffer from heart kidney disharmony and Yin deficiency with excessive fire. People with a cold constitution, such as aversion to cold and heat, pale complexion, and easy fatigue from eating less, should not consume it for a long time.
Gan Neng can slow down and replenish
It is sweet and has the function of nourishing, neutralizing, and relieving pain. That is, 'sweet and gentle'. Sweet medicinal food is often used to treat weakness, pain, poisoning, etc.
Gan is the king of all flavors, sweet food brings joy to the heart and is loved by children. Jujube has a sweet taste and a warm nature. It has the effects of nourishing the middle and qi, nourishing the blood and calming the mind. People with physical weakness are suitable for using sweet ingredients to nourish and harmonize. Steaming jujube or drinking jujube tea regularly can nourish the blood vessels and strengthen the spleen and stomach. But those with constipation, oral ulcers, wind heat, cold and other heat syndromes need to choose carefully.
Xin Neng San can do it
Xin Wei has the function of dispersing and resolving the surface, promoting qi and blood circulation, known as "Xin San". Spicy medicinal foods are often used to treat illnesses such as colds.
Perilla leaves are a common pungent medicine and an ordinary ingredient in daily life. When steaming seafood, it is often accompanied by perilla leaves. According to legend, when Hua Tuo was collecting herbs by the river, he observed that otters were experiencing discomfort after eating the fish they caught. They rolled on the shore and immediately recovered after consuming a purple herb. Later, Hua Tuo used this herb to treat a young man who had abdominal pain after eating crabs. As a result, the herb turned purple and felt very comfortable when eaten, so he named it "Purple Shu", which is now known as Perilla frutescens.
Salty can be soft at the bottom
Salty taste has the effects of diarrhea, softening and softening, and dispersing, that is, "salty and soft". Salty medicinal food is often used to treat diseases such as phlegm nuclei, galls, and lumps.
Many salty ingredients or medicinal herbs come from the sea, such as seaweed, kelp, oysters, etc. Chinese medicine oysters have a salty and astringent taste, with a slightly cold nature. They have the effects of calming the mind, tonifying yin, softening and dispersing lumps. They are obtained by removing the meat and shell of oysters (oysters) that we eat in our daily lives, washing and drying them. Compared to oyster shells, oyster meat is highly favored for its delicious taste, and the "foodie" Su Dongpo praised its delicious taste in his book "Eating Oysters".
The five flavors should be balanced and not biased towards preference
The above five medicinal and edible products are all beneficial to the body, but they should not be consumed excessively and are not suitable for everyone to consume. The "Suiyuan Food List" states: "Having too many five flavors is not pleasant
In the chapter on the generation of the Five Organs in Su Wen, it is said: "Eating too much salt causes the veins to coagulate and cry, and the color to change; eating too much bitterness causes the skin to become withered and the hair to be pulled out; eating too much spicy food causes the tendons to become urgent and the claws to wither; eating too much sour food causes the flesh to boil and the lips to peel; eating too much sweet food causes bone pain and loss. These five flavors are also harmful
From a medicinal perspective, the five flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty) directly nourish the five organs of the human body (liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys). Although beneficial, the more is not the better. Whether it is a preference for the five flavors in the diet or too much of them, they can damage the essence and qi of the organs, cause metabolic disorders, nutritional imbalances, and further lead to the occurrence of various diseases.