ACTIONS OF FOOD

Compiled by Dr. David Chan

From: Chinese System of Food Cures, by Henry Lu
The Tao of Nutrition, by Dr. Ni


Chinese nutrition is the tasty counterpart to Chinese herbology. The only significant difference between the two is that the nutrition tends to be more appetizing than the herbal tea formulas.

The basis for therapeutic qualities is exactly the same. On a related page, we take a look at energetics and therapeutic qualties catagorized by the kind of food.

On this page we go the opposite direction. We begin with the desired results and then list the foods that are known to have the appropriate effect.


ACTIONS OF FOOD

ARREST BLEEDING:
black fungus, chestnut, Chicken eggshell, cottonseed, cuttlebone, guava, lotus plumule, spinach, vinegar
CALM SHEN:
licorice, lily flower
REDUCE STOMACH ACID:
chicken eggshell, cuttlebone
STOP PERSPIRATION:
oyster shell, peach
STOP URINATION:
raspberry
ASTRINGE JING:
lotus plumule, oyster shell, walnut, black fungus,
CLEAR TOXINS:
abalone, banana, bean curd, black soybean, castor bean, cherry seed chicken egg white, Chinese wax gourd, clam (freshwater), cucumber, date (red & black), fig, honey, JobŐs tears, kohlrabi, radish, salt, sesame oil, small red bean, star fruit, vinegar
DISPERSE BLOOD STAGNATION:
brown sugar, chive, chiveroot, crab, hawthorn fruit, saffron, vinegar
DISPERSE COLD:
ginger (fresh), wine
TRANSFORM PHLEGM:
Chinese wax gourd, clam (saltwater), longevity fruit, pear, radish, sea grass seaweed
FACILITATE MEASLE ERUPTIONS:
cherry seed, coriander, sunflower seed
IMPROVE APPETITE:
green & red pepper, ham
INDUCE BOWEL MOVEMENT:
castor bean, sesame oil
INDUCE PERSPIRATION:
cinnamon twig, coriander, ginger, green onion, marjoram, rosemary
LUBRICATE DRYNESS:
bean curd, chicken egg & yolk, honey, maltose, motherŐs milk, pear, pork, sesame oil, spinach, sugar cane juice, yellow soy bean
LUBRICATE INTESTINES:
bitter & sweet apricot seed, banana, milk, peach, soybean oil, walnut, watermelon
LUBRICATE LUNGS:
apple, apricot, chicken egg white, ginseng, lily flower, longevity fruit, loquat, mandarin orange, peanuts, persimmon, strawberry, white fungus, white sugar
PRODUCE FLUIDS:
apple, apricot, bean curd, coconut, red & black date, ham, lemon, licorice, litchi, maltose, milk, peach, pear, plum, sour plum, star fruit, strawberry, sugar cane juice, tomato, white fungus, white sugar
PROMOTE BLOOD CIRCULATION:
black soybean, brown sugar, chestnut, eel blood, peach, saffron, sweet basil, wine
PROMOTE DIGESTION:
apple, coriander, ginseng, green & red pepper, hops, malt, nutmeg, papaya, pineapple, plum, radish & leaf, sweet basil, tomato
PROMOTE ENERGY CIRCULATION:
caraway, chive & root, dillseeds, dry mandarin orange peel, fennel, garlic, kumquat, litchi, marjoram, radish leaf, spearmint, star anise, sweet basil, tangerine, tobacco
PROMOTE MILK SECRETION:
common carp, lettuce
PROMOTE URINATION:
asparagus, barley, Chinese cabbage, carrot, Chinese wax gourd, coconut, coffee, corn silk, cucumber, grape, hops, JobŐs tears, kidney bean, lettuce, mandarin orange, mango, mung bean, muskmelon, onion, pineapple, plum, star fruit, sugar cane juice, water chestnut, watermelon
QUENCH THIRST:
crab apple, cucumber, loquat, mango, muskmelon, persimmon, pineapple
REDUCE FEVER:
muskmelon, star fruit, water chestnut
RELIEVE ASTHMA:
bitter apricot seed
RELIEVE COUGH:
sweet & bitter apricot seed, kumquat, longevity fruit, mandarin orange, tangerine, thyme
RELIEVE DIARRHEA:
guava, sunflower seed
RELIEVE HEAT SENSATIONS:
chicken egg white, crab, mung bean, sea grass
RELIEVE PAIN:
honey, litchi, spearmint, squash, tobacco
SHARPEN VISION(Brighten eyes):
abalone, bitter gourd, wild cucumber, freshwater clam, cuttlefish
SOFTEN HARDNESS:
saltwater clam, kelp, oyster shell, sea grass, seaweed
TONIFY BLOOD DEFICIENCY:
beef, chicken egg & yolk, cuttlefish, motherŐs milk, oyster, spinach
TONIFY QI DEFICIENCY:
sweet apricot seed, bean curd, beef, brown sugar, chicken, eel, licorice, maltose, mutton, polished rice, potato, sweet rice, sweet potato
TONIFY HEART:
coffee, wheat
TONIFY KIDNEYS:
black sesame seed, string bean, sword bean, wheat, kidney
TONIFY LIVER:
black sesame seed, liver
TONIFY LUNGS:
JobŐs tears, milk
TONIFY SPLEEN:
beef, gold carp, ham, horse bean, hyacinth bean, JobŐs tears, polished rice, potato, string bean, sweet potato, yellow soybean
TONIFY STOMACH:
beef, hops, milk, rosemary
RELIEVE DRUNKENNESS:
apple, ginseng, strawberry
WARM INTERIOR:
black & white pepper, chicken, chive roots, clove, fennel, dried ginger, green & red pepper, mutton, nutmeg, sword bean

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