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In the theory of TCM health preservation, based on the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) doctrine, the five flavors (sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty) and five colors (green, red, yellow, white, black) are linked to various attributes of things, illustrating the connection between humans and nature.
Humans live between heaven and earth, within the natural environment, and are part of the material world, thus should integrate with nature. The colorful plants of the natural world, nourished by sunlight and rain, provide food sources for the spiritual beings of all living things. The five organs of the human body are closely related to the five colors of nature.
The five colors (green, red, yellow, white, black) that everyone is familiar with correspond to different organs and have different effects. Foods of different colors have varying health benefits. Foods of different colors possess different properties and correspond to different meridians.
Green(Qing) nourishes the liver
Common green foods include mung beans, spinach (nourishes the liver), broccoli, cucumbers, loofah, celery, leeks, green peppers, chrysanthemum greens, asparagus lettuce, cabbage, shepherd’s purse (has a clearing heat and lowering blood pressure effect), rapeseed, green beans, cowpeas, water spinach, black fungus, green amaranth, radish leaves, bitter melon (clears heart fire and can secrete insulin), and some fruits.
Red nourishes the heart
Common red foods include red beans, sweet potatoes, carrots (protects eyesight, strengthens the spleen, nourishes the liver), red peppers, red dates, tomatoes, hawthorn, and Chinese toon.
Yellow benefits the spleen and stomach
Common yellow foods include yellow soybeans, millet, burdock (good for clearing spleen and stomach heat, can be stewed with red and white radishes for soup), sweet potatoes, coix seed (sweet, bland, slightly cold, benefits water and reduces swelling, strengthens the spleen and dispels dampness, relaxes tendons and alleviates pain, clears heat and drains pus, commonly used as a diuretic), yellow chives, pumpkin (produces insulin, treats diabetes), apples, egg yolks, corn, etc.
White moistens the lungs
Common white foods include white beans, winter melon, pears, white radishes, tremella, lotus root, lilies, water bamboo, tofu, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, Chinese yam, and yam bean.
Black nourishes the kidneys
Common black foods include black beans, black rice, black sesame, black fungus, nori, and kelp (also has lung-moistening effects).
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