Dietary Nourishment (Shíyǎng) originally refers to the nutritional and nourishing effects of food. The concept of dietary nourishment in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) targets healthy individuals, fully reflecting the TCM principle of prevention being paramount. It is the study of rational dietary practices to maximize their nutritional and health benefits.
Dietary Therapy (Shíliáo) refers to the therapeutic effects of food. The concept of dietary therapy in TCM is aimed at individuals who are already ill, reflecting the TCM idea that food and medicine share the same source, with food preceding medicine, and is the study of using appropriate foods or combining food with medicine to treat diseases through daily dietary practices.
Dietary therapy, also known as food treatment, utilizes the properties of food under the guidance of TCM theory to regulate bodily functions, promoting health or preventing diseases. Dietary therapy employs common foods from our daily lives, accurately paired and carefully prepared to exert their natural effects; over time, it helps the body activate its self-healing abilities, achieving natural health from the inside out.
TCM has long recognized that food can not only provide nutrition but also treat and prevent diseases. For instance, the modern physician Zhang Xichun noted in his work Medical Records of the Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine: “Food, when consumed by patients, not only treats diseases but also satisfies hunger.”
The Role and Importance of Dietary Therapy
The renowned physician Sun Simiao in his work Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold made a profound summary: “Food can expel evils and stabilize the organs, delight the spirit and invigorate the blood and qi. If one can use food to balance ailments and relieve diseases, they can be considered a skilled practitioner… One must first understand the source of the illness, know what has been violated, and treat it with food. If dietary therapy does not cure, then medicine should be prescribed.”
This tells us that food can expel evils and promote health, nourishing the body’s qi and blood. Those who can cure diseases solely with food can be considered excellent doctors. The general principle of treating diseases is to understand the cause of the illness, clarify the condition, and then first use food for treatment. If food therapy is ineffective, then medicine should be used.
It is clear that dietary therapy and dietary nourishment are two completely different categories. Since the fundamental principle of TCM in treating diseases is to “regulate yin and yang, using the bias (food and medicine) to correct the deviation (the body),” it means using the properties of various treatment mediums to correct the imbalances in the body’s yin and yang, restoring it to a state of balance. Therefore, we must distinguish between dietary nourishment formulas and dietary therapy formulas. When encountering related information, we must carefully examine their functions and applicable ranges, and we must not consume them indiscriminately.
Dietary therapy is not only used for treating diseases, but also plays an important role in disease prevention, enhancing bodily functions, and improving immune capacity.
Today, dietary therapy for health maintenance can be divided into traditional dietary therapy and modern dietary therapy health maintenance. Traditional dietary therapy is represented by TCM dietary therapy, while modern dietary therapy focuses on organic nutritional foods.
However, both emphasize the diversity of diet and reasonable pairing, sharing similar principles.
