Functions of foods based on their tastes in Chinese medicine

In Chinese medicines different tastes are related to different organs and functions.

There are Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Pungent, Salty and Bland tastes

1- Sour (E.g. vinegar, lemon, lime

, tomatoes, strawberry, mango, grapes, pineapple,...)

Function: Astringent, stops discharge from the body like spontaneous sweating or diarrhea

2- Bitter (E.g. asparagus, wine, coffee, seaweed, tea leaf, apricot seed, turnips,...)

Functions: draining heat and drying the dampness, good for bowl movement, helps with constipation

3- Sweet (E.g. Honey, dates, potato, sweet potato, corn, cherry, mushroom, rice,...)

Functions: Helps with pain, good for cramping pain of stomach, helps with dry cough

4- Pungent or spicy (E.g. Onion, ginger, garlic, celery, radish leaf, sweet peppers, cinnamon, cabbage, coriander,...)

Functions: Disperse pathogens, good when there is fever, aversion to cold and maybe cough, good for blood stasis

5- Salty (E.g. Oyster, millet, amaranths, barley, duck meat, parsley, pickles, salt, seafood

Functions: promotes body fluid generation, softening the hardness like abdominal mass or thyroid gland, good for constipation condition, detoxify the body

6- Bland (E.g, Banana, melon, low fat milk, Fruit and vegetable juices,...)

Functions: Helps with urine retention problem, promotes urination

Eating too much of one type of food or flavor may create new health conditions. keeping the balance in consumption of different type of foods is the key to maintain your health.