We consume food daily, and our three meals each day can either unknowingly contribute to our health or potentially lead to illness. Oriental Medicine utilizes food as a means to treat various human diseases. Interestingly, more than half of what we term "herbal medicines" are, in fact, foods. Even foods not commonly used as herbal remedies are described and handled like herbal medicines in Oriental medicine references. In essence, within the realm of traditional medicine, all foods are considered potential herbal medicines.
The Continuous Movement of Substances Within the Human Body
The central 'E' in the diagram represents the Essence of life, which is stored at the deepest level within the body.
When the substances that had gathered within the smaller circle where 'E' is located disperse into, the larger circle on the outermost layer, there needs to be a significant increase in the spaces between these substance particles. As particles move farther apart, matter gradually loses its form and transforms into a gaseous state, similar to air. Conversely, when the spaces between particles decrease, gases condense into liquids, and with further compression, liquids solidify, resembling solids.
In Oriental medicine, the phenomenon of life-sustaining substances gradually transitioning into a gaseous state as they spread toward the skin is referred to as yang (阳). In contrast, substances gradually gathering towards the center of the body and transitioning from liquid to solid states are referred to as yin (阴).
Yin and yang represent the directionality of change in substances rather than fixed entities.
Surprisingly, the seemingly complex concept of life in Oriental medicine is straightforward and clear. It is essentially about the continuous movement of energy that sustains life, flowing outward toward the skin and inward toward the center of the body organs. Therefore, the occurrence of diseases within the body can be viewed as blockages or stagnation within this flow of energy. Accordingly, treatment involves restoring the normal flow of energy to the affected areas. By doing so, any obstructions are cleared, and the disease can be rapidly alleviated. In other words, if the flow is spreading but gets blocked, it must be made to spread again. Conversely, it must be made to gather again if it is gathering but gets blocked.
Hence, Oriental medicine explains the effects of all-natural plant-based ingredients on the body in terms of their position and direction of influence. Position indicates the location where substances affect the body, and direction signifies whether the substances promote spreading or gathering.
Nutrition science traditionally categorizes foods based on their known components. In contrast, Oriental medicine simplifies this classification into taste(sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty) and nature(cold, cool, warm, hot). When individuals encounter this straightforward logic for the first time, they may find it challenging to believe in its effectiveness. However, by introducing concepts from physics, such as the principles of movement within life and its driving force, it becomes evident that taste refers to the position of disruption in the flow of life-sustaining energy, and nature indicates the direction that allows this flow to continue uninterrupted.
In other words, directly treating diseases involves the dynamic flow of life-sustaining energy, while drugs or foods serve to maintain this flow. Therefore, when selecting curative foods for treatment, one must determine their taste and nature, and this understanding is vital in this context.
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