Organic actions of foods refer to specific internal organs on which the foods can act. The Chinese people focus on ten internal organs for dietary treatment: lungs, large intestine, small intestine, gall bladder, bladder, liver, kidneys, spleen, heart, and stomach. Each food acts on one or more internal organs according to the organic actions of that particular food. For example, celery acts on the stomach and liver; carrot on the lungs and spleen; eggplant on the spleen, stomach, and large intestine; wheat on the heart, spleen, and kidneys.
Flavors and energies of foods are important factors in determining the organic actions of foods. Generally, when the energy and flavor of a specific food are relatively simple, that food may only act on one organ. For example, almond is neutral and sweet, so it only acts on the lungs; wheat bran is cool and sweet, so it only acts on the stomach; kelp is cold and salty, so it only acts on the stomach. But when a food has more than one energy or one flavor, it may act on two or more organs at the same time. For example, tea is cool (or slightly cold) and bittersweet; it acts upon three internal organs—the heart, lungs, and stomach; barley is cool and sweet and salty; it acts on the spleen and stomach. However, this is just a general principle because many foods that have one energy and one flavor still act upon two or more internal organs simultaneously; and conversely, many foods that have two or more energies and flavors act only on one organ.
The organic actions of foods, like the flavors and energies of foods, have been discovered by the inductive and deductive methods throughout Chinese history. At first, certain foods may be effective in the treatment of some organic diseases. Consequently, such foods are considered good for specific actions on the diseased organs. This is arrived at by the inductive method. After many isolated instances have been observed, gradually, the results are used to establish the associations between foods and internal organs. Chinese physicians have always put great emphasis on the relationships between internal organs and body surface, including the skin, the five senses, and visible symptoms. The diseases on the body surface are then traced back to the related internal organs.
In Chinese belief, the eyes are associated with the liver; eye diseases may be traced to the liver. Ears are associated with the kidneys; deafness and hearing loss may be traced to the kidneys. The nose is associated with the lungs; disease of the nose may be traced to the lungs. Mouth and lips are associated with the spleen; mouth and lip diseases may be traced to the spleen. And since the tongue is associated with the heart, diseases of the tongue may be traced to the heart.
After the associations between internal organs and body surface are established, some foods may be found very effective when treating symptoms on the body surface. Gradually, these foods are used to establish the associations between foods and internal organs. This is arrived at by the deductive method. Chicken liver, for example, is effective for blurred vision; since the eyes are associated with the liver, it follows that the relationship between chicken liver and our liver may be established. Another example, honey is effective for the relief of constipation—a symptom related to the large intestine—so that the association between honey and the large intestine is established.
The following foods of different organic actions are listed with the organ on which they act:
Bladder: Chinese wax gourd, cinnamon bark, cinnamon twig, fennel, grapefruit peel, watermelon.
Gall Bladder: chicory, corn silk.
Heart: bitter gourd, chicken egg yolk, cinnamon twig, crab apple, green pepper, longan, lotus fruit and seed, lotus plumule, milk (cow's and human), mung bean, muskmelon, persimmon, red pepper, small red or adzuki bean, saffron, watermelon, wheat, wine.
Kidneys: black sesame seed, black soybean, caraway, carp (common), chestnut, chicken egg yolk, cinnamon bark, dangshen, eucommia bark, foxglove root, honey, Job's tears, lily bulb, litchi fruit and seed, mung bean, peach kernel, pig kidney, pig's bone marrow, primrose root, raspberry, rose bud, sheep kidney, Solomon's seal rhizome, sparrow, turtle shell gelatin, walnut, yam.
Large Intestine: barley, bean curd, beef, bitter gourd, black fungus, black pepper, brown sugar, cabbage (Chinese), caraway, carp (gold and grass), celery, chestnut, chicken, chive, clam (saltwater and freshwater), clamshell (river and sea), clove, common button mushroom, corn, crab, cucumber, date (red and black), eggplant, fennel, garlic, ginger (fresh and dried), green onion (white head), hawthorn fruit, horse bean, hyacinth bean, kelp, lettuce, licorice, malt, maltose, milk (cow's and human), mung bean, muskmelon, olive, pear, pork, radish, radish leaf, rice bran, rice (polished), salt, shiitake mushroom, squash, sugar cane, sweet basil, sweet rice, sword bean, tangerine, taro, vinegar, water chestnut, watermelon, wheat bran, white pepper, wine.
Lungs: almond, apricot kernel, beef, black sesame seed, carp (common), chestnut, Chinese chive, Chinese yam, citrus peel, clamshell (river and sea), coriander, cowpea, cuttlefish, duck, honey, job's tears, loquat, lotus root, lily bulb, malt, milk (cow's and human), mulberry fruit and root bark, onion (white head), pear, pine nut, pork, pumpkin, radish leaf, red bean, soybean sprout, spinach, sugar cane, water chestnut, watermelon, wheat, white fungus.
Small Intestine: Chinese wax gourd, small red or adzuki bean, salt, spinach.
Spleen: barley, bean curd, beef, bitter gourd, black fungus, black pepper, brown sugar, cabbage (Chinese), caraway, carp (gold and grass), celery, chestnut, chicken, chive, clam (saltwater and freshwater), clamshell (river and sea), clove, common button mushroom, corn, crab, cucumber, date (red and black), eggplant, fennel, garlic, ginger (fresh and dried), green onion (white head), hawthorn fruit, horse bean, hyacinth bean, kelp, lettuce, licorice, malt, maltose, milk (cow's and human), mung bean, muskmelon, olive, pear, pork, radish, radish leaf, rice bran, rice (polished), salt, shiitake mushroom, squash, sugar cane, sweet basil, sweet rice, sword bean, tangerine, taro, vinegar, water chestnut, watermelon, wheat bran, white pepper, wine.
Stomach: chicken, cinnamon bark, clamshell (river and sea), clove, coriander, cucumber, cuttlefish, duck, fennel, garlic, ginger (fresh and dried), grapefruit, honey, horse bean, hyacinth bean, kelp, lettuce, licorice, malt, maltose, milk (cow's and human), mung bean, muskmelon, olive, pear, pork, radish, rice bran, rice (polished), salt, shiitake mushroom, squash, sugar cane, sweet basil, sweet rice, sword bean, taro, tangerine, water chestnut, watermelon, wheat bran, white pepper, wine.
In conclusion, understanding the organic actions of foods can aid in developing a balanced and nutritious diet for optimal health. It is essential to note that these associations are not rigid and may vary depending on the individual's condition, and it is always best to consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any significant dietary changes.
Get Our Emails daily.
