Ep. 13: Five Elements & Five Flavours – Herbal Medicine & Food Medicine

Today we continue our discussion about the Five Elements in Chinese Medicine – and how they relate to the five flavours of different foods and medicinal herbs. This knowledge forms the foundation of Chinese Herbal Medicine and dietary therapy – and it helps direct us in knowing how to use our pantry as a medicine cabinet. There’s lots to talk about, so let’s get into it!

Five Elements – generation, support and containment

Heirloom vs Cultivated Plants
source: Bill Marsh/The New York Times; illustrations by Matt Curtius

https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/26/sunday-review/26corn-ch.html

https://www.urbanmoonshine.com/blogs/blog/bitters-and-digestive-juices

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25051278

http://www.isnff-jfb.com/index.php/JFB/article/view/89/166

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6766813/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/87559129.2018.1438470

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/bioactive-compound

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6331972/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335903151_Bioactive_composition_and_promising_health_benefits_of_natural_food_flavors_and_colorants_potential_beyond_their_basic_functions

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-05-bitter-receptors-human-hearts.html

https://www.jamesmarrnaturopathy.com.au/why-heirloom-fruit-and-veg-is-better-for-your-health/