Therapeutic Properties of Foods

Food Properties

(Press "Control" and "F", at the same time, to bring up a search box to locate specific foods you may be looking for.)

The following is a list of foods and their properties according to Chinese medical theory. Explanation of the properties aren't given here as this is posted primarily for reference by current patients seeking to alter their diet according to their Chinese medical diagnosis.

A word of caution should be given. Food is medicine. It could be understood as a drug in that you ingest it and it alters your body. Compared to pharmaceuticals, though, food is very 'weak'. However, as you eat several times a day, every day, the cumulative effects of food are huge, hence, the ability to use food effectively as medicine.

As a medicine, food is very forgiving. That is, you can eat foods with the wrong therapeutic properties and very little harm will be done in the short term. Whereas, with pharmaceuticals, the wrong one could do immediate and serious harm. If the foods you eat are not appropriate, medically speaking, for you, you usually will see signs way before harm is done. These 'signs' include all the basics of poor diet, eg. bloating, indigestion, poor energy, nausea, etc.

One of the first rules, in my practice, for diet therapy is paying closer to attention to the foods you eat and how they make you feel. Therefore, as you change your diet, pay very close attention to how you feel. This will be all the feedback you need to gauge progress. I would suggest keeping a food journal and tracking what you eat and how you feel immediately before and after meals, physically as well mentally/emotionally.

I have given the energetic temperatures and flavors, as well, to assist in finding foods that are even better suited for an individual situation (Sweet-Spleen/Stomach system, Bitter-Heart/Small Intestine system, Sour-Liver/Gallbladder system, Pungent/Spicy-Lung/Large Intestine system, Salty-Kidney/Urinary bladder system).

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Yin Nourishing Foods

(careful as a lot of these are Cold, in nature, and can be hard on the digestive system)

Abalone (Neutral, Salty, Sweet)
Aduki beans (Neutral, Sour, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic)
Alfalfa sprout (Neutral, Bitter, Salty, also Tonifies Blood)
Apple (Cool, Sour, Sweet)
Artichoke (Cool, Bitter, Salty, Sweet, also Tonifies Blood)
Asparagus (Cold, Bitter, Sweet)
Avocado (Cool, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic) Avocado
Banana (Cold, Sweet)
Beef (Neutral to Warm, Sweet, also a Qi and Blood Tonic)
Cheese (Neutral, Sour, Sweet)
Clam (Cold, Salty, (Freshwater also Sweet))
Coconut milk (Warm, Sweet)
Crab (Cold, Salty)
Cuttlefish (Neutral, Salty, also a Blood Tonic)
Duck (Neutral, Sweet)
Egg (Neutral, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic (Tonic properties are of the yolk)
Honey (Neutral, Sweet)
Kelp (Cool, Salty, also a Blood Tonic)
Kidney Bean (Neutral, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic)
Kidney, pork (Neutral, Salty)
Lemon/Lime (Cold, Sour)
Lima bean (Cool, Sweet)
Mango (Cold, Sour, Sweet)
Marjoram (Cool, Bitter, Pungent, Sweet)
Milk, cow (Neutral to Warm, Sweet)
Nettle (Cool, Salty, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic)
Nori (Cold, Salty, Sweet)
Octopus (Cold, Salty, Sweet, also a Qi and Blood Tonic)
Oyster (Neutral, Salty, Sweet, also a Qi and Blood Tonic)
Pea (Neutral, Sweet) Peas
Pear (Cool, Sour, Sweet)
Pineapple (Neutral, Sour, Sweet)
Pomegranate (Neutral, Sour Sweet)
Pork (Neutral, Salty, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic)
Rabbit (Cool, Sweet, also a Qi Tonic)
Seaweed (Cold, Salty)
Sesame, black and white (Neutral, Sweet, Black is also a Blood Tonic)
Shark (Neutral, Salty, Sweet)
Spelt (Warm, Sweet)
String Bean (Neutral Sweet)
Tofu (Cold, Sweet, also a Qi Tonic)
Tomato (Cold, Sour, Sweet)
Walnut (Warm, Sweet, also a Qi and Yin Tonic)
Watermelon (Cold, Sweet) Yam (Neutral, Sweet, also a Qi Tonic)

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Yang Strengthening Foods

(careful as these can be very warming)

Anchovy (Warm, Sweet)
Basil (Warm, Bitter, Pungent, Sweet)
Cassio fruit (Warm, Pungent)
Chestnut (Warm, Sweet)
Cinnamon, bark (Hot, Bitter, Pungent) Cinnamon Bark
Clove (Warm, Pungent)
Dill seed (Warm, Pungent)
Fennel seed (Warm, Pungent, Sweet)
Garlic (Hot, Pungent, Salty, Sweet)
Ginger, dry (Hot, Pungent)
Horseradish (Hot, Pungent)
Kidney, beef (Warm, Sweet)
Lamb (Hot, Sweet)
Lobster (Warm, Salty, Sweet)
Nutmeg (Warm, Pungent)
Pistachio (Neutral, Bitter, Sour, Sweet)
Quinoa (Warm, Sweet, Sour)
Raspberry (Neutral, Sour, Sweet) Raspberries
Rosemary (Warm, Pungent, Sweet)
Sage (Warm, Pungent)
Savory (Warm, Bitter, Pungent, Sweet)
Shrimp (Warm, Sweet)
Thyme (Warm, Bitter, Pungent)
Walnut (Warm, Sweet, also a Qi and Yin Tonic)

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Qi Strengthening Foods

Beef (Neutral to Warm, Sweet, also a Yin and Blood Tonic)
Cherry (Warm, Sweet) Lentils
Chicken (Warm, Sweet)
Coconut (Neutral, Sweet)
Date (Warm, Sweet)
Eel (Warm, Sweet)
Fig (Neutral, Sweet)
Grape (Neutral, Sour, Sweet)
Ham (Warm, Salty)
Lentil (Neutral, Sweet)
Liver, chicken (Warm, Sweet)
Mackerel (Neutral, Sweet)
Molasses (Warm, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic)
Mutton (Warm, Sweet)
Oats (Warm, Sweet, also Blood Tonic and Qi Mover, but may hamper digestion)
Octopus (Cold, Salty, Sweet, also a Yin and Blood Tonic)
Oyster (Neutral, Salty, Sweet, also a Yin and Blood Tonic) Oats
Pheasant (Warm, Sour, Sweet)
Potato (Neutral, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Quail (Neutral, Sweet)
Rabbit (Cool, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Rice (White-Neutral, Brown-Warm, Sweet, also Blood Tonic)
Squash (Warm, Sweet)
Sweet Potato (Warm, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Tofu (Cold, Sweet)
Trout (Hot, Sour)
Walnut (Warm, Sweet, also a Qi and Yin Tonic)
Yam (Neutral, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)

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Blood Strengthening Foods

Adzuki beans (Neutral, Sour, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Amasake (Warm, Sweet)
Apricot (Neutral, Sour Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Barley (Cool to Neutral, Salty, Sweet, also Tonifies Yin)
Beef (Neutral to Warm, Sweet, also a Qi and Yin Tonic)
Beetroot (Neutral, Sweet)
Corn (Neutral to Warm, Sweet, also Tonifies Qi)
Cuttlefish (Neutral, Salty, also a Yin Tonic)
Dandelion, leaf (Cold, Bitter, Salty, Sweet)
Dark leafy greens
Date (Warm, Sweet)
Egg (Neutral, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic (Tonic properties are of the yolk)
Fig (Neutral, Sweet)
Grape (Neutral, Sour, Sweet)
Kidney bean (Neutral, Sweet, also a Blood Tonic)
Liver Beef (Neutral, Sweet)
Pork (Warm, Bitter, Sweet)
Molasses (Warm, Sweet, also a Qi Tonic) Spinach
Nettle (Cool, Salty, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Octopus (Cold, Salty, Sweet, also a Qi and Yin Tonic)
Oyster (Neutral, Salty, Sweet, also a Qi and Yin Tonic)
Parsley (Warm, Bitter, Pungent, Salty)
Pork (Neutral, Salty, Sweet, also a Yin Tonic)
Sardine (Neutral, Salty, Sweet)
Spinach (Cool, Sweet)
Sweet Rice (Sushi rice, Warm, Sweet, also Tonifies Qi)
Watercress (Warm, Bitter, Pungent)

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Qi Movers

Orange peel Basil (Warm, Bitter, Pungent, Sweet, also a Yang Tonic)
Caraway (Warm, Pungent, Sweet)
Cardamom (Warm, Bitter, Pungent, Sweet)
Carrot (Neutral, Sweet)
Cayenne (Hot, Pungent, also a Yang Tonic)
Chive, leaf (Warm, Pungent)
Clove (Warm, Pungent, also a Yang Tonic)
Coriander (Neutral, Pungent, Sour)
Dill seed (Warm, Pungent)
Garlic (Hot, Pungent, Salty, Sweet, also a Yang Tonic)
Orange peel (Warm, Sweet, Sour)
Radish (Cool, Pungent, Sweet)
Turmeric (Warm, Bitter, Pungent)

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Miscellaneous Foods

Agar (Cold, Sweet)
Almond (Neutral, Sweet) Almonds
Aniseed (Warm, Pungent, Sweet)
Blackberry (Warm, Sour, Sweet)
Blackcurrant (Cool, Sour, Sweet)
Blueberry (Cool, Sour)
Broccoli (Cool, Bitter, Pungent)
Brown sugar (Warm, Sweet)
Butter (Warm, Sweet)
Cabbage (Neutral, Pungent, Sweet)
Carob (Warm, Sour, Sweet)
Carp (Neutral, Sweet)
Chickpea (Neutral, Sweet)
Chili (Hot, Pungent)
Coriander seed (Neutral, Pungent, Sour)
Cranberry (Cold, Sour, Sweet)
Cucumber (Cool, Sweet)
Cumin (Warm, Pungent)
Grapefruit (Cold, Sour, Sweet)
Hazel (Neutral, Sweet)
Kale (Warm, Bitter, Sweet)
Lettuce (Cool, Bitter, Sweet)
Melon (Cold, Sweet)
Millet (Cool, Salty, Sweet)
Mint (Cool, Pungent)
Miso (Warm, Salty)
Mushroom, button (Cool, Sweet) Mushrooms
Mustard (Hot, Pungent)
Olive (Neutral, Sour, Sweet)
Olive oil (Neutral, Sweet)
Onion (Warm, Pungent)
Orange (Cool, Sour, Sweet)
Oregano (Warm, Bitter, Pungent, Sweet)
Papaya (Neutral, Bitter, Sweet)
Peach (Warm, Sour, Sweet)
Peanut (Neutral, Sweet, oil has same properties)
Pepper, back (Hot, Pungent, Sweet)
Plum (Neutral, Sour, Sweet)
Pumpkin (Neutral, Sweet)
Pumpkin seed (Neutral, Bitter, Sweet)
Rhubarb (Cold, Bitter)
Rye (Neutral, Bitter)
Saffron (Neutral, Pungent)
Salmon (Neutral, Sweet)
Salt (Cold, Salty)
Scallion (Warm, Bitter, Pungent)
Sesame oil (Cool, Sweet)
Soy sauce (Cool, Salty)
Sugar, white (Neutral, Sweet)
Strawberry (Cool, Sour, Sweet)
Sunflower seed (Neutral, Sweet)
Turkey (Warm, Sweet)
Vinegar (Warm, Bitter, Sour)
Wheat (Cool to Warm, Sweet)
Yogurt (Cold, Sour, Sweet)

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John Aguilar, Jr, MS, LAc

CYT, Dipl Ac & CH (NCCAOM)