🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Nutraceutical dishes serve multiple purposes including health preservation, wellness, disease prevention, and treatment. Their application should follow certain principles. Medicines treat diseases quickly and focus on curing illness; nutraceutical dishes primarily nourish the body and prevent disease, acting slowly and emphasizing nourishment and prevention. While nutraceutical dishes play a crucial role in health maintenance, recovery, and wellness, they cannot replace pharmaceutical therapy. Each has strengths and limitations; selection must depend on individual constitution and condition—avoid misuse.
1. Use based on syndrome differentiation: Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes syndrome differentiation and treatment. Nutraceutical use should also be based on syndrome differentiation when selecting ingredients. For example, patients with blood deficiency often choose blood-nourishing foods like jujubes and peanuts; those with yin deficiency prefer goji berries, lily bulbs, and Ophiopogon japonicus. Only by matching ingredients to syndromes can nutraceutical benefits be maximized.
2. Adaptation to season: Traditional Chinese medicine holds that humans correspond with celestial bodies, and the flow of zang-fu organs and qi-blood closely relates to natural climate changes. “Avoid cold when using cold substances, avoid heat when using hot substances”—meaning when using cold-natured herbs, avoid winter; when using hot-natured herbs, avoid summer. This principle applies equally to nutraceutical dishes.
3. Individualization: People differ in constitution and age; nutraceutical choices should vary accordingly. Children have delicate constitutions—avoid extremely cold or hot ingredients. Elderly often suffer from liver and kidney deficiency—avoid overly warming or drying herbs. Pregnant women risk stimulating fetal movement—avoid blood-activating or slippery substances. These points require attention in nutraceutical use.
4. Regional adaptation: Different regions have varying climates and lifestyles, resulting in differences in physiological functions and pathological changes. Some areas are humid—diets favor warm, spicy, and pungent foods; others are cold—diets favor warm, rich, and greasy foods. Southern Guangdong diets tend toward cool, light, and sweet tastes. Similarly, nutraceutical ingredient selection should consider regional differences.