🌿 Folk Prescriptions

The popularity of the Korean drama *Dae Jang Geum* has once again showcased the power of “Hallyu.” In the series, the beautiful and kind protagonist’s difficult journey captivates viewers, while her delicious royal cuisine and medicinal dishes tempt appetites. Many ask: Can medicinal diets actually treat diseases? Can they be used for daily health maintenance?
Clarifying the Nature of Medicinal Diets: Not Just Simple Combination of Food and Herbs
Dr. Liu Wangle, Deputy Director of Internal Medicine at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explains that medicinal diets are not simply a mixture of food and herbs. Instead, under the guidance of TCM diagnostic dietary principles, they are carefully prepared from herbs, food, and seasonings into a special food that combines therapeutic effects with culinary delight, used for prevention, treatment, health enhancement, and longevity. “Food and medicine share a common origin” and “food and medicine integration” represent the unique TCM perspective on medicinal diets.
Dr. Liu emphasizes that medicinal diets must be scientifically selected—avoid random combinations to prevent harm to health. Many restaurants and hotels now promote “medicinal diets,” offering “tonic hot pots.” Some chefs have excellent cooking skills but lack knowledge of TCM, blindly adding tonics to dishes based on personal experience. Some tonic hot pots contain over 30 herbal ingredients at once! This undermines the targeted efficacy of the diet and has caused some customers to suffer vomiting and diarrhea.
Dr. Liu notes that the medicinal diets featured in *Dae Jang Geum* contain reasonable components of traditional TCM culture. They should be chosen according to individual conditions under medical supervision—not blindly copied mechanically, or the outcome may backfire.
Five Tonic Foods for Organ Health and Youthful Appearance
Supportive Treatment for Chronic Illness and Weak Constitution
As the saying goes, “Medicine has three parts toxicity.” Dr. Liu says that unless one is truly weak or ill, there is no need to use medicinal diets. A balanced diet ensuring adequate nutrition is sufficient. For elderly individuals, those with weak constitutions, or patients in recovery from chronic illness, improper supplementation may lead to “inability to absorb tonics.” Under proper guidance, medicinal diets can assist in treatment and improve symptoms. However, patients must not expect too much from them. Medicinal diets are a blend of food and drugs; food dilutes the potency of herbs, making them milder than pure medicines. They gradually restore health by regulating qi, blood, yin, and yang, and enhancing spleen-stomach digestive function—a slow, long-term nourishing process. Therefore, consistent long-term consumption is necessary.
Principles of Supplementing: Tailored to Individual and Condition
In specific supplementation, choose diets based on individual conditions. For blood deficiency: cook porridge with angelica root and jujubes. For qi deficiency: add yam and coix seed to soups to strengthen the spleen and boost qi. For yin deficiency: prepare porridge with wolfberry and ophiopogon. For extreme yang deficiency: drink deer antler frost soaked in wine. Postpartum women with cold constitution can use Angelica and Ginger Lamb Soup to nourish blood and warm yang. Elderly individuals with weak stomachs and poor appetite can add sand仁, malt, and spirit grass to porridge to aid digestion and strengthen the stomach.
Additionally, flexibility in pairing enhances efficacy. For example, combining qi-tonifying ingredients with blood-nourishing ones is beneficial because “qi leads blood” and “blood nourishes qi”—they are inseparable. However, some combinations are inappropriate: astragalus and ginseng are suitable only for qi deficiency; taking them for blood deficiency may cause chest tightness and dizziness. Similarly, yang-deficient individuals consuming yang-enhancing herbs are like pouring oil on fire. Therefore, medicinal diets must be used under medical guidance—never self-prescribed blindly.
Moreover, medicinal diets should use mild, non-potent tonics such as goji berries, cordyceps, lily, yam, and poria. Avoid using too many herbs at once. Too many herbs can interfere with each other’s properties; incorrect combinations may cancel out effects, offering no benefit to health.
Do Not Be Fooled by “Natural” Claims—Drug Treatment Must Not Be Neglected
Currently, many merchants and pharmacies advertise “green” or “pure natural” products, some even claiming “imperial palace recipes,” exaggerating ordinary medicinal diets as “delicious remedies curing all diseases,” greatly increasing their value.
Dr. Liu warns that many natural herbs have varying degrees of toxicity and require processing or decoction to neutralize or reduce their harmful effects. Even if raw herbs are “natural,” they may not suit patients. Although medicinal diets are more palatable than plain herbs, the central role of herbs in treatment cannot be replaced—their potent medicinal strength is key to effective therapy. Never be misled by marketing tactics—otherwise, serious consequences may follow.