Rational Food Combination
Rational Food Combination
Consuming a single type of food cannot maintain health because certain essential nutrients—such as specific essential fatty acids, amino acids, and some vitamins—cannot be synthesized in the body from other substances and must be obtained directly from food. No single natural food contains all nutrients required by the human body. Therefore, to sustain health, different foods must be combined in the diet.
Chinese people have long recognized this. The *Huangdi Neijing* states: "Five grains nourish, five fruits assist, five livestock benefit, five vegetables supplement. When their flavors and properties are harmonized, they replenish essence and Qi." "Grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables—these are all essential for nourishment." This comprehensively summarizes the main components of diet—grains, meats, vegetables, and fruits—and highlights their primary roles in nourishing essence and Qi. People must select them appropriately based on need.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, food pairing is also important. Pairing involves synergy and antagonism. Synergy includes mutual reinforcement (*xiangxu*) and mutual assistance (*xiangshi*); antagonism includes opposition (*xiangfan*), mutual inhibition (*xiangsha*), mutual fear (*xiangwei*), and mutual hatred (*xiang’e*). These principles are crucial for rational dietary combination.
*Xiangxu* means using similar foods together to enhance each other’s effect—for example, boiling lotus root with pear to clear lung heat and nourish lung yin. *Xiangshi* means using one food as the main ingredient and another as a helper to strengthen the main food’s function—for example, ginger and brown sugar decoction enhances ginger’s warming and dispersing effect. *Xiangfan* refers to two foods used together potentially causing adverse effects—for example, persimmons should not be eaten with pork, and sweet potatoes should not be eaten with eggs. *Xiangsha* means one food reduces the adverse effects of another. *Xiang’e* means one food weakens another’s efficacy. *Xiangwei* means one food mitigates the adverse effects of another—for example, ginger can alleviate the side effects of broad beans (e.g., diarrhea, rashes).