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Yaoshan / Chinese food therapy
藥膳 / 药膳
A listing is not a recommendation.
Origin: China · Tradition: Food-based care in Chinese medicine · Food & herbs
What it is
A way of eating that combines foods and medicinals according to constitution (for example vacuity and repletion, cold and heat) and season. It ranges from everyday meals to more medicinal preparations.
A short introduction (not a treatment instruction)
- Start within the range of ordinary meals (ginger, jujube, seasonal vegetables, and the like).
- Be cautious of costly medicinal sales based only on a “constitution diagnosis”.
- Do not stop medicine for a long-term condition on your own judgement.
Symptoms or aims often mentioned with this practice
- Feeling cold easily
- Tiredness
- Constipation or digestion
- Early signs of a cold
Research notes (this is not a promise of effect)
D: Traditional use only. This review did not find enough clinical research on the practice itself
Individual foods (such as ginger) have been studied, but the usefulness of the yaoshan system as a whole has not been well shown in high-quality trials. Medicinal herbs have interactions.
Sources
Safety notes
Adulteration of herbal products, drug interactions, and herbs that are forbidden in pregnancy.
If you are unsure, or if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or take medicine, consult a qualified professional.
Situations in which this is better avoided
- Self-directed medicinal herbs in pregnancy
- Strong medicinal herbs taken on one’s own judgement while on other medicine