An Introduction to the 5 Flavors in Traditional Chinese Medicine
“If people pay attention to the five flavors and blend them well, their bones will remain straight, their muscles will remain tender and young, breath and blood will circulate freely, the pores will be fine in texture, and consequently breath and bones will be filled with the Essence of life.” ”
In Five Element theory, each element has a unique energetic signature that resonates with an organ system, an emotion, an action, an energetic movement in the body and a taste/ flavor that helps to bring balance to the related organ systems. Each flavor has an affinity for certain organ systems and a specific effect on circulation, digestion & metabolism.
Chinese Dietary Therapy is a holistic paradigm that understands the body as a unique, living and breathing organism. In this model, diet is considered in the context of the whole: individual constitution, the season, the climate, the time of day. It’s a nuanced conversation of creating and sustaining harmony by way of using ‘the diet’ to balance existing imbalances.
Instead of simply looking at nutrients and counting calories, Chinese dietary therapy considers the thermal nature and flavor of food. Each food has a thermal nature ranging from cold to hot that includes cooling, neutral and warming. The thermal nature of a food is not dependent upon whether it has been cooked. The thermal nature relates to the impact the food has on digestion. Blackberries, for example, have a neutral thermal nature. They are neither heating nor cooling.
The season, time of day and the climate are also considered when determining how to balance diet.
From a Chinese dietary perspective, a balanced diet includes all five tastes in the appropriate amount depending on individual temperament, climate, season and time of day. The right amount of the bitter taste can bring harmony. Too much, though, may exacerbate imbalance. Ultimately, one wants to use the five flavors mindfully in order to harmonize existing imbalance
For instance:
The bitter taste is drying, warming and acts on the heart. (Fire element)
The sweet flavor supports the stomach & spleen/pancreas. It is nourishing, moistening and grounding. (Earth element)
The pungent flavor has a dispersing quality and supports circulation of qi and blood. The corresponding organ systems are the lungs and large intestine. (Metal element)
The salty taste moistens, has a descending quality and moves hard masses. (Water element)
The sour flavor astringes and consolidates. (Wood element)
Bitter: Fire Element (yin)
Heart, small intestine, pericardium
Action is to dry dampness and clear heat
Movement is downward
Sadness/joy
Examples: Dark chocolate, coffee, and bitter greens such as arugula, endives, herbs such as burdock, dandelion, parsley
Sweet: (Earth)
Stomach, spleen/pancreas
Action is warming, nourishing, grounding, moistening
Movement is circular
Worry/thoughtfulness
Examples: root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squash, grains, some meats
Pungent: (Metal)
Lungs and large intestine
Action disperses and circulate blood/qi
Energetic movement is outward
Grief/Sorrow
Examples: garlic, chilis, ginger, scallions, onions, horseradish
Salty: (Water)
Kidneys/adrenals and bladder
Action is sinking and moving hard masses
Energetic movement is downward and in
Fear/fright/power
Note: Salty taste is often craved when one is tired which reminds of us adrenal health
Examples: Sea salt, miso, seaweeds, brined foods like pickles and other veggies
Sour: (Wood )
Liver and gallbladder
Acts on the liver and gall bladder, astringes and consolidates
Energetic movement is up and out
Frustration/anger/resentment
Examples: Citrus, apple cider vinegar, sauer kraut, sourdough bread
Using the Five Tastes to provide insight, ask:
What is your favorite flavor?
Is there a flavor that you avoid?
Answering these questions as you move into a new way of nourishing your body can help you bring yourself more thoughtfully into balance. Each of the five flavors, when consumed appropriately, strengthens the correspondent organ system and bestows harmony to the whole.
As an example, let’s look at the bitter taste. The bitter taste corresponds to the fire element and helps to balance the associated system of the heart. In small amounts, the bitter taste is drying and warming and thereby stimulating. In this way, it is effective in moving dampness and counteracting yang deficiency.
Generally speaking, small amounts of bitter taste would be beneficial for one who tends toward lethargy due to dampness. The bitter taste might also benefit one who tends toward cold hands and/or feet and tiredness in the morning due to yang deficiency. A few examples of the bitter taste are coffee, dark chocolate, dark greens like endive and arugula.
