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.”
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.
In Five Element paradigm of Chinese Medicine, each element has a unique energetic signature that corresponds with an organ system, an emotion, an energetic movement in the body and a flavor that helps bring balance to the related organ systems. Each flavor has an affinity for certain organ systems and a specific effect on circulation, digestion & metabolism.
Instead of simply looking at nutrients and counting calories, Chinese Dietary Therapy considers the thermal nature and flavor of food. In this tradition, 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; rather 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 associated with the fire element and summer. This flavor acts on the heart and small intestine. Its nature is drying; helps drain damp and it supports the heart. Some examples of the bitter flavor are dark chocolate, coffee and bitter greens such as arugula, endives; herbs such as burdock, motherwort, dandelion & parsley.
The sweet flavor is associated with the earth element and late summer.The related organ systems are stomach & spleen/pancreas. The sweet taste refers to foods that are naturally sweet like brown rice, millet, melons, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots & chestnuts. The sweet flavor is nourishing, moistening & grounding. In contrast, eating a lot of refined sugars taxes the digestive organs and over time will create imbalance or insufficiencies in the spleen and stomach. When you find yourself craving sweets, ask “Am I getting enough of the natural sweet taste in my diet?”
The pungent flavor is associated with the metal element and the season of autumn. Pungent foods and herbs have a dispersing quality and support the circulation of qi and blood. Examples of pungent foods are garlic, onions, turmeric, ginger, scallions, horseradish & chilis. The proper amount of the pungent flavor will support the lungs & large intestine. Too much pungent - spicy - foods will engender heat in the body and contribute to imbalances in yin, yang, blood and qi.
The salty taste corresponds with the water element and the season of winter. The related organ systems are the kidneys (adrenals) and bladder. The salty flavor has a descending quality, moistens and helps move hard masses.
The sour flavor corresponds with the wood element and the season of spring. The related organ systems are the liver and gall bladder. The sour flavor astringes and consolidates qi and blood. Examples of the sour taste include schissandra berries
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 Element)
Organ Systems: Stomach, spleen/pancreas
Action: Warming, nourishing, grounding, moistening
Energetic Movement: Circular which is why a little sweet at the end of meal is centering.
Emotion: Thoughtfulness/ sympathy when in balance. Worry/obsession when out of balance.
Examples: Root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, squash, grains, some meats.
Pungent: (Metal Element)
Lungs and large intestine
Action: Disperses & circulates blood and qi.
Energetic Movement: Outward
Emotion: Grief/Sorrow
Examples: Garlic, chilis, ginger, scallions, onions & horseradish.
Salty: (Water Element)
Kidneys/adrenals and bladder
Action is sinking and moving hard masses
Energetic Movement: Downward and inward.
Emotion: Power/Determination when in balance. Excessive fear/fright out of balance.
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 Element)
Liver and gallbladder
Acts on the liver and gall bladder, astringes and consolidates
Energetic Movement: Up and out
Emotion: 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.
