Nutrition the Traditional Chinese Medicine Way; Wu Wei, The Five Flavours

Five Flavours, Five Organs & Five Elements

Our Five Fabulous Flavours are Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Acrid/Pungent and Salty. Each Flavour influences the Five Elements in terms of the organs associated with them being, the Liver/Gallbladder, the Heart/Small Intestines, the Spleen/Stomach, the Lungs/Large Intestines and the Kidneys/Bladder.

 Let’s take a closer look into the therapeutic effects of the 5 Flavours or Wu Wei and see how we can use food to combat what ails us.

Sour:

This flavour affects the Wood element whose organs are the Liver and Gallbladder. Sourness is said to ‘constrict and consolidate’, meaning it has an astringent property. The Wood organs tend to overheat, which sourness can overact. It does this by gathering and preserving fluids supplementing the yin energies of the body. It is said to counteract diarrhea and excessive sweating. Even in Chinese Medicine you can’t have too much of a good thing, consuming lots of sour foods should be avoided when there is too much contraction i.e. Cold weather impacting the body (when we’re cold our bodies contract). Also, this flavour can send an external pathogen deeper into the body making your cold or flu harder to dislodge.

Bitter:

Bitterness surprisingly is associated with the Fire Element and its organs being the Heart and the Small Intestines. Bitter flavours move Qi downward, dries dampness and is hardening. It improves the appetite and supports the body’s digestive and excretion functions. It has a lovely calming affect supplementing the yin energies of the Heart. It can also dry dampness or what I like to think of as ‘internal humidity’, which can manifest as too much mucus and phlegm. Overdoing the bitters can cause diarrhea (laxative effect) and damage fluids, dehydrating the body and skin.

Sweet:

Sweet! A favourite amongst kids and adults alike! This flavour is associated with the Earth Element and its digestive organs the Spleen and Stomach. This powerful flavour is warming, strengthening, relaxing, moistening; sweet harmonizes many systems of the body and has the strongest supplementing effect. Honeyed liquorice is often added to herbal formulas as an envoy to balance out all the other herbs. Sweetness strengthens Spleen Qi and stabilizing ones “inner center”. It’s often used clinically to address conditions involving weakness, dryness and emotional tension. As fun as sweetness can be, too much can harm the Spleen Qi, producing dampness and phlegm (inner humidity!), disorders such as chronic fatigue, recurrent bronchitis or sinusitis and obesity (it supplements the flesh).  

Acrid/Pungent:

This flavour is a bit hard to describe, but when you taste it, you know it. Acrid sounds harsh, like its offensive and pungent seems like it assaults your senses but think of it more as a flavour in combination with the smell. These foods are highly flavourful and aromatic opening your nasal passages just like a delicious curry or a hot cup of fresh ginger tea. It should come as no surprise that the Metals organs being the Lung and Large Intestine are associated with this one. These flavours break up stagnation, circulates Qi, invigorates the blood strengthens the Lungs and encourages sweating; which is great for someone suffering from a head cold. Having spicy foods during colder seasons can have a protective effect on Qi due to its invigorating nature. I love spicy/acrid/pungent foods, but too much can cause or aggravate heat symptoms (inflammation), affecting the Liver and Gallbladder (irritability, hyperactivity, restlessness, sleep disorders) and skin problems (dryness, itching).

Salty:

My absolute favourite. I couldn’t live without salt; none of us could, as we need it to stay alive…Ruled by the Water Element, salt is linked to the Kidneys and the Bladder. Saltiness cools, moistens, has a descending function, loosens and softens masses. In moderation, salt can supplement kidney function, promote urination and stool excretion, dissolves phlegm accumulation addressing cysts, inflammatory masses and connective tissue accumulations. Too much salt dehydrates the body and damages fluids, blood and the vascular system (think hypertension), muscles and vascular system. In excess it has a hardening effect on the muscles and can damage the bones

These flavours are not associated with an element but deserve honourable mention.

Bland:

This ‘no’ flavour plays a role in regulating fluids, helping to counteract swelling and puffiness. Bland is the best when we have too much inflammation happening in the body or when we need a reset. Always reach for bland after a spot of food poisoning.

Fragrant:

Not to be confused with pungent, fragrant foods, which can possess any flavour, typically helps digestive problems. It’s said it that it can revive The Spleen and transform dampness. Too much can have an adverse drying effect

Hopefully this article gave you some deeper insights into foods you might want to add or avoid.  Maybe why you crave certain foods and are repelled by others? Want to know more? Book a treatment to learn which elements might be dominant for you. Enjoy your food, my friends and remember to always eat the rainbow!