Back to read other back issues OR Return to About Chinese Medicine Home Page

The About Chinese Medicine Quarterly Newsletter

December 2008 - Immune Deficiency and Organs Tonics

Welcome to the December 2008 edition of the About Chinese Medicine Quarterly.

We talked about the how the food tonics can improve our immune system in our September issue. This time we will talk about what are organs tonics and the symptoms of the deficiencies.

Want to know what are the organs tonics foods? Read on!

Lung tonics are good for lung deficiency, which may cause shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, speaking in a weak voice, increased susceptibility to cold and flu, dry throat, night sweats and hot sensations in the palms or soles of the feet. A few common diseases are often indicative of lung deficiency, including chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis and emphysema.

The food of lung tonics includes air bladder of shark, cheese, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, Job’s tears, pork lungs and pancreas, glutinous rice, walnuts and yams.

Problems with the liver may cause headache, dizziness, pain in the ribs, ringing in the ears, insomnia, night sweats, hand and head tremors, dryness in the eyes and light menstrual flow or absence of it in women. A few common diseases often indicative of liver deficiency include neurosis, hypertension and non-jaundice hepatitis.

The food of liver tonics include black sesame seeds, beef, chicken, pork, rabbit, chive seeds, matrimony vine fruit, mulberries, mussels, perch, raspberries, royal jelly, sour dates, strawberries and turnip flowers.

Heart tonics are good for deficiencies that may cause palpitations, shortness of breath particularly when working, nervousness, forgetfulness, insomnia, nightmares, low-grade fever, tongue soreness and cold limbs. A few common diseases that often suggest heart deficiency include heart disease, heart failure, shock, neurosis and anemia.

Food of heart tonics include air bladder of shark, ambergris, beer, chicory, coffee, ginkgo leaves, ginseng, longan with shell, lotus fruits and seeds, matrimony vine fruit, rock sugar, tea and wheat.

Stomach tonics can prevent deficiencies that may lead to dry throat, stomach ache, poor digestion and appetite, vomiting, underweight and constipation. A few common diseases that indicate stomach deficiency include gastritis, morning sickness, and diabetes mellitus.

The food of stomach tonics include areca nut male flowers, beef, blood clams, cardamom seeds, grass carp, Japanese cassia bark and fruits, cherry leaves, chestnuts, cinnamon, clove oil, crown daisy, duck fennel seeds, white fungus, hairtail, hyacinth bean flowers, Job’s tears leaves, mangoes, perch, red and black dates, red bayberries, polished rice, shiitake mushrooms, trifoliate oranges, whitebait and whitefish.

Spleen tonics are good for spleen deficiencies that may give rise to poor appetite, bloated stomach after meals, fatigue, underweight or overweight conditions, diarrhea, stomach ache, vomiting, excessive menstrual flow and discharge of blood from the anus. A few common diseases that often indicate spleen deficiency are chronic gastritis, hepatitis and enteritis; prolapse of the uterus, stomach and anus; frequent urination; peptic ulcers; chronic nephritis; and viral hepatitis.

The food of spleen tonics include apple cucumber, beef, bird’s nest, broomcorn, caraway seeds, grass carp gall, carrots, Japanese cassia bark, cherry leaves, chestnuts, cinnamon, corn, crown daisy, dill seeds, frog, garlic, ham, horse beans, hyacinth beans and flowers, Job’s tears root, longan, lotus fruits and seeds, mullet, pearl sago, perch, pheasant, pineapples, pistachio nuts, pork pancreas, red and black dates, glutinous and polished rice, rich sprouts, royal jelly, white and green string beans, whitefish and yams.

There are three particular circumstances under which tonics may not be able to fulfill their functions. First of all, when people are suffering from illness due to external factors, such as micro-organisms and viruses in infections and influenza, tonics will not help until the symptoms have improved substantially.

Secondly, some people may not benefit from tonics if they have poor digestion, even though they have an immune deficiency. It is because many tonics are difficult to digest. Thus, when people suffer from poor digestion, they should take tonics that are easily digestible.

And finally, tonics may not be effective for those who have taken them erroneously. For example, people with a vitamin A deficiency should take vitamin A to benefit from it. By the same token, energy tonics are good only for people with an energy deficiency and so on.

Back to read other back issues OR Return to About Chinese Medicine Home Page