Yet another western medical confirmation of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s long-standing principles.
New research from the University of Massachusetts Medical School shows “bitter tasting compounds, such as bitter melon… may help in the treatment of asthma.” Click here to read the full research article.
In TCM, all foods and herbs are divided into five main flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, pungent and sour. Each flavor has certain effects on different organs. Bitter foods, such as papaya, quinoa, romaine and asparagus, have long been prescribed by acupuncturists to strengthen the lung-kidney system in cases of asthmatic breathing. They are especially useful for purging phlegm-heat and draining dampness, as well as moving the energy of the body downward- all important effects in resolving asthma!
I love when modern medicine and ancient practices support one another, don’t you?