Medicinal diet therapy (yaoshan)

About this therapy

Medicinal diet therapy (yaoshan) uses foods and herbs from China's official Medicine-Food Homology catalog, such as yam, goji berries and ginger. Based on the theory that medicine and food share the same source, it customizes meals, soups or teas to individual body constitution assessed via tongue, pulse and history. It follows yin-yang balance and seasonal adjustment. Suitable for foreign patients and tourists seeking preventive care, constitutional conditioning or recovery support to improve nutrition and immunity. Applied in hospital preventive and nutrition departments as non-invasive guidance mindful of food-drug interactions.

How it works

TCM practitioners assess constitution and syndrome differentiation then select items strictly from the approved homology list to create personalized recipes. Foods are classified by nature, flavor and organ affinity to tonify deficiency or clear heat. Prepared in hospital kitchens or provided as guidance; integrates with preventive or nutrition care for pre-disease prevention and rehab, per NATCM emphasis on treating before disease.

What to expect

A session typically involves a 30-60 minute consultation with a TCM doctor for constitution assessment via pulse, tongue and questions, followed by a personalized diet plan. Patients may sample hospital-prepared medicinal dishes or receive recipes. The experience is pleasant and focused on flavorful food with no discomfort. Follow-up adjustments occur over days or weeks. For tourists, initial assessment and education can occur during a short 3-7 day stay in China, with long-term adherence at home and possible remote guidance. No fixed invasive treatment sessions.

Typical programme

Arranged individually based on patient needs.

Cautions

• Must be used under qualified TCM practitioner guidance based on individual diagnosis.
• Potential food-drug interactions exist; consult physicians, for example with anticoagulants.
• Use only substances from the official Medicine-Food Homology catalog; not arbitrary herbs.
• Not a replacement for conventional medical treatment in acute or severe conditions.
• Special caution for pregnant, lactating, allergic individuals or those with specific diseases.
• Improper or excessive use may cause new imbalances.

Often used for

• Constitutional imbalance and subhealthNATCM guidelines support traditional use; limited high-quality RCTs.
• Cancer rehabilitation and nutritional supportMeta-analyses show benefits for chemo side effects; promising but variable quality evidence.
• Postoperative recoveryRCTs support improved GI recovery post-op; supportive evidence needing more validation.
• Indigestion and spleen-stomach deficiencyTraditional use with observational support; limited evidence per systematic reviews.
• Immune support and preventionIncluded in NATCM schemes; traditional with limited high-level evidence.
• Metabolic issues (e.g. diabetes support)Used in clinics with some adjunct benefits; not definitive per Western standards.
• Chronic fatigue and recoveryApplied in NATCM rehab; traditional with limited high-quality trials.
• Alleviation of chemo/radiotherapy side effectsMeta-analyses show reduced nausea and improved QoL; supportive but heterogeneous studies.