In the traditional Chinese medicine, there are similarities and differences between medicine and food. But from the development process, ancient times are homologous. After thousands of years of development, medicine and food are separated. If we look at the future prospects, we may return to simplicity, taking food as medicine and replacing medicine with food.
China traditional Chinese medicine has a theory of "homology of medicine and food" (also called "homology of medicine and food") since ancient times. This theory holds that many foods are both food and medicine, and food and medicine can also prevent and treat diseases. In ancient primitive society, people found the taste and efficacy of various foods and drugs in the process of searching for food, and realized that many foods can be used as medicine and many drugs can also be eaten. It is difficult to distinguish the two strictly. This is the basis of the theory of "homology of medicine and food" and the basis of dietotherapy.
The relationship between traditional Chinese medicine and food is the homology of medicine and food. As we all know, Chinese medicine and acupuncture are the most important treatment methods. Traditional Chinese medicine is mostly natural medicine, including plants, animals and minerals, and the food that humans can eat also comes from animals, plants and some minerals in nature, so the sources of traditional Chinese medicine and food are the same. Some things, which can only be used for treating diseases, are called drugs, while others can only be used for dietotherapy, which are called diet. But most of them have the function of treating diseases, and can also be used as food and drink, which is called dual-purpose medicine and food. Because they all have the function of treating diseases, the boundary between medicine and food is not very clear. Such as oranges, japonica rice, red beans, longan, hawthorn, dark plum, walnuts, almonds, caramel, peppers, fennel, cinnamon, Amomum villosum, pumpkin seeds, honey and so on. They are not only traditional Chinese medicine, but also nutritious and delicious food that people often eat. Knowing the source and function of traditional Chinese medicine and food, and the close relationship between them, it is not difficult for us to understand the saying that medicine and food are homologous.
Traditional Chinese medicine and food are similar in that they can both be used to prevent and treat diseases.
Their differences are as follows: Chinese medicine has a strong therapeutic effect, which is often called "strong medicine". If the medicine is right, the effect is outstanding, but if it is used wrongly, it will easily produce obvious side effects; The therapeutic effect of food is not as prominent and rapid as that of traditional Chinese medicine, and improper food distribution will not have immediate adverse consequences. However, it should not be overlooked that although drugs have a strong effect, they are generally not eaten often. Although food has a weak effect, it is essential every day. Our daily diet, in addition to supplying essential nutrients to the human body, will also have more or less favorable or unfavorable effects on the balance and physiological function of the body because of the performance of food. Over time, from quantitative change to qualitative change, this effect becomes very obvious. In this sense, their efficacy is no less than that of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, the correct and reasonable distribution of diet and persistence will have an effect that drugs can't achieve.