Medieval Remedies for Modern Diseases: Can a 14th Century Text Change Health? – Medievalists.net

In the midst of increasing health problems due to chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, modern researchers are looking to the past for new solutions. A new study examines what a 14th-century text reveals about ‘food as medicine.’

A team of Chinese and Mongolian researchers analyzed the work known as Yinshan Zhengyaowritten in 1330 by Hu Sihui, the Imperial Dietician of the Yuan Dynasty. This rare article, which the researchers call “the first scientific study of nutrition in the world,” presents a philosophy of managing one’s diet for preventive health. It is followed by more than 200 recipes for soups and elixirs and information on 232 foods and 174 medicinal plants, highlighting their usefulness and health benefits. Hu Sihui incorporated a wide variety of food and medical knowledge from Chinese, Mongolian, and Arab sources into his work.

The researchers hope that this ancient resource may provide new insights into the ancient concept of using food to treat disease, bolstered by modern knowledge of genetics and metabolism. bring genetic studies. Yinshan Zhengyao back in the public eye.

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“Ho Yinshan ZhengyaoNutritional therapies are particularly interesting for their effects on the regulation of digestive, respiratory, endocrine, and nervous system functions, as well as protecting and regulating various organs,” says Min-Hui Li , a member of Baotou Medical College and the main author of this study. The basis of this text is to provide treatment (and prevention) of chronic diseases, but also by introducing the importance of quality food in society. By viewing food as medicine, greater emphasis is placed on the preparation and use of food by “using food” not only as a source of energy but as a source of longevity.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, diseases come from imbalances in the body. For example, the kidneys are considered organs that work closely with the reproductive system and regulate fluid metabolism. Recent discoveries show that the kidneys, in addition to being an important part of the urinary system, are also related to maintaining fluid balance and endocrine function. Treating one part of the body can have many unexpected side effects, such as lumbar pain or leg weakness due to renal (kidney) problems. .

You are Yinshan Zhengyao An early 14th-century text, modern medicine and treatments can be used alongside the plant and food information available from this first work on food, health and nutrition. Professor Min-Hui Li and his team propose the integration of the latest information to evaluate and evaluate the use of health medicines and similar food sources.

The researchers write:

The concept of medicine and food homology in Yinshan Zhengyao provides important information about the modern health system. Developing this concept requires not only preserving its traditional meaning but also combining it with modern science, renewing the ingredients, promoting the idea, promoting the integration of different groups, and aligning it with contemporary needs. This approach is essential for achieving sustainable, comprehensive and innovative development in modern health management.

The article, “Yinshan Zhengyao: exploring the power of food and cultivating healthy thoughts,” by Hui Niu, Aruhan, Seesregdorj Surenjidiin, Li-Ming Zhang, Chun-Hong Zhang and Min-Hui Li, appears in Homology of Food and Medicine. Click here to read it.

Top Image: The main therapeutic effects and corresponding medicinal plants involved in the food treatment methods at Yinshan Zhengyao. The listed dietary supplements all contain medicinal plants and do not include dietary supplements that contain only meat. Photo credit: Chun-Hong Zhang and Min-Hui Li, Baotou Medical College