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Chapter 56 of 81
黄帝内经·灵枢
Overall Paraphrase
The Yellow Emperor asked: I wish to hear about the qi of the five grains possessing the five flavors (the five tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty). When they enter the human body, how do they respectively return to the five viscera (the five core organs: liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys)?
Bo Gao replied: The Stomach is the "sea" where the five viscera and six bowels converge. Water and the five grains both enter the stomach first, and the five viscera and six bowels all receive essential qi from the stomach. Each of the five flavors gravitates toward its most congenial visceral organ: the grain flavor sour first enters the Liver; the grain flavor bitter first enters the Heart; the grain flavor sweet first enters the Spleen; the grain flavor pungent first enters the Lungs; and the grain flavor salty first enters the Kidneys. After the essential qi and fluids of water and grain are distributed throughout the body, the nutritive qi (the fine qi moving within the vessels, primarily nourishing the whole body) and the defensive qi (the bold qi moving outside the vessels, primarily warming and protecting) flow freely. The remaining portion is transformed into waste, which is transmitted downward in sequence and excreted.
The Yellow Emperor asked: How do the nutritive qi and defensive qi circulate?
Bo Gao replied: When the five grains first enter the stomach, the pure essences (the most refined and subtle nutritional substances) are first sent forth from the upper and middle burners of the stomach to irrigate the five viscera. Then they divide into two pathways, namely the respective courses of nutritive qi and defensive qi. There is also a great qi (namely, the ancestral qi, the core qi accumulated in the chest), which accumulates and transmits without moving outward. It is stored in the chest and is called the Sea of Qi. It emerges upward from the lungs and travels along the throat. Therefore, when exhaling, qi disperses outward; when inhaling, qi enters inward. The general rule of the essential qi of heaven and earth is that roughly more is exhaled than taken in (exhaling three, inhaling one, meaning that the consumption of qi is greater than its replenishment). Hence, a person cannot persist for long without eating: after half a day without food, qi weakens; after a full day without food, qi becomes insufficient.
The Yellow Emperor said: Can you explain the five flavors of the five grains to me in detail?
Bo Gao said: Allow me to explain in detail.
The Five Grains: japonica rice is sweet, sesame is sour, soybean is salty, wheat is bitter, and yellow millet is pungent.
The Five Fruits: jujube is sweet, plum is sour, chestnut is salty, apricot is bitter, and peach is pungent.
The Five Domestic Animals: beef is sweet, dog meat is sour, pork is salty, mutton is bitter, and chicken is pungent.
The Five Vegetables: mallow is sweet, leek is sour, bean-leaf greens are salty, Allium chinense (Chinese scallion) is bitter, and scallion is pungent.
Correspondence between the Five Colors and the Five Flavors: Those with a yellow complexion are suited to sweet flavors; those with a green complexion are suited to sour flavors; those with a black complexion are suited to salty flavors; those with a red complexion are suited to bitter flavors; and those with a white complexion are suited to pungent flavors. Each of the above five categories has its corresponding suitable flavor.
The Five Suitabilities state: For those with spleen disease, it is suitable to eat japonica rice, beef, jujube, and mallow; for those with heart disease, it is suitable to eat wheat, mutton, apricot, and Chinese scallion; for those with kidney disease, it is suitable to eat soybean sprouts, pork, chestnut, and bean-leaf greens; for those with liver disease, it is suitable to eat sesame, dog meat, plum, and leek; for those with lung disease, it is suitable to eat yellow millet, chicken, peach, and scallion.
The Five Prohibitions: Liver disease prohibits pungent flavors; heart disease prohibits salty flavors; spleen disease prohibits sour flavors; kidney disease prohibits sweet flavors; lung disease prohibits bitter flavors.
What the Five Colors are suited to: The liver's color is green, and it is suited to sweet flavors — japonica rice, beef, jujube, and mallow all belong to the sweet category. The heart's color is red, and it is suited to sour flavors — dog meat, sesame, plum, and leek all belong to the sour category. The spleen's color is yellow, and it is suited to salty flavors — soybean, pork, chestnut, and bean-leaf greens all belong to the salty category. The lungs' color is white, and they are suited to bitter flavors — wheat, mutton, apricot, and Chinese scallion all belong to the bitter category. The kidneys' color is black, and they are suited to pungent flavors — yellow millet, chicken, peach, and scallion all belong to the pungent category.
Note: In the original text, "杭米" (háng mǐ) is a corruption of "粳米" (jīng mǐ, japonica rice), "票成" is a corruption of "栗咸" (chestnut, salty), "营成" is a corruption of "藿咸" (bean-leaf greens, salty), "续苦" is a corruption of "薤苦" (Chinese scallion, bitter), "肿病" is a corruption of "脾病" (spleen disease), and "直" is a corruption of "宜" (suitable). All have been corrected according to textual meaning and standard editions. The collation note at the end of the chapter, "Qi is diminished: originally written as 'extinguished'; corrected according to Zhou edition, Japanese carved edition, (Tailei), and (Jiayi Jing)," explains that the character "灭" (miè, extinguish) in the original text, in the phrase "half a day then qi is extinguished," was determined through collation of different editions to be "减" (jiǎn, diminish).
The core idea of this chapter is the channel tropism theory of "the five flavors entering the five viscera," which is built upon the framework of the Five Phases theory (mù, huǒ, tǔ, jīn, shuǐ — the five basic categories of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water):
The deeper logic of this correspondence is "like attracts like" (same qi seeks same qi) — there is an inherent affinity between the properties of a flavor and the functional attributes of a visceral organ. For example, the sour flavor has astringent and consolidating characteristics, which interact with the liver's function of coursing and discharging and storing blood in a complementary-opposing manner, hence it "first travels to the liver." The term "first travels" here does not mean that the sour flavor enters only the liver, but rather that this flavor will preferentially gravitate toward the organ whose properties best match its own.
The second core principle is the concept of "the stomach as the sea of the five viscera and six bowels" and the "Sea of Qi." The stomach is the root of acquired constitution. The digestive and absorptive system centered on the stomach transforms water and grains into essential qi and fluids, which are then distributed throughout the body via the two pathways of nutritive and defensive qi. The Sea of Qi in the chest (where the ancestral qi gathers) governs the connection between respiratory qi and the circulation of blood in the vessels, forming the pivot of "acquired qi."
The third key principle is the generation-control cycle of the Five Phases underlying the "Five Prohibitions":
Here, "prohibit" does not mean an absolute ban, but rather advocates that when the corresponding organ is dysfunctional, one should avoid excessive consumption of the flavor that controls it, so as to prevent further damage to an already weakened organ.
From a modern nutritional standpoint, the classification concept of "the five grains for nourishment, the five fruits for assistance, the five domestic animals for benefit, and the five vegetables for supplementation" reflects the ancients' simple notion of food diversification. Different foods provide different combinations of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals — this resonates in spirit with the modern principle of a "balanced diet."
The assertion that "the stomach is the sea of the five viscera and six bowels" is consistent with modern digestive physiology — the digestive system is indeed the center of nutritional supply for the entire body, and the functional state of the gastrointestinal tract directly affects the nutritional status of all organs.
The view of qi metabolism as "exhaling three, inhaling one" has an implicit connection with basal metabolism and energy conservation: the human body continuously engages in energy-consuming activities such as breathing, heat dissipation, and excretion, which must be replenished by regular food intake. Thus, the balance of energy intake and output is the foundation for maintaining life activities. This aligns with the modern medical understanding that "fasting beyond a certain time depletes liver glycogen and causes metabolic disturbances."
However, it must be honestly pointed out that the channel tropism correspondences such as "sour enters the liver, bitter enters the heart" currently lack rigorous scientific evidence in modern terms. Once food is broken down into basic nutrients in the digestive tract, it does not become selectively enriched in the liver because of its "sour taste." The value of the five-flavor channel tropism theory lies more in its provision of a systematic framework for dietary classification and regulation, rather than a biochemically verifiable pathway. Furthermore, the correspondence between the five colors (of the complexion) and the five flavors (yellow → sweet, green → sour, etc.) belongs to the reasoning pattern of Five Phases analogical categorization and should not be used as a basis for clinical or daily practical judgment.
Eat with moderation and regularity — This chapter points out that "after half a day, qi weakens; after a full day, qi becomes insufficient," reminding us that eating regularly and on time is the basic premise for maintaining abundant qi and blood. Long-term meal skipping or excessive dieting is not advisable.
Diversify food intake, covering all five categories — The classification of the five grains, five fruits, five domestic animals, and five vegetables reminds people to pay attention to variety and combination in daily diet, with grains as the staple, supplemented by fruits, vegetables, and meats, without over-indulging in any single category or flavor.
Proportionately adjust the five flavors according to one's constitution and the seasons — For example, those who are easily irritable with a red face and eyes (which in TCM theory often indicates an imbalance leaning toward the "liver") may appropriately reduce intake of pungent and hot foods. However, this is merely a general dietary adjustment approach, not a form of treatment.
Do not over-indulge in any single flavor — The five flavors have affinity for the five viscera, but excessive use of any one flavor can disrupt the balance. Long-term indulgence in sweets, salt, or spicy foods will burden the body. "Everything in moderation" is the core wisdom of health preservation.
Related Concepts:
Further Reading:
This content is based on classical texts of traditional Chinese medicine and is provided solely for the study and reading of traditional culture. It does not constitute any medical diagnosis, medication, or treatment advice. Please consult a qualified physician if you experience any discomfort.