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Capítulo 56 de 81
黄帝内经·灵枢
Overall Paraphrase
The Yellow Emperor asked: I wish to hear about the five flavors (the five tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty) of the qi of the five grains — when they enter the human body, how do they separately 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 collectively converge. Water and the five grains first enter the stomach, and the five viscera and six bowels all receive essential qi from the stomach. The five flavors each tend toward the viscus to which they are akin: grain flavors that are sour first enter the liver; grain flavors that are bitter first enter the heart; grain flavors that are sweet first enter the spleen; grain flavors that are pungent first enter the lungs; grain flavors that are salty first enter the kidneys. After the essential qi and fluids of water and grains are distributed throughout the body, the nutritive qi (the refined qi that moves within the vessels and nourishes the whole body) and the defensive qi (the bold qi that moves outside the vessels and provides warmth and protection) are able to circulate freely. The remaining portion is transformed into waste, which is then transmitted downward in sequence and expelled.
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 finest subtlety (the most essential and minute nutritional substances) is first transported out from the upper and middle burners of the stomach to irrigate the five viscera. Then it divides into two pathways — these are the respective routes of the nutritive qi and the defensive qi. There is also a great qi (namely the ancestral qi, the core qi accumulated in the chest), which accumulates and does not move outward, storing itself 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 overall pattern of heaven-and-earth essential qi is roughly that what is exhaled is more than what is taken in (three parts out, one part in, meaning qi consumption is greater than replenishment). Thus, a person cannot endure without food for long: half a day without eating causes qi to decline, and a full day without eating causes qi to diminish.
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: Round-grained rice is sweet, sesame is sour, soybeans are salty, wheat is bitter, and yellow millet is pungent.
The five fruits: Dates are sweet, plums are sour, chestnuts are salty, apricots are bitter, and peaches are pungent.
The five livestock: Beef is sweet, dog meat is sour, pork is salty, mutton is bitter, and chicken is pungent.
The five vegetables: Mallow greens are sweet, leeks are sour, hu leaves are salty, Chinese scallions are bitter, and green onions are pungent.
The correspondence of the five colors and 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; those with a white complexion are suited to pungent flavors. Among the above five categories, each has its corresponding suitable flavor.
The Five Suitabilities state: People with spleen disease are suited to eating round-grained rice, beef, dates, and mallow greens; people with heart disease are suited to eating wheat, mutton, apricots, and Chinese scallions; people with kidney disease are suited to eating soybean sprouts, pork, chestnuts, and hu leaves; people with liver disease are suited to eating sesame, dog meat, plums, and leeks; people with lung disease are suited to eating yellow millet, chicken, peaches, and green onions.
The Five Prohibitions: Liver disease prohibits pungent flavors, heart disease prohibits salty flavors, spleen disease prohibits sour flavors, kidney disease prohibits sweet flavors, and lung disease prohibits bitter flavors.
What the Five Colors Suit: The liver's color is green, and it is suited to sweet flavors — round-grained rice, beef, dates, and mallow greens all belong to sweet flavors. The heart's color is red, and it is suited to sour flavors — dog meat, sesame, plums, and leeks all belong to sour flavors. The spleen's color is yellow, and it is suited to salty flavors — soybeans, pork, chestnuts, and hu leaves all belong to salty flavors. The lungs' color is white, and it is suited to bitter flavors — wheat, mutton, apricots, and Chinese scallions all belong to bitter flavors. The kidneys' color is black, and it is suited to pungent flavors — yellow millet, chicken, peaches, and green onions all belong to pungent flavors.
Note: In the original text, "杭米" is corrected to "粳米" (round-grained rice), "票成" to "栗咸" (chestnuts are salty), "营成" to "藿咸" (hu leaves are salty), "续苦" to "薤苦" (Chinese scallions are bitter), "肿病" to "脾病" (spleen disease), and "直" to "宜" (suited to), all corrected according to meaning and received editions. The final textual note "气①减：原作‘灭’，据周本、日刻本、（太累）、（甲乙经）改" explains that the character "灭" in the original phrase "半日则气灭" (half a day causes qi to perish) was determined to be "减" (decline) through collation of various editions.
The central principle of this chapter is the "five flavors entering the five viscera" theory of meridian tropism, built upon the framework of five-phase theory (the classification system of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water):
The deeper logic of this correspondence is "like attracts like" — there is an intrinsic affinity between the nature of a flavor and the functional attributes of a viscus. For example, sour flavor has the characteristics of constraining and astringing, which opposes yet complements the liver's function of free coursing and storing blood, hence it "first goes to the liver." Here, "first goes" does not mean the sour flavor enters only the liver, but rather that the flavor will preferentially tend toward the organ whose nature best matches it.
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 foundation 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 through the two pathways of nutritive and defensive qi. The sea of qi in the chest (where the ancestral qi accumulates) governs the connection between respiratory qi and blood vessel circulation, forming the pivot of "acquired qi."
The third key principle is the "Five Prohibitions" based on five-phase generation and restraint:
The word "prohibit" here does not mean absolute forbiddance, but rather advocates that when the corresponding organ functions are imbalanced, one should avoid excessive consumption of the flavor that controls oneself, to prevent further damage to the already weakened organ.
From the perspective of modern nutritional science, the classification concept of "five grains for nourishment, five fruits for assistance, five livestock for benefit, five vegetables for supplementation" embodies the ancients' plain concept of food diversity. Different foods provide different combinations of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, which 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 the understanding of modern digestive physiology — the digestive system is indeed the center of nutrition supply for the whole body, and gastrointestinal function status directly affects the nutritional condition of all organs.
The qi metabolism concept of "three parts out, one part in" resonates with basal metabolism and energy conservation: the human body continuously engages in energy-consuming activities such as breathing, heat dissipation, and excretion, requiring periodic food intake to replenish, so the balance of energy input and output is fundamental to sustaining life activities. This aligns with the modern medical understanding that "fasting beyond a certain period depletes liver glycogen and causes metabolic disorders."
However, it must be frankly noted that the meridian tropism correspondences such as "sour enters the liver, bitter enters the heart" lack rigorous modern scientific evidence. After food is broken down into basic nutrients in the digestive tract, it does not become targeted to the liver specifically because it tastes "sour." The value of the flavor-meridian tropism theory lies more in its provision of a systematic framework for dietary classification and regulation, rather than a biologically and chemically 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 of five-phase analogical categorization and should not be used as a basis for clinical or daily judgment.
Eat with moderation and regularity — This chapter points out that "half a day without eating causes qi to decline, and a full day causes qi to diminish," reminding us: eating on time and regularly is a basic prerequisite for maintaining abundant qi and blood. Prolonged meal-skipping or excessive dieting is not advisable.
Diversify foods across all five categories — The classification of five grains, five fruits, five livestock, and five vegetables reminds people to pay attention to variety in daily meals, with grains as the staple and fruits, vegetables, and meats as supplements — not being partial to any single category or flavor.
Adjust the proportion of flavors moderately according to one's constitution and the season — For example, those who are easily irritable with red face and eyes (which in TCM theory tends toward "liver" imbalance) may appropriately reduce pungent, drying, and strong-flavored foods; however, this is merely a general dietary adjustment approach, not a treatment category.
Do not over-indulge in any single flavor — The five flavors each have affinity toward the five viscera, but excessive use of any one flavor can break balance. Long-term indulgence in excessive sweetness, saltiness, or spiciness can burden the body. "Moderation in all things" is the most essential wisdom of health cultivation.
Related Concepts:
Further Reading:
This content is based on classical texts of traditional Chinese medicine and is provided solely for the study and appreciation of traditional culture. It does not constitute any medical diagnosis, prescription, or treatment advice; if you feel unwell, please seek medical attention promptly.