People often say, "What you eat is what you get," a method of nourishing the body by consuming animal organs. But is this really true? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) reminds you: you might be nourishing incorrectly!
Seniors cannot "nourish the brain by eating brains."
Elderly friends often experience varying degrees of forgetfulness. TCM believes this is mostly due to a gradual deficiency of kidney qi, which fails to nourish the brain. According to the theory of "nourishing the organ with the organ," pig brains are thought to benefit the brain. Therefore, many elderly people are keen on "eating brains to nourish the brain." In fact, this is incorrect. Pig brains are high in cholesterol, and the elderly often have issues like high blood lipids and arteriosclerosis. Consuming too many high-cholesterol foods can worsen these conditions and even induce diseases like stroke. Therefore, when nourishing the brain, elderly friends might consider alternatives like walnuts, black sesame, and fish instead of pig brains.
Patients with liver disease cannot "nourish the liver by eating liver."
The liver is the largest detoxification organ in humans and animals. Most toxins in an animal's body are processed by the liver. Animal livers bought from the market often harbor various toxins. Patients with liver disease have impaired liver function and cannot break down these toxins in a timely manner, which加重 the liver's burden and affects recovery. The liver is also an important immune organ and "chemical processing plant," producing various hormones, antibodies, and immune cells. Animal livers are also high in copper. Consuming these substances is undoubtedly harmful to patients with liver disease. Therefore, patients with liver disease cannot "nourish the liver by eating liver," and it is best to limit liver in their daily diet.
"Nourishing blood with blood" is suitable for both the old and the young.
Blood is one of the most vital substances for maintaining the body's basic physiological activities. Folk medicine often uses various animal blood to treat anemia or blood deficiency, a dietary therapy method worthy of promotion. Iron is an essential trace element for the human body, primarily found in hemoglobin. Animal blood is rich in iron, specifically heme iron, which is easily absorbed by the body. Foods like black fungus, kelp, and sesame, although also high in iron, contain non-heme iron with an absorption rate of mostly below 10%. Compared to ox blood and sheep blood, pig blood has the highest iron content, with 44.9 mg of iron per 100 grams, making it an excellent dietary choice for patients with iron-deficiency anemia. Additionally, pig blood is very high in protein, and its amino acid profile is close to that of the human body, making it easily utilized by the body. It is especially suitable for the elderly and children with weaker digestive functions.
Furthermore, sayings like "nourish the heart by eating heart," "nourish the kidneys by eating kidneys," and "moisten the lungs by eating lungs" have been proven effective in some patients through clinical practice. However, their specific application must be tailored to the individual. For example, pig kidneys can nourish the kidneys, but patients with kidney stones should avoid them; instead, they need to limit their intake of animal organs.
Thus, it seems that nourishing the body is not as simple as "what you eat is what you get." Be careful not to nourish incorrectly. Can you really "what you eat is what you get"? You've been nourishing wrong.