People concerned about health often come across the saying that certain foods are "trigger foods," and that people with certain illnesses should not eat them. However, it may not be clear to everyone why these foods are called trigger foods, and which illnesses they conflict with.
The so-called "trigger" can be understood as foods that "induce, trigger, or exacerbate" certain illnesses. Trigger foods are mostly those with a fishy or gamey taste, such as beef and mutton; or those that are pungent and "hot-natured," such as fish; or those that are "generative" in nature, such as chives, bamboo shoots, as well as seafood like shrimp and crab, and fermented tofu. Trigger foods can induce allergic diseases, eruptive diseases, skin diseases, certain mental illnesses, sores, and ulcers. However, the types of foods to avoid differ depending on the specific illness.
Those with skin itching should eat less chives. "Generative trigger foods" refer to foods with a generative nature, such as chives, spring bamboo shoots, toon, mushrooms, and cilantro. These can easily trigger skin sores, itching, and rashes, so people with these conditions should eat them in moderation.
Those with "liver fire" should not eat rooster. "Wind-agitating and yang-elevating trigger foods" are those that can stir up liver wind and elevate qi and yang. These are mostly "hot-natured" and "yang" foods, such as pig's head meat, rooster, and goose. People with high blood pressure, liver yang rising, headaches, and epilepsy should avoid them.
Those prone to allergies should eat less seafood. "Wind-nature trigger foods" are those with a wind-like nature that moves about but does not elevate yang, such as seafood, fish, shrimp, and crab. These types of trigger foods can induce and worsen allergic conditions like urticaria and allergic asthma. Additionally, because they contain purines, gout patients should also avoid them.
Those who have had a stroke should avoid "hot-natured" fish. "Fire and blood-moving trigger foods" refer to "yang" and "hot-natured" foods, such as dog meat, venison, alcohol, pepper, garlic, and hot-natured fish like eel, loach, grass carp, bighead carp, and silver carp. Because they help fire and move blood, patients with skin sores, eye diseases, or a history of stroke cannot consume them.
Those with respiratory diseases should avoid mutton. "Dampness- and phlegm-assisting trigger foods" refer to meats with a fishy or gamey taste, such as mutton and beef. Patients with respiratory diseases such as upper respiratory tract infections should not eat them in excess.
Those with mouth ulcers should eat less mushrooms and fermented tofu. "Aromatic trigger foods" have a fragrant aroma, such as mushrooms and cilantro, and fermented foods like fermented tofu. Because their qi is mobile and can wander, they can easily trigger skin diseases, ulcers, and mouth sores, so they should also be avoided.
While trigger foods can indeed trigger illness, it is not guaranteed that they will. The key lies in food pairing. For example, for phlegm-generating trigger foods like beef and mutton, pairing them with radish can promote dampness drainage and resolve phlegm, preventing illness from being triggered. For fire and blood-moving trigger foods like dog meat and eel, pairing them with cooling foods like tofu, crown daisy, or cabbage can counteract their "hot" nature, allowing people with "heat" illnesses to still consume them.