Korean traditional medicinal cuisine and therapeutic food recipes

¶ … Recipes of Traditional Therapeutic Food Therapy

Yao shan?

shi liao?

/ shi zhi (?

) the food therapy

What is Yao shan (?

), shi liao (?

) and shi zhi (?

)? Yao shan translates as "the food used as medicine by itself." Shi liao (?

) or shi zhi are the terms used to describe foods used as nutritional therapy. These practices are designed with TCM diagnosis to develop, repair and balance the human body to prevent and treat diseases. These practices also assist in anti-aging and longevity. For several centuries, this tradition has been carried out as foods mixing with herbs for the treatment of disease is historically popular in Far East cultures. Traditional cuisines are essentially modified in this practice to treat large varieties of diseases. This form of culinary medicine has been used for a wide variety of medicinal purposes as well. Since the ancient period, many have maintained a belief that medicine and foods are from the same origin, thus, they perform the same functions. This supports the time honored saying, "food is the best medicine." The purpose of this research is to provide a greater understanding to the benefits of therapeutic food recipes for the traditional medical applications.

Research Objective:

To investigate the benefits of Korean traditional medicinal cuisine.

Research Problem:

A healthy diet with well-balanced foods are the basis of a well-functioning body. Food provides energy for the functioning of the body, which affects how our minds and bodies operate. Typically, a healthy diet is very critical for a high quality of life, disease prevention and maintenance of a healthy weight. The energy delivered by the food in the form of calories is very critical for all parts of the body including physical activity, healing and growth. More importantly, an equal amount of nutrients and calories are very critical for a balanced diet. A healthy diet prevents obesity and allows one to maintain a good body weight.

On the other hand, a poor diet can lead to diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Moreover, too many saturated fats can cause atherosclerosis, which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack. Despite the health benefits of a well-balanced diet, many people do not understand the medicinal value of Korean traditional recipes. Moreover, there is still a shortage of literature that investigates the medicinal values of the Korean traditional foods. This study attempts to address the problems by providing a greater understanding of the benefits of Korean traditional recipes for their medicinal values.

The Theory

What is the definition of Yao shan? For example, a watermelon is a fruit which has the desired medicinal effects. It is sweet, has the cool property and enters the heart, stomach and urinary bladder meridians through digestive functions. Watermelons treats summer-heat and reduces fever by consuming its juice. Yao shan shi liao or shi zhi, the medicinal food therapy can be this simple or can be more combined with other medicinal or culinary ingredients.

The foundation of Yao shan shi liao?

emphasizes starting with the diagnosis based on an overall analysis of the illness and the patient's condition. This analysis begins with correlating between and the five zang organs and the consideration of the seasons, climate, geographic environment, patient's emotions and their life style then define the causes of disease, the nature of disease, and the location of the disease and external or internal condition of the body. In addition, diagnosis depicts what is the right medicine and the culinary ingredients to cook the medicinal foods to treat or prevent the disease.

To determine which dietary measure should be taken for what condition is the task of TCM diagnostics. Physicians analyze the state of the patient's qi-flow, going beyond the obvious and immediate impressions. This analysis includes questions about symptoms and case history includes tongue inspections, pulse analysis and abdominal palpation (Kohn 2005 63-74; 2010a. 61-65). After this inspection, the health practitioner recommends certain foods and herbal supplements while prohibiting others.

*quoted [11]

Theoretical Frameworks

The study reviewed the relationships of Yin-Yang and Five elements: five taste and five zang organs based on the scientific research carried out on the medicinal cuisine and psychological benefits to be derived from specific foods with reference to taste, color, smell and other food properties. Studying the interaction of the five tastes is very important to understand the gained health benefits. Since the culinary ingredients is identified with the use of smell, color, and taste, it is very important to investigate the strategy behind the traditional medicine in order to control and have the desired effects on other culinary ingredients.

18

The interaction of the five tastes is interesting on the medicinal cuisine because of how they are enhancing, destroying and weakening each other. Since the culinary ingredients also can be defined by color, smell, taste, and properties, it is interesting to find out how they react to the other ingredients by changing the flavor and taste.

The Five Tastes.

Wood can break the ground (Earth).

Earth can soak up Water, blocking its flow.

Water can control Fire.

Fire can melt Metal.

Metal can chop Wood.

- too much Wood overacts Fire

- too much Fire overacts Earth

- too much Earth overacts Metal

- too much Metal overacts Water

- too much Water overacts Wood

The acrid or spicy taste has the ability to deliver a warming effect on food. Typically, the taste stimulates blood circulation, boosts energy, and increases lymphatic fluid, saliva, sweat and tears. Additionally, the spicy taste improves digestions by counteracting poor digestion, mucus production and poor blood circulation. Since pungency assists in scattering energy, pungency should be limited to individuals experiencing high level of fatigue. Moreover, excessive intake of spicy foods should be avoided because it can exhaust energy reserves. Moderation is the key in this aspect. Examples of spicy tasty foods include black pepper, ginger, garlic, green onion, peppers and jalapenos.

Salt is also important in this area as salty tastes reduce body temperature. Salt also regulates and stabilizes the fluid balance within the body in combination with enhancing a softening effect. Salty taste is also beneficial to lymph nodes. Excessive consumption of salt can damage the kidneys because of the relationship to high blood pressure and water retention. People suffering from anemia and dehydration should avoid eating salty food. Most seafood, seaweed, soy sauce, fish sauce, soy bean paste and salt are the examples of salty tasty foods.

Sweet tastes harmonize a diet, and when adding in proportion to a diet, the sweet tastes are able to strengthen individuals by providing boosts of energy. Ultimately, sweet tastes can make the blood sugar level fluctuate, making the blood sugar rise and drop sharply. In essence, sweet-tasting food, complex proteins, and carbohydrates can strengthen the body and add energy to the body. Excessive sweet foods in the body can lead to a poor digestion, lethargy, and congestion. Raisins, honey, grains, fruits and also yi ren, long yan rou, da zao and gan cao are the typical examples of sweet foods.

Moreover, bitter tastes are the foods that detoxify with dry, cool and anti-inflammatory features. The bitter tastes stimulate a secretion of bile, stimulating eliminating of normal bowel and assisting a digestion process. Bitter foods also assist in protecting the body against parasites and viruses. Moreover, the bitter substances assist in reducing cholesterol. Excessive amounts of bitter foods are good for people who are cold and weak. The bitter tastes are found in liquor, rye, escarole, rhubarb, romaine lettuce, quinoa, asparagus, mountain vegetables like baby leaves of Wu Jiao Pi (Acanthopanax gracilistylus), Ge gen, Sha Shen, Qian cao are the examples of bitter substances.

Sour tastes assists in enhancing the muscles and tissues of the body. These foods also help in drying up mucus. In essence, sour tastes assists in stopping excessive diarrhea, perspiration, frequent urination, bleeding and copious mucus. Moreover, sour taste assists in stimulating metabolism, digestion and helping in the breakdown of fats, and facilitate fat's absorption and drain and removed excessive water from the liver. When taking sour substances excessively, it can cause constipation and harm digestion. Examples of sour foods include vinegar, citrus, and pickles. The next section discusses different medicinal foods that can be used for the treatment of various type of ailments.

Literature

The history of Yao shan (?

) began with the discovery of oriental medicine. An ancient text, Divine Farmer's Materia Medica (Shennong B-nc-o J-ng: ), introduced a total of 365 different kinds of herbs and about 50 of the 365 were the culinary ingredients.( i.e. Da zao, citrus, ginger, clam, red bean, yi ren, long yan rou, apricot seed, ginko nuts and crabs.) Another ancient text, Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic Huangdi Neij-ng (?

) described the ideal medicinal diet which includes maintaining the relationship between the five zang organs and the five tastes, bitter, sour, sweet, acrid and salty. Using meat, grains, fruits and vegetables in diet therapy is suggested to complete many medical treatments. (In Huangdi Neij-ng Suwen Chapter 70)

Quoated from a thousand gold for emergencies?

Zhang Zhongjing, known as the Medical Sage, also included wine into his formulations in treating illnesses. The Treatise on Cold Pathogenic and Miscellaneous Diseases by Zhang Zhongjing provided formulas for safflower wine, Chinese ephedra decoction and other medicated wines. Some are made of medicines, some are obtained by decocting medicines with wine, and some are produced by simmering medicines with a mixture of wine and water, as wine can strengthen effects of the medicines and help cure diseases.

Jin Dynasty Era

After the three countries within China divided, the Jin dynesty was established and the politics were stabilized up to the Tang Dynasty Era. Economical and medical developments advanced rapidly while the study of Yao shan successfully developed during this time as well. Ge Hong was a Jin dynasty physician, pharmaceutical chemist and naturalist who developed the Taosim theory. Hong made a great contribution to literature, medicine, and music, and also contributed to the history of Chinese science and medicine. The following paper provided the theoretical framework regarding the essential quality of food that can enhanced longevity:

To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth: A Translation and Study of Ge Hong's Traditions of Divine Transcendents Hardcover -- April 8, 2002 by Robert Ford Campany (Author), Ge Hong (Author)

In Zhou Hou Bei Ji Fang ?: Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergency by Ge Hong

Shi liao ben cao (The dietary therapy material medica) by Meng Shen (?

) is the earliest document discussing food therapy. Chen Shi (?

)'s Yang lao feng qin shu (? book on nourishing old age and taking care of one's parents) is the first specialized work devoted exclusively to the needs and practices of older people and thus opened an entirely new category of longevity literature (Sakade 1993, 101-18).

Hu Si hui (?, 1314 -- 1330) was a court therapist and dietitian during the Yuan Dynasty reign in China. He is known for his book Yinshan Zhengyao (Important Principles of Food and Drink), that became a classic in Chinese medicine and Chinese cuisine. He was the first to empirically discover and clearly describe deficiency diseases. [2] According to Important Principles of Food and Drink, a significant number of diseases are caused by improper eating, and a significant part of them can be cured by proper eating. The book propagated moderation, regularity and variety in food, proper hygiene and food storage, and special diets for pregnant women and for children. This book was the first to describe in detail how diseases are connected to the deficiency of certain components in food. It was probably the first book in China to discuss food poisoning as well.

Many recipes presented in this literature demonstrated a strong Han Chinese as well as Mongolian, Turkic and Persian influence. As Hu Sihui stated, a large variety of foods were known in the court since the time of Kublai Khan, and this circumstance called for a special research as to its influence on health. Taken as a collection of recipes and ingredients alone, his book is a tremendously important in its description of medicinal food of Eurasia. [4]

In the case of Korea, a writing on the effects of herbs is known to have been written by the Materia Medica introduced from China during the Goguryeo kingdom (37 BC -- 668 AD). By the early Joseon kingdom (early 14th century) the era of king, Se Jong the Materia Medica compiled as a literature was reviled with a vigor. Then, during the mid-Cho Sun kingdom, the famous doctor, Huh Jun (?

) [1539 ~ 1615] compiled together with TCM and traditional Korean medicine in the medical literature as one "Dong Eui Bo Gam (? )." This also led to the development of food as medicine within the traditional Korean culture.

Material and Methods

The data was collected through the review of literatures relating to the most popular Korean medicinal foods called Samgyetang (Renshen Chicken Soup). The study investigated the effects of Samgyetang on glucose level and plasma lipids. The effects of the food on the percentages glycosylated hemoglobin collected from different patients were also investigated. Coupled with the review of the literature, data was also collected from traditional Korean medicine practitioners as well as from community members with the knowledge and use of traditional Korean medicine. More importantly, the research compared different recipes to enhance a greater understanding on the benefits of samgyetang for the treatment of ailments.

Samgyetang, Korean traditional yao shan, contains a chicken and traditional medicinal herbs. The food is highly treasured among the Koreans and has been taken both for nutritional and medicinal benefits for a long time. Koreans even have habit of eating Samgyetang to maintain and promote their health on the specific dates like the beginning of summer

), the mid-summer

) and the end of summer

In this paper, the scientifically proven benefits of the food were identified. An experiment to determine the impact of the food on the plasma lipids and glucose levels in the blood was conducted. This was done to bring the focus on these foods and to determine as to whether the popular belief among the Koreans had a scientific basis or not. This study was done to bring the attention of the importance of this food in the lives of patients. The medical research was done on rats and related to the human body as well. This study was done with the belief that findings would the concerns of the individuals who desire to know the benefits of the food they had liked most. The rats were examined for the level of plasma lipids and glucose level in the blood before the experiment. They were then fed on the Samgyetang food for eight weeks. Finally, a test of the mentioned foods was done and the realizations made. In the decision-making process, the researcher was able to conclude on the reports since they shared a great resemblance. A similar occurrence in the results was registered (Suzuki & Rhim, 2000).

The food contained glucose at the level of 5.5%; which was witnessed in the blood of the rats because due to the increased levels to the recommended level. Glucose, being the energy source in the bodies of mammals, was seen as the rats grew better while under the diet. The component of glucose in the diet appeared to be in a significant and sufficient amount. This was also backed by the health reports about the people in Korea. The country records very low cases of diabetes compared to the rest of the world. This means that the sugar level in the form of glucose is not in excess, and the little available is not harmful. This described the kind of health advantages that this diet has. In many cases, there have been positive records reported by the users of this diet all across the globe. Most foods obtained from animals have high levels of fat. However, Samgyetang, is made with garlic and Ren shen destroys the harmful fat content and makes the food more tasty and healthy. The preparation of the food requires many ingredients and the mode of preparation is complex. One recipe calls for a chicken with its internal organs removed, and then stuffed with glutinous rice, garlic, ginseng, chestnuts and jujube. This is the standard requirement that should is recommended. In the current cooking practices, it is important to ensure that the people who are in touch with the practice maintain the same code of conduct. Moreover, herbal foods can reinforce insulin function and is effective in enhancing anti-tumor and anti-stress activities. In essence, the garlic is effective in reducing the plasma lipids, glucose levels as well as prevention of thrombosis.

The samgyetang also assists in "the enhancement of anti-mutation activity." (Suzuki and Rhim, 2000 p 576). Since samgyetang contains the garlic and Ren shen, it assists in enhancing glucose and lipid metabolism. Samgyetang has also been demonstrated to exhibit and enhance anti-stress activity. The food contains glucose at levels of 5.5%; which was witnessed in the blood of the rats after they increased the levels. Since glucose is the energy source in the bodies of mammals, the rats grew bigger while under the diet. The component of glucose in the diet is significant and sufficient amount. In many cases, there have been positive records reported by the users of this food all across the globe. The food also checks the level of plasma lipids in the body. This is the amount of fats in the blood of any living organism. When plasma has high lipid content, the individual can be considered as having a risky life.

Samgyetang has low amounts of fat. This reduces the health complications that are normally attributed to the foods people eat. The rats in the experiment reported no alarming levels of lipids in their blood. This shows that this food is recommended for consumption at all times. The problems brought by excess lipids are numerous. First, it may cause the blockage of the blood systems as they clog the inner sides of the vessels (Suzuki & Rhim, 2000). This might in turn harm the functioning of the heart. The most important consideration to place on any food to be consumed is that it should have little fat content and that the little fat available should be harmless.

This experiment explained that these foods are good for the health of the consumers. In areas of fat content and glucose levels in the body, they performed very well. A healthy diet must be composed of the necessary contents that are both nutritious and delicious. The best way to combine the health regiment in the program is to prepare the food in such a procedure just like the Koreans. The benefits of this approach were documented by positive health records of the people in Korea as well as by the results of the experiment. They all give a positive approval of the food as meeting the necessary dietary and nutritional threshold (Suzuki & Rhim, 2000).

Another research study regarding Samgyetang determining the optimum addition level of medicinal herbs was conducted using the pH scale. Since pH 7 is neutral; above it, alkalinity increases and below it acidity increases. The pH (Hydrogen Exponent) of the herb samgyetang decreased most with the Shi changpu addition group as 4.57 and the soluble solid content increased as the Bei Sha Shen addition group increased as 3.87 Brix. In sensory analysis, the highest scored in color, taste, and overall preference was obtained by the herb samgyetang with the highest Bei Sha Shen addition group. In conclusion, the optimum addition levels of medicinal herbs for the herb Samgyetang are as follows: Jie Geng 4 g, Bai Zhu 4 g, Bei Sha shen 12 g, Wu wei zi 6 g, shi chang pu 4 g, gan cao 4 g, and Da zao 4 g. (Jeong, Dae-Yun, Hwang, Su Jung, Bum, Seo-woo, Kim, Gun-hee, Eun, Jong-bang "Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Herb Samgyetang, Ginseng Chicken Soup with Different Levels of Added Medicinal Herbs" )pg.272-277