Medical foods in Vietnam: amazing, embarrassing, and puzzling

Food nourishes. But food can also be poisoned. There is an old strange belief in Vietnam that says something like this: "Eating chicken with Vietnamese lemon mint leaves can cause a leprosy-like disease." The truth is that when you eat chicken and lemon mint mixture this will not make you chronically sick, but it can lead to a special kind of nausea and itching that no one wants to deal with. This is just one piece of advice from the school of nutritional therapy, where cuisine meets medicine, a practice deeply rooted in ancient Chinese medicine. While some of these ideas have been refuted as pure myth, others are still cherished and practiced, whether in the office of an oriental doctor or the kitchen of a chef.

Yin and Yang philosophy

The concept of yin and yang is the core philosophy in every aspect of traditional East Asian culture and society. They are opposing and complementary forces of energy. Yin is feminine and receptive, while yang is masculine and active. The yang expands and dominates, while the yin remains steady and stable. In the food world, yang is cold, while yang is hot and warm. Besides neutrality, these five basic temperaments form dietary therapy. Some yang foods include red meat, potatoes, carrots, herbs and spices (ginger, garlic, onions...). On the other hand, yen foods include leafy greens, tofu, cucumbers, watermelons, and more. The balance of yin and yang is the ideal state for the existence and prosperity of the body. If one energy is missing, you need to insert the other to restore balance. This principle often applies to how to pair ingredients to form a harmonious dish. Seafood, in general, is "cold", therefore, you need to supplement it with something "spicy". Chicken meat, which is a "warm" food, but is often served with another "warm" appetizer: lemon leaves. Many Westerners may be familiar with this ingredient through Thai curry, but in Vietnam, it is known as thinly sliced lemon leaves, which are sprinkled over steamed chicken. The most common way to prepare chicken in Vietnam is not frying but boiling (or steaming), as this method is believed to preserve its tenderness and nutritional value.

Five elements in the life cycle

Based on yin and yang, the concept of the five more complex elements (or five factors, 五行) takes it further. The system consists of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, creating an optimal cycle of reproduction and destruction.

Water feeds the wood but extinguishes the fire.

Fire creates ash, which enriches the earth, but melts and destroys metal.

The metal evaporates and creates water, while the metal blade may cut the wood.

Wood enhances the power of fire, but depletes nutrients from the ground.

The earth unites minerals to form the metal, but prevents water from flowing freely.

Basically each element has the ability to activate one element and annihilate another. You are not immune to things or completely helpless. The Five Elements course offers a sophisticated and straightforward way to present nature, culture, medicine, military strategy and human life.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the five elements are represented as follows:

The mineral is permeable (spice or heat), located in the lungs and large intestine.

Wood is acidity, located in the liver and gallbladder.

Water is saline, located in the kidneys and bladder.

Fire is a gallbladder, located in the heart and small intestine.

The dirt is sweetness, located in the spleen and stomach.

In general, excessive intake of any kind of food or flavor can strain the corresponding organ.

The embarrassing situation in modern society

Blurred vision and dizziness can be caused by a lack of blood flow to the liver, affecting the eyes. In most East and Southeast Asian countries, traditional medicine is not part of the compulsory formal curriculum.Biology courses follow the same scientific guidelines for vitamins and anatomy as in the West. Oriental medicine is intended for specialized college programs or is passed down in families who have practiced it for a long time. For most of us, our knowledge hinges at the yin and yang rule. We said earlier, that this is not about using food as a real medicine. But it is believed that the use of food to nourish the body in the extreme summer heat or severe winter cold is necessary. But when it comes to treating serious cases, there is not enough knowledge to explain them, let alone judge them. But where do the boundaries mix? In Vietnam, there is constant talk about what to do when diagnosed with cancer: follow the Western medical path or follow the traditional path? This discourse is not limited to Eastern countries – just replace the "traditional" with the "alternative". Attention: If you Google "cancer" and "traditional medicine" together in Vietnamese, you will find a lot of warnings, sad stories, and articles begging people to see the right doctor. When choosing the Western way, it is clear. Apart from occasional fatigue, mild cramps, and loss of appetite, you're fine, but your white blood cell count sometimes fluctuates to dangerously low levels.

So what should you eat?

In Vietnam, traditional medicine occupies a strange space – deeply ingrained in the collective unconscious of the people, yet ignored or hidden in a small, gated community. The public rarely learns about them correctly and systematically, leading to their overuse or abuse. In China, there is a rise in interest in medicinal foods, especially among younger generations (although many focus on anti-aging). However, this revival comes with a positive development: food, after all, is life. When you practice diet therapy deliberately, you naturally become more aware of your exercise habits, mental well-being, and work-leisure balance.