Origin and Development of Chinese Medicated Diet
By admin on 2014-12-16

Chinese medicated diet

Chinese medicated diet is a highly finished diet made from Chinese drugs, food and condiments under the theoretical guidance of diet preparation differentiation of symptoms and signs of traditional Chinese medicine . It has not only the efficiency of medicine but also the delicacy of food, and can be used to prevent and cure diseases, build up one's health and prolong one's life.

Chinese medicated diet has a long history. The ancient legend "Shennong Tastes a Hundred Grasses "shows that early in remote antiquity the Chinese nation began to explore the function of food and medicaments, hence the saying "Traditional Chinese medicine and diet both originate from the practice and experience in daily life."

In Shennong's Herbal Classic, which was published approximately in about the Qin and Han Periods and is the extant earliest monograph on materia medica, many sorts of medicaments which are both drugs and food were recorded. Iin the East Han dynasty, some noted medicated diet recipes were recorded, such as Soup of Chinese Angelica root, Fresh ginger and Mutton (Danggui Shengjiang Yangrou Tang ), all of which now still have important values. 

In the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen collected and recorded many medicated diet prescriptions, dozens of which were about medicated gruel alone, another dozens touched on nothing other than medicated wine.  

Medicated diet has been developing greatly. There is medicated food suitable for patients suffering from diabetes, obesity and angiocardiopathy; there are health-care food and drinks suitable for athletes, actors, actresses and miners; there are also health- care food or medicated diets suitable for the promotion of children's health and growth, or for prolonging life of the aged.

Chinese medicated diet has begun to go abroad. Medicated cans, health-care drinks and medicated wine made from traditional Chinese medicine have been sold at the international market. Organs of academic, industrial and commercial circles abroad have paid close attention to Chinese medicated diet-a special food. Chinese medicated diet will make contributions to the health of the people all over the world.