TCM superfoods
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1. What are TCM superfoods?
The Chinese tradition of yao shi tong yuan — medicine and food sharing the same origin — recognises a category of everyday foods that act as gentle, daily-use medicines. These “superfoods” have been used for centuries as both ingredients and tonic herbs and are recorded in classical Chinese materia medica. Each has a clearly defined therapeutic profile in Chinese food therapy and is used at quantities small enough to be food but consistent enough to act as medicine.
2. Superfood directory
- Goji berries (gou qi zi) — Liver and Kidney yin tonic, blood and eye tonic.
- Red dates / Jujube (hong zao / da zao) — classic Spleen qi tonic, calms the spirit, builds blood.
- Black sesame (hei zhi ma) — Kidney essence, Liver blood, hair and skin nourishment.
- Walnuts (hu tao ren) — Kidney yang tonic, brain food, lung-moistening.
- Lotus seeds (lian zi) — Spleen and Kidney tonic, calms anxiety and supports sleep.
- Chinese yam (shan yao) — Spleen, Lung and Kidney tonic, gentle daily support.
- Job's tears / Chinese pearl barley (yi yi ren) — clears damp, supports skin, eases joint stiffness.
