We all fancy our favorable flavors with some of us can’t handle any food not spicy or swallow anything not sweet without knowing, though, such a partiality for particular type of food of particular flavor often results in unbalanced nutrition to the detriment of the health of our five vital organs, which Cuisine & Culture is not about to let happen with professional medical advice presented in this issue to hopefully persuade you out of your partiality for particular flavors to your fancy which may not be healthy.

        Just like the five grains which respectively nourish our five vital organs as is presented in the previous edition of Cuisine & Culture, the five flavors of salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy likewise cater correspondingly to our five vital organs with their respective functions. With the five flavors evenly dosed to the delight of the five vital organs the nutritious value as a result can be tremendous, for indeed our five vital organs just like us who carry them as inner man fancy for their respective favorable flavors too.

        Overly dosed or disproportionately fed, however, the five flavors may “infuriate” the five vital organs and upset the entire body balance as a result, leading to serious health hazard as is so advised by traditional Chinese medicine which cautions against heavy partiality for any particular flavor among the five, since too sour a flavor unsettles spleen/stomach, too much bitterness hurts lungs, too hot and too spicy a taste damages liver, too strong an indulgence in sweet weakens kidneys, and too high an intake of salt harms heart.

Too much acidity unsettles spleen/stomach  

        While a tonic for liver, too much acidity, though, gives rise to overly charged energy of liver to the detriment of spleen. A weakened spleen as a result of too much intake of acidity shows on one’s lips which may turn outward without luster.

Medical expert advice: One who often suffers indigestion while prone for loose bowel due to weakened spleen functions is advised against partiality for too sour a flavor.

Too strong an indulgence in sweet weakens kidneys  

A tonic for spleen, sweet flavor, if excessively indulged however, leads to overly charged energy of spleen to the detriment of kidneys, which shows on one’s hair. Those who have a sweet tooth and an addiction to chocolate may lose the luster of hair and even hair itself.

Medical expert advice: One with weak kidney symptoms such as jerk knees and backache as well as with ringing in the ear is advised to drastically cut down the intake of sugar.

Too much bitterness harms lungs  

Bitter flavor nourishes heart, but too much of it, though, harms lungs and their normal functions leading to withered skin and loss of hair.

Medical expert advice: One who lacks vital energy of lungs coughs often while prone to spit is strongly advised against taking too much bitter-flavored food.

Too hot and too spicy a flavor and too much of it hurts liver    

Too much intake of hot and spicy food over charges the energy of lungs to the detriment of liver which stores blood and supports muscles and tendons, reducing both the blood supply to the nails and the elasticity and resilience of muscles and tendons.

Medical expert advice: One with a feeble liver often suffers dizziness with pale complexion, symptoms of short on vital energy of liver, is advised to cut down in take of spicy food.

Too high an intake of salt harms heart   

Salt nourishes kidneys but hurts heart and its functions if taken too much, inhibiting the generation of blood while curdling blood.

Medical expert advice: One with dimmed complexion bothered by chest pains, short breath and palpitation is strongly advised against too much intake of salt.

From the Editor: Cuisine & Culture obtains its materials both online and off line with sources omitted for reason of simplicity but can be provided upon request. Certain materials come in languages other than English that Cuisine & Culture renders into English to the best of its ability. Cuisine & Culture is not in a position to verify the veracity of the materials provided herein. Reader’s discretion is kindly advised.

A Special Acknowledgement of Thanks from Cuisine & Culture

Cuisine & Culture wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to Kevin Wambura of the ITS team here at UNON in Nairobi and Yawtsong Lee, a veteran interpreter at UN headquarters, now retired, for their technical advice and assistance and is hereby extremely pleased to retain them as Technical Advisors to Cuisine & Culture.