Consensus Between Chinese and Western Medicine: The Importance of Dietary Therapy

Preface

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1. SMD stands for “Systemic Medicine Doctor” and the domain “SM.Doctor”.
2. SMD Core Philosophy: First principles of health, health systems engineering, and integrated healing through healthcare and wellness.
3. SMD Therapy Characteristics: Organic integration of Chinese and Western medical therapies, psychological therapy, and natural therapies.
4. SMD Evidence-Based Medicine: A closed-loop medical system integrating SMD-Methodology-Driven case analysis, treatment planning, and outcome validation.
5. Human Health Initiative: A comprehensive health initiative based on SMD methodology.

The insights of Chinese and Western medicine on the relationship between intestinal health and diseases, spanning time and space, share the same goal through different approaches – Hippocrates’ statement that “All disease begins in the gut” and the discussion in Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) that “Fecal toxins entering the blood lead to the onset of various diseases” both point to the core position of the intestines as the hub of health. As a core means of intervening in intestinal health, the importance of dietary therapy has been more deeply verified in modern medical research. The following systematically discusses it from three dimensions: theoretical foundation, mechanism of action, and practical value:

1. Theoretical Foundations of Chinese and Western Medicine: The Intestines as the ‘Root’ of Overall Health

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1. Western Medicine Perspective: The Intestines as the Command Center of Immunity and Metabolism
   The view proposed by Hippocrates in the 4th century BC is now confirmed by microbiome research:

   • Immune Defense: 70%-80% of immune cells are located in the intestines. Once the intestinal barrier is damaged (such as “intestinal leakage syndrome”), endotoxins (LPS) entering the blood can trigger systemic chronic inflammation, which is closely related to obesity, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.
   • Microbial Regulation: The number of intestinal microorganisms exceeds 10 times that of human cells, and their genetic diversity affects nutrient synthesis, neurotransmitter (such as serotonin) secretion, and toxin metabolism. Microbial imbalance is associated with autism, depression, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Chinese Medicine Perspective: ‘Fecal Toxins Entering the Blood’ as the Origin of Various Diseases
   Huangdi Neijing puts forward that “Fecal toxins entering the blood lead to the onset of various diseases,” emphasizing that the accumulation of intestinal toxins in the blood is the root cause of diseases, echoing theories such as “salt affecting the blood”:

   • Toxins Causing Blood Stasis: Excessive intake of salty foods can lead to “stagnation of blood vessels,” where body fluids leak out and blood becomes thick, forming a blood stasis constitution, which can then induce hypertension and stroke.
   • Holistic Pathogenesis: The Chinese medical concept that “all diseases arise from qi disorders” (Suwen·Jutong Lun, Plain Questions: Treatise on Pain) further indicates that emotional and dietary disorders can disrupt the flow of qi, and the intestines, as the “foundation of the acquired constitution,” are the key hub for the升降 (ascending and descending) of qi.

Consensus Point: Both Chinese and Western medicine regard the intestines as the gateway for “the excretion of internal toxins,” and their barrier function and microecological balance are the core of disease prevention.

2. The Core Role of Dietary Therapy: Repairing Intestinal Barriers and Microbial Balance

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Modern lifestyle factors (such as high-fat diets and滥用 antibiotics) are the main causes of intestinal damage. Dietary therapy exerts therapeutic effects through the following mechanisms:

1. Rebuilding Microbial Diversity

   • Prebiotics and Dietary Fiber: Apple pectin, celery crude fiber, etc., can promote the proliferation of probiotics (such as Bifidobacterium), inhibit pathogenic bacteria, and generate short-chain fatty acids (such as butyric acid) to repair the intestinal mucosa.
   • Fermented Foods: Probiotics in yogurt and kimchi can directly colonize the intestines, reducing the entry of endotoxins into the blood.

2. Repairing Intestinal Barriers and Blocking ‘Fecal Toxins Entering the Blood’

   • Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Avoid spicy and fried foods (which cause intestinal leakage); increasing Omega-3 (linseeds, deep-sea fish) can reduce intestinal inflammatory factors.
   • Mucosal Nutritional Support: Easily digestible foods such as egg custard and rice porridge reduce intestinal burden; nutrients such as zinc and vitamin A enhance the expression of tight junction proteins.

3. Regulating the Brain-Intestine Axis and Improving Emotion-Related Diseases

   • The intestines are known as the “second brain,” producing 90% of the body’s serotonin. Dietary fiber promotes the production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) by microorganisms, alleviating anxiety.
   • Emotional diseases in Chinese medicine such as “stagnation of qi due to pensiveness,” can be regulated by diets that soothe the liver and strengthen the spleen (such as millet and Chinese yam) to adjust the flow of qi.

3. Principles of Dietary Therapy Practice: Individualized and Stage-Based Intervention

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Adjusting the diet according to the intestinal condition is the key to efficacy:

Intestinal Condition	Dietary Principles	Recommended Foods	Contraindicated Foods
Acute Inflammation Phase	Low-residue, low-fat, easily digestible	Rice soup, flour paste, steamed egg custard	Raw and cold fruits and vegetables, nuts, red meat
Remission/Regulation Phase	High-fiber, probiotic supplementation	Cooked apples, oats, room-temperature yogurt	Alcohol, processed foods
Blood Stasis Constitution (Chinese Medicine)	Low-salt, blood-activating and stasis-removing	Black fungus, hawthorn, celery	Pickled products, excessive red meat

Special Warnings：

• Gluten-sensitive individuals should avoid wheat products to prevent exacerbation of intestinal leakage;
• A high-salt diet directly promotes blood stasis through the mechanism of “salt affecting the blood,” with daily salt intake should be <5 grams.

Conclusion: Dietary Therapy as the Foundation of ‘Preventive Medicine’

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From Hippocrates to Huangdi Neijing, the theory of intestinal health has been confirmed by science across thousands of years – 90% of chronic diseases are related to intestinal microbial imbalance. As the most daily intervention, dietary therapy has the following values:

1. Preventive: Avoid “fecal toxins entering the blood” and “intestinal leakage” through dietary adjustments;
2. Fundamental: Replace drugs to repair the intestinal mucosa and avoid systemic inflammatory cascades;
3. Holistic: Simultaneously regulate immune, metabolic, and neural functions, in line with the core concept of Chinese medicine that “the spleen and stomach are the foundation of the acquired constitution.”

As Neijing emphasizes, “When the five flavors enter the mouth, they are stored in the stomach and intestines. The flavors are stored to nourish the five qi.” Only by returning to the fundamental regulation of diet can we start from the intestines, the “source of all diseases,” and truly achieve “when the righteous qi is stored within, evil cannot invade.”