Treatise on the Five Flavors

The Yellow Emperor asked Shao Yu: "When the five flavors enter the mouth, each has its own pathway and each gives rise to its own diseases. Sour flavor goes to the sinews; eating too much sour flavor causes urinary obstruction. Salty flavor goes to the blood; eating too much salty flavor causes thirst. Pungent flavor goes to the qi; eating too much pungent flavor causes hollow pain in the heart. Bitter flavor goes to the bones; eating too much bitter flavor causes vomiting. Sweet flavor goes to the flesh; eating too much sweet flavor causes vexation in the heart. I already know these conditions, but I do not know the reasons behind them. I wish to hear the explanation."

Shao Yu replied: "When sour flavor enters the stomach, its qi is astringent and constricting. It ascends to the upper burner and middle burner, but cannot exit or enter quickly. Since it cannot leave, it stays in the stomach. When the stomach is warm and harmonious, the sour flavor flows downward to the urinary bladder. The bladder wall is thin and soft. When it encounters sour flavor, it contracts and curls up, becoming bound and obstructed, so the water pathway cannot function, and urinary obstruction results. The genital organ is the place where all the sinews of the body converge and terminate, therefore sour flavor enters the body and goes to the sinews."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Salty flavor goes to the blood. Eating too much salty flavor causes thirst. Why is this?" Shao Yu said: "When salty flavor enters the stomach, its qi ascends to the middle burner, flows into the blood vessels, and the blood and qi then move along with it. When blood and salty flavor combine, they congeal. Congealing causes the stomach's fluids to flow over and supplement it. When they flow over, the stomach becomes depleted. Depletion of the stomach dries the throat pathway, so the root of the tongue becomes dry and easily causes thirst. The blood vessels are the pathway of the middle burner, therefore salty flavor enters the body and goes to the blood."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Pungent flavor goes to the qi. Eating too much pungent flavor causes hollow pain in the heart. Why is this?" Shao Yu said: "When pungent flavor enters the stomach, its qi goes to the upper burner. The upper burner receives the refined qi of water and grains and nourishes all the yang parts of the body. The qi of ginger and leeks fumigates it, so the nutritive qi and defensive qi cannot receive nourishment at the proper times. The pungent qi remains for a long time below the heart, therefore hollow pain occurs in the heart. Pungent flavor moves together with qi, therefore when pungent flavor enters the body, it is expelled together with sweat."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Bitter flavor goes to the bones. Eating too much bitter flavor causes vomiting. Why is this?" Shao Yu said: "When bitter flavor enters the stomach, the qi of the five grains cannot overcome the bitter flavor. Bitter flavor enters the lower pylorus, and the passages of the three burners all become blocked and obstructed, therefore vomiting occurs. The teeth are the place where the bones terminate, therefore bitter flavor enters the body and goes to the bones. Hence, when bitter flavor enters the body, it is vomited out again. From this, we know it goes to the bones."

The Yellow Emperor said: "Sweet flavor goes to the flesh. Eating too much sweet flavor causes vexation in the heart. Why is this?" Shao Yu said: "When sweet flavor enters the stomach, its qi is weak and small. It cannot ascend to the upper burner, but stays in the stomach together with the grains, causing a feeling of softness and moisture in a person. When the stomach is soft and moist, it becomes relaxed. When it is relaxed, it causes the parasites to become active. When the parasites become active, a person feels vexation in the heart. Its qi communicates outward with the flesh, therefore sweet flavor goes to the flesh."