It is a stated function of the Kidneys, and a statement of fact in Chinese medicine (fundamental physiological correlations that just “are”), that “The Kidneys control the bones.” If one understand that the Chinese concept of the Kidneys includes the biomedical functions of the adrenal glands (as well as of the thyroid and parathyroid glands), than this is not difficult to understand. The hormones of the adrenal cortex (in conjunction with those of the thyroid and parathyroid gland) regulate bone metabolism. Another way to say this is that the Yang function of the Kidneys is akin to the metabolic functions of the body. To fully understand the issue of bone health according to Chinese medicine, it is necessary to discuss the dietary, lifestyle, and emotional factors which influence the Kidneys.

Since I have written above about calcium, I have decided to also write briefly about the other most commonly asked about / misunderstood food topic – protein. Calcium and protein are the two things people are most concerned about not getting enough of. The reason for this is simple. The meat and dairy industries promote, respectively, the importance of protein and calcium, through the USDA and other governmental agencies. The truth is, it is easy to get enough protein. Anything you eat is primarily composed of protein, carbohydrate, or fat. There is protein in grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, and seeds, as well as in the more commonly thought of sources of animal protein.

“The Kidneys store the Jing” is one of the stated functions of the Kidneys in Chinese medicine. The term Jing is one which has no English language equivalent. It refers to a substance which is endowed to each person, through their parents, at the moment of conception. It has both a qualitative and a quantitative component, is finite in quantity, and is stored in the conceptual space of the lower dan tian (literally “elixir field”) between the Kidneys. It gives root to the Yin and Yang, the fundamental substrates out of which all bodily substances and processes arise (see A Brief Introduction to Yin and Yang).

It is everywhere you look today. The scientific community, the media, and the public refer to isolated components of food as if they were drugs. We talk about lycopene, not tomatoes. Vitamin C, not oranges. Calcium, not broccoli. The official term for this horrific conceptualization is “nutraceuticals.” Just like pharmaceutical, only with a nutrient. It is a similar, though in my opinion more dangerous trend, than referring to foods as if they were only a protein, carbohydrate, or fat.

Vacuity is a term which is germane to the Kidneys. The terms Kidney Qi vacuity, Kidney Yin vacuity, and Kidney Yang vacuity, all describe a state of emptiness or depletion. Qi is vacuous when there is a lack of accumulation of it. Words such as “deficiency” and “weakness”, commonly used as translations in the West, convey a sense of qualitative fragility not implied by the Chinese term “xu”, meaning vacuity.

In the general field of alternative medicine today, the notion of a mind-body connection is a prevalent topic of discussion. Magazines run ads for mind-body institutes, doctors write books on mind-body medicine, news reports discuss research on the biochemistry of mind-body interaction, etc. Although this appears to be a holistic approach, the very notion that there is a connection between the mind and the body implies that there is a split in the first place. This is primarily a model of modern western culture. In Chinese medicine, there is literally no language for distinguishing between body and mind. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of being are viewed on a continuum. They cannot, however, exist separately from one another.

How many glasses of water do we need to drink per day? This is one of the most frequently asked questions in my practice. The primary reason for the focus on this issue arises from the fact that the typical American diet is severely lacking in water. A diet high in fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes is a diet which is inherently high in water. A diet high in processed foods and animal foods is a diet which is inherently low in water. The water craze of the West arose in response to the latter.

Water is the element of the Kidneys. From even a simple biomedical model, clearly the Kidneys control water metabolism. It is believed in the West that the Kidneys need to be “flushed”, or cleaned out. But in Chinese medicine, there is no such concept. There is Kidney Qi, Kidney Yin, and Kidney Yang. These can be vacuous, they may be unrooted, they may produce heat of various sorts, but they never create anything which needs to be flushed. In a practical sense, this means that over-ingestion of water is not the cure for all Kidney imbalances. I see people consuming large quantities of water with the idea that this will flush away fat. In fact, this only produces more Dampness.

I don’t do dairy. I do a lot of chicken and fish. I am not certain when people started “doing” food rather than eating it, but it has happened. It seems to be the logical sequel to “popping” pills. It is always fast, always aggressive, and always physical. It sounds like a sporting event. It’s not. It’s food. Pay attention and “eat” it.

Since Water is the theme of this newsletter, it seems appropriate to discuss things that come from the water, such as fish. The fish oil craze has struck. When I ask people about their diet, they almost always say something about fish. Either they say that they eat it, or they make an apology for not eating it, clarifying that they do not really like it. Where did the idea come from that people have to eat fish, that fish is “healthy”, and that it is healthy because of omega 3 oils? What does any of this even mean?

The doctrine of signatures is an old principle which basically states that a substance can be used to treat that which it resembles. The example which will be used in this article is that beans are beneficial to the Kidneys because they look like kidneys. This might seem like a primitive and silly notion at first. However, this concept is at the root of almost all traditional systems of herbal medicine. The traditional uses of herbs are commonly validated by modern, scientific investigation. All that changes is the explanation as to how the herb works. In modern times we ascribe the function of an herb to a set of chemical compounds instead of to its appearance. I am not sure this makes a difference, as the end result is the same.

It is generally believed in Chinese medicine that it is not appropriate to eat much fruit during the winter. Seen from a strictly biochemical perspective, this does not make much sense. But considered from an energetic perspective, it is a simple and logical idea. Most fruits are cooling in nature. They grow during the warm weather, in warm climates, and by nature act to balance the heat of the environment. It is appropriate to eat more fruit in the summer when a cooling effect is needed. Were it not for cold storage, we would not have fruit available in the winter. It is obviously true that our indoor climates are temperature controlled, but our bodies still know what season it is. Many fruit peels, by contrast, have a warming nature. They are often used, appropriately, in cooking and baking. Cooking and baking fruit will act to literally warm it, and therefore balance its cooling nature.

Chinese medicine recognizes six flavors, or tastes (“wei”) – sour, bitter, sweet, acrid, salty, and level (neutral). These flavors correspond, respectively, with the Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys (the level flavor does not correspond with one specific organ). These flavors contribute to the actions of foods and medicinal herbs. In fact, it is fair to say that the taste of something is its medicine. This is why it is important not to alter the flavor of medicinal teas, generally attempting to make them sweet. A general principle of flavor is that a little tonifies and a lot sedates. That is, a small amount of a given taste will support a given organ, while a large amount will weaken it.

This brief article is really an addendum to the article About Salt. Just as the salty flavor affects the Kidneys and salt metabolism, so does the sweet flavor affect the Spleen (pancreas in biomedicine) and sugar metabolism. The two tastes – salty and sweet – reflect the two basic substances of physiology. Our body contains salts and sugars. This is in contrast to the sour, bitter, and acrid tastes, which have no specific physiological correlation.

Each of the tastes does have correlation, or resonance, with a particular organ. This is according to Chinese five phase theory. Sour, bitter, sweet, acrid, and salty, correlate respectively with the Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, and Kidneys. Strong preferences and cravings, and dislikes and aversions, can reflect imbalance in one or more organ system. This information is used to both diagnose as well as to treat using food and herbs in Chinese medicine.

Exterior resolvers are acrid substances (foods or herbs) which relieve congestion at the surface of the body, expelling externally contracted pathogens such as wind heat and wind cold. The acrid, or pungent taste, moves and disperses. Exterior resolvers move the Qi by activating the Yang Qi of the Kidneys. In doing so, prolonged and inappropriate usage wastes the Jing. The most commonly used and familiar surface reliever is coffee. Even decaffeinated coffee (it should be clear by now that one chemical compound does not explain the entire nature of a substance) acts as a surface reliever, although caffeine itself does this as well. Regular use of coffee wastes the Jing, dries the Blood, and blocks the flow of Liver Qi. Its regular consumption produces more imbalance than any other food item I am aware of.

Since this newsletter is primarily concerned with the Kidneys, and as the Kidneys are primarily concerned with Yin-Yang physiology, it is necessary to at least briefly discuss what Yin and Yang mean. I plan to discuss these more extensively in a future article.

Yin and Yang are simply the named recognition of dualistic reality. We can only experience life, and reality, through dualism. There is no day without night, no up without down, no hot without cold. All opposites exist in complementary relation to one another, and it is only through our perception that we experience them as separate. On and off, 0 and 1. There, now you have the entire concept of binary language and the foundation of computers.

The word “shen” means spirit in Chinese medicine. There is a global concept of Shen which reflects the quality of a person’s vitality and life force. Each organ also houses a particular Shen, such as the “zhi”, or will, for the Kidneys, and the “shen”, or spirit, for the Heart. Heart Shen is physiologically an accumulation of Blood (and therefore Qi) and Jing in the Heart. It reflects the expression of one’s will, manifesting as wisdom.