ABSTRACT
The Chinese are proud of their heritage and the ingenuity of their early scienti c and cultural developments. One of their most remarkable contributions to civilization undoubtedly is the abundance of information on and descriptions of the uses of natural substances, plants, chemicals, and animals in treating illnesses. Health and “healing” foods have a long history in Chinese culture, where food and medicine are considered to be equally important in preventing and curing diseases. China has long had the concepts “food can treat illness and build up life force” and “food and medicine come from the same source” (Li, 1578; Beijing Traditional Chinese Medical College and Hospital, 1981; Huang, 1993). Because Western medicine is sometimes limited in effectiveness against chronic illnesses, help is being sought in traditional concepts of preventive medicine, using medicinal herbs to restore balance to the body rather than turning to pharmaceuticals. Chinese medicated diets have a long history as one application of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine and diet both originate from practice and experience in daily life. Dietetic therapy is always considered as the rst choice for most chronic diseases rather than chemical medicine (Lee, 1990; Chen, 1997; Ma, 2002).
