History and classics of shi liao
A tour of the texts that founded Chinese dietetics and of how they are read today: as valuable historical documents that call for critical reading.
Ancient origins
The Huangdi Neijing presents food as the first resource of care: grains as the base, with fruit, meat, and vegetables in support. The Shennong Bencao Jing, the earliest surviving materia medica, classifies substances into categories that mix foods and medicines.
- The Neijing places diet before other interventions.
- The Shennong Bencao Jing already mixes foods and medicinal substances.
The medieval treatises
Sun Simiao devoted a chapter of the Qianjin Yaofang to dietetics and argued for treating with food before drugs. In 1330, Hu Sihui presented the Yinshan Zhengyao, regarded as the first imperial-court dietary treatise, written for the table of the Yuan dynasty.
- Sun Simiao proposes food as the first option of care.
- The Yinshan Zhengyao (1330) joins recipes, dietetics, and the imperial court.
From the Bencao Gangmu to today
Li Shizhen’s Bencao Gangmu (16th century) compiled thousands of substances with dietary and medicinal uses. Today these classics are read critically: they are essential historical documents, but their claims require scientific verification before being applied.
- A classic documents what was believed and used, not what is proven.
- Current research reviews the classics; it does not treat them as a clinical manual.
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
