TCM for a strong immune system

28. February 2023

Did you know that in ancient China, doctors were not only paid for curing illnesses, but also for keeping their patients healthy? The great healing art of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consists of the prevention and early detection of diseases.

Miracle weapon TCM

It was therefore possible for an outstanding TCM doctor to recognize various imbalances at an early stage by means of a detailed anamnesis, pulse and tongue diagnostics and to treat them specifically – even BEFORE an illness becomes visible or noticeable.

However, the responsibility never lay with the doctor alone, but rather with the patients themselves. After all, a general rule in TCM states that only 20% of the effectiveness of Chinese medicine depends on treatment methods such as acupuncture and herbal therapy and 80% on a healthy lifestyle. Adhering to dietary recommendations, regular breaks and exercise sessions was and is therefore far more important in TCM than the insertion of acupuncture needles.

Health from the TCM perspective

According to TCM, a person is only healthy when yin and yang are in balance, sufficient life energy (qi) is present, it flows freely through the body and all organs are well supplied. In TCM, disease prevention therefore means taking even small signs of a lack of Qi or an imbalance of Yin and Yang seriously and taking countermeasures. TCM does not simply look the other way when it comes to “everyday complaints” such as digestive problems, susceptibility to infections, headaches, menstrual pain, tiredness or lack of energy, but addresses the underlying imbalance as soon as possible in order to prevent the complaints from intensifying or becoming chronic.

The three bringers of the 1,000 diseases

The same principle is applied to the immune system. According to TCM, the so-called “three great bringers of 1,000 diseases” – cold, wind and phlegm – are much more likely to enter the body from the outside if a similar “environment” is already present inside the body.

For example, if the body tends to freeze even before the cold period begins (usually due to too much cooling food such as raw vegetables, yogurt, ice cream, smoothies and the like), a cold can easily penetrate unhindered.
If you are overworked, stressed and therefore “winded”, changes in the weather in spring and fall can bring pathogens quickly and acutely.
And if toxins have already accumulated in the body (e.g. due to too much industrially produced food, regular overeating and poor digestion), illness can quickly lead to mucus, colds and the like.

However, if I take preventative measures to create a robust protective barrier by warming myself from the inside, reducing stress, strengthening my digestive system and eliminating toxins, neither the cold, wind nor mucus will be able to harm me so quickly.

Defying the cold with inner warmth

As already mentioned, we need warmth inside for a good immune system, especially as it is usually the cold that brings us the pathogens. Now you are probably familiar with the recommendation to consume more vitamin C in the form of oranges, lemons and other tropical fruits to strengthen the immune system. Have you ever consciously noticed what eating one or more oranges does to you? You will probably feel cold, because tropical fruits have a cooling effect. After all, they also grow in areas where it makes sense to refresh yourself from the heat of the day. Citrus fruits also taste sour, which means they have an astringent effect and keep waste products in the body. Another reason why cooling and souring is counterproductive if you are prone to mucus and colds.

So what does TCM recommend to get more heat into the body? Start the day with a warm, cooked breakfast, spoon up long-cooked soups, stews and power broths, eat grilled and baked food, choose fruit purée and stewed fruit instead of raw vegetables and season with cinnamon, (star) aniseed, nutmeg, fresh ginger, cloves, rosemary and the like.

TCM breakfast — Fruit puree with ginger and cinnamon

A centuries-old immune booster

If you want to strengthen your inner protective shield in addition to the right diet and a balanced lifestyle or want to ward off an incipient infection, Chinese herbal medicine has a suitable and tried-and-tested formula: the so-called “jade wind protection” (available on request from Christina Zitterl ). This Chinese formula consists of three medicinal herbs which, when taken together, are excellent for strengthening the immune system, protecting against external pathogens and helping to reduce the build-up of mucus in the body:

Astragalus root (Huang Qi)
Atractylodis root/large-headed saliva herb (Bai Zhu)
Saposhnikovia root (Fang Feng)

Conclusion

According to TCM, a strong immune system is based on a balance of yin and yang as well as strong lung energy. In addition to a wealth of knowledge about the healing and balancing effects of food and herbs, TCM also has expertise in the field of disease prevention. So don’t wait until autumn to start thinking about your immune system, but start today by balancing your yin and yang through a type-appropriate diet and lifestyle. Our TCM health service providers will be happy to guide and support you.