Foods temperament is one of the fundamental concepts in Traditional Iranian Medicine and plays an important role in maintaining balance and supporting overall health. According to this ancient perspective, every food possesses a specific temperament that can influence the body’s natural condition and well being. At ACPFOOD, we aim to provide valuable information about foods temperament, hot and cold foods, and the traditional understanding of natural ingredients used in daily nutrition and herbal practices.
Foods Temperament Definition
In Traditional Iranian Medicine, foods temperament refers to the natural hot or cold quality that every food or drink has and the effect it produces in the body after consumption. According to this traditional viewpoint, foods with a hot temperament increase warmth and energy in the body, while foods with a cold temperament create a cooling effect. These influences begin even before the food is fully digested and transformed into body tissues.
After digestion, food gradually changes and becomes part of the body’s organs and tissues. Since each organ possesses its own specific temperament, the newly formed substance must adapt and harmonize with the natural temperament of that organ. During the early stages of this transformation, the qualities of the food may not be completely compatible with the body part it nourishes, and therefore the body requires time to achieve balance.
For example, lettuce and garlic have different temperaments and affect the body differently. Lettuce is considered a cold temperament food, and part of its nutrients eventually transforms into blood within the body. Although the produced blood may be healthy and beneficial, its cooling quality can be greater than the level naturally required for human temperament.
The temperament of garlic is considered hot in Traditional Iranian Medicine. After garlic is digested and transformed into blood and body tissues, its warming nature remains stronger than the level of heat required for the body to stay in a balanced condition. For this reason, consuming foods with a hot temperament may increase warmth in the body, while foods with a cold temperament may increase coolness.
When a food is described as hot or cold, it refers to its ability to influence the body’s natural balance. A food with a hot temperament is believed to possess more heat than the body’s moderate state, while a food with a cold temperament carries a greater cooling quality. These effects are important in understanding how different foods interact with individual body conditions and overall health.
Temperament is one of the fundamental principles of Traditional Persian Medicine, and many traditional diagnoses and treatments are based on evaluating a person’s temperament and physical balance. For this reason, paying close attention to foods temperament has always been one of the main recommendations of traditional medicine practitioners. In this article, you will discover the temperament of many common foods and learn how they are traditionally categorized according to their hot or cold nature.
According to Traditional Iranian Medicine, the nature of the food we consume undergoes transformation in the liver, where it is processed and converted into four primary humors. These humors are believed to play essential roles in maintaining the body’s balance, health, and natural functions. Understanding foods temperament is an important part of recognizing how different foods influence these humors and affect overall well being.
1. Yellow Bile
Yellow bile is a yellowish red substance considered the lightest of the four humors. It is associated with supporting digestion, stimulating intestinal movement, improving blood circulation, enhancing mental sharpness, and increasing brain activity. In traditional medicine, yellow bile is also believed to possess anti infectious properties and naturally rises above the other humors because of its lighter nature.
2. Blood
Blood is the second humor and is characterized by its red color. It is responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the body to nourish tissues and cells. In the traditional view, blood occupies the layer beneath yellow bile and plays a major role in vitality and overall physical strength.
3. Phlegm
Phlegm is described as a pale red or pinkish substance located beneath the blood layer. Traditional medicine associates phlegm with lubrication and smooth movement within the joints, as well as the formation of nerve tissues, brain cells, interstitial fluids, and lymphatic networks.
4. Black Bile
Black bile is a dark red or crimson substance considered the heaviest of the four humors. It settles beneath phlegm and is traditionally believed to stimulate appetite and contribute to the formation and strength of bone tissue.
In Traditional Persian Medicine, maintaining balance among these humors is closely connected to foods temperament and individual body temperament. Different types of foods may benefit or negatively affect certain temperaments depending on their hot, cold, dry, or moist qualities.
- Foods with a cold and dry temperament are considered beneficial for individuals with a sanguine temperament but may be harmful when consumed excessively by melancholic individuals.
- Foods with a hot and dry temperament are traditionally recommended for phlegmatic temperaments but may aggravate choleric conditions.
- Foods with a warm and moist temperament are considered beneficial for melancholic temperaments while potentially unsuitable for sanguine individuals.
- Foods with a cold and moist temperament are regarded as beneficial for choleric temperaments but may negatively affect phlegmatic temperaments.
Learning about foods temperament can help individuals choose foods that better match their body condition and support balance according to the principles of Traditional Iranian Medicine.
In this post, we are going to introduce foods temperament, including the nature of fruits, vegetables, common herbs, seeds, meats, dairy products, and grains, so that you can better understand how each food affects the body according to Traditional Iranian Medicine principles. This guide to foods temperament will help you choose the most suitable foods that are compatible with your individual temperament and support better balance, health, and well being.
Hot and Dry Foods
| Fruits & Vegetables | Common Herbs & Seeds | Meats & Dairy | Grains |
| Mango | Wild rue | Camel meat | Split peas |
| Bitter Almond | Lavender | Ostrich meat | Chick peas |
| Sweet Almond | Anise | Deer meat | Buckwheat |
| Wild Almond | Thyme | ||
| Cashew | Lemon balm | ||
| Eggplant | Lemon verbena | ||
| Quince | Black tea | ||
| Pistachio | Green tea | ||
| Onion | Cinnamon | ||
| Chives | Fennel seeds | ||
| Sunflower seeds and oil | Rosemary and its oil | ||
| Radish | Blackseeds and blackseed oil | ||
| Tarragon | Turmeric | ||
| Leeks | Saffron | ||
| Parsley | Cumin | ||
| Nutmeg | Lovage seeds | ||
| Kohlrabi | Chamomile | ||
| Beetroot | Orange blossom | ||
| Mustard | Cardamom | ||
| Olive and Olive oil | Peppermint | ||
| Walnut and walnut oil | Milk vetch | ||
| Coconut and coconut oil | Vanilla | ||
| Basil | Sunflower seed | ||
| Ginger | Chilgoza | ||
| Garlic | Bay leaf | ||
| Fenugreek | Fumitory | ||
| Dill | Licorice | ||
| Honey | Maidenhair fern | ||
| Bell pepper | Marjoram | ||
| Green pepper | Milk thistle | ||
| Black pepper | Nettles | ||
| Red pepper | Oregano | ||
| Hazelnut | Purple Coneflower | ||
| Cocoa | Rose Hips | ||
| Celery | Rosemary | ||
| Cabbage | Safflower | ||
| Broccoli | Sage | ||
| Artichoke | Hypericum perforatum | ||
| Nettle | Tarragon | ||
| Cauliflower | Tribulus Terrestris | ||
| Asparagus | Truffle | ||
| Savory | Valerian root | ||
| Persian Shallot | Yarrow | ||
| Wild Pistachio | Aloe resin | ||
| Capsicum | Frankincense | ||
| Asparagus | Persian Turpentine resin | ||
| Black seed | |||
| Shilajit | |||
| Fenugreek seed | |||
| Plantain seed | |||
| Mumio | |||
| Astragalus Manna | |||
| Salt Stone | |||
Hot and Moist Foods
| Fruits & Vegetables | Common Herbs & Seed | Meats and Dairy | Grains |
| Fresh fig | Hoary basil seeds | Cow and sheep liver | Wheat |
| Grapes | Bugloss | Shrimp | Beans |
| Sweet almond and its oil | Sisymbrium officinale seeds | Egg | |
| Peanut | Musk Willow | Butter | |
| Papaya | Salep | Quail meat | |
| White horseradish | Basil seed | Turkey | |
| Black Spanish radish | Flixweed | Cow and sheep heart | |
| White mulberry | Sesame | Goose meat | |
| Raisins | Manna of Hedysarum | Partridge meat | |
| Pear | Lamb meat | ||
| Fresh date | |||
| Carrot | |||
| Apple | |||
| Turnip | |||
| Cantaloupe | |||
| Cherry | |||
| Banana | |||
| Apricot | |||
| Cantaloupe |
Cold and Moist Foods
| Fruits & Vegetables | Common Herbs & Seed | Meats and Dairy |
| Tomato | Chicory | Pasteurized milk |
| Spinach | Muskwillow | Cheese |
| Sweet Pomegranate | Watermelon seed | Cream |
| Plum | Jabani seed | Chicken |
| Pineapple | Mallow | Yoghurt |
| Okra | Sweet Violet | Duck meat |
| Orange | Water Lily | Fish |
| Watermelon | Willow Manna | Rooster meat |
| Strawberry | Cow meat | |
| Cucumber | Calf Meat | |
| Potato | ||
| Blackberry | ||
| Peach | ||
| Jujube | ||
| Mushroom | ||
| Lettuce | ||
| Pumpkin | ||
| Zucchini | ||
| Kiwi | ||
| Peas | ||
| Tangerine | ||
| Avocado | ||
| Nectarine | ||
| Courgette |
Cold and Dry Foods
| Fruits & Vegetables | Common Herbs & Seeds | Meats & Dairy | Grains |
| Sour Pomegranate | Sumac | Cow and sheep kidney | Rice |
| Sour Cherry | Pumpkin seed | Barley | |
| Chestnut | Calendula | Lentils | |
| Raspberry | Hibiscus | Coffee | |
| Corn | Myrtle | Starch | |
| Rhubarb | Damask Rose | Oat | |
| Barberry | Carob | ||
| Unripe olive | Coriander seed | ||
| All kinds of vinegar | |||
| Russian olive | |||
| Sour apple | |||
| Black berry | |||
| Grapefruit | |||
| Coriander | |||
| Lemon | |||
| Bitter orange | |||
| Blueberry | |||
| Black Mulberry | |||
| Elderberry | |||
| Myrobalan |
In conclusion, understanding foods temperament provides a practical way to view nutrition through the lens of Traditional Iranian Medicine and helps explain how different foods may influence the body’s balance. By recognizing whether foods are hot, cold, dry, or moist in nature, individuals can make more informed dietary choices that better suit their personal temperament. This awareness can support overall well being, improve daily food selection, and help maintain harmony within the body according to traditional principles. Ultimately, learning about foods temperament offers a simple yet meaningful approach to aligning diet with individual health needs.