Foods Temperaments

Temperament is one of the most central foundations of traditional Persian medicine. Many diagnoses and treatments of Persian traditional medicine doctors have been based on the condition of person’s temperament. Paying attention to the foods temperaments is one of the main recommendations of traditional medicine doctors. In this article, you can learn the temperaments of more common foods.

The food that we eat changes its nature in the liver, interactions take place on it, and it takes four forms:

1- A yellow-red compound called yellow bile, which helps digestion, increases intestinal movements, opens blood circulation in the vessels, gives sharpness to mind, and increases brain function. Yellow bile is anti-infective. This is lighter from all other humors and will stand at the top.

2- The other compound is red and is called blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and cells of the body. And it will stand in the second layer below the yellow bile.

3- The third compound is pinkish red or pale red, which stands below the blood and is called phlegm. Its function is the impact of the mechanical and sliding work of the joints on each other, the formation of nerve tissue and brain cells, interstitial fluid, and lymphatic networks.

4- The fourth compound is dark red or crimson, which is called black bile, and stands below the phlegm and is heavier than phlegm. Its natural function is to stimulate appetite and form bone tissue.

Foods with cold and dry temperament are beneficial for Sanguine temperaments and over eating them is harmful for Melancholics. Hot and dry foods are beneficial for phlegmatic temperaments and harmful for Cholerics. Warm and moist foods are beneficial for Melancholics and harmful for Sanguines. Cold and moist foods are beneficial for Cholerics and harmful for phlegmatics.

Below tables contain foods temperaments: