Bigu is not a TCM life nurturing method for healthy people
10.3969/j.issn.1006-2157.2018.02.002
- VernacularTitle:辟谷非平人养生法考辨
- Author:
Fangfang MA
1
;
Yan LIAO
;
Yin LIN
;
Cong ZHANG
;
Xi XI
;
Shixia PAN
;
Yichen WANG
;
Xiuhui KE
Author Information
1. 北京中医药大学中医学院 北京100029
- Keywords:
bigu;
fasting;
health preservation
- From:
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
2018;41(2):97-101
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
No ancient records of bigu(abstinence from grains)for life nurturing in healthy people have been identified although it was originally a taoist asceticism for pursuing immortality.The TCM classics of Huangdi Neijing and Nanjing have shown that healthy person with bigu would die of losing spirit after sev-en days.Bigu and life nurturing have been divided into different chapters to show the difference in the ancient medical books.The taoist doctors oppose bigu on account of early death and malady.Shiqi Bigu (eating qi with abstinence from grains)lacks theoretical evidence and no success cases could be verified."Bloating without appetite"originally refers to the symptom(anorexia)of spleen deficiency pattern.This term is used in Taoist practice to denote willpower of"eliminating desire"(zhinian)in taoist cultivation. Without precise fabrication,bigu prescriptions tend to consist of 80%sweet-flavored ingredients or grain and tonic herbs,which may be the actual cause of bloating and anorexia with safety concern.Bigu seems to have deviated from the ancient rule of TCM"well-balanced diet with the grains, meats, fruits and vegetables for health",and also violated the principle of"food variety with grain dominant"diet in mod-ern nutrition.There is no rationality to include bigu into the life nurturing methods or therapies of tradi-tional Chinese medicine.
