Medicinal Foods in China: Where Food Ends and Medicine Begins
In China some substances are officially both food and medicine; this page explains the idea of food and medicine sharing an origin, the regulated list, and safety points.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
The idea of shared origin
A well-known idea in Chinese culture holds that food and medicine share an origin (often translated "medicine and food homology"). A 2025 review in the China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica describes this thought and "substances with both edible and medicinal values" as an important part of China's traditional culture and medicine, with a long role in diet and health maintenance. [1] That is the cultural claim. It is not a finding that such substances prevent or treat disease.Examples of foods that are also herbs
Lotus leaf (heye) is used as a "dietary herbal medicine." A review describes it as serving as a plant with functions of both medicine and food, including its use in TCM formulas and in a healthy diet, and covers its toxicity as well as its activities. [2] The review reports bioactivities seen in laboratory work, such as anti-obesity and hypoglycemic activity. [2] Laboratory activity is not clinical proof. For single plants with their own guides, see Ginger (Sheng Jiang, Gan Jiang) and Cinnamon, Jujube (Da Zao, Red Dates) and Goji Berry (Gou Qi Zi) in Chinese Medicine.How dietary care uses the list
A 2024 Chinese dietary care guideline recommends ingredients that include TCM materials that are both food and medicine. [3] See Seasonal Eating in Chinese Medicine.What research shows
Evidence labels: traditional use only, preclinical, insufficient evidence.| Question | What the source found | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Does being on the food-medicine list show a health benefit? | No. The list is a regulatory definition. The review notes gaps in the information for many items. [1] | Not an evidence claim |
| Do individual food-medicine plants have health effects in people? | Varies by plant; lotus leaf is reported to show activities in laboratory and animal work. [2] Proper evidence not found here for the group as a whole: we searched PubMed for reviews of food-medicine homology substances in human trials and found nothing we could read that covers them as a class. | Preclinical for many |
Related pages
Back to Chinese Dietary Therapy, or read Chinese Herbal Medicine.Frequently asked questions
What does "food and medicine share an origin" mean?
It is a cultural idea that everyday foods and medicinal substances overlap. [1]
How many substances are on the Chinese food-medicine list?
A 2025 review compiled 109 substances across the batches published to 2024, and found at least 136 that fit the definition. [1]
Does a plant on the list count as safe?
No. It is a regulatory status, and herbal products can have quality or interaction problems. [4]
Is lotus leaf a food or a medicine?
It is described as both, serving as a plant with functions of medicine and food. [2]
Can I use medicinal foods with my prescription medicines?
Ask your doctor or pharmacist first, and do not stop or change medicines on your own. [4]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
The regulated list
What this means in plain terms: in China, a short official list says which of these substances may be used as foods. Being on the list is a regulatory status. It does not mean the item is safe in every amount, for every person, or in every preparation, and this site does not give amounts or recipes. The list changes, so check the current official catalogue (published in China by health and market regulators) rather than relying on a copy. We did not read the official announcement itself, only the 2025 review of it.
Safety, quality and conventional care
- Medicinal foods are not exempt from drug interactions. Reports on TCM herbal products have found contamination with undeclared drugs (such as warfarin and diclofenac), heavy metals, pesticides, sulfites, and incorrect herbs, some of which have caused organ damage. [4] See Chinese Herbal Products: Quality, Contamination and Medicine Interactions.
- Tell your doctor and pharmacist what you eat as a tonic, tea or soup, especially with blood thinners, diabetes or blood pressure medicines, or before surgery. Do not stop or change a medicine on your own. [4]
- NCCIH advises talking with your health care provider before using TCM herbal products if you have a health condition. [4]
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: ask a clinician first. See TCM in Pregnancy.
- Rules differ by country. A product allowed as food in China may be regulated differently elsewhere; see How Chinese Herbal Products Are Regulated.
References
- Review, revision, and prospect of list of substances with both edible and medicinal values in China. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2025. Read 2026-10-22.
- Research Advances in Lotus Leaf as Chinese Dietary Herbal Medicine. Am J Chin Med. 2022. Read 2026-10-22.
- Guidelines for traditional dietary care in autumn and winter. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2024. Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH. Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-22.