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The five flavors and the five internal organs

1. Sour nurtures liver
Food of sour flavor is effective to strengthen digestive function, and protect the liver. Taking sour regularly helps to kill the hungry germs, prevent cold, reduce blood pressure, and soften blood vessel. Foods like sour plum, pomegranate, tomato, hawthorn, and orange containing much vitamin C, are cancer protective, aging anti, and arteriosclerosis preventative.

2. Bitter nurtures heart
There is an old saying goes that good medicine is bitter. TCM has the idea that salty food help to release, dry, make ying solid, and function as xeransis and diuresis. Having salty food like orange peel, bitter apricot seed, bitter gourd, and lily regularly prevents toxin accumulation and acne diseases.

3. Sweet goes to spleen
Sweet food nourishes qi (vital energy) and blood, supplementing energy. Besides, it can function to comfort the stomach and relieve the poison, as well as to relieve spasm. Brown sugar, longan pulp, honey and food made from rice and flour are good choices. 

4. Pungent flavor goes to lung
In TCM, pungent food can effect to get sweat out, and regulate the flow the vital energy. Pungent flavor is the dominant one in some daily seasoning like shallot, ginger, garlic, and hot pepper. They can not only protect blood vessel, but also nurse the vital energy and blood, and dredge the meridian.

5. Salt goes to the kidney
Salt is the first one of the five flavors not getting tiring to people who have it every day. Salty food has the function of regulating human body’s cells and blood osmosis, so as to maintain homergy.