The Energetics of Food in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), food not only has a nutritional value, but also an energetic value. The energetic value relates to the capacity to generate sensations - either hot or cold- in the human body. The five kinds of energy are cold, hot, warm, cool, and neutral, and this refers not to the state of the food but its effect on our bodies. Continually consuming one type of food creates an imbalance in the body, and in time will have an effect on our immune system.