Erectile Dysfunction — TCM Food Therapy & Dietary Approach

Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns

In TCM, this concern is differentiated into several patterns, each with a classical herbal formula:

These formulas are for reference under TCM syndrome differentiation and should only be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.

Food Therapy & Diet

Dietary Therapy Recipes

• Stir-fried Chives with Walnut Kernels: chives and walnut kernels. Stir-fry.
• Stir-fried Chives with Shrimp Meat: 250 g fresh shrimp, chives.
• Sea Cucumber Porridge: 50 g soaked sea cucumber, 100 g polished round-grained rice.
• Wolfberry and Pork Kidney Porridge: 10 g wolfberry fruit, 1 pork kidney, 100 g polished round-grained rice.
• Lamb and Rice Porridge: lamb and polished round-grained rice. Cook into porridge.

Dietary Principles

• For kidney-yang deficiency, favor foods that warm and supplement kidney yang, benefit essence and invigorate yang (chives, lamb, sea cucumber, walnut, wolfberry fruit, shrimp, deer penis, quail).
• For liver-qi depression, favor foods that move qi and soothe the liver (chives, wolfberry fruit, barley sprout, finger citron, daylily, kumquat).
• For kidney-yang deficiency, avoid raw, cold foods (cold drinks, freshwater mussel, persimmon, winter melon, river snail, celery, bamboo shoot, kelp, laver, raw radish).
• Avoid coffee, carbonated drinks, strong tea and white liquor; avoid greasy, over-sweet, over-salty and acrid fire-stirring foods.

Understanding the Condition

In TCM, erectile dysfunction is attributed to failure of nourishment of the "ancestral sinew," causing it to become lax. Overstrain injuring the kidney may leave the kidney deficient and unable to nourish the genital organ, with decline of the life-gate fire and impaired warming; liver-qi depression may impair the liver's free coursing; excessive worry may injure the heart and spleen with depletion of qi and blood; and damp-heat may pour downward. Recognized patterns include life-gate fire decline, liver depression, heart-spleen deficiency, and damp-heat pouring downward.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.