Hoarse Voice — TCM Food Therapy & Dietary Approach
In TCM this falls under loss of voice and throat obstruction (hou bi).
Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns
In TCM, this concern is differentiated into several patterns, each with a classical herbal formula:
Lung-Kidney Yin Deficiency (Prolonged Aphonia (Broken Metal Failing to Sound))
Formula: Bai He Gu Jin Tang (Lily Bulb Decoction to Preserve the Metal) — from *Posthumous Writings of Shenzhai*
Yin deficiency throat impediment with lung-stomach yin damage
Formula: Yangyin Qingfei Tang (Nourish Yin and Clear the Lung Decoction) — from *Chong Lou Yu Yao*
Lung Dryness with Fluid Damage (Lung Yin Deficiency with Dryness-Heat)
Formula: Shashen Maidong Tang (Glehnia and Ophiopogon Decoction) — from *Systematic Differentiation of Warm Diseases*
Lung Dryness with Scanty Fluids and Throat Failing to Be Nourished
Formula: Xuanmai Ganjie Tang (Scrophularia, Ophiopogon, Licorice and Platycodon Decoction) — from *Yang Yi Da Quan*
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
- Moistening Voice-Clearing Soup: 200 g lean meat, 1 dried persimmon, 4 chebula fruits, 6 figs, 10 g monk fruit; simmer for 2 hours.
- Snow Pear and Monk Fruit Soup: 1 snow pear, half a monk fruit; simmer for 30 minutes.
- Pear and Rice Congee: 3 snow pears, 100 g japonica rice, 60 g rock sugar; cook into congee.
- Sterculia Seed and Rock Sugar Tea: 4 sterculia seeds, rock sugar; steep as a tea.
- Monk Fruit and Asparagus Root Drink: 9 g monk fruit, 15 g asparagus root, 3 g persimmon frost; simmer.
- Scrophularia, Ophiopogon, Platycodon and Licorice Soup: 12 g scrophularia root, 12 g ophiopogon root, 10 g platycodon root, 3 g licorice root; simmer.
Dietary Principles
- Favor foods that may nourish yin, moisten the lungs, generate fluids, and soothe the throat: snow pear, lily bulb, snow fungus, monk fruit, sterculia seed, honey, fig, olive, water chestnut.
- Drink plenty of warm water to keep the throat moist.
- Quit smoking and alcohol; stay away from dust and cooking fumes.
- Avoid spicy, heat-generating, fried, greasy, overly sweet, and overly salty foods.
- Avoid cold drinks, icy foods, and overly hot foods.
Understanding the Condition
In TCM this falls under loss of voice and throat obstruction (hou bi). The lungs govern qi and respiration; the voice emerges from the lungs and is rooted in the kidney, and the throat is the gateway of the voice. External wind-cold, dryness-heat, or phlegm-heat congesting the lungs was associated with blockage of the orifices and sudden hoarseness ('metal is solid, so no sound'); long-term illness with lung and kidney yin deficiency, yin deficiency with fire hyperactivity, and fluids failing to rise was associated with chronic hoarseness ('metal is broken, so no sound'). Overuse of the voice was associated with consumption of qi and yin.
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.