Ask Dr Xiang Jun: Why TCM Doctors Always Advise Avoid Cold

It is the tagline of any Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors to advise any patient to avoid cold. Cold foods, cold drinks, cold temperature, cold showers, cold fruits and the list goes on.

As mentioned in my previous blog in Women’s Health Series on Why Everything Cold is Discouraged during Menstruation, the advice to avoid coldness is definitely not restricted to women but applies to everyone.

 

 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a philosophy about circulation, blockages and pains.

不通则痛

不荣则痛

Blockages of Qi and Blood results in Pain.

Weakness of Qi and Blood results in Pain.

Here ‘pain’ not only refers to the physical pain that we feel with injuries and aches, but also to mental pains and also any illnesses and diseases in general. This is because illness is a broad term that defines the poor state of mind, body and even spirit. Usually, pains which can refer to any form of discomfort and suffering accompany illnesses and vice versa. Therefore ‘pain’ here refers to the state of illness or disease.

In other words,

Blockages of Qi and Blood results in Illnesses.

Weakness of Qi and Blood results in Illnesses.

What then causes blockages and weaknesses of Qi and Blood?

There are multiple causes for blockages and weaknesses of Qi and Blood, yet Coldness is a factor that can result in both blockages and weaknesses.

Coldness Blocks and Stagnates

Coldness has the ability to impede and slow things down. Especially with liquid and fluids, coldness can result in fluid movement to stop and eventually forming a block of ice or solid.



When applied to Blood, Coldness can similarly reduce the movement of Blood within the body and slow down the entire blood circulation. When this occurs, blood stasis occurs and blood stagnants can be formed. Stagnations is the first stage when toxins and inflammants accumulates in the body. Depending on which part of the body or organ is blocked or stagnated, diseases and illnesses will start to form.



Coldness Weakens

There are two ways of looking at how coldness weakens.

1.       Coldness Removes Energy

To have a drop in temperature means that the energy of the object is reduced. Heat always flows from hot to cold. Coldness has the ability to draw energy away. Therefore in general, coldness will reduce and remove the energy within a body which may cause one to feel heavy, slow, fatigue, tired. This is how a body can be weakened over time with coldness.


2.       Coldness Weakens Digestion

The human body is sustained by food from digestion after leaving the mother’s womb. In other words, digestion energizes the body. When cold foods or drinks are taken, immediately it reduces the digestive fire in the Stomach required to burn the food and transform to energy. Over time, when coldness is frequently and regularly introduced to the Stomach, it weakens the ability of the Stomach to transform and supply the body with energy. Therefore coldness weakens energy through indirectly weakening the digestion.

 

Conclusion


As we can see, coldness can be the root to many illnesses and diseases through blocking and weakening the body. Yet to avoid cold entirely is not true as there are many situations when cold is needed such as when the body is overheated or having excessive Yang.


Overall, moderation is the key.


But given the human bodies in modern society is mostly weak in energy or Yang deficient due to poor lifestyle habits, coldness can mostly do harm to the already weakened body. That is the reason why TCM doctors always advise avoid cold.

TCM(Traditional Chin Med), TCM Wellness, TCM and Science, Basics of TCMXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Juntcm, acupuncture, traditional chinese medicine, cold, cold drinks, cold food, avoid, tcm doctor