Sun Simiao, the legendary Tang Dynasty physician known as China's "King of Medicine" (Yaowang), explicitly warned that eating pork long-term or incorrectly can trigger underlying diseases and chronic illnesses. In his seminal medical texts, the Essential Formulas Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold (Qian Jin Yao Fang) and its supplement Qian Jin Yi Fang, he introduced foundational guidelines on dietary therapy, viewing certain types of food as powerful triggers of bodily harm.
1. The Core Claims by Sun Simiao on Pork
In historical Chinese medical texts (such as the compiled medical encyclopedia Gu Jin Tu Shu Ji Cheng), Sun Simiao’s exact assessments of pork are recorded as follows:
- Triggers Dormant Illnesses: He noted, "Eating other pork long-term makes a person produce less semen and triggers old/dormant illnesses" (久食，令人少子精，发宿病). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), pork is considered heavily "damping" and rich. Overconsumption causes stagnant Qi and damp-heat, which acts as a catalyst that wakes up hidden or latent medical conditions (宿病 / Xubing).
- Causes Body and Muscle Pain: Speaking specifically of piglets or certain pork cuts, he stated, "Eating pork long-term causes a person's entire body, muscles, and bones to ache, and depletes their Qi" (久食，令人遍体筋肉碎痛，乏气).
- Interferes with Medical Treatments: He widely restricted pork consumption for individuals recovering from trauma (like open wounds or sores) and prohibited it during the intake of specific herbal formulas, warning that it causes the treatment to lose its efficacy or causes the illness to flare up again.
2. Seasonal Restrictions
Sun Simiao pioneered chronomedicine—the concept that diet must adapt to calendar changes. He explicitly prescribed:
"Do not eat pork in July" (七月勿食猪肉). According to the traditional lunar calendar, late summer/early autumn brings heavy ambient dampness. Because pork is inherently greasy and damp-natured, eating it during this time severely damages the Spleen and Stomach functions.
3. Lethal Dietary Combinations
Sun Simiao’s Thousand Gold Dietary Therapy (Qian Jin Shi Zhi) lists strict dangerous pairings:
Pork and Raw Soybean Powder: He documented a warning handed down from early legends stating that if children between ages 1 and 10 consume roasted/raw soybean powder and immediately eat pork, it can cause severe internal Qi stagnation leading to sudden death (必拥气死).
4. Modern Medical Perspective
While Sun Simiao viewed these issues through the lens of Qi, Wind, and Dampness, modern medical science confirms that pigs are carriers of specific health hazards if handled or consumed incorrectly:
Zoonotic Diseases & Parasites: Pork can transmit parasites like Trichinella spiralis (roundworms) and tapeworms. It is also highly associated with Streptococcus suis and Yersinia enterocolitica bacteria, which can trigger acute food poisoning, chronic joint issues, and reactive autoimmune flare-ups if the meat is undercooked.
References:
- Health Line : 4 Hidden Dangers of Pork.
- ITM online : Sun Simiao - Author of the Earliest Chinese Encyclopeida for Clinical Practice.
Hj Zulheimy Maamor
14 August 2026: 10.30 p.m
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