TCM "medicine and food homology" in the management of post-COVID disorders

Front Immunol. 2023 Aug 31:14:1234307. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1234307. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency of global concern on May 5, 2023. Post-COVID disorders are, however, becoming more common. Hence, there lies a growing need to develop safe and effective treatment measures to manage post-COVID disorders. Investigating the use of TCM medicinal foods in the long-term therapy of post-COVID illnesses may be beneficial given contemporary research's emphasis on the development of medicinal foods.

Scope and approach: The use of medicinal foods for the long-term treatment of post-COVID disorders is highlighted in this review. Following a discussion of the history of the TCM "Medicine and Food Homology" theory, the pathophysiological effects of post-COVID disorders will be briefly reviewed. An analysis of TCM medicinal foods and their functions in treating post-COVID disorders will then be provided before offering some insight into potential directions for future research and application.

Key findings and discussion: TCM medicinal foods can manage different aspects of post-COVID disorders. The use of medicinal foods in the long-term management of post-COVID illnesses may be a safe and efficient therapy choice because they are typically milder in nature than chronic drug use. These findings may also be applied in the long-term post-disease treatment of similar respiratory disorders.

Keywords: Chinese medicine; herbs; long-COVID; medicinal food; post-COVID.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Food
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Care
  • Public Health
  • World Health Organization

Grants and funding

This work was supported by following funding programs: Qi Huang Young Scholar Program (National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine) and The 2020 Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Strategy Special Fund (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Joint Lab), [No: 2020B1212030006].