Proposed food-medicine dietary pyramid integrating 106 Chinese medicinal food substances
The abstract describes a proposed five-level food-medicine dietary pyramid that integrates 106 officially released Chinese medicinal food substances into dietary guidance, with dynamic adjustment by constitution, season and region; it is a model proposal, not a tested intervention. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The proposed five-level food-medicine dietary pyramid integrates 106 officially released Chinese medicinal food substances. [1]
The model is said to adjust dynamically by individual constitution, season and region. [1]
The authors describe the model as a low-cost, scalable dietary solution for healthy aging. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a scientific dietary model proposal
- Population / context
- Not specified; the abstract discusses populations in general in the context of global aging and chronic noncommunicable diseases.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 1, 2026
Proposed pyramid built on 106 medicinal food substances
The abstract states that the traditional Chinese concept of medicine and food homology is close to the international food-is-medicine idea and serves as a theoretical basis for dietary pattern innovation. On this basis the authors construct a food-medicine dietary pyramid grounded in modern nutrition science and centred on traditional Chinese dietary therapy theory. It systematically integrates 106 officially released medicinal food substances in China into a five-level dietary structure, aiming to ensure adequate basic nutritional supply while strengthening the diet's functional regulatory role. The model adds these substances, described as having defined bioactivities and health effects, across the pyramid's levels.
Supporting source [1]
Three-factor adaptation and cited supporting evidence
At the application level, the abstract says the model follows a principle of "three-factor adaptation": dynamic adjustments according to individual constitution, seasonal variation and regional environment. It states that existing studies provide increasingly robust scientific evidence for the health effects of various food-medicine homology substances from molecular mechanisms, clinical trials and epidemiological research, and that this supports the model's scientific validity. The abstract does not report a new trial, sample or outcome measured in this work; the cited evidence is described only in general terms.
Supporting source [1]
Stated uses, implementation barriers and healthy-aging framing
The abstract says the model could be used in public health promotion and dietary guidance, in functional food development and in nutritional interventions for chronic diseases. It also highlights implementation challenges: conservative regulatory approaches, insufficient industrial innovation and limited public awareness, and proposes a coordinated pathway involving policy, industry and society. The authors describe the model as a low-cost, scalable dietary solution for healthy aging and link it to the Healthy China 2030 strategy. These are stated prospects and proposals in an abstract, not demonstrated health or lifespan benefits.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. No study design, sample, follow-up or measured outcome is reported for the model itself, and the cited supporting evidence is described only in general terms. The pyramid and its applications are proposals, not validated products or demonstrated health benefits.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Chen Q, Guo WY, Kang J, Fan XJ, Zhang B. · europepmc.org · August 1, 2026