Here, I offer you a brief insight into ancient Chinese wisdom, and show with the aid of some examples, how well it resonates with the results of modern medical reearch. If you take away a flavour of this short article and change just one thing in your life as a result, then your time reading it will have been well spent.

The Chinese have long been interested in lengthening life and maintaining youth, and this has informed medical practice since ancient times. “Chang shou” or long life, is considered a blessing of heaven: it is a reward to be reaped for following the teachings of traditional Chinese medicine, about work, rest, diet, dress etc. (For some specific examples of these teachings, please read some of my Seasonal Tips.)

The idea of such preventative medicine appears in the classic texts of two millenia ago: “To wait for the battle before forging the weapons, to wait until one is thirsty before digging the well, is this not too late?” It is often said that people in those days, would therefore attend for acupuncture and advice at regular intervals during the year, most usually at the change of seasons, because that is when we are more vulnerable to imbalance.

Now we shall look at just two categories from a long list which the Chinese refer to as the causes of disease: these will be our emotional life, and our diet/eating habits.

Emotions are considered in Chinese medicine, to harm us when we experience them too intensely or for too long: to be annoyed about a speeding ticket the day you have opened the envelope, would be alright; to be completely enraged or to still be angry six months later, would not! “When faced with something exasperating, one should calmly consider which is more important, anger or health.” (Cao Tong, Qing dynasty AD 1644-1912). Indeed modern research shows a bout of intense anger increases the risk of a stroke within 2 hours, by a factor of 14 (Neurology Journal 2004), and increases by a factor of 17, the likelihood of a potentially fatal heart rhythm disturbance (Circulation Journal 2004). By comparison, “Laughing makes you ten years younger.” (Chinese saying)

For good health and a sense of well being, we need to promote a harmonious flow of Qi in the body. This is achieved by meditation, relaxation, exercise, happiness, and by cultivating a free flow of all our emotions, such that particular ones do not significantly linger or predominate. “Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centred by accepting whatever you are doing.” (Chuang Tzu c. BC369-286)

A lack of the more positive feelings, is seen as equally unhelpful: “People have illness because they do not have love in their life and are not cherished.” (Sun Simiao AD581-682) From the modern medical profession,”Those who feel lonely, depressed or isolated, are 3 to 5 times more likely to suffer premature death or disease. I don’t know of anything else across medicine that has such a broad and powerful impact.” (Dr Dean Ornish, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California.) In the UK nowadays, depression is one of the top five conditions people seek acupuncture treatment for.

Turning to diet, Chinese medicine can guide not only what we eat, but how we eat it. The ancient Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, advised “The five cereals are staple food; the five fruits are auxiliary; the five meats are beneficial; the five vegetables should be taken in abundance.” 2500 years later, these priorities resonate strikingly with the UK’s “5-(portions of fruit & veg) a-Day” campaign. Over the centuries, subsequent texts reveal sophisticated developments in the use of food, including the transition to cooked food, made possible by drilling wood to create fire. Yi Yin in the Shang dynasty (BC1600-1046) emphasised that physicians should use the right kinds of food to help cure disease; food had now become equal to medicine.

Foods today are chosen to support the patient’s Qi, balance yin and yang, and to treat illness. So when recommending particular foods to a patient, an acupuncturist will take account of a host of factors, including the person’s complaint, age, constitution, living and working environment etc. You do not have to be unwell to benefit from advice on the most appropriate diet for you; we should all choose foods which help maintain our health.

Finally, there is how we eat. Never skip breakfast. “People who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be obese and suffer from diabetes than those who usually do not.” (American Heart Association’s 43rd Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease & Prevention). Eat sitting and relaxed. Eat slowly and chew your food well. (“The stomach has no teeth”- Chinese saying.) Eat only to 7/10 full.

Below, you will find some modern medical research from which you might wish to take a few healthy living tips.

American researchers have discovered that regions of the brain responsible for regulation of our emotions, are larger in people who have been long-term meditators, compared to those who do not meditate. They used high resolution MRI to scan the brains of 22 participants, all of whom had practised meditation extensively, and compared their scans with those of age-matched controls. Those who meditated had been doing so for between 5 and 46 years, most practised daily, sessions ranged from 10 to 90 minutes, and encompassed a variety of styles.

In the meditators, regions of the brain important in emotional regulation and response control, were significantly larger. Most of the regions identified were in the right hemisphere, associated with sustaining attention and therefore relevant in meditation. The researchers conclude that these enlargements may account for meditators’ ability to cultivate passive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behaviour.

(The Underlying Anatomical Correlates of Long-Term Meditation: Larger Hippocampal and Frontal Volumes of Grey Matter. Neuroimage 2009 January, E-pub ahead of print.)

A systematic review and meta-analysis by Italian researchers, suggests that adherance to a Mediterranean diet can provide protection against major chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Twelve studies, involving more than 1.5 million people followed for periods ranging from 3 to 18 years, were analysed. The results showed that people who adhered strictly to the Mediterranean diet enjoyed significant health benefits, including a 9% decrease in overall mortality, a 9% decrease in death from cardiovascular disease specifically, a 13% reduction in incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and a 6% reduction in cancer.

(Adherance to Mediterranean Diet and Health Status: Meta-Analysis. BMJ 2008 September.)

An American study has found that partners in happy marriages have lower blood pressure than single people. Blood pressure was monitored over a 24 hour period in 204 married and 99 single men and women. High marital quality was found to be associated with lower blood pressure, lower stress levels, less depression and higher satisfaction with life generally.

Single individuals however, had lower blood pressure than those in unhappy marriages. Having a supportive network of friends did not appear to moderate the effects of being single or unhappily married.

(Is There Something Unique About Marriage? The Relative Impact of Marital Status, Relationship Quality, and Network Social Support on Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Mental Health. Ann Behav Medicine 2008 April.)

A study assessing the link between fitness and mortality, has been completed by the US Veterans Affairs Medical Centre in Washington. Nearly 16 ooo men, the largest number ever known in such a trial, were given a standard treadmill test to assess exercise capacity. Testing was conducted between May 1983 and December 2006, and participants were then followed for an average of 7.5 years and death rates were recorded.

The study found that “highly fit” men had only half the risk of death compared to “low fit” men. Those who achieved “very highly fit” status, had a 70% lower risk compared to the “low fit” category. The authors say the risk of death is halved, simply by taking a brisk 30 minute walk, 5 to 6 days per week.

(Exercise Capacity & Mortality in Black and White Men, Journal of Circulation 2008 Jan 22, and CAM Feb 2008)