Effect of following food regimen per eight constitution medicine on health outcomes: A German study

Objectives: Eight Constitution Medicine (ECM) categorizes individuals into eight constitutions based on physiological differences in organ relations and recommends different diets for different constitutions. This study presents a preliminary analysis of the effect of following constitutional food regimens on quality of life and health outcomes for different constitutions. Methods: This cross-sectional, comparative study used subjects recruited from Essen University Hospital Traditional Chinese Medicine Center in Germany. From a convenience sample of 243 Germans, those in the groups Hepatonia/Cholecystonia (n = 95) and Pulmotonia/Colonotonia (n = 26) were analyzed for health outcomes in relation to their dietary habits of either including or avoiding meat. Health outcomes were measured with SF-36, self-reported survey. Results: The two groups had no significant differences in the health outcomes of SF-36. However, subjects in Hepatonia/Cholecystonia who had followed their dietary habit for more than 20 years had significantly better scores on general health, social functioning, mental health, emotional role functioning, and mental component scores than those in Pulmotonia/Colonotonia, regardless of their meat intake. Conclusions: This study established initial groundwork for considering patients' constitutions when evaluating health outcomes and their relation to diet. Further studies are warranted on the effects of regulating food intake according to individual constitution.