An Acupuncturist's Favorite Immune-Supporting Tonic For Winter

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) teaches the importance of living in rhythm with nature and in harmony with the seasons.

The stillness and quiet of winter make it a prime time for reflection and rest. As the animal kingdom hibernates to conserve energy once the temperature dips and longer nights begin, we, too, should use this season as an opportunity to slow down, sleep in, and nurture our bodies and souls.

In TCM, winter is the most yin season, and it's associated with the kidney and bladder meridians. These meridians lay the foundation of our overall health, vitality, and reproductive health. The kidney meridian in particular is considered the root of life.

It stores our prenatal Jing, or essence. Prenatal Jing can be defined as our hereditary genetic makeup. It's the finite amount of energy we are born with, as opposed to the postnatal Jing, which comes from the air we breathe and the food we consume. When postnatal Jing is lacking, either due to overstrain or disease, our prenatal Jing is thought to take over and supply the body with energy, like a backup battery pack.

An easy way to recognize foods that are thought to protect Jing is by their color: Many of them are very dark or black. Examples include lentils, seaweed, black sesame seeds, black beans, wild rice, bone broth, oysters, blackberries, and, one of my favorite nourishing foods, the black wood ear mushroom, also known as cloud-ear mushrooms or black fungus (Auricularia auricula).

Though it's relatively new to Western cuisine, this mushroom has been used in Asian cooking for hundreds of years. From a TCM perspective, wood ear mushrooms are healthy for all five major organs: the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Research shows that this little mushroom has immune-supporting, anti-inflammatory1, antiviral2, and anticoagulant properties. It's also high in melanin, which can protect your hair and skin from free radicals and UV rays, polyphenols, and micronutrients such as copper and iron, the essential components in red blood cell formation. In a recent study on rats, the potent antioxidant in wood ear also demonstrated liver-protective properties3.

In general, edible mushrooms are high in dietary fiber4 and prebiotic fibers in the form of beta-glucan5. Prebiotic fibers are the precursors in the production of probiotics in the gut microbiome. As we know by now, having a healthy gut microbiome is fundamental to our digestive health, metabolic health, and immune health. 

I drink this nutrient-dense tonic to help promote vitality, immunity, and healthy circulation in winter. Light with a mildly sweet flavor, it's the perfect thing to serve at the end of dinner on a cold night.

Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes