Meng Shen (孟诜), occasionally referred to by variations such as Meng Xian (孟 Xian) [1] or Meng Xin (孟 Xin) [2], and even Shen Meng (孟诜) in some accounts [3], stands as a significant figure in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). He was a distinguished physician and scholar active during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) [3, 4, 5, 6], a period renowned for its cultural and scientific achievements. His life spanned from 621 to 713 CE [2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12], placing him squarely within the vibrant intellectual environment of the High Tang era.
Meng Shen's primary contribution and enduring fame stem from his expertise in Shiliao (食疗), a term translating to "diet therapy" or "food therapy".[1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20] This branch of TCM focuses on the systematic use of food items for both medicinal purposes—treating existing ailments—and for health preservation—preventing illness and promoting longevity. His work in this area was groundbreaking, culminating in the authorship of the seminal text Shiliao Bencao (食疗本草), widely regarded as the first major pharmacopoeia (Bencao) dedicated specifically to the principles and practices of dietetics.[2, 7, 13, 15, 17, 21]
The focus on Shiliao extended beyond merely treating diseases; it inherently encompassed preventative health and nourishment, aligning closely with the broader TCM concept of Yangsheng (养生), or "nourishing life." This is suggested by the reported original title of his work, Buyang Fang (补养方), which translates to "Tonic Formula" or "Recipes of Tonic Treatment".[1, 14, 15] This title implies an initial or concurrent focus on strengthening, supplementing, and nourishing the body through dietary means. Diet therapy within the TCM tradition has historically incorporated health preservation alongside treatment [2, 22], and sources confirm Meng Shen's work emphasized the crucial relationship between nutrition and health.[13, 19, 20] Therefore, Meng Shen's contribution involved codifying and systematizing practices aimed at maintaining overall well-being through carefully considered dietary choices, not solely reacting to manifest illness. The minor variations encountered in the transliteration of his name (Meng Shen, Meng Xian, Meng Xin) represent a common challenge in historical scholarship dealing with diverse textual sources and linguistic evolution, but the consistent context—Tang Dynasty physician, author of Shiliao Bencao—confirms they all refer to this single influential individual.[1, 2, 3]
To fully appreciate Meng Shen's contributions, it is essential to understand the historical and intellectual milieu in which he lived and worked. The Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) is often celebrated as a "Golden Age" in Chinese history, marked by significant political stability, economic prosperity, cosmopolitan cultural exchange, and remarkable advancements across various fields, including the arts, literature, and sciences.[23, 24, 25] Medicine, in particular, experienced substantial development during this era.
Pharmacology, the study of medicinal substances documented in Bencao literature, saw considerable progress.[6, 26] The Tang government actively supported medical scholarship, undertaking ambitious projects like the compilation of the Xinxiu Bencao (新修本草), or "Newly Revised Materia Medica," completed around 659 CE.[6, 26, 27] Edited by prominent officials and scholars such as Li Ji (李勣) and Su Jing (蘇敬), this work recorded 844 medicinal substances with detailed descriptions and illustrations, becoming the world's first officially promulgated state pharmacopoeia.[6] This imperial patronage fostered an environment where medical knowledge was systematically collected, organized, and disseminated.
Within this flourishing medical landscape, Meng Shen was connected to one of the most influential physicians of the early Tang period: Sun Simiao (孙思邈, 581-682 CE). Sun Simiao was renowned for his comprehensive medical encyclopedia, Beiji Qianjin Yaofang (备急千金要方), often translated as "Essential Recipes Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces for Every Emergency".[17, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32] Notably, Sun Simiao's work included a dedicated chapter on dietetic treatment, termed Shizhi (食治), and he is credited with the earliest known textual use of the term Shiliao (食疗), the very concept Meng Shen would later specialize in.[7, 17, 21]
Historical sources indicate that Meng Shen was a disciple of Sun Simiao.[6, 7, 17, 21, 33] This direct lineage undoubtedly influenced Meng Shen's interest in and approach to diet therapy, building upon the foundations laid by his esteemed teacher. Furthermore, evidence suggests Meng Shen was part of what could be termed a "medicine group," which included his teacher Sun Simiao and Zhang Ding (張鼎), the scholar who would later supplement Meng Shen's own work.[33] The existence of such a group points towards a collaborative and dynamic intellectual environment during the Tang Dynasty. It suggests that medical knowledge was not solely transmitted vertically from master to disciple but was also actively discussed, debated, refined, and potentially co-developed within scholarly circles. This collaborative atmosphere may have facilitated the specialization and innovation necessary for the creation of dedicated works like the Shiliao Bencao.
The Tang Dynasty was also characterized by significant cultural exchange, facilitated by the extensive trade routes of the Silk Road. Interactions with cultures from Persia, India, and Central Asia introduced new ideas, goods, and potentially influenced fields like medicine and food knowledge.[5, 10, 23, 26] Meng Shen himself provides evidence of this, noting in his writings that the best quality shimi (石蜜, a type of stone honey or toffee, considered a medicinal substance) came from Persia (波斯 Bosi).[8, 9] This openness to foreign knowledge, combined with the systematic approach to scholarship characteristic of the era, created fertile ground for Meng Shen to synthesize existing TCM principles with practical dietary knowledge, elevating Shiliao to a distinct and documented discipline. His specialization can thus be viewed as both a continuation of his teacher's work and a reflection of the broader Tang trend towards systematizing and deepening knowledge within established fields.
Meng Shen's most significant contribution to TCM is his seminal work, the Shiliao Bencao (食疗本草). The title is variously translated as "Materia Medica for Diet Therapy," "Dietetic Materia Medica," "Materia Medica of Diet Therapy," or "Food Therapy Materia Medica".[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 28, 34, 35, 36, 37] This text holds the distinction of being the earliest known comprehensive work dedicated solely to the therapeutic application of food.
The compilation of Shiliao Bencao is generally dated to around 700 CE [4], although some sources suggest a broader timeframe for its composition or circulation between 684 and 739 CE.[15, 36] It is understood to have evolved from an earlier work by Meng Shen titled Buyang Fang (补养方), meaning "Tonic Formula" or "Recipes of Tonic Treatment".[1, 14, 15] This initial work was later revised and expanded, likely by Meng Shen himself, and renamed Shiliao Bencao, signifying a shift towards a more comprehensive system of diet therapy. Subsequently, the text was further supplemented or expanded by Zhang Ding (張鼎), a scholar whose dates are unknown but who was associated with Meng Shen, possibly as a disciple or collaborator within the same "medicine group".[1, 5, 6, 14, 15, 33, 34] This evolutionary process, from a potentially narrower focus on tonification (Buyang) to a broader system of diet therapy (Shiliao), and its subsequent expansion, suggests that the concept of using food therapeutically was gaining significant traction and sophistication during this period, warranting its own dedicated Bencao.
The central focus of Shiliao Bencao was to elucidate the importance of diet in maintaining health and treating illness.[1, 4, 13, 19, 20] It meticulously detailed the therapeutic properties and specific uses of various foodstuffs. Significantly, unlike some of its predecessors, it also included practical information on how to prepare these food items to maximize their medicinal effects.[7] The scope of the work was substantial, with sources mentioning it originally contained entries on 227 "herbs as therapeutic agents" (likely encompassing plant, animal, and mineral substances used in diet) [4], or later reconstructions estimating around 260 distinct food items based on surviving fragments and citations.[1]
Unfortunately, the original complete text of Shiliao Bencao has been lost to history.[1, 6, 7] Our knowledge of its contents derives primarily from two sources. First, fragments of the manuscript have survived, most notably the Dunhuang manuscript cataloged as Or.8210/S.76, held in the British Library.[5, 6, 34] This scroll fragment, dated between 900 and 934 CE (with a colophon dated 934 CE), contains 26 distinct entries from the Shiliao Bencao, providing a direct glimpse into the text's structure and content over two centuries after its initial composition.[34] Second, the Shiliao Bencao was extensively quoted and referenced in numerous later medical treatises and Bencao compilations.[7, 34] Its influence extended beyond China, as evidenced by citations in the important 10th-century Japanese medical encyclopedia Ishinpō (醫心方).[7] Perhaps most significantly, it was cited by the renowned Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen (李时珍) in his encyclopedic Bencao Gangmu (本草纲目, "Compendium of Materia Medica"), completed in the late 16th century.[11, 37] The fact that Meng Shen's work continued to be referenced and valued by leading medical authorities for nearly nine centuries, despite the physical loss of the original text, underscores its perceived foundational importance and canonical status within the specialized field of Chinese dietetics. It established a benchmark and a key source for subsequent generations of scholars and practitioners concerned with the therapeutic use of food.
The Shiliao Bencao was not merely a collection of recipes; it was grounded in the sophisticated theoretical framework of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Meng Shen's work represented a significant step in systematically applying these established principles, previously elaborated in foundational texts like the Huangdi Neijing ("Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon") [4, 7, 30, 38], specifically to the realm of everyday foods and dietary practices.
The fundamental premise underpinning Shiliao is that food serves not only as sustenance but also as a form of medicine.[7, 17, 21, 30] Diet is understood to play a crucial role in both preventing the onset of illness and treating existing conditions. Meng Shen's objective, as suggested by later accounts of his work, was to empower individuals with knowledge so they could utilize dietary adjustments as a first resort before turning to stronger medicinal substances (drugs).[7, 21]
To achieve this, Shiliao Bencao classified and described foodstuffs according to core TCM concepts:
A key aspect that distinguished Meng Shen's work was its emphasis on practicality. Sources indicate that Shiliao Bencao included details on food preparation methods.[7] This practical dimension suggests the text was intended not merely as a theoretical treatise for physicians but potentially also as a guide for literate individuals and households. By explaining how to prepare foods to achieve specific therapeutic effects, the work bridged the gap between abstract medical theory and actionable dietary habits, empowering people to apply the principles of Shiliao in their daily lives for self-care and health maintenance.
While the original Shiliao Bencao is lost, surviving fragments and extensive quotations in later works allow for the reconstruction of numerous examples of its dietary recommendations. It is often difficult to definitively separate Meng Shen's original contributions from Zhang Ding's later additions in these secondary accounts, but the following examples are consistently associated with the Shiliao Bencao tradition and illustrate its principles:
These examples highlight several key characteristics of Meng Shen's approach. Firstly, the focus is largely on common, accessible foodstuffs—grains, vegetables, meats, fish, seaweed—rather than rare or exclusively medicinal substances.[3, 14, 16, 27, 35, 39, 41] This underscores the practicality of Shiliao, aiming to integrate therapeutic principles into the daily diet. Secondly, the described therapeutic actions generally align logically with the known TCM properties of the foods. For instance, the warming and pungent Zanthoxylum is used for cold and damp conditions [35, 40], while the cooling carp addresses heat-related issues like jaundice.[39] This demonstrates the consistent application of TCM's theoretical framework of balancing opposing qualities.
| Food/Herb (Pinyin, Character, English) | Properties (Taste/Nature, if known) | Therapeutic Uses (According to Shiliao Bencao sources) | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soybeans (Dadou, 大豆) | Boiled: Eradicates poisons, treats gastric fever, paralysis/pain, urinary difficulty, improves blood circulation, benefits organs (Heart, Liver, Kidneys, Stomach), remedies chills. Sprout (Huangjuan): Medicinal value. Black Soybeans + Vinegar: Treats urine retention. | [13, 39, 41, 42] | |
| Zanthoxylum (Huajiao, 花椒) | Pungent, Warm | Warms interior, relieves pain (abdominal, tooth), dispels dampness, stops diarrhea, alleviates itching. Used for cold/damp conditions. | [35, 40] |
| Pork (Zhurou, 猪肉) | Cured: Dysentery w/ loss of appetite. Fried: Rising Qi, cough, wheezing. Raw: Edema, abdominal distention, loss of appetite. | [39] | |
| Porphyra (Zicai, 紫菜 - Laver) | Grows in southern seas, cyano-blue in water, purple when dried, epilithic, has pharmaceutical value. | [3] | |
| Carp (Liyu, 鲤鱼) | Sweetish, Cooling | Benefits cough, counterflow Qi, jaundice, thirst, "tranquilizes womb," regulates edema. Recipe details included. | [39] |
| Goat's Milk | Nourishes Lungs and Kidneys. | [14] | |
| Radish | Improves skin complexion. | [14] | |
| Tea | Benefits Large Intestine, clears body heat, eliminates phlegm. | [14] | |
| Dried Persimmon | Strengthens digestion. | [14] | |
| Honey & Egg White | Treats poisoning and fever. | [14] | |
| Wine (Jiu, 酒) | Recorded production of naturally fermented wine (incl. grape). | [27] | |
| Polygonatum (Huangjing, 黄精) | Recorded as food item. | [16] |
Note: This table synthesizes information from various sources referencing Shiliao Bencao. Direct attribution to Meng Shen versus Zhang Ding is often impossible.
Meng Shen's Shiliao Bencao was not merely an academic treatise; it profoundly influenced the development and perception of dietetics within Traditional Chinese Medicine and beyond. Its legacy is multifaceted, extending from direct impact on subsequent medical literature to the popularization of food-based health practices.
The most immediate impact was on subsequent Bencao literature. Despite the loss of the original text, the Shiliao Bencao became a foundational source, extensively quoted by later medical scholars.[1, 6, 7, 34] The 10th-century Japanese work Ishinpō relied upon it [7], demonstrating its early international influence. Its continued citation for centuries, culminating in its use by Li Shizhen in the definitive Bencao Gangmu [11, 37], solidified its canonical status. Meng Shen's work effectively carved out a distinct sub-discipline within pharmacology, legitimizing the systematic study of food as medicine. It established a precedent for dedicated works on diet therapy, influencing later compilations and ensuring the principles of Shiliao remained an integral part of TCM.
Beyond scholarly circles, Meng Shen's work played a role in popularizing the concept of Yangsheng (养生, nourishing life) through dietary means. By focusing on common foodstuffs and, according to some accounts, including preparation methods [7], the Shiliao Bencao made sophisticated TCM principles more accessible. It provided a practical framework for integrating health considerations into daily meals, empowering individuals to take proactive steps towards well-being. This focus on preventative health through diet resonates strongly with modern public health concerns and the growing interest in functional foods and nutritional medicine worldwide. The very notion that "food is medicine" [17, 21, 30], while having ancient roots in China, was given systematic expression and scholarly authority by Meng Shen.
Meng Shen's status as a disciple of the revered Sun Simiao [6, 7, 17, 21, 33], coupled with the success and influence of his own work, cemented his position as a key figure in the lineage of TCM physicians. He bridged the gap between the broad medical encyclopedias of figures like Sun Simiao and the specialized focus required to fully develop diet therapy as a distinct field. His work exemplifies the intellectual rigor and practical application characteristic of the Tang Dynasty's medical advancements.
In summary, Meng Shen's contribution lies in:
Meng Shen stands as a pioneering figure who elevated the understanding and application of food therapy, ensuring its enduring place within the rich tradition of Chinese medicine and contributing to a holistic view of health that remains relevant today.
Meng Shen, the Tang Dynasty physician and disciple of Sun Simiao, occupies a pivotal position in the history of Traditional Chinese Medicine. His singular focus on Shiliao, or diet therapy, led to the creation of the Shiliao Bencao, the first comprehensive pharmacopoeia dedicated to the medicinal properties and applications of food. Living from 621 to 713 CE, during a flourishing period of medical scholarship, Meng Shen systematically applied core TCM principles like thermal nature (Qi) and the Five Flavors to common foodstuffs, detailing their use in preventing and treating illness.
Though the original Shiliao Bencao is lost, its contents, preserved through fragments and extensive citations in later works like the Bencao Gangmu, reveal a practical approach emphasizing everyday ingredients—soybeans, Zanthoxylum, pork, carp, Porphyra, Polygonatum, and more—and possibly even preparation methods. This practicality aimed to integrate therapeutic eating into daily life, empowering individuals with knowledge for self-care and health preservation (Yangsheng).
Meng Shen's legacy is significant. He formalized diet therapy as a distinct and respected branch of TCM, creating a foundational text that influenced medical scholars for centuries across East Asia. His work popularized the enduring concept that "food is medicine," contributing to a holistic understanding of health that bridges the gap between sustenance and therapy. Meng Shen's pioneering efforts in Shiliao solidified the importance of nutrition within Chinese medical thought and continue to resonate with contemporary interests in preventative health and functional foods.