When someone asked me, “Can TCM help with hereditary diseases?” I thought this was a very interesting question.
“人之始生本乎精血之原，人之既生，由乎水谷之养。”
“At the beginning of life, a person is founded upon the source of Essence and Blood; after birth, life is sustained through the nourishment of food and drink.”
Zhang Jingyue《景岳全书》 (Jingyue Quanshu) (1)
From a TCM perspective, we often talk about Pre-natal Essence (先天之精) and Post-natal Essence (后天之精).
Pre-natal Essence (先天之精) is the basic constitution we inherit from our parents before birth. You can think of it as the constitutional foundation we begin life with. It influences growth, development, reproduction, ageing and our overall constitutional strength.
It is closely associated with the Kidneys, which is why the Kidney is traditionally described as “the foundation of the Pre-natal” (肾为先天之本).
We can loosely compare this idea with inherited characteristics in modern medicine, but Pre-natal Essence is not the same as genes or DNA. It is a traditional TCM concept describing our inherited constitutional foundation.
What we inherit cannot simply be changed. However, that does not mean our constitution exists in isolation. In TCM, the inherited foundation is continually nourished and supported by Post-natal Essence (后天之精).
Post-natal Essence (后天之精) depends particularly on the Spleen and Stomach, which transform food and drink and contribute to the production of Qi, Blood and Essence. Therefore, diet, lifestyle, rest, emotional wellbeing and the body's ability to receive and transform nourishment all contribute to how well our constitution is supported throughout life.
In simple terms, Pre-natal Essence is what we are born with; Post-natal Essence is how we nourish and support what we were born with.
Although we cannot change our inherited foundation, we may be able to influence how well it is nourished, preserved and supported throughout life.
So, can TCM help with hereditary diseases?
From this perspective, TCM is not about changing the inherited genetic cause of a disease. Instead, it may have a supportive role in caring for the person who lives with that inherited condition.
Through individualised approaches such as acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle support, the aim may be to strengthen the patient's acquired resources, manage symptoms, maintain function and support overall quality of life.
In other words, we may not be able to change what we inherited, but we can consider how best to nourish and preserve what we have.
This also reminds us that looking after our health is not only important for ourselves, but potentially for the generations that follow.
Our Post-natal Essence, supported by good nutrition, rest, lifestyle and emotional wellbeing, helps to nourish and preserve our constitutional and reproductive health throughout life.
When we choose to have children, TCM traditionally considers the health and Essence of both parents important in providing a strong constitutional foundation for the next generation (2)(3).
So although we cannot change what we were born with, we can take responsibility for how we nourish and preserve our health, and aim to provide the best possible foundation for the next generation.
References:
1) Zhang Jingyue 张景岳 《景岳全书》 -《景岳全书·卷之十七·理集·杂证谟·脾胃·论脾胃》
2) Assessing the influence of preconception paternal nutrition on offspring health: an evidence gap map
3) Origins of lifetime health around the time of conception: causes and consequences
