Joseon kings practiced food treatment to overcome diseases

Food treatment can help fight infectious diseases such as COVID-19,” said Shin Seong-mi, director of the National Traditional Korean Food Experience Center at its Food Treatment Center in Yeongju on June 19. Food treatment refers to a way dating back to the Joseon Dynasty that keeps you healthy using food.

“Food doctors in the Joseon Dynasty were responsible for ensuring good health and long life for the King. Instead of using medications, food doctors used food to prevent and cure diseases. The key was to boost the King’s immune system using food. This food culture of the royal family spread to scholars and then to the working class.”

Food treatment is a preventive medicine. The key is to eat foods made from healthy ingredients to boost immunity. “Food doctors studied the diseases previous kings suffered and customized foods that suit King’s constitution in order to prevent diseases,” said Shin. Food treatment is about boosting one’s energy with foods that are more bland and natural than typical royal cuisine.

“Basically, scholars sought to live a long and healthy life. That is what food treatment is about and is the basic desire of human beings. Unfortunately, this virtue disappeared during the Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War,” said Shin. “If we follow suit after our ancestors and practice food treatment, we’ll be able to overcome any infectious disease, including COVID-19.”


Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com