Digestion in the Humoral Tradition

Hippocrates was the first to declare ‘All disease begins in the Stomach’.

At the foundation of the whole Humoral Theory is the fact that the our Humors are created from the food and drink we ingest. So an excess of cold and raw foods will gradually cause a build-up of Phlegm in the system, eventually causing a Phlegm disease. The same occurs with the other Humors.

Of course, inherited Constitution plays a major role. Someone with ample Heat (Bile) in their system will tend to create more Bilious Humor. But actually, each type of Constitution will tend to attract Food, Drink and Substances that are of similar nature. So Phlegm types tend to be attracted to Cold, Sweet, Fatty and Dairy foods; Bile types will be attracted more to Meat, Spices, Coffee, Alcohol, etc.

The Humoral concept of Digestion:

• Food is taken in into the mouth where it is chewed (broken down), mixed with saliva (part of the ‘Phlegm’ humor) and enzymes (part of the ‘Bile’ humor). It is then passed to the stomach.
• The Stomach is situated in the middle of the 4 Humoral Organs: Heart (Bile), Liver (Blood), Spleen (Melancholy) and Kidneys (Phlegm). This was termed ‘First Digestion‘ by Galen. The Stomach contains certain types of all Humors, which are used to help digest food.  Melancholy stimulates appetite, Phlegm lubricates, and Bile provides the digestive Heat. Digestate then moves into the Duodenum, then into the Bowels. Movement through the Digestion system is controlled by Vital Spirit (Qi).
• That which has been broken down is carried by the portal veins to the Liver. In the Liver, ‘Second Digestion’ occurs. This is the transformation of raw particles of digestate into each of the Four Humors. The Four Humors are passed around the body from the Heart through the Arteries and Capillaries.
• In each Organ and Tissue, the Humors carried by the circulation are used to transform into the Tissue or Organ. This occurs at the local site, and is acted upon by the Qi of the area to create the final nutrition required by that part. This was termed ‘Third Digestion’.

It is worth noting that Ayurveda similarly recognises that Food, once broken down, produces Blood which then, in turn forms the other Tissues of the body.