The Ideological Origin, Conceptual Connotation, and Contemporary Development of "Medicine and Food homology"

In the process of promoting the healthy China strategy, the guiding ideology of prevention first has led to the reform of the medical model. The concepts of "combination of prevention and treatment", "combination of treatment and maintenance", and "medicine and food homology" in traditional Chinese medicine have received unprecedented attention. However, at present, the academic community's understanding of the concept of "medicine and food homology" is not clear. The excellent traditional philosophy's understanding of the world and material is constrained by the contemporary "dual use of medicine and food" policy, with inconsistent connotations and narrow extensions, presenting a phenomenon of instrumentalization and vulgarization. The academic community and the government should adhere to the essence of traditional Chinese medicine, clarify the connotation of the concept of medicine and food homology, fully explore traditional Chinese medicine literature resources, learn from folk dietary habits, improve the current management methods for dual-use varieties of medicine and food, and make the excellent concept of medicine and food homology a source of promoting public health.