Published on 2025.11.05

How Chinese Medicine Explains the Human Body Constitution (Part 3: The Nine Constitutions of Modern Times)

The concept of TCM constitution begins with the theory of yin and yang in TCM. The "Five Types of People" from the "Huangdi Neijing" are: Yang Type, Shaoyang Type, Balanced Type, Shaoyin Type, and Taiyin Type. and then extends through the "five elements of people: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water" of the Five Elements Theory. In modern times, Professor Wang Qi of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine has conducted clinical and basic research, and divided the human body constitution into nine categories: peaceful constitution, qi deficiency constitution, yang deficiency constitution, yin deficiency constitution, phlegm dampness constitution, damp heat constitution, blood stasis constitution, qi stagnation constitution, and special constitution. Each constitution has its own unique morphological characteristics, psychological characteristics, physiological functions, environmental adaptability, and pathological symptoms.

2. Nine types of constitutions

The nine types of constitution have unique morphological characteristics, psychological characteristics, physiological functions, environmental adaptability, and pathological symptoms.

2.1 Qi deficiency constitution
  • [u  Morphological characteristics: soft muscles, pale and yellow complexion, weak voice, easy fatigue, lack of energy.]()
  • Psychological characteristics: introverted, not daring to take risks, impatient thinking, like quiet and dislike movement .
  • Physiological functions: easy sweating, poor appetite, wheezing when moving slightly, loose stools, pale tongue, and weak pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: recurrent colds, sagging internal organs, chronic fatigue, slow recovery.
  • Environmental adaptation: fear of wind and cold, intolerance to fatigue, susceptibility to cold, intolerance to wind, cold, heat, dampness.
  • Qi-replenishing foods: Beef, yam, eel horn, potato, loach, vanilla, japonica rice, jujube, glutinous rice, chestnut, lentils, chicken, cowpea, pork belly, honey.
  • Qi tonifying Chinese medicine Ginseng, American ginseng, Codonopsis, Pseudostellariae, Astragalus, White olive, Yam, lentils, licorice, jujube.
  • Dietary therapy (qi supplementation): ginseng chicken soup and stir-fried beef with yam
2.2 Yang deficiency constitution
  • Morphological characteristics: lack of yang energy, sensitivity to cold, paleness, cold hands and feet, muscle weakness, lack of energy.
  • Psychological characteristics: quiet and introverted, depressed, like warmth and dislike coldness, and is prone to depression.
  • Physiological functions: cold extremities, like a hot diet, lack of energy, pale and tender tongue, slow pulse, clear and long urine.
  • Pathological symptoms: susceptible to phlegm drinking, chronic diarrhea, susceptibility to cold, joint cold pain, diarrhea.
  • Environmental adaptation: resistant to winter but not summer, extremely cold-sensitive, susceptible to wind, cold, and dampness.
  • Yang Replenish Foods: Cordyceps, dog meat, lamb, shrimp, walnuts, sea cucumber, leeks, fennel, coriander, carrots, onions, ginger, walnuts, chestnuts, cashews.
  • Yang tonic Chinese medicine Deer antler, Morinda officinalis, Cistanche deserticola, Curculigo orchioides, Epimedium, Eucommia ulmoides, Dipsacus asper, Cibotium barometz, Drynaria officinalis, Psoralea corylifolia, Alpinia oxyphylla, Cordyceps sinensis, Gecko, Placenta centifolia, Cuscuta australis, Astragalus membranaceus, Cynomorium songaricum.
  • Dietary therapy (replenishing yang): stir-fried prawns with chives, and walnuts chestnuts lamb stew.
2.3 Yin deficiency constitution
  • Morphological characteristics: thin body, dry skin, lack of yin fluid, dry mouth and throat, flushed cheeks, and heat in the palms and soles.
  • Psychological characteristics: irritable temperament, extroverted and active, irritable, and lively.
  • Physiological functions: hot hands and feet, dry mouth and throat, slightly dry nose, like cold drinks, dry stool, red tongue with little fluid, thin pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: susceptible to fatigue, night sweats and spermatorrhea, irritability and insomnia, and easy to turn into heat when infected by evil.
  • Environmental adaptation: tolerant to winter but not summer, intolerant to heat, and dryness.
  • Yin-tonifying foods: fungus, milk, lily, turtle meat, wolfberry, pine nuts, oysters, sunflower seeds, razor clams, black chicken, mussels, eggs, duck meat, black sesame seeds, pork.
  • Yin tonifying Chinese medicine: Adenophora, Ophiopogon japonicus, Asparagus cochinchinensis, Dendrobium officinale, Polygonatum odoratum, Polygonatum sibiricum, Lilium lycium barbarum, Mulberry, Eclipta prostrata, Ligustrum lucidum, Testudinella calamus, Turtle shell
  • Dietary therapy (yin supplement): Lily and Tremella Soup, Adenophora and Ophiopogon Duck Soup
2.4 Phlegm-damp constitution (obesity)
  • [u  Morphological characteristics: obese body, full abdomen, oily face, slightly floating puffy eyelids, and heavy body odor.]()
  • Psychological characteristics: mild personality, steady, stable, patience, easy to be lazy.
  • Physiological functions: oily skin, sticky sweat, chest tightness and phlegm, sticky and sweet mouth, prefer sweet and fatty foods, greasy tongue, slippery pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: chest tightness and phlegm, sticky mouth, indigestion, sticky stool, prone to diabetes, and chest pain.
  • Environmental adaptation: tolerant to humid and cold environment, poor adaptability to the rainy season and wet environment.
  • Foods to dispel dampness: Winter melon, Artemisia capillaris, carp, mustard greens, crucian carp, alfalfa, snakehead, day lily, red bean lettuce, coix seed
  • Chinese herbs to dispel dampness: Poria cocos, orientalis, coix seed, plantain seed, moneywort, Artemisia capillaris, Patchouli, Amomum villosum
  • Foods to dispel phlegm: Platycodon grandiflorum, taro, laver, bamboo shoots, kelp, loofah, jellyfish head, mustard greens, water chestnuts, pears, winter melon seeds
  • Chinese herbs to dispel phlegm: Pinellia ternata, Platycodon grandiflorum, Ginkgo biloba, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Stemona tuber, Morus alba
  • Dietary therapy (dispelling dampness and phlegm): Winter melon coix seed carp soup, Tangerine peel poria cocos hawthorn drink.
2.5 Damp-heat constitution
  • [2.5 Damp-heat constitution] Morphological characteristics: medium or thin body, heavy and sleepy, oily face, prone to acne, strong body odor.
  • Psychological characteristics: irritability, irritability, impulsiveness.
  • Physiological functions: bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, short urination, dry mouth and sticky stools, red tongue with yellow greasy coating, and weak and rapid pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: body feel hot, heavy and painful, bitter mouth and chest, yellow and short urine, easy to suffer from jaundice, hot stranguria and other diseases.
  • Environmental adaptation: intolerant to humid and hot environments, symptoms are aggravated in the humid and hot weather in summer and autumn.
  • Heat-clearing foods: Water celery, clam meat, Chinese toon leaf, corn, cabbage, mung bean, tofu, amaranth, honeysuckle, purslane, tea, dandelion, chrysanthemum brain, wild rice stem, apple, bitter gourd, tomato, cucumber, watermelon, banana, sugarcane
  • Heat-clearing Chinese medicine: Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Prunella vulgaris, Reed root, Radix Rehmanniae, Scrophulariae, Peony bark, Red peony root, Honeysuckle, Bezoar, Smilax glabra, Gentiana scabra, Sophora flavescens, Coptis chinensis
  • Damp-removing foods: Winter melon, Artemisia capillaris, carp, mustard greens, crucian carp, alfalfa, snakehead, day lily, red bean, lettuce, Coix seed
  • Damp-removing Chinese medicine: Poria, Alisma orientalis, Coix seed, Plantago seed, Centella asiatica, Artemisia capillaris, Patchouli, Amomum villosum
  • Diet therapy (heat-clearing and damp-removing): Mung bean and coix seed soup, winter melon and lotus leaf tea, winter melon and coix seed old duck soup, Poria cocos, lotus seeds, yam, coix seed, and red bean stew.
2.6 Blood stasis constitution
  • Morphological characteristics: mostly thin people, dry skin, dull complexion, poor blood circulation, ecchymosis.
  • Psychological characteristics: easily irritated, impatient and forgetful, prone to depression and paranoia.
  • Physiological functions: prone to pain, dark purple lips, dark tongue with spots, multi-colored dark blood clots, varicose veins, thin and astringent pulse or irregular pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: prone to symptoms, pain syndrome, bleeding syndrome, stroke, etc.
  • Environmental adaptation: intolerant to wind evil and cold evil, cold induces pain, aggravated in winter.
  • Hemostatic foods: Thistle, eggplant, lotus root, black fungus, water spinach, Sophora japonica, Amaranthus chinensis, leek, hawthorn
  • Hemostatic Chinese medicine: Panax notoginseng, Agrimoniae, Imperatae root, Sophora japonica, Pollen pollen
  • Blood-activating foods: Gongcai root, peach kernel, rapeseed, vinegar, black bean, soybean, shiitake mushroom, kelp, eggplant, wine, raw lotus root
  • Blood-activating Chinese medicine: Chuanxiong, Corydalis, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Leonurus japonicus, Millettia reticulata, Achyranthes bidentata
  • Diet therapy (blood-activating and stasis-removing): Angelica sinensis, Panax notoginseng, black chicken soup, hawthorn brown sugar drink, kelp tofu soup, Salvia miltiorrhiza, rose tea.
2.7 Qi stagnation constitution
  • Morphological characteristics: Mostly thin, with a melancholy expression, frowning eyebrows, frequent sighing, a foreign body sensation in the throat, and an unhappy look.
  • Psychological characteristics: introverted and unstable personality, melancholy and fragile, sensitive, and suspicious, prone to depression.
  • Physiological functions: chest and rib distension, depressed look, annoyance, a foreign body sensation in the throat, pale red tongue, thin white fur, and stringy pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: distension and pain in the ribs, breast distension and pain, irritability, insomnia, and easy awakening, globus hystericus, panic, etc.
  • Environmental adaptation: dislike rainy weather, and intolerance to mental stress.
  • Qi-regulating foods Xiebai, sword bean, turnip, pea, orange, lily, rose, buckwheat, sword bean, persimmon calyx
  • Qi-regulating Chinese medicine Tangerine peel, Citrus aurantium, costusroot, agarwood, cyperus, litchi kernel, bergamot
  • Nerve-soothing foods and Chinese medicine Pine nut seed, Ziziphus jujuba seed, lily, Albizzia julibrissin, Polygala tenuifolia, wheat
  • Diet therapy (soothing the liver, regulating qi, nourishing the heart, and calming the mind): Rose, jasmine, green calyx plum tea, licorice, wheat, and jujube soup, chenpi, polished rice porridge, lily and lotus seed soup
2.8 Peaceful constitution (healthy)
  • Morphological characteristics: strong and well-proportioned body, firm and moist skin, thick and shiny hair, bright eyes.
  • Psychological characteristics: cheerful personality, stable emotions, peaceful mentality, strong adaptability.
  • Physiological functions: good appetite, good sleep, normal bowel movements, full of energy, pale red tongue, thin white fur, gentle and strong pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: rarely get sick.
  • Environmental adaptation: resistant to cold and heat, not easy to get sick in all seasons.
  • Diet therapy: (balanced diet according to age, season, and climate)
2.9 Idiosyncratic constitution (sensitive)
  • Morphological characteristics: Special constitution (allergic constitution) is prone to allergies and abnormal immune response, such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, eczema, urticaria, etc.
  • Psychological characteristics: Anxiety, insomnia, increased stress, prone to depression and compulsive behavior, or social isolation due to allergies.
  • Physiological functions: Sensitive to food, pollen, dust mites, drugs, etc., pale or fat tongue, thin white greasy fur, weak or floating pulse.
  • Pathological symptoms: Common asthma, wheal, itchy throat, nasal congestion, sneezing urticaria, eczema, cough, itchy skin rash.
  • Environmental adaptation: Poor seasonal adaptability, onset of disease when changing seasons or exposure to allergens.
  • Dietary Therapy: ²  Lung deficiency type (nasal allergy, asthma): nourish the lungs and strengthen the exterior, dispel wind and clear the orifices. Food: lily white fungus pig lung soup, cordyceps stewed duck soup.
  • ²  Spleen deficiency type (food allergy, eczema) strengthens the spleen and eliminates dampness. Food: plantain, winter melon, coix seed porridge, poria, yam, lotus, and Euryale soup.
  • ²  Kidney deficiency type (allergic chronic urticaria) nourishes the kidney and strengthens the body foundation. Food: black bean walnut glutinous rice porridge, cordyceps wolfberry ginger candied dates bamboo chicken soup.
  • ²  Heart fire type (heat urticaria, red and itchy skin) clears the heart fire and cool the blood, dispel wind, and stop itching. Food: mung bean honeysuckle peanut and licorice soup, honeysuckle, and licorice tea.
  • ²  Liver Qi stagnation type (itchy skin when nervous) sooth the liver, relieve liver depression and stop itching. Food: rose mint tea, mulberry, and wolfberry porridge.
3. Blood deficiency constitution
  • Why is there no "blood deficiency" listed in the "Nine Constitution Classifications"? Professor Wang Qi's "Nine Constitution Classification" does not list "blood deficiency constitution" because patients with qi deficiency constitution and yin deficiency constitution often have blood deficiency constitution characteristics: pale complexion, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, pale tongue, weak pulse, etc.; Qi and blood are mutually rooted in each other, and yin fluid includes blood, so blood deficiency has been included in qi deficiency and yin deficiency constitutions, and is not listed as an independent constitution.    
  • Blood-replenishing food Carrots, pork hearts, longan meat, pig's trotters, grapes, dog meat, Polygonum multiflorum, peanuts, donkey-hide gelatin, spinach, squid, lychee, mulberry, pork liver.
  • Blood-tonifying Chinese medicine Angelica sinensis, Rehmannia rehmannia, Polygonum multiflori, Paeonia alba, donkey-hide gelatin.
  • Dietary therapy (replenish blood): peanut pig heart soup, red dates longan angelica pork liver soup.
4. Treating diseases before they occur

Readers can analyze their own constitutions according to the morphological, psychological, physiological, pathological, and environmental adaptability characteristics of various constitutions, choose appropriate foods, replenish deficiency syndromes and purge excess syndromes, prevent diseases and improve health.

5. Summary

Professor Wang Qi's "Nine types of Constitution Classification" was established as the standard for constitution classification because it conforms to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, and also through data investigation and research, clinical and basic research, animal experiments, etc. In the future, modern medical science methods such as genomics, metabolomics, microbiomes, and imaging can also be considered to explore TCM constitution classification, diagnosis, and treatment methods.

Dr. CHENG Lee Chuen

Education: PhD Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, PhD Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Business Administration from York University in Toronto Canada, Bachelor's degree from York University in Toronto Canada, and Higher Diploma in Tradition Chinese Medicine from the University of Hong Kong.
Professional qualification: Registered Chinese medicine practitioner in Hong Kong.
Work experience: Served as editor-in-chief of the Great China Chinese Medicine Website, lecturer of Chinese medicine courses in university educational institutions, lecturer of business administration courses in university, and registered Chinese medicine practitioner in clinics.
Research projects: Participated in university's market research on traditional Chinese medicine and health care products, and traditional Chinese medicine online model VR/AR teaching material development projects.
Publications/Books: Contents include articles such as “a literature discussion on Jingui Shenqi Pills〈金匱腎氣丸論述〉”, “research on consumer value and brand strategy of traditional Chinese medicine health products”, and “research on the impact of brand sensitivity of traditional Chinese medicine health products on consumers purchasing decisions” etc.

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