The life energy "Qi" plays a central role in TCM, which is kept in flow by the two life poles Yin and Yang: If Yin and Yang are in balance, then according to the TCM understanding we feel healthy. If the flow of energy is disturbed, e.g. by environmental influences such as cold, heat, drafts, poor nutrition, mental stress or overexertion, health problems can arise according to TCM. Medicinal mushrooms, which have been used in TCM for thousands of years, are of particular importance among medicinal plants (according to TCM understanding). The oldest official listing of medicinal substances from the 29th century BC contains several species of mushrooms that were used for therapeutic purposes even then.
Here too there is a great parallel to Ayurveda - because both teachings understand food as medicine. In detail, however, differences become clear: while in Ayurveda the type-appropriate food is decisive in terms of balancing the doshas, in TCM everything revolves around energy flows. TCM assumes that food can have an energetic effect: some foods have a cooling effect (e.g. yoghurt), some have a heating effect (e.g. chili); some foods reduce, some increase qi.