How to Improve Your Circulation With Pungent Foods

Yes, spicy foods really can help relieve pain.

Did you know that adding more pungent (spicy) foods to your meals can actually help relieve body pain? There’s a reason you feel more alive after a good curry or a bowl of pho with extra chili.

In Chinese medicine, we call this Moving Qi and Blood. Pain happens when Qi and Blood get stuck — kind of like traffic backed up on a Monday morning. When we help things move again? Pain fades. Simple, effective, and very much the heart of Chinese medicine.

As acupuncturists, we see you as a giant, breathing, living puzzle. And we love puzzles. We diagnose using several methods and treat with a range of tools — herbs, acupuncture, fire cupping, qi gong, and my personal favorite… FOOD.

Today, we're diving into the PUNGENT flavor — what it is, how it works, and how to use it to support your energy, digestion, and circulation.

Why Pungent Foods Are So Powerful

Pungent (spicy) foods move.
They’re expansive, stimulating, and packed with upward, outward Yang energy.

When Qi and Blood need a push, pungent foods are like a little internal cheerleader.

They’re especially helpful when you feel:

• Sluggish

• Dull

• Lethargic

• Cold all the time

• Bloated or “damp”

• Cramps or PMS

• Tension headaches

• Slow digestion

• Poor circulation

If you’ve been feeling like a wet sponge, pungent flavors can bring you back to life.

Two Types of Pungent Foods: Warming vs. Cooling

Not all pungent foods act the same way. Some heat you up, some cool you down, and each has a specific purpose.

Warming Pungents

These are ideal for people who run cold, feel tired often, struggle with brain fog, or have a hard time losing weight due to low energy or sluggish digestion.

Examples include:

• Spearmint

• Rosemary

• Scallion

• Garlic

• All onion family

• Cinnamon

• Clove

• Ginger

• Black pepper

• Hot peppers

• Cayenne

• Fennel

• Anise

• Dill

• Mustard greens

• Horseradish

• Basil

• Nutmeg

These foods wake up the system and help warm and circulate Qi and Blood.

Cooling Pungents

Cooling pungents are great if you tend to run hot, overeat, feel inflamed, or struggle with weight because of heat-type excess.

Examples include:

• Peppermint

• Marjoram

• Elderflower

• White pepper

• Radish + radish greens

These move Qi without adding heat — perfect for hot-natured folks.

Neutral Pungents

Neutral pungents are gentle, nourishing, and suitable for most constitutions.

Examples include:

• Taro

• Turnips

• Kohlrabi

How to Know Which Pungent Foods You Need

• If you're always cold, low energy, tired, puffy, or foggy:
  → Reach for warming pungents.

• If you're hot, irritable, sweaty, inflamed, or tend to overeat:
  → Choose cooling pungents.

• If you're somewhere in the middle:
  → Mix and match intuitively — your body will guide you.

Pungent foods are one of the simplest, most accessible ways to support your body every single day. Think of them as your built-in Chinese medicine toolkit… straight from your kitchen.