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Korean medicine sorts everyone into one of four body types — each with a different balance of organ strength, a different temperament, and a different list of foods that help or hurt. The same meal can be exactly right for one person and exactly wrong for another.
Sasang (四象, "four symbols") medicine was developed in Korea in the 1890s by the physician Yi Je-ma. Its central claim is simple: people are born with one of four constitutions, defined by which organ systems run strong and which run weak. That balance shapes body shape, temperament, how you sweat, how you digest, and — most usefully — which foods restore your balance and which push it further off.
This is why generic diet advice so often fails. Ginger tea is a tonic for one type and a source of heat and irritation for another. Pork restores one person and drags another down. A cold glass of water is refreshing or harmful depending on who is drinking it. Sasang gives a reason for the differences people already notice in themselves.
At Raah Acupuncture, body type informs how we prescribe herbs, what we suggest patients eat, and — for the same reason — which foods we suggest they leave alone.
A few foods from each list, to give the flavor. The full guide — over 100 foods, drinks, supplements, and habits, rated for every type — is available to members.
Strong lungs, weak liver. Energy that rises and disperses easily but struggles to gather and store. Often decisive, forward-moving, and quick to act, with a strong neck and upper body and a lighter lower body. Does poorly with fatty, heavy, or warming foods.
Strong spleen and stomach, weak kidneys. Quick digestion and good appetite, but the body runs warm and loses its cooling reserve. Often outgoing, expressive, and quick-minded, with a developed chest and narrower hips. Does best with cooling, moistening foods.
Strong liver, weak lungs. Absorbs and stores well but has a harder time releasing and circulating. Often steady, patient, and enduring, with a solid build and a tendency to hold weight. Does best with warming, moving foods — and with sweating.
Strong kidneys, weak spleen and stomach. Good reserves but delicate digestion, and a body that runs cool. Often careful, thoughtful, and detail-oriented, with a smaller frame and a well-developed lower body. Does best with warm, easy-to-digest foods.
Most people recognize themselves in one of the descriptions above — and are right about half the time. The other half surprise themselves. That's why we don't rely on a questionnaire alone.
Body proportions — the relative development of shoulders, waist, hips, and lower legs — are the most stable marker and the first thing we look at.
Each type has characteristic pulse qualities and tongue features. These often settle cases where the description alone is ambiguous.
How you respond to the first treatments — and to the foods you already know agree or disagree with you — confirms the picture over the first few visits.
Members get the complete 4 Body Types food guide — meats, fish, grains, vegetables, fruit, oils, teas, alcohol, supplements, and everyday habits like sauna and swimming — organized around their own type, with search. Plus a short screening to bring to your first visit.
See membership plans Book a first visitNo. Five-element theory is shared across East Asian medicine; Sasang is a distinctly Korean system built on four constitutions and the organ balances behind them. The two can be used together, and at Raah they are — Saam acupuncture works with the five elements, while body type guides herbs and food.
No — it's considered lifelong. What changes is your state within it: a ShaoYin person can run warmer or cooler depending on season, stress, and diet, but remains ShaoYin. The food guide is about keeping your type in balance, not changing it.
You can get a leaning, and members receive a short screening for exactly that. But questionnaires are wrong often enough that we always confirm in clinic with structure, pulse, and tongue before recommending a diet around it.
No. Allergies, medical conditions, and your physician's instructions always come first. The guide is a way to shift your everyday choices toward what suits you — not a rulebook, and not a treatment.
Yes. Body type is one of the main considerations in every herbal prescription written in the clinic, alongside the pattern we see on the day. It's also why two patients with the same complaint can leave with different formulas.
A first visit at Raah Acupuncture is a full consultation and treatment in one session — and your body type is part of what we work out.
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