6 tips for taking Chinese medicine decoction

　　Drinking Chinese medicine is a "painful" thing for most people. Because Chinese medicine is generally very bitter, many people are very resistant to Chinese medicine. However, Chinese medicine believes that there are 6 tips for drinking Chinese medicine. Let’s learn about them together.

　　6 tips for taking Chinese medicine decoction

　　1. Grasp the time of taking traditional Chinese medicine

　　Traditional Chinese medicine is generally required to be taken before or after a meal, but whether it is before or after a meal, the time interval cannot be too short of the meal time. Many people take it on an empty stomach before meals or after meals with a full stomach. They are most likely to vomit, which not only affects eating, but also affects nutrition and drug absorption.

　　When taking traditional Chinese medicine, we must adhere to the principle of "take medicine when food qi disappears, eat when medicine qi disappears". Choose the "middle" between meals, that is, take medicine at around 10 a.m., 4 p.m., and 9 p.m. At this time, it is both before and after meals. It does not affect eating or delay taking medicine. When the body obtains rich nutrition, it is more conducive to the recovery of the patient.

　　2. Control the dosage of medication

　　There is an old saying that "Chinese medicine fills the intestines", which means that the more Chinese medicine you take each time, the better. However, drinking a large amount of bitter medicinal liquid will stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and cause discomfort. The dosage of medicine should also vary from person to person. Take one dose of Chinese medicine every day, decoct each dose three times, take the juice and mix it into a total of about 750ml, take it in three times, 250ml each time is the best.

　　3. Pay attention to how to take it

　　When taking it, first prepare a cup of warm water, then hold your breath, drink the Chinese medicine continuously in one breath, then rinse your mouth with warm water, and finally chew gum to suppress the bitter taste. In order to get rid of the bitter taste, some patients like to add sugar to traditional Chinese medicine. This method is inappropriate. It is best to follow the doctor's guidance on whether to add sugar.

　　Research shows that people's bitter taste receptors are mainly concentrated in the front half of the tongue, with the tip of the tongue being the most prominent. Therefore, after entering the mouth of the medicinal liquid, it is best to quickly store it at the base of the tongue and swallow it naturally. You can also use a spoon to directly deliver the medicinal liquid to the base of the tongue and swallow it.

　　4. Master the speed of taking medicine

　　The longer the liquid stays in the mouth, the more bitter the taste will be. Therefore, the consumption of bitter Chinese medicine should be clean and fleeting.

　　5. Drink an appropriate amount of warm water after taking the medicine

　　This not only facilitates the absorption of the medicinal liquid by the gastrointestinal tract, but also alleviates the bitter taste of the medicinal liquid to a certain extent.

　　6. Add condiments

　　Add honey, sucrose, etc. to the bitter liquid, but use as little or no condiments as coptis and bile grass as much as possible. If necessary, it can be mixed with licorice, jujube, etc.

　　It is best not to add sugar when drinking Chinese medicine

　　Experts point out that there are certain taboos for eating sucrose. People with thick and greasy tongue coating, or people with abdominal distension, dampness, heat and internal obstruction should not eat sucrose. If you add sugar when taking traditional Chinese medicine that removes dampness and regulates qi, it will make the disease worse. There are also some cold Chinese medicines that are not suitable for adding sugar. Sugar is warm in nature and will reduce the efficacy of Chinese medicines.

　　In fact, there is another way to make Chinese medicine less bitter. Experts say that by controlling the temperature of the decoction when it is taken orally, the bitter taste of traditional Chinese medicine can be easily reduced. Studies have shown that if the decoction is taken orally at a temperature of around 36.2°C, its bitter taste will be reduced. Therefore, when we take the decoction, it is best to put the boiled Chinese medicine aside for a few minutes and drink it when the temperature of the liquid drops to warm and does not scald the mouth, because the bitterness is the lightest at this time and it is easier to swallow.

　　In addition, experts say that special utensils should be used for frying Chinese medicine, preferably casseroles and casseroles, because their chemical properties are stable and difficult to react with the ingredients in the medicine. They are evenly heated and have good heat preservation properties. Avoid using aluminum, iron, copper and other utensils.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine is bitter and astringent, which is indeed difficult to swallow, but do not add sugar casually, otherwise it will affect the effectiveness of the medicine, or even cause side effects. Everyone must pay attention when taking medicine.