With the improvement of people's living standards and the increasing awareness of health care, traditional Chinese medicine has been recognized and praised by many people. Chinese herbal medicine therapy has become a common way for modern people to maintain their health, and boiling Chinese herbal medicine is an essential step in the process. How to boil Chinese herbal medicine? What should be paid attention to when boiling Chinese herbal medicine?
There are some details to be noted before, during, and after boiling Chinese herbal medicine.
Before boiling the medicine, choose a suitable pot, with a clay pot being the best option. Metal pots such as iron, copper, aluminum, and tin should not be used for boiling medicine. This is because the tannic acid and organic acids contained in Chinese herbal medicine can react chemically with the aforementioned metals, resulting in the formation of precipitates and reduction of the effective ingredients of the medicine. The pot should be washed immediately after use to keep it clean. Fresh and clean tap water or spring water is recommended for boiling the medicine. Water that has been boiled repeatedly or left in a thermos for a long time should not be used for boiling the medicine. Chinese herbs do not need to be washed, but they should be soaked in cold water at room temperature before boiling. Generally, herbs mainly composed of flowers, stems, and whole plants should be soaked for 20-30 minutes, while herbs mainly composed of roots, rhizomes, seeds, and fruits can be soaked for 60 minutes.
The amount of water added to the decoction directly affects the quality of the medicine. The traditional "3 bowls of water boiled down to 1 bowl" is not a scientific standard. This is because different prescriptions have different amounts of herbs and different sizes of doses, and different herbs have different water absorption capacities. It is recommended to soak the herbs in water to a depth of 2-3 centimeters (or gently press the herbs with your hand, and the water level should just cover the back of your hand). Some flowers and plants have a high water absorption capacity, and the water level will decrease after soaking for half an hour. In this case, additional cold water should be added to reach the standard water level before boiling. The size of the heat used for boiling the medicine, known as "fire intensity" in traditional Chinese medicine, includes "gentle heat" and "strong heat". Generally, "strong heat first, then gentle heat" is used, which means boiling the medicine with high heat (rapid heat) first, and then switching to gentle heat (slow heat) to maintain a low boil. The boiling time is counted from the point of boiling. The boiling time generally depends on the nature of the medicine. For exterior-releasing medicines, the initial boiling time is 10-20 minutes, and the second boiling time is 10-15 minutes. For general medicines, the initial boiling time is 20-30 minutes, and the second boiling time is 15-20 minutes. For tonifying and regulating medicines, the initial boiling time is 30-40 minutes, and the second boiling time is 20-25 minutes. In addition to the above, the boiling time should also take into account the texture of the medicine. For example, the boiling time for flowers, leaves, and aromatic herbs should be short, while mineral, antler, and shell medicines should be boiled for about an hour on low heat to fully dissolve their effective ingredients. The decoction should be boiled 2-3 times. Generally, after boiling the Chinese medicine twice, the content of effective ingredients is greatly reduced, so it is best to boil it twice. However, for tonifying medicines and some prescriptions with large doses, boiling three times is also acceptable.
After boiling the decoction, it should be filtered and poured out while hot, and should not be left in the pot for a long time. Otherwise, the decoction containing excessive colloids will form gelatin when the temperature decreases, making it difficult to filter and affecting the medicinal efficacy. It can also easily lead to spoilage. It is best not to take Chinese medicine and Western medicine at the same time. There may be drug interactions between Western medicine and Chinese medicine or Chinese patent medicine. It is recommended to take Chinese herbal medicine and Western medicine separately.
For hot diseases, alcohol, spicy foods, fish, and meat should be avoided or consumed in moderation. When taking medicine for exterior-releasing or rash-clearing purposes, it is advisable to consume less raw and cold food and sour-tasting food. When taking warm tonifying medicine, it is recommended to drink less tea and eat less radish.
