In response to some shortcomings in the decoction of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), TCM practitioners have proposed a new method called the "Three Three Three Method" for scientific decoction. Simply put, the "Three Three Three Method" involves decocting the medicine three times, extracting the liquid three times during each decoction, and taking the medicine three times a day.
Decoct the medicine three times. First, soak the medicine in cold water for about half an hour (do not use boiling water), and then decoct it. Boil the water for 30 minutes each time, with a total of 90 minutes for three times. This can fully extract the effective ingredients of the medicine.
Extract the liquid three times during each decoction. During the decoction process, after the water boils, extract an appropriate amount of liquid every 10 minutes. This is the key to decocting TCM. Because TCM formulas consist of multiple herbs, each herb has different textures and properties. Therefore, under the same temperature, the effective ingredients of different herbs are extracted at different speeds. Traditional decoction methods may result in the loss of some effective ingredients, but using this method can avoid this drawback and reduce the loss.
Take the medicine three times a day. After decocting the medicine three times, collect the liquid and mix it together. Divide the mixture into three doses to be taken in the morning, noon, and evening. This method, compared to the traditional morning and evening doses, shortens the interval between each dose, ensuring a more even distribution of the medicinal effects and maintaining a consistent and effective concentration of the medicine in the bloodstream, thus improving therapeutic efficacy.
In addition, overnight decoctions should not be consumed. When the herbal decoction is left for too long, the concentration of active ingredients decreases, resulting in a decrease in the therapeutic effect of the medicine.
