Before decocting Chinese herbal medicine, some people think that Chinese medicine is dirty, and they always wash it with water. In fact, washing medicine with water will reduce its efficacy. The reasons are as follows:
1. Loss of water-soluble components of medicinal materials
Many medicinal materials contain sugars and glycosides, which can dissolve in water. After washing with water, a part of the effective ingredients will be lost, leading to a decrease in efficacy.
2. Loss of powdered medicinal materials
Many Chinese medicines are in powdered form, and some need to be ground during dispensing, such as peach kernel, dragon bone, and talcum powder. If washed with water, these drugs will be lost.
3. Loss of some auxiliary materials
Some medicinal materials add honey, wine, bile, and other auxiliary materials during the processing, and these auxiliary materials are easily soluble in water. If washed with water, some of the auxiliary materials will be lost. For example, bile arisaema and wine-processed rhubarb, which are commonly used medicinal materials.
Therefore, it is not advisable to wash medicinal materials with water before decocting them.
