【Do you need to wash Chinese herbs before cooking】
Soup is the oldest and most commonly used form of Chinese medicine. Whether using single herbs or combining multiple herbs to make a prescription, it is necessary to cook them before consumption. Some people always wash the Chinese herbs with water before cooking, thinking that this can ensure hygiene, but this is not correct.
Before being made into herbal decoctions, Chinese herbs go through a series of processing including impurity removal and drying. The hygiene standards have already been met, so there is no need to wash them again. Many herbs contain water-soluble sugars and glycosides, washing them with water will cause these active components to partially dissolve and be lost in the water, reducing the efficacy and affecting the treatment effect. Some herbs used in prescriptions are in powder form and need to be ground. If they are washed with water, it will inevitably lead to the loss of these drugs, affecting the therapeutic effect. In addition, some herbs are processed with honey, vinegar, wine, bile, and other additives, which are easily soluble in water. Washing them with water will cause the loss of these additives.
Before cooking Chinese herbs, do not rinse them, but soak them in water to allow moisture to penetrate the herbs and dissolve some of the active ingredients in the water. Most Chinese herbs are made from plants and contain proteins and starches. If these herbs are not soaked in water and immediately cooked with water, the proteins will coagulate and the starches will gelatinize when heated, which will hinder the extraction of active ingredients. Therefore, before cooking Chinese herbs, it is generally advisable to soak them in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour, with enough water to cover the herbs and exceed about 1 centimeter.
【Precautions for cooking Chinese herbs】
1. Utensils for cooking herbs:
(1) You can choose a clay pot or a sturdy stainless steel container.
(2) Avoid using copper, iron, aluminum containers when cooking herbs, and the cooked herbal liquid should also avoid direct contact with these types of containers.
2. Water for cooking herbs:
(1) You can use tap water or spring water. Soak the herbs thoroughly before cooking.
(2) The preparation of compound Chinese medicine should still follow the aforementioned procedures, strictly following the prescription review, pricing, dispensing, checking, and dispensing procedures.
(3) Pay attention to the expiration date of the Chinese medicine.
(4) Like single herbs, some compound Chinese medicines can also harm the fetus and mother. Pregnant women should avoid them. They are generally divided into two categories: cautious use during pregnancy and prohibited use during pregnancy.
