Which Chinese herbs can help with alcohol intoxication
As the Spring Festival approaches, it is inevitable to have moments of excessive drinking when gathering with relatives and friends. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to symptoms such as vomiting and headache. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause discomfort in the body, which is referred to as "alcohol toxicity" in traditional Chinese medicine. Some Chinese herbs can alleviate these uncomfortable symptoms.
1. Zhimu Juzi
Zhimu Juzi has a sweet and sour taste and is effective in treating alcohol intoxication, restlessness, thirst, vomiting, and constipation.
"Dian Nan Ben Cao" specifically mentions that it can "treat paralysis on the left side of the body, rheumatism, numbness, and detoxify alcohol..." The "Shi Yi De Xiao Fang" prescribes Zhizi Wan to treat "frequent alcohol consumption and accumulation." In addition, Zhuye (leaves of the Zhi tree) also has a sobering effect.
2. Gegen Hua
Gegen Hua has a sweet and mild taste and is effective in detoxifying alcohol, invigorating the spleen and stomach, relieving thirst, and treating symptoms such as headache, dizziness, restlessness, thirst, vomiting, and bloating. "Pi Wei Lun" mentions Gegen Hua Cheng Tang as a remedy for "alcoholic coma." "Dian Nan Ben Cao" mentions Gegen Hua Qing Re Wan, which is used to treat alcohol intoxication. Gegen root and seed also have sobering effects.
3. Caoguo
Caoguo has a warm and pungent nature and enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It has the functions of drying dampness, dispelling cold, eliminating phlegm, and treating malaria. It also has the ability to purify turbidity due to its fragrant nature. "Ben Cao Gang Mu" quotes Li Gao Yun as saying, "It warms the spleen and stomach, stops vomiting, treats cold and dampness in the spleen, cold phlegm... It eliminates old food, detoxifies alcohol, removes fruit accumulations, and also relieves malaria."
4. Gaoliangjiang
Gaoliangjiang has a pungent and hot nature and enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It has the functions of dispelling cold, relieving pain, warming the middle, and stopping vomiting. "Ben Cao Cong Xin" states that it "warms the stomach, dispels cold, aids digestion, awakens sobriety, and treats stomach pain caused by coldness."
5. Juhua
Juhua belongs to the category of dispersing wind-heat and releasing the exterior. It has a pungent, sweet, and bitter taste and a slightly cold nature. It can disperse wind-heat, pacify the liver, improve vision, clear heat, and detoxify. "Yao Jian" states, "...it relieves the coma of drunkenness and facilitates awakening, when boiled together with Gegen (Pueraria flower) in a decoction."
6. Zhuru
Zhuru has a sweet and slightly cold nature. It has the functions of clearing heat, transforming phlegm, relieving restlessness, and stopping vomiting. It has a good effect on vomiting caused by gastric heat or phlegm heat. "De Pei Ben Cao" states, "...when combined with chicken eggs, it treats headache caused by alcohol consumption." "Yao Pin Hua Yi" also mentions its use in treating "alcohol-induced vomiting."
7. Baibian Dou
Baibian Dou belongs to the category of tonifying the spleen. It has a sweet and warm nature and can strengthen the spleen, transform dampness, and relieve heat. "Ben Cao Tu Jing" mentions that it "treats women's genital discharge, detoxifies alcohol, and also detoxifies river pufferfish poison."
8. Kushen
Kushen has a bitter and cold nature. It has the functions of clearing heat, drying dampness, killing parasites, and promoting urine. "Ming Yi Bie Lu" mentions that it "eliminates hidden heat in the intestines, relieves thirst, and awakens sobriety..." Zhang Shanlei explains, "...relieving thirst and awakening sobriety are both effects of clearing heat." "Ben Cao Jing Shu" also mentions that Kushen "relieves alcohol consumption, relieves thirst, improves vision, and treats dysentery and infantile dysentery effectively."
9. Roudoukou
Roudoukou has a pungent and warm nature and is classified as a warming and astringent herb. It has the functions of warming the middle, promoting qi circulation, solidifying the intestines, stopping diarrhea, and aiding digestion. "Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao" mentions that it "regulates the middle, relieves qi, stops diarrhea, opens the appetite, aids digestion. It is applied externally to relieve qi, detoxify alcohol, and treat cholera." "De Pei Ben Cao" also considers it effective in "relieving indigestion, detoxifying alcohol."
Which Chinese herbs can help with alcohol intoxication? What can you do to relieve alcohol intoxication? What should you eat to relieve alcohol intoxication?
Other methods to relieve alcohol intoxication
1. If you feel nauseous and uncomfortable, induce vomiting
The most direct and quickest way to alleviate alcohol intoxication is to vomit out the alcohol that has not yet been absorbed. Try to make yourself vomit by stimulating your throat with your fingers. Although it is uncomfortable, it is better than feeling uncomfortable with the alcohol in your stomach. I usually go to the bathroom and vomit a few times, then wash my face and clean my mouth.
2. After emptying your stomach, eat some fruits, such as bananas
After emptying your stomach, eat some fruits to fill your stomach slightly so that you don't feel too uncomfortable on an empty stomach. In general, I like to eat two bananas, as bananas are also effective in relieving alcohol intoxication.
3. Then, drink some fruit juice
If you have the means, you can drink some fruit juice to neutralize the alcohol. Personally, my wife usually prepares tomato juice for me, which helps reduce the burning sensation in my body after drinking.
4. If you like to drink milk, you can have some
To alleviate the absorption of alcohol, you can also drink milk instead of fruit juice. Milk is effective in sobering up.
