We all know that in traditional Chinese medicine, whether it is for treating diseases or for health maintenance, Chinese herbal medicine is an essential process. However, not only is Chinese herbal medicine difficult to drink, but there are also many taboos to avoid hindering its effectiveness. Let's take a look at the taboos of drinking Chinese herbal medicine.
【Spicy Foods】
When drinking Chinese herbal medicine, we must be careful to avoid spicy foods in our diet. These foods are generally hot and have the function of promoting yang and strengthening the stomach. Overconsumption of these foods can easily lead to phlegm production, Qi dispersion, and blood depletion. Therefore, these foods are only suitable for those with cold syndrome diseases, and not suitable for those with yin deficiency and excessive yang, blood disorders, warm diseases, hemorrhoids, abscesses, and other conditions.
These foods include onions, garlic, leeks, ginger, alcohol, and chili peppers. For example, chili peppers are hot in nature. If consumed by individuals with symptoms of fever, constipation, short and red urine, dry and thirsty mouth, dry lips, sore throat, nosebleeds, and red tongue, it will inevitably worsen the symptoms of "overheating" and counteract the efficacy of heat-clearing, cooling blood, and nourishing yin drugs. Therefore, patients with heat syndrome should not eat chili peppers when seeking treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.
【Fishy Foods】
One should also avoid eating fishy foods as they can potentially affect one's health. These foods are often salty and cold, and contain allergenic proteins that can cause allergic reactions. Overconsumption can harm the spleen and stomach and trigger diseases. Therefore, those with spleen and stomach problems should not eat these foods, especially those with allergies.
These foods include yellow croaker, carp, hairtail, clam meat, shrimp, and crabs. Yellow croaker, sardines, catfish, yellow croaker, crabs, and mud snails are the most likely to cause allergies. Fishy foods are also considered exacerbating factors.
【Hair-Generating Foods】
Foods that generate hair growth generally promote the worsening of diseases. Therefore, it is best not to eat hair-generating foods when taking Chinese herbal medicine. These foods generally have the effect of inducing wind, producing phlegm, and assisting fire. The extent of their "hair-generating" effect varies depending on the severity of the disease and the individual's tolerance to certain foods.
These foods include mushrooms, truffles, bamboo shoots, mustard greens, pumpkins, rooster meat, pig's head meat, and sow meat. For example, patients with liver yang hyperactivity and internal liver wind should avoid eating rooster meat and pig's head meat. Patients with boils, abscesses, ulcers, and other skin diseases should avoid eating truffles, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, rooster meat, pig's head meat, and sow meat, as they can accelerate redness, swelling, and suppuration. Those with gastrointestinal problems should avoid eating pumpkins, as they contain sugar, which can produce excess acid and irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
Ultimately, "hair-generating" foods can be said to promote the worsening of diseases to a large extent.
【Raw and Cold Foods】
When taking Chinese herbal medicine, we must be careful not to consume cold foods, as they can affect our health. These foods are generally cold in nature and mainly have the function of clearing heat and quenching thirst, making them suitable for diseases with excessive heat. However, they can easily affect the function of the stomach and intestines. Therefore, those with weak and cold constitutions and gastrointestinal diseases should avoid them.
For example, white radishes are cold in nature and have the effects of aiding digestion, resolving phlegm, and regulating qi. If consumed by individuals with weak and cold constitutions and gastrointestinal diseases, it will worsen the coldness and further impair the function of the stomach and intestines. Additionally, when taking ginseng and other tonics at the same time, their effects can be reduced or eliminated due to their antagonistic properties. Therefore, radishes should not be taken together with ginseng.
【Greasy Foods】
We should also avoid eating greasy foods, as they are difficult to digest and can damage the spleen and stomach. These foods include animal fats and hard, fried foods. Greasy foods can impair the healthy functioning of the spleen and stomach, so they should be avoided by those with external diseases, jaundice, and diarrhea. Hard-fried foods are hard and dry, making them difficult to digest, so they should be avoided by those with gastrointestinal diseases and "overheating" symptoms.
【Sour Astringent Foods】
When taking Chinese herbal medicine, we need to avoid consuming sour and astringent foods, as they can irritate the intestines and stomach. Excessive acidity can stimulate the intestines and stomach, so those with excessive stomach acid and gastrointestinal ulcers should avoid them. Foods with astringent properties mostly contain tannins.
For example, tea leaves contain tannins, and concentrated tea has even higher levels. When taken together with Chinese herbal medicine, they can form precipitates with certain proteins, alkaloids, and heavy metal salts in the herbal medicine, affecting the absorption of active ingredients. They can also affect the absorption of proteins and other nutrients. Therefore, when taking Chinese herbal medicine, it is generally not advisable to consume concentrated tea at the same time.
