How to Drink Traditional Chinese Medicine without Bitterness
It is often said that good medicine tastes bitter, but the thought of drinking a whole bowl of bitter Chinese herbal soup can still be difficult to bear. How can we drink Chinese medicine without bitterness or reduce the bitter taste? What are the taboos when drinking Chinese medicine?
How to Drink Traditional Chinese Medicine without Bitterness and the Taboos of Drinking Chinese Medicine
1. Drink Plenty of Warm Water
After taking the Chinese herbal soup, if you can immediately drink some warm water, it can reduce the residue of the medicine in the mouth and to some extent reduce the bitterness of the medicine.
2. Speed Up the Intake
Practice has shown that the longer the Chinese herbal soup stays in the mouth, the more bitter it tastes. Therefore, drinking the medicine in one breath is a good way to reduce the bitterness of the liquid.
3. Take Medicine During the "Golden Time"
Research has found that the "golden time" for the body to absorb drugs is between 8-10 am and 2-3 pm. This is the period when the body's metabolism is most active, and the bitter taste of the medicine is less likely to cause significant stimulation to the body. Taking medicine more than half an hour after a meal can not only prevent nausea and vomiting but also reduce the bitter taste of the medicine. If there are no special circumstances, take the medicine during the above-mentioned time period.
4. Let the Medicine Cool Down Before Drinking
The temperature in the oral cavity ranges from 36.2°C to 37.2°C, and taste nerve fibers are mostly distributed on the tongue. When the temperature of the herbal soup is close to the temperature of the tongue, the taste nerves are in the best working state and are most sensitive to the five tastes. At this time, drinking the herbal soup will taste the most bitter. Therefore, the temperature of the Chinese herbal soup should be controlled between 15°C and 36°C, which can prevent scalding and reduce bitterness.
5. Add "Seasonings" Correctly
Most people are accustomed to adding a little sugar to the Chinese herbal soup (especially when giving it to children) to make it taste better. However, adding sugar to reduce bitterness is not advisable. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, sugar is also a type of medicine. In addition, adding sugar can also affect the effectiveness and absorption of certain active ingredients in the medicine. For example, brown sugar contains iron and calcium, which can easily interact with some ingredients in Chinese medicine and affect the therapeutic effect of the medicine. Adding sugar to many antipyretic Chinese medicines may weaken their heat-clearing effects.
Chinese medicines used to treat cough should not be added with sugar, as some of these medicines mainly work to dissolve phlegm, and sugar can increase the secretion of phlegm, affecting the efficacy of the medicine. When there are no specific contraindications, adding a few jujubes during the decoction or adding some honey after decoction can also reduce the bitterness of the medicine.
